Stories from July 20, 2022

Income inequality is deepening in America. Economic gains in recent decades have been unevenly dispersed, with the vast majority of the wealth going to those already on top. Part of that discrepancy is rooted in the inability to buy property.
It's a Kansas City summer in the Twin Cities
The past 30 days are the sixth warmest such period on record in the Twin Cities.
Newly released body camera video offers little insight into shooting by Minneapolis cops, as authorities ask bystanders for more. Also, Native bands in northern Minnesota weigh a change to how membership is defined. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Bodycam video: Mpls. police snipers say they saw gun before shooting Sundberg
Authorities say the snipers shot 20-year-old Andrew Tekle Sundberg last week less than a minute after he allegedly threatened to shoot officers following hours of standoff. Sundberg's family says he was having a mental health crisis.
As Ukraine's war grinds on, soldiers are outgunned and injuries are rising
Ukraine's soldiers have held off a full-scale Russian invasion. But rising casualties are taking a toll — and the lackluster welcome soldiers received from some fellow citizens has hurt their morale.
Authorities say a state trooper shot and wounded a Fargo man on Thursday during a shootout along a freeway ramp. It's the second shooting involving law enforcement officers in Fargo this month.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to force nearly 20 companies that he alleges contaminated the environment with chemicals known as PFAS to reimburse the state for investigations and cleanup efforts.
Season's first wildfire smoke drifting over Minnesota Wednesday
Wildfires in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan are pumping smoke toward Minnesota. The smoke plumes are riding in on the gusty northwest wind flow behind a cool front that blew into Minnesota Tuesday night.
Black-owned Strive Bookstore opens in downtown Minneapolis
Mary Taris couldn’t find enough books for her children featuring Black characters, so she founded her own publishing company – Strive Community Publishing. “We’re really striving to connect across cultures,” Taris says.
In Rochester, national grievances spill into school board, mayoral races
Nonpartisan local campaigns have become platforms for a host of grievances that have defined national politics the last two years: President Trump's loss, the nation's response to COVID-19, and concerns about civil unrest are all making their way into school board, city council and mayoral races.
St. Paul ordinance set 3 percent cap on rent increases — but exemption requests are mounting
Last fall, it looked simple. Voters in St. Paul approved a strict new rule for raising rents in the city. But implementation is proving tricky. There are paths for landlords to seek exemptions allowing rent increases much higher than the 3 percent cap.
Above-normal temperatures continue
It will remain very warm across the region but a little cooler with slightly lower dew points Wednesday and Thursday. The next chance of some thunderstorms arrives Saturday for most with isolated thunder chances Wednesday night and Thursday night in western Minnesota.
After a seven-day trial, a jury is deciding the fate of a Chicago man accused of killing a fellow driver in suburban Minneapolis last year. Prosecutors say Jamal Smith, 34, shot Jay Boughton in a fit of road rage. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Three homes were heavily damaged or destroyed after high winds spread a fire in south Minneapolis early Wednesday morning.
Not as hot Wednesday; continued dry
It will still be very warm or even hot, but not like the last two days with lower dew points and slightly cooler temperatures. We will be mainly dry Wednesday and Thursday.
Netflix loses nearly 1 million subscribers. That's the good news
The streaming service had forecast that it would lose 2 million subscribers. The less severe loss, combined with a projection of growth in July to September, helped lift Netflix's battered stock.
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe members voting on whether to continue blood quantum
A vote being counted Wednesday will guide discussions on whether to keep the controversial requirement known as “blood quantum” — that individuals must have 25 percent of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe blood to be eligible for tribal membership.
State government’s vax-or-test rule quietly expires
The policy that required state employees to prove vaccination or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing if they worked on site is no more. But other vaccination-related policies are still a source of friction.
Local leaders in one western Minnesota city have voted to disband the police department, which has dwindled to just two officers, including the chief.