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Stories from June 14, 2023

Very unhealthy air; relief Thursday for northern Minnesota

Very unhealthy air; relief Thursday for northern Minnesota

The latest Minnesota Pollution Control Agency forecast shows air quality improving overnight into Thursday across northern Minnesota. Expect air quality to improve statewide by Friday.
by Paul Huttner

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Minnesota opens investigation of possible wage theft against HyLife

Minnesota opens investigation of possible wage theft against HyLife

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry investigates violations at the now closed HyLife pork processing plant. It’s also asking that immigrant workers at the plant who may have experienced the violations be allowed to stay and work in the U.S. for up to two years.
by Hannah Yang

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Kids of parents in prison have a higher risk of mental health problems

Kids of parents in prison have a higher risk of mental health problems

Having a parent incarcerated is the second most common adversity for Minnesota youth, behind living with someone who has a mental illness. MPR News guest host Catharine Richert speaks with her guests about the mental health of kids in Minnesota who have parents in prison.
by Catharine Richert and Danelle Cloutier

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'It's gonna be a hot labor summer' — unionized workers show up for striking writers

'It's gonna be a hot labor summer' — unionized workers show up for striking writers

Film and TV writers on strike may soon be joined by actors currently negotiating their contract. As the writers strike enters its seventh week, unions beyond Hollywood are joining the movement.
by Mandalit del Barco

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Federal appeals court hears case of Mike Lindell's cell phone, seized by agents

The fate of a cell phone seized from a prominent Minnesota businessman and Republican figure sits with a federal appeals court that heard arguments Wednesday. Last September, federal agents seized Michael Lindell’s phone while he was in Mankato. The MyPillow executive is a close ally of Donald Trump. This is the MPR News afternoon update for June 14, 2023. Hosted by Peter Cox. Theme music by Gary Meister.

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New airline planes will be required to have secondary barriers to the cockpit to protect pilots

New airline planes will be required to have secondary barriers to the cockpit to protect pilots

The Federal Aviation Administration rule will apply to commercial planes made after mid-2025, affecting airlines that operate scheduled flights, but not charter operators. Current planes won’t need to be retrofitted.
by The Associated Press

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It Happens Here: how the U.S.-Canada border disrupted existing boundaries

It Happens Here: how the U.S.-Canada border disrupted existing boundaries

MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer turned to WTIP producer Staci Drouillard and Native Lights Podcast host Leah Lemm for a story about the creation of the U.S.-Canada border. Drouillard and Lemm co-host the podcast It Happens Here: The Roots of Racial Inequity on the North Shore, produced by Drouillard. In a recent episode, they discuss how the border upended spatial relationships in Ojibwe communities.
by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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Here are the legal next steps in the Trump documents case

Here are the legal next steps in the Trump documents case

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 37 counts against him. While special counsel Jack Smith wants a speedy trial, Trump's lawyers could file motions that would delay it.
by NPR Washington Desk

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Hospitals try new ways to recruit, train and retain staff to cope with pandemic worker shortages

Hospitals try new ways to recruit, train and retain staff to cope with pandemic worker shortages

The Minnesota Hospital Association says a pandemic-induced worker shortage may be easing a bit. Because of thousands of unfilled positions, hospitals have been forced to get creative about their efforts to recruit medical staff.
by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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Forest Service plans to fight fire in popular area of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Forest Service plans to fight fire in popular area of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Crews were preparing Wednesday morning to begin suppressing an approximately 30-acre wildfire in the Boundary Waters. The U.S. Forest Service noticed smoke from a survey plane in the evening Tuesday, the same day the agency announced a campfire ban in the wilderness area because of dry conditions.
by Cathy Wurzer, Ellen Finn and Alanna Elder

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Thick wildfire smoke plume brings unhealthy air quality to Minnesota

Thick wildfire smoke plume brings unhealthy air quality to Minnesota

The smoke has reached ground level across much of the state. Air quality readings are in the unhealthy-for-everyone range across most of central Minnesota. Conditions should improve Thursday into Friday.
by Paul Huttner

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Isle Royale wolves continue recovery after nearly dying out, while park's moose decline

Isle Royale wolves continue recovery after nearly dying out, while park's moose decline

Gray wolves are thriving at Isle Royale National Park five years after they nearly died out. Authorities airlifted 19 mainland wolves to the Lake Superior park in 2018-19. A report Wednesday by Michigan Technological University scientists says the population has reached 31.
by The Associated Press

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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. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

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Crews monitoring wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Crews monitoring wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

The U.S. Forest Service is monitoring a wildfire detected Tuesday in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The fire, about 10 miles southwest of the end of the Gunflint Trail, was estimated at about 30 acres in size.
by Andrew Krueger and Tim Nelson

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GOP presidential candidates of color walk a 'tightrope' as they discuss race

The Republican presidential field is the most diverse it has ever been, raising questions about race, identity and immigration for candidates of color in an overwhelmingly white party.
by Ashley Lopez

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Vikings get Jefferson back for minicamp as star WR takes contract talk in stride

Vikings get Jefferson back for minicamp as star WR takes contract talk in stride

Justin Jefferson’s salient presence was a natural highlight for the Minnesota Vikings at mandatory minicamp. He's had his own training and business agenda and been absent all spring from the team's voluntary offseason program.
by The Associated Press

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Slave cases are still cited as good law across the U.S. This team aims to change that

Slave cases are still cited as good law across the U.S. This team aims to change that

Michigan State law professor Justin Simard says 18 percent of all published American cases are within two steps of a slave case. His team has spent years documenting them, hoping to force a legal reckoning.
by Rachel Treisman

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North America's first known case of a rabid moose confirmed in western Alaska

North America's first known case of a rabid moose confirmed in western Alaska

Alaska state game officials say the first apparent case of a rabid moose in North America has been confirmed in western Alaska. The moose was acting aggressively and drooling near the community of Teller on June 2.
by The Associated Press

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ChangeMakers: Seal Dwyer heals trauma, connects LGBTQ+ community in St. Cloud

ChangeMakers: Seal Dwyer heals trauma, connects LGBTQ+ community in St. Cloud

Dwyer, 42, is a nonbinary licensed marriage and family therapist. As a fifth-generation Stearns County resident, they’re focused on supporting the growing LGBTQ+ community in St. Cloud.
by Kirsti Marohn

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