Stories from June 19, 2023

The 'Black Velvet Punks' span from punk to jazz
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer speaks with Taylor Ngiri Seaberg, leader of the band Black Velvet Punks, which mixes punk and hip hop with jazz and soul.
Two Twin Cities theater leaders take a final bow
MPR News guest host Jacob Aloi speaks with two arts leaders, Peter Rothstein and Mark Nerenhausen, as they prepare to leave their positions at Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust.
An update from Ukraine with a former Minnesotan
MPR News reporter Tim Nelson connects with former St Paul Pioneer Press reporter Brian Bonner, now living in Kyiv. Brian offers an update on life in Ukraine, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the situations around the destroyed Kakhovka dam and more.
Celebrating one year of 'Carbon Sound'
The music stream, Carbon Sound, has reached its first anniversary. That’s one year of celebrating the depth, breadth and beauty of Black musical expression.
Minnesota's Chief Justice will step down: 'It's time to let someone else have a turn'
Lorie Gildea is one of the longest-serving chief justices in Minnesota Supreme Court history. She did not deny the possibility of serving as the University of Minnesota’s next president.
Jackie Young scored 24 points, Kelsey Plum made 8 of 11 from the field and scored 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Minnesota Lynx 93-62 on Sunday night.
Highs near 90 much of the week; rain potential late in the week
Hot weather builds back in for Minnesota this week. While most did not see significant rain over the weekend there’s at least another developing chance by late this week.
Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, is gaining awareness
Monday marks the Juneteenth holiday — a date commemorating the fall of slavery in the United States. While it's a new federal holiday, it's been celebrated since the 1860s.
String of 90s possible this week; unsettled weather ahead
Heat is building back in for the week across Minnesota with a string of 90s developing. A slowly moving system will create chance of rain and thunder mid to late week in the west and statewide by the weekend.
Minneapolis police said the victims were all in a vehicle that was hit. An initial account from police said a suspect vehicle had been “observed” by a state trooper on the freeway, but said the crash happened before that trooper attempted a traffic stop. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
A 3-hour phone call that brought her to tears: Impostor scams cost Americans billions
Imposter scams are top U.S. fraud now: Con artists are using new technology to get real time information plus voice cloning and caller ID spoofing to make it even harder to tell truth from fiction.
Attendees: Hudson's first Pride signals community progress, despite protesters
A celebration of the St. Croix Valley's queer community drew about 1,000 people to Hudson, Wis.’s Lakefront Park. Event attendees said it was an exciting indication of progress, despite the presence of protesters.
Drought affects Minnesota strawberry growers; fewer pick-your-own options this summer
Minnesotans may notice fewer options for strawberry picking this summer. Some pick-your-own farms are ready to welcome visitors, but the dry conditions across the state have contributed to a poor yield for others.
'The only race of its kind': Women pilots take flight in historic competition
One of the premiere air races in the U.S. starts in Grand Forks, N.D., this week. The Air Race Classic traces its roots to the early days of aviation. The competitors are all women and range from college students to seasoned commercial pilots.