Stories from February 3, 2023

Rep. Dean Phillips: Omar committee ouster was 'reckless' and 'dangerous'
Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who is Jewish, butt heads with Rep. Ilhan Omar over her past comments on Israel. But he defended her ahead of a vote this week to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He joined All Things Considered Friday to talk about why.
The restoration would apply to any felon who isn’t incarcerated, regardless of whether they are on parole or probation. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.
Land next to St. Anthony Falls could return to Dakota tribes
The nonprofit Friends of the Falls has unveiled early design concepts for creating a place of restoration, healing and connection to the water on the downtown Minneapolis site.
Angela Davis reflects on South Africa trip
MPR News host Angela Davis spent a week and a half touring South Africa with a group of public radio listeners. She reflects on the trip, and shares voices and stories of the South Africans she met along the way. 
Juneteenth is now a holiday in Minnesota
Minnesota is the 26th state to make Juneteenth, also known as Black freedom day, a holiday after Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Friday that passed with bipartisan support.
Weekend weather: Temps set to rebound into the 20s, 30s
Our temperatures have bottomed out, and we’ll have much milder temps Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening. We have your weekend forecast details, plus a look at Minnesota snow depths.
Family sues Minneapolis over Amir Locke killing by police in no-knock raid
A Minneapolis police officer fatally shot Amir Locke last year seconds after a SWAT team entered a downtown apartment to serve a warrant. Locke was not suspected of any crime. No officers were charged. Locke family attorney Ben Crump announced the civil suit Friday.
Anatoly Liberman on the origins of English idioms
Some idioms need no explanation. Sayings like “put it on the back burner” or “don’t rain on my parade” follow common sense. But what about phrases like “drink like a fish” or “by hook or by crook”?
How warm could February get?
A hopeful reader wrote to MPR News, asking how often the Twin Cities sees temperatures of 50 degrees in February.
Purrfection reigns at St. Paul's Saintly City Cat Show
A look at the Saintly City Cat Club Annual Championship Cat Show, where local and national cat fanciers compete to show which cat is more purrfect.
Winter cold peaks; weekend temps set to swing 40-50 degrees
Much of Minnesota saw the coldest readings of this winter early Friday. We now quickly turn toward a big warmup this weekend with highs in the 20s and 30s that will persist into next week.
'We’re still gonna say no': Inside UnitedHealthcare’s effort to deny coverage to chronically ill patient
After a college student finally found a treatment that worked, the insurance giant decided it wouldn’t pay for the costly drugs. His fight to get coverage exposed the insurer’s hidden procedures for rejecting claims.
MnDOT's 'Name a Snowplow' contest voting ends tonight
Bobsled Dylan? Mary Tyler More Snow? Blizzo? You have until midnight to choose up to eight of your favorite names.
A push to restore voting rights to people with active felony records as long as they have served their prison time is close to final passage. It’s been tied up in the Legislature and courts for years. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Bitter cold Friday morning gives way to a big weekend warmup
The brutally cold temperatures early Friday will be short lived and may not return. Friday will remain chilly but we’ll see highs Saturday in the 30s for some to about 20 north. Mild air continues next week.
Minneapolis has increased police presence at encampment clearings
Minneapolis police and Mayor Jacob Frey say the larger police response is due to activist “attacks,” but public records show none of the activists who were arrested for trying to stop encampment evictions in recent years have been convicted of felony assault.
Columbia Heights students mark World Hijab Day
A group of students at Columbia Heights High School came up with a unique way to mark World Hijab Day, giving their peers a chance to ask questions about the traditional head covering or even try one on.
Seasoned Love: Theatre 55 offers a production of 'Rent' with an older cast
Theatre 55, which features cast members aged 55 and up, takes a look at Jonathan Larson’s “Rent.” The musical is set during the AIDS crisis and looks at a bohemian community in Manhattan — stories that many in the cast share and even lived.
Winter Play: We tried Minnesota birrrd-watching
It’s cold. But the birds here don’t mind. Why not try your hand at joining them? As part of the Winter Play series MPR News’ Amy Felegy took to a snowy, wooded path in northwestern Minnesota to give you the scoop on winter birding for the first time.
Manufacturer recalls eye drops after possible link to bacterial infections
EzriCare artificial tears are suspected to be the cause of an outbreak of the VIM-GES-CRPA strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which the CDC said is the first outbreak of its kind in the U.S.
Bill making Juneteenth a MN holiday is headed to Walz
June 19 will soon be a state holiday in Minnesota. Known as Juneteenth, it’s the day in 1865 when slavery was viewed as finally abolished in the United States, even though it came years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation
Voting-restoration bill gets House OK; Senate action due soon
A push to restore voting rights to people with active felony records as long as they have served their prison time is close to final passage. It’s been tied up in the Legislature and courts for years.