Stories from August 22, 2022

Trump asks for a 'special master' to review Mar-a-Lago evidence
Former President Donald Trump is also seeking to prevent the government from further reviewing the documents that were taken until a special master is appointed.
A fine late summer weather pattern ahead
If you like warm sunny days and mild nights. This week brings some of the best weather of summer.
Copper nickel miners sue feds for revoking mineral leases near Ely and nurses picket at Hennepin Healthcare as nursing workforce issues continue to heat up across the state. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Twin Metals sues Biden Administration over canceled mineral leases
Twin Metals Minnesota sued the Biden administration Monday in a bid to revive its proposed underground copper-nickel mine outside Ely and just south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
How employee-owned companies address inequities and help workers build wealth
Some companies are allowing their employees to become owners in the company, through models like co-ops or employee stock ownership plans. Guest host Chris Farrell talks with three experts about employee ownership, and what it looks like in Minnesota.
Forada on the mend, but it hasn't been easy
It's been just over three months since a tornado tore through Forada in west-central Minnesota. Since then, the town of about 160 residents has been on the mend, but it hasn’t been easy. 
Climate law could shrink price of Sherco solar project
Xcel Energy says tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act could lower the cost of building the 460-megawatt project next to its retiring coal plant in Becker by 20 percent.
Ethics board: S.D. Gov. Noem may have 'engaged in misconduct’
A South Dakota ethics board has found enough information that Gov. Kristi Noem may have “engaged in misconduct” when she intervened in her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license to potentially take action against the Republican governor.
Hennepin Healthcare nurses picket outside Minneapolis hospital
Nurses with Hennepin Healthcare picketed outside Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis on Monday, to draw attention to staffing concerns. Monday's picketing was separate from the strike authorization affecting 15,000 other nurses across the state.
It hasn't hit 90 degrees at the last 7 Minnesota State Fairs
Will 2022 bring the first 90-degree day at the Fair since 2013? Here are some more weather data points on the Fair, plus a look at the forecast for opening weekend this year.
At Minnesota Now, we want to know what’s going on in your part of state. One way we do that is to check in with journalists around Minnesota to find out what their communities are talking about.
Minnesota's home health care industry and the growing labor shortage
Minnesota is facing a labor shortage – and there are few places where that’s more apparent than the home health care industry. Which is also one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S.
St. Paul and its Hmong community are still reeling from the brutal murder-suicide that left five children orphans last week. Those children were in the home when their parents died, and the eldest — a 9-year-old child — reported the deaths to 911.
Pfizer asks FDA to greenlight new omicron booster shots, which could arrive this fall
Pfizer has submitted data on its bivalent COVID-19 booster shot that specifically targets the latest omicron subvariants. If authorized, the company says the shots could be ready as soon as September.
Fauci to step down in December after decades of public service
Dr. Anthony Fauci helped guide the U.S. through the COVID crisis, and earlier in his career played a key role in the response to AIDS. He has served under seven presidents.
More sunshine and dry until late Wednesday
If you liked Sunday, you’ll love Monday and Tuesday. More sunshine, warm temperatures are overall comfortable conditions will continue. The next chance of some thunder develops northwest late Tuesday and elsewhere late Wednesday.
Hennepin County prosecutors contend that 56-year-old Jerry Arnold Westrom stabbed Jeanne Ann Childs dozens of times in a south Minneapolis apartment that she used for sex work. The 1993 case lay dormant for decades until forensic geneaologists allegedly matched a sample of Westrom's DNA from a napkin he discarded at a 2019 hockey game to DNA from the apartment. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Gorgeous Monday; seasonable week ahead
We’ll see near or slightly above normal temperatures with lots of sun Monday and Tuesday. The next chance of rain and thunder arrives late Wednesday into early Thursday.
As inflation soars, access to Indigenous foods declines
Traditional Indigenous foods — like wild rice, bison, fresh vegetables and fruit in the Midwest — are often inaccessible for Native families with low incomes in urban areas, and the recent inflation spike has propelled these foods even further out of reach.
Semien, Lowe homer; Arihara shines as Rangers beat Twins 7-0
Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe homered, Kohei Arihara pitched a career-high six innings and combined with Taylor Hearn for the shutout, and the Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-0.
On Wisconsin’s French Island, residents live with lingering ‘forever chemicals’
Wisconsin’s lawsuit comes more than four years after Minnesota settled its landmark case against 3M over PFAS contamination. Since then, scientists and regulators have learned much more about how broad and pervasive the PFAS problem is.