Stories from February 27, 2023

Michelle Yeoh's moment is long overdue
Michelle Yeoh has been kicking ass on and off screen for decades, and is now sweeping the awards season for her starring role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Despite economic headwinds, Minnesota still expects a huge budget surplus in coming years and a woman will lead the Minnesota State Fair for the first time, after 168 years. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Future of Us: The pandemic brought Americans outside, but racial barriers remain
Duluth nature photographer and author Dudley Edmondson was inspired to make outdoor recreation more welcoming to people of color during the pandemic. “There was a time when I thought that I was the only Black birdwatcher in America,” he said.
 MPR News podcast Untangled Roots celebrates Minnesotans of color 
A new podcast from MPR News North Star Journey project is digging into the untold stories of Black Minnesotans and other communities of color in the state. MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with Untangled Roots co-host Brandt Williams and producer Twila Dang.
The bleak story behind the birth of dance marathons
Hours and hours of dancing may sound fun, but in 1930s Minnesota, participants’ motivations were often quite serious.
Meet the next leader of the Minnesota State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair has a new CEO. Renee Alexander, the organization's longtime deputy general manager, will take the reins this spring after retiring CEO Jerry Hammer steps down. Alexander will be the first female CEO in our State Fair history.
Grandstand guru takes over as new Minnesota State Fair CEO
Renee Alexander, deputy general manager at the Minnesota State Fair and head of the fair’s entertainment offerings, will be the new CEO for the Great Minnesota Get Together. 
Using food as a doorway to deeper stories about culture and community
It’s easy to talk about food — its tastes, aromas, textures and potential to bring people together. Chaz Sandifer and Julie Burton also use food as a way to unlock storytelling about people and cultures. They are the creators of Stories Behind the Menu, an annual series of four dinners that begins in February with Black History Month and ends in December during the holidays.
Minnesota's revised financial numbers are in. What's next for lawmakers?
At the Minnesota Capitol, state lawmakers got their first look Monday at a revised forecast that will guide them for the next couple of months as they make final decisions on a new state budget. For the first time in two decades, this forecast includes inflation in spending estimates.
Native Americans seized Wounded Knee 50 years ago. Here's what 1 reporter remembers
Fifty years ago, Oglala Lakota activists took over the village of Wounded Knee in an occupation that lasted 71 days. Journalist Kevin McKiernan reflects on the standoff and the legacy it leaves.
Legacy of Wounded Knee occupation lives on 50 years later
Memories of the Wounded Knee occupation — one in a string of protests from 1969 to 1973 that pushed the American Indian Movement to the forefront of Native activism — still run deep within people who were there.
Wintry mess: Rain, ice, snow on Monday; more snow Tuesday night
Our latest system brings rain, ice and snow as warmer air sits over Minnesota. East central Minnesota into western Wisconsin is seeing freezing rain make for icy conditions with slushy snow near Lake Superior and mainly rain south.
When state finance officials offer an update Monday on the state’s financial status, including a multi-billion budget surplus, they’ll factor inflation in for the first time in years. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
'Everything Everywhere All at Once' dominates at SAG Awards
The unlikely awards season juggernaut “Everything Everywhere All at Once” marched on at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, and even gathered steam with wins not just for best ensemble, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan but also for Jamie Lee Curtis.
As Republicans start investigating Biden, the White House war room is ready to fight
House Republicans are investigating everything from the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan to the business dealings of the president's son. Here's how the White House is gearing up.
Minnesota's big budget surplus stable at $17.5B in new forecast
The state continued to bring in more revenue than it expected over the last two months, but inflation for current state government spending, along with some spending passed already this year, chipped a bit off the prior projection.
Toothy, ancient gar fish get new protections in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has set a 10-fish possession limit for longnose and shortnose gar. They’re among the underappreciated native species designated as ‘rough’ fish, which advocates say deserve more respect and better management.
Few speak Ojibwe as a first language. This 'nest' is teaching kids to in Cloquet
Grandma’s House in Cloquet, Minn., on the Fond du Lac Reservation is not like a drop-off daycare or an immersion school where only the children learn. Seven families learn Ojibwe traditions and language from elders who speak it as their first language.
Contaminated waste shipments from Ohio derailment will resume
The news follows the Environmental Protection Agency order to pause shipments from the site of the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine to allow additional oversight about where waste was shipped.
Opponents of Roof Depot demolition vow to fight on
A Hennepin County judge granted a temporary restraining order, putting the planned demolition of the Roof Depot building on pause. The demolition was previously slated to go ahead this week. Although the project is on hold, activists say their work isn’t.