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Stories from June 28, 2023

Strong storms possible Wednesday night; better air quality Thursday

Strong storms possible Wednesday night; better air quality Thursday

Strong storms are possible from near the Twin Cities into western Wisconsin Wednesday evening. Air quality improves Thursday. Temperatures warm up through the weekend.
by Bill Endersen

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New nonprofit accountability measures allow holds on state grants

Minnesota agencies that award state grants to nonprofits got new power from the Legislature this year to put holds on money if they spot potential problems. The added accountability steps coincide with an uptick in grant awards. An MPR News analysis of the new state budget shows nearly $1 billion in grants approved for the next two years. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Peter Cox. Music by Gary Meister.
by Peter Cox

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Minneapolis council stops rent measure with three supporters out for Muslim holiday

Minneapolis council stops rent measure with three supporters out for Muslim holiday

Voters in Minneapolis are not likely to see a rent control question on the ballot this fall. The city council Wednesday killed the measure while three council members were away to observe the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha.
by MPR News Staff

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Minnesota seeks staff to oversee nearly 1 billion in potential funding for nonprofits

Minnesota seeks staff to oversee nearly 1 billion in potential funding for nonprofits

Minnesota lawmakers approved nearly a billion dollars in funding for nonprofit organizations around the state over the next two years, including some that have been waiting years for funding.
by Emily Bright, Dana Ferguson, Brian Bakst and Alanna Elder

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South Koreans are getting younger, as a new law goes into effect

South Koreans are getting younger, as a new law goes into effect

People in South Korea all became at least one year younger on Wednesday, as the country dropped a traditional method of counting their ages. Under the old system, a person was one year old at birth.
by Anthony Kuhn and Mary Yang

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More unhealthy air in southern, central Minnesota as wildfire smoke continues

More unhealthy air in southern, central Minnesota as wildfire smoke continues

The air quality alert is in effect for most of the lower half of the state through midnight. Everyone in southern Minnesota is advised to limit time outdoors and exercise.
by Emily Bright, Sven Sundgaard and Amy Felegy

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Remember Reaganomics? Freakonomics? Now there's Bidenomics

Remember Reaganomics? Freakonomics? Now there's Bidenomics

Jared Bernstein, President Biden's new top economic adviser, says that Bidenomics is "about getting things that are pretty granular done." And that it's working.
by Julie Depenbrock

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State auditors release the third of four reports on the Southwest Light Rail Transit project

State auditors release the third of four reports on the Southwest Light Rail Transit project

State auditors released a third report Wednesday on the delays and cost overruns of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project. The 14.5-mile line from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie is running almost a decade behind schedule and nearly three times as expensive as initial estimates.
by Emily Bright, Tim Nelson and Gretchen Brown

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Opinion: If you love film, you should be worried about what's going on at Turner Classic Movies

Opinion: If you love film, you should be worried about what's going on at Turner Classic Movies

Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced a shake-up at the network, which for years has offered a well curated film selection. Critic David Bianculli says TCM wasn't broken — and didn't need fixing.
by David Bianculli

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Minnesota isn't alone: Air quality plummets across Midwest due to wildfires

Minnesota isn't alone: Air quality plummets across Midwest due to wildfires

Along with Minnesota, Chicago saw its air quality plummet, while other cities including Detroit, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh were experiencing unhealthy air quality levels.
by Joe Hernandez, Rachel Treisman, Emily Olson and MPR News Staff

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Meet a community health leader dedicated to supporting Black trans women

Meet a community health leader dedicated to supporting Black trans women

Reneka Evans has worked in health care in the Twin Cities for more than two decades — at the African American AIDS task force, the Red Door Clinic in Minneapolis and now at the Minnesota Department of Health.
by Emily Bright and Michelle Wiley

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Southwest light rail: New report questions Met Council oversight

Southwest light rail: New report questions Met Council oversight

Among its findings, the audit released Wednesday found the Metropolitan Council did not hold contractors accountable to contract requirements and paid contractors for changes without ensuring those added costs were valid.
by Tim Nelson

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Poor air quality Wednesday; strong storms possible

Poor air quality Wednesday; strong storms possible

Air quality will remain an issue as smoke lingers in eastern and southern Minnesota. An air quality alert continues essentially through midnight Wednesday.
by Sven Sundgaard

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Minnesota sets record for most air quality alerts in a season

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued a record 23rd air quality alert of the year Tuesday morning, as yet another round of smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts across southern and eastern parts of the state. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

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Lawmakers earmark nearly $1 billion for Minnesota nonprofits along with new oversight

Lawmakers earmark nearly $1 billion for Minnesota nonprofits along with new oversight

Lawmakers approved more than $900 million for nonprofits over the next two years, but they’re also after stricter oversight in the wake of the Feeding Our Future scandal.
by Brian Bakst and Dana Ferguson

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ChangeMakers: Reneka Evans has dedicated her life to helping Black trans women

ChangeMakers: Reneka Evans has dedicated her life to helping Black trans women

Evans, 54, has been working in community health care in Minnesota for more than two decades. She currently works as the LGBTQ+ community lead for the Minnesota Department of Health as part of its COVID-19 community response.
by Michelle Wiley

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Mobile business owner experiences bumps in the road

Mobile business owner experiences bumps in the road

Retail in small towns is changing, and mobile businesses are seeking their place in this new world. In Courtland, Minn., one entrepreneur with a mobile coffee shop is finding out there are pluses and minuses to being on the move.
by Hannah Yang

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Smoke from Canada's wildfires darkens Europe's skies

Smoke from Canada's wildfires darkens Europe's skies

A plume of smoke and soot stretches for thousands of miles from the province of Quebec province across the Atlantic Ocean, as seen in satellite images from NASA.
by Bill Chappell

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