Stories from March 6, 2023

Spring flood potential growing across Minnesota
Our active wet weather pattern is adding moisture to the already deep snowpack.
Hundreds of students walk out in Twin Cities to demand investigation of Khalil Azad’s death
Hundreds of Twin Cities students walked out of school on Monday, demanding an investigation into the death of Khalil Azad who was found dead days after an encounter with Robbinsdale police in 2022.
Tax rebate debate at the Capitol is coming to a head as big bonding bill comes to a vote and lawmakers weigh taking action to curb Hyundai and KIA thefts. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Rural Minnesota child care shortage leaves parents with few choices
Despite years of campaigning for better child care, parents outside the Twin Cities metro area say they are left with few options. Businesses say they are feeling the impact too, as job applicants make choices based on care possibilities for their kids.
Man pleads guilty to murder for shooting girl caught in Minneapolis gunfire
Trinity Ottoson-Smith, 9, was at a friend's birthday party in May 2021 when prosecutors said Dpree Shareef Robinson fired a 9 mm gun from the alley at three people on the back porch, hitting and killing the girl. Robinson’s guilty plea came on the day his trial was set to start.
Minneapolis police investigating vandalism at 'crisis pregnancy center'
Minneapolis police are investigating vandalism reported over the weekend at a “crisis pregnancy center” operated by a group opposed to abortion. It’s at least the third incident of vandalism targeting abortion opponents in the Twin Cities since last summer.
Frozen cells reveal a clue for a vaccine to block the deadly TB bug
Tuberculosis kills 1.6 million a year — the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19. Using immune cells and mRNA technology, scientists in South Africa are working on a new vaccine.
Another Norfolk Southern train derails in Ohio
The 212-car train that derailed outside of Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday was not carrying any toxic materials, several state and local agencies confirmed. The EPA will stay on site for cleanup.
A roadblock to life-saving addiction treatment is gone. Now what?
Federal restrictions seemed to explain why many doctors weren't prescribing medication for opioid addiction. But some caution that removing those rules isn't enough to overcome hesitancy and stigma.
Minnesota students walk out, calling for investigation of Khalil Azad's death
A group of Minnesota students planned a walkout Monday in Minneapolis to call for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Khalil Azad.
Twitter glitches as links, logins fail
Twitter is experiencing a bevy of glitches as links stopped working, some users were unable to log in and Tweetdeck stopped working for others: “We made an internal change that had some unintended consequences. We're working on this now and will share an update when it's fixed.”
Monday snow showers ebb; significant snow potential Thursday into Friday
Scattered snow showers will wind down Monday. Tuesday will be dry before a storm system develops late Wednesday into early Friday. Significant snowfall is looking likely late Thursday into Thursday night.
Exploring race, justice and the economy with Alan Page and Neel Kashkari
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Federal Reserve president and CEO Neel Kashkari spoke with MPR News host Angela Davis about the relationship between race, justice and the economy.
Vikings release veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks
Kendricks is an eight-year veteran and has played his entire career with Minnesota. He led the team in tackles the past two seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019, and was the team's nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton off-field service award in 2020.
Walz to transfer power during anesthesia for colonoscopy
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will temporarily transfer power to Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan on Monday while he’s under general anesthesia for a colonoscopy.
26-year-old Khalil Ahmad Azad was found dead in Crystal Lake in July, two days after Robbinsdale police attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop. This is a morning MPR News update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Scattered snow showers Monday; bigger potential storm late week
Scattered snow showers persist Monday with some additional light accumulations. Tuesday will be dry and mild. A bigger storm potentially could bring significant snowfall later this week.
Experts weigh medical advances in gene-editing with ethical dilemmas
The last time this summit convened in 2018, the world was shocked to hear a scientist had created the first gene-edited babies. He was condemned, but gene-editing has continued, with some success.
Diabetes and obesity are on the rise in young adults, a study says
Young Black adults, Mexican Americans and other Hispanic adults experienced the greatest cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The 2023 Oscars' best original song nominees, cruelly ranked
This year's crop may not have a James Bond theme or a ubiquitous Disney banger, but it's got range — thanks in part to a viral dance number from “RRR.”
These were the most visited national parks and memorials in 2022
Notable sites such as the Smoky Mountains and the Lincoln Memorial rounded out the top 10 visited places in the National Park System as visits began rebounding from 2021.
Women's Big Ten tourney in Minneapolis sets attendance record
This year marked the first time since 2015 that the tournament took place outside of Indianapolis, and a lot of fans turned out to see the games. Before the record-breaking crowds at the final game, ticket sales broke records for first day and quarterfinal attendance, too.
Chisago County sheriff’s deputies went to the home at 8 a.m. Sunday on Brunswick Road in Fish Lake Township after a family member said they had not been able to reach their relatives. Investigators do not believe it was a random incident.