Stories from August 31, 2022

Audit questions management of millions in state homeless, housing aid and avain flu makes a reappearance among Minnesota’s turkey farms. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
'It's not going to be like the movies:' New Twin Cities high school freshmen share hopes and fears
School starts next week for many young Minnesotans, and with it, a new class of ninth graders will enter high school. MPR News spoke with five members of the class of 2026 — from five different metro-area high schools — about their hopes, fears and dreams for the future as the semester begins.
AIM supporters kick off their months long walk to free Leonard Peltier
Rachel Thunder speaks with Cathy Wurzer about the American Indian Movement’s (AIM) two and a half month walk called “Walk to Justice.” Thunder, who is Plains Cree, serves as the lead organizer for the AIM walk from Minneapolis to Washington D.C.
Paul Huttner's forecast for the first week of fall
Thursday, Sept. 1 is the first day of meteorological fall. Paul Huttner talks with Cathy Wurzer about what to expect in the coming few weeks.
With Monkeypox, there's an emotional toll along with the physical symptoms
Monkeypox cases are still climbing in Minnesota, with 123 confirmed cases in the state so far. MPR News health reporter Michelle Wiley talks with Cathy Wurzer about her conversations with those who have had monkeypox and the health care professionals focused on the virus.
Senator Klobuchar debriefs her conversation with President Zelensky in Ukraine
Minnesota’s Senior U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has spent most of the past week in Ukraine with Ohio’s Republican Senator Rob Portman visiting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sen. Klobuchar talked with Cathy Wurzer about the trip.
Fiber cut along North Shore exposes vulnerabilities in tech-dependent world
A cut fiber optic line last week shut down all internet and cell phone service along the North Shore of Lake Superior for up to six hours, exposing vulnerabilities in the system that provides high-speed communications to northeastern Minnesota.
Avian flu resurfaces in a Meeker County turkey flock
The west-central Minnesota flock was quarantined and destroyed to stop the spread of the disease. Health officials say this strain of avian flu poses a low risk to the public. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly.
Temps, humidity start to rise Wednesday; weekend looks pleasant
A warming trend starts Wednesday. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s Wednesday with upper 80s Thursday and Friday along with more sunshine. Friday will bring an isolated thunderstorm chance as a cool front passes through.
U.S. clears updated COVID boosters targeting newest variants
U.S. regulators have authorized updated COVID-19 boosters, the first to directly target today's most common omicron strain. The move on Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that already have saved millions of lives. 
Jensen laid out his education plan at the State Fair Tuesday. He says it would give parents more information about what's being taught in schools, and prohibit what he called political correctness and divisive curriculums. Jensen said education should focus on the basics of reading, writing and math. A spokesperson for Governor Tim Walz' campaign called Jensen's ideas a radical plan to convert public schools into private schools and put politicians in charge of students' learning. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Appetites live at the state fair with Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
On the last Appetites, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl made some predictions about which new state fair foods will get the glory. She returns to see how they held up and fields questions from fairgoers in a special live broadcast from the fairgrounds with MPR News host Tom Crann.
Summer 2022 recap and a warming trend begins Wednesday with isolated thunder Friday
Temperatures will start to climb Wednesday into Thursday and Friday. Highs will be in the mid 80s and even upper 80s by Friday. Dew points will also become sticky by late Thursday into Friday with cooler air moving in Saturday.
Best Buy Q2 results fall amid softening demand for gadgets
Best Buy posted declines in fiscal second-quarter profits and sales as the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain struggled with weakening consumer demand for gadgets and high costs that rippled through its supply chain.
Klobuchar visits Ukraine: 'They will not be beaten down'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited Ukraine this week and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, just before the United Nations inspectors made their way toward Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Support for labor unions in the U.S. is at a 57-year high
A new poll from Gallup shows that support for unions is the highest it's been since 1965. This comes as workers at companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Chipotle have lately launched union drives.
Trump team may have hidden or moved classified material, DoJ says
The Justice Department said Tuesday it had uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified documents at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate
Local libraries have become a major political and cultural battleground
In Lafayette, La., like elsewhere in the nation, conservative groups are demanding removal of books they consider unsuitable for young readers. Many librarians see it as an attack on civil liberties.
An ode to city parks: a climate refuge under pressure
Millions of people rely on city parks to recharge, cool off and connect. But climate change is threatening the very spaces that help us cope with the stresses of living on a hotter planet.
With monkeypox, stigma challenges Minnesota health response
While anyone can catch monkeypox, so far the majority of the cases in the U.S. and in Minnesota are among men who identify as gay or bisexual, and men who have sex with men. Since cases began appearing in the country, there’s been an ongoing national conversation on how to address those most vulnerable to the disease without perpetuating bias.