Stories from January 31, 2023

Walz signs abortion law, calls it a reasonable response to GOP threats to abortion rights and Dave Durenburger will be laid to rest on Tuesday. He died this morning. This is an evening update from MPR news, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
White House: Harris will attend Tyre Nichols' funeral
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to attend the funeral of Tyre Nichols, who died three days after he was beaten by Memphis police officers just minutes from his home, the White House said Tuesday.
In a Minneapolis salon for natural hair, women wonder if CROWN Act will help
Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign the CROWN Act, which bans discrimination against people based on their natural hair texture and style. But some say the fight to destigmatize hair is far from over.
Report: Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped, but work still needed
Transportation remains Minnesota’s biggest source of greenhouse gases, followed by agriculture. Emissions from electricity generation continued to fall as utilities shuttered coal plants and relied more on wind and solar energy.
MN bill aims to create legal refuge for trans youth seeking gender-affirming care
Minnesota legislators began reviewing a bill that protects access to health care for trans youth, a move that the author says is a historic first. At the Tuesday hearing, several parents of trans youth spoke in support of the bill.
'It Hurts' so good: Bad Bad Hats release 10th anniversary edition of first EP
A Twin Cities favorite: Bad Bad Hats are not shy to embrace the nostalgia of their early recordings. So much so that the “It Hurts (10th Anniversary Edition)” EP includes demo tracks laced with kazoos, happy-go-lucky whistling, never-heard-before verses and ultra-scratchy guitar tracks.
Omaha police fatally shoot armed man in Target store
No other injured people were immediately found. Officers received multiple 911 calls Tuesday afternoon and arrived within minutes. Evidence suggests the man fired rounds before he was shot by officers, but it wasn't immediately known if he fired at anybody.
Meet four local arts leaders giving a voice to underrepresented communities
Guest host Jacob Aloi heads into the studios of artists of color, a queer filmmaker and a curator of Latin American Art. They’re all making the art world more inclusive.
Walz signs bill guaranteeing abortion access in Minnesota
The measure putting the right to abortion and other reproductive options in state law was a top priority for Democrats at the Capitol, and health care providers celebrated its enactment on Tuesday.
Winter play: Dogsledding in Southern Minnesota
MPR Producer Cat Richert talks about what got her mushing for the first time.
Walz signs PRO Act, enshrining right to abortion into Minnesota law
PRO stands for Protect Reproductive Options. A state supreme court case already guarantees this right in Minnesota, so the law does not change the situation on the ground for doctors and patients.
From the archives: Anatoly Liberman on familial language
Every family has words that are unique to their closed circle. We discuss their roots in a new book, “Take My Word for It: A Dictionary of English Idioms.”
To watch or not to watch? Resmaa Menakem on how to cope with yet another police killing
Amid the conversation about policy reform surrounding Tyre Nichol’s death at the hands of Memphis police, there is also a need to know how to emotionally process what happened to Nichols.
Cold eases Tuesday afternoon; few light snow showers north
Tuesday afternoon will bring temperatures above zero for most of Minnesota, with highs near 10 in southern Minnesota to near zero in the northwest corner. Wednesday will be even warmer with a few light snow showers north.
Former Minnesota Sen. Dave Durenberger dies at 88
Durenberger served 16 years in the U.S. Senate, earning a reputation as an expert on health care and environmental policy. “He was a counterintuitive policymaker who didn’t follow the usual partisan cookbooks,” said former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, once a Durenberger intern.
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow non-citizens to apply for and obtain driver’s licenses if they pass the required tests. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Morning wind chill advisories, warmer afternoon
Wind chills will continue to range from 15 to 35 below zero Tuesday morning. We’ll see another day with sun and warmer afternoon temps with highs near 10 south and zero north. 
Fox, Lyles help Kings outlast Timberwolves 118-111 in OT
De’Aaron Fox scored 32 points and Trey Lyles had eight of his 11 points in overtime as the Sacramento Kings outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-111.
COVID response turns another corner: MN test to treat sites are no more
The Minnesota Department of Health has closed COVID testing sites that people once visited in droves. But the agency said use of the sites at places like St. Paul's Midway neighborhood and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport had dropped.
Winter Play: Dog sledding in southern Minnesota
As part of MPR News’ Winter Play series, reporter Catharine Richert spent the afternoon dog sledding near Cannon Falls. Her best advice? Don’t let go of the sled. 
‘Todos los residentes de Minnesota se lo merecen’: La Cámara de Representantes de MN aprueba proyecto de ley para obtener licencia de conducir
La Cámara de Representantes de Minnesota aprobó un proyecto de ley para permitir que los no ciudadanos soliciten y obtengan licencias de conducir si pasan las pruebas necesarias.
A Hennepin County judge on Monday sentenced a St. Paul man to 18 years of prison and supervised release for trying to kill his former partner outside a supervised parenting center last year. At the sentencing hearing for Timothy A. Amacher, 41, a prosecutor said he’d hoped for a lengthier prison term, but Minnesota law won’t allow it.
President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11
President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.