Stories from July 25, 2022

A Ramsey County judge on Monday gave a 16-year sentence to a teen convicted in the shooting death of a man during a robbery in St. Paul. Mekhi Speed is the cousin of Amir Locke, 22, whom Minneapolis police killed Feb. 2 while executing a no-knock search warrant to gather evidence in the investigation.
Minnesotans are scaling back absentee voting so far, after 2020 U.S. election controversies, and Minneapolis high school basketball coaching legend Larry McKenzie is turning in his whistle. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Amid record low unemployment, Minnesota officials highlight underutilized labor pools
In June, Minnesota had the lowest state unemployment rate ever recorded in the U.S., and that means workers are harder than ever to find. Harder — but not impossible. State officials are encouraging employers to dig a little deeper into the labor market.
‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Law & Order’ actor Paul Sorvino dies at 83
Paul Sorvino, an imposing actor who specialized in playing crooks and cops like Paulie Cicero in “Goodfellas” and the NYPD sergeant Phil Cerretta on “Law & Order,” has died.
A male birth control pill? U of M study is entering new phase
A recent New York Times opinion piece said for researchers working on a male birth control pill, their work has never been more crucial in a post-Roe America. And recent surveys show that an increasing number of men are interested in pharmaceutical contraceptives.
Feds sue large poultry producers, including Cargill, alleging unfair worker practices
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against some of the largest poultry producers in the United States. It’s part of an effort to end what the government says are longstanding deceptive and abusive practices for workers.
Tackling medical debt
Many people are one medical emergency away from a financial crisis. Almost two out of every five American adults are living with some form of debt related to cost of health care. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the toll of medical debt and what can be done about it with a financial counselor, an elder law attorney and the header of a national nonprofit organization that raises donations to forgive medical debt.
Pope Francis apologizes to Indigenous communities in Canada
The worldwide head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, is in Canada Monday meeting with Indigenous communities. His mission is to apologize in person for the atrocities of the Catholic Church against Canada’s First People. Brenda Child is Professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk more about this story.
Pope apologizes for 'devastating' school abuses in Canada
Pope Francis has apologized for the Catholic Church’s cooperation with Canada’s “catastrophic” policy of Indigenous residential schools. The pontiff says the forced assimilation of Native peoples into Christian society destroyed their cultures, severed their families and marginalized generations in ways still being felt today.
Did you know that the month of July is Disability Pride Month? More than 41 million Americans live with a disability, and multiple generations of disability rights activists have worked tirelessly to shed shame and share the joy. Kelsey Peterson is a dancer, choreographer, writer and filmmaker who co-directed a documentary called “Move Me,” to share her own personal experience. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk more about her work.
Monday marks the first day of Minneapolis’ Black Business week. The event will run for six days and feature a number of opportunities to support local Black-owned businesses. Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reporter Patrick Rehkamp joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about that story and the rest of the top business news of the week.
Karen Oberhauser on the future of endangered monarch butterflies
Minnesota’s official state butterfly is now on the endangered species list. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says the migrating monarch butterfly was moved for the first time to its “red list” of threatened species and categorized it as “endangered” — two steps from extinct. Dr. Karen Oberhauser is UW-Madison’s Arboretum director. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the future of monarch butterflies.
Rents spike as big-pocketed investors buy mobile home parks
Investors are buying up mobile home parks across the country, leading to significant rent increases and complaints of neglect from residents. In Minnesota, park purchases by out-of-state buyers grew from 46 percent in 2015 to 81 percent in 2021, with rent increases as much as 30 percent.
Cooler several days; Tuesday showers; hot weekend
Temperatures will remain cooler than normal slightly for much of Minnesota this week. Scattered showers and some thunder develop Tuesday. Heat is building in for the weekend and first days of August.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is proposing to impose new requirements on an eastern Twin Cities manufacturer with a history of pollution problems.  This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister
Pleasant Monday; showers possible Tuesday
The cooler temperatures and lower dew points will dominate through Friday. The next chance of showers and thunderstorms spreads across northern and central Minnesota Tuesday though amounts will be light in drought stricken areas.
Natisha Hiedeman had 19 points, Brionna Jones scored 18 and Alyssa Thomas added a double-double to power the Connecticut Sun to an 86-79 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Hiedeman hit five 3-pointers and had five assists for Connecticut.
AP-NORC poll: 2 in 3 in U.S. favor term limits for justices
About 2 in 3 Americans say they favor term limits or a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices. That's according to a new poll that finds a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans saying they have “hardly any” confidence in the court.
Online pricing algorithms are gaming the system, and could mean you pay more
Online pricing algorithms can game the system and ultimately end up costing the consumer more. And the impact of these program can go beyond just a few extra dollars at checkout.
How a near-death experience could change the way you live
When Randy Schiefer was hospitalized with COVID-19, he wasn't sure he would survive. Now, he looks back at that experience as the most important thing that has ever happened to him.
Corporate America reckons with its role in reproductive rights
A growing list of companies is offering to cover travel expenses for abortion care, if an employee lives in a state with restrictive laws. Yet corporate America still has its own issues to address.
Omar, McCollum face challenges from fellow Democrats
The two members of Congress representing Minneapolis and St. Paul are each facing primary challenges from within the DFL Party.