Stories from June 13, 2023

Gymnast Suni Lee's road back to the Olympics will start in Minneapolis next summer, and this spring has had some of the least severe weather in Minnesota in years. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Liquid cremation provides greener alternative to traditional methods
What will happen to your body after you die? Whether you pre-plan your own arrangements or it’s a decision made by your loved ones, a growing number of people are considering this choice’s impact on the environment.
Who will qualify for the new child tax credit? And other child tax credit questions, answered
Maybe you’ve heard the predictions about the potential impact of a brand-new child tax credit created this year by Minnesota lawmakers. You’re not alone if you have questions about how the credit works, who will qualify and whether it can really change the course for families struggling with financial insecurity.
Cormac McCarthy, American novelist of the stark and dark, dies at 89
The author of The Road, Blood Meridian and No Country For Old Men embodied a strong Southwestern sensibility, writing often about men grappling with the existence of evil.
The 2023 Bush Fellows are here. Listen to one who is diving into criminal justice storytelling
On Tuesday morning the Bush Foundation announced its 2023 Bush Fellows. They are 24 community leaders from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations who will be eligible to receive a flexible grant up to $100,000 to pursue education.
Amid increasing fire danger, Forest Service bans campfires in Boundary Waters
The U.S. Forest Service announced it’s temporarily banning all backcountry campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness until further notice, and restricting campfires elsewhere in the Superior National Forest.
Minneapolis to host top gymnastics competition leading to Paris Olympics
Hopefuls will likely include St. Paul’s Suni Lee, who won the all-around gold medal in women’s gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and is aiming to make the Paris team in 2024.
Ellison: Minnesota expects $568 million in opioid settlement money, but a drug company's possible bankruptcy could disrupt one settlement
If the drug company Mallinkrodt files for a second bankruptcy, it could jeopardize opioid settlement payments to individuals as well as state and local governments. The news comes just days after Attorney General Keith Ellison announced finalized settlements with four companies, bringing the state’s total opioid settlement money to more than $560 million.
Sad summer reading, Pride Month picks and Midwest place writing with Zoe Jackson
Books make great company for our well-earned, long summer evenings in Minnesota. Lately, BookTok-er Zoe Jackson has been taking her reads to a Minneapolis beach. Here are her summer reading tips.
Smoke, heat return to Minnesota; chance of needed rain Friday
Temperatures continue to trend upward with highs in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees for many midweek. Smoke returns to the skies. A good chance of rain develops Friday and Saturday.
With GM and Ford embracing Tesla's EV charging technology, here's what it means for consumers
Starting next year, owners of electric vehicles made by General Motors and Ford will be able to charge their EVs at many of Tesla’s charging stations, the largest such network in the country. 
Warmer Tuesday, becoming hot midweek with thunder possible late week
We’ll have sunshine through occasional high clouds Tuesday with temperatures warming into the mid to upper 80s. Southern Minnesota will be near 90 Wednesday and Thursday with the chance of Thunder moving in late Thursday into Friday and Saturday.
Minnesota has a new child tax credit for families whose incomes make them financially insecure. Advocates predict it will make a big dent in child poverty, although how that is measured matters. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Phil Picardi. Music by Gary Meister.
Clinic, physicians challenge revised North Dakota abortion laws in ongoing lawsuit
The clinic that was North Dakota's sole abortion provider is challenging the state's newest abortion laws as part of an ongoing lawsuit that calls the restrictions unconstitutional. Attorneys for the Red River Women's Clinic and several physicians filed their amended complaint on Monday in state district court.
These millionaires want to tax the rich, and they're lobbying working-class voters
A group called Patriotic Millionaires has failed to get Congress to raise their taxes or boost the minimum wage. Now they're taking their concerns about inequality to swing-state voters.
After a stormy winter, most of Minnesota has seen an unusually quiet spring
While there have been some torrential rains and scattered reports of high winds or hail in Minnesota this spring, overall it’s the quietest it has been in the region for more than a decade.
Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he illegally kept classified documents
Donald Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.
Minnesota bets on child tax credit to cut poverty. Will it work?
Minnesota has a new child tax credit for families whose incomes make them financially insecure. Advocates predict it will make a big dent in child poverty, although how that is measured matters.
Meet Leeanna Lor, Miss Hmong Minnesota pageant winner and burn unit nurse
Since 1984, the Miss Hmong Minnesota pageant has embodied confidence, beauty and pride in the local Hmong culture. It’s about “what you can bring back to the community and how you use that platform to help others,” Lor said.
Actor Treat Williams, whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair,” died Monday after a motorcycle crash in Vermont, state police said. He was 71.
AI-generated images are everywhere. Here's how to spot them
It's easy to be fooled by AI-generated images and other content. We talk about how to identify them, how media literacy can help, plus how to use these tools responsibly.