Stories from August 14, 2023

'It is a year of remembrance': The legacy of cluster bombs in Laos fifty years on
Today marks exactly fifty years since the last cluster bombs were dropped in Laos — the most bombed country of any in the world. Fifty years on, some of these bombs still remain in the soil. Now, one organization is working to make sure history does not get repeated.
Bidding for historic steelmaker U.S. Steel is open, and with it a Minnesota mining legacy and Minnesotans are on the ground in Hawaii helping wildfire survivors. This is an evening update from MPR news, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
Heat wave builds next weekend
Roller coaster temperatures this week. Heat builds next weekend.
Just how hot was July? Hotter than anything on record
A new report from NOAA and NASA confirms that last month was the hottest July ever recorded, driven to new heights by human-caused climate change.
Three days of no-cost, bilingual dance classes are geared toward children aged 7 to 9 who belong to communities that are underrepresented in the ballet world.
Helping teachers in Minnesota thrive
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the factors contributing to teachers quitting the profession, including burnout and how to help teachers in our state thrive. 
New citizenship law means big changes for Minnesota's foreign-born
To explain possible changes and their impacts, Mya Shaftel, an English as a second language and citizenship class teacher with Literacy Minnesota, spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer.
Minneapolis punk scene reeling after death of musician in mass shooting
A friend has identified August Golden as the man killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis punk show on Friday night. Alex Stillman owns a local business called Outta Wax that presses vinyl records. Stillman was at the show and talked about Golden, what she saw and how this will impact the community.
Call it 'stealth mental health' — some care for elders helps more without the label
Fewer than half of older adults who need mental health care or treatment for substance abuse get it. Many therapists don't feel qualified to treat older people, and insurance coverage is spotty, too.
Hawaii’s governor warns that scores more people could be found dead following wildfires on Maui
Hawaii’s governor warned that scores more people could be found dead following the Maui wildfires as search crews go street by street through neighborhoods where the flames galloped as fast as a mile a minute across the landscape.
James McBride's 'Heaven & Earth' is an all-American mix of prejudice and hope
Set in a neighborhood where Blacks and immigrant Jews have lived next to each other for decades, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” is one of the best novels critic Maureen Corrigan has read this year.
Lingering showers south Monday and cool; brighter Tuesday
We’ll have lingering scattered showers for southern Minnesota into midday Monday. Temperatures will also be cool and below normal for most. Tuesday will see the return of sunshine.
Police believe the suspect who killed one and injured six more at a punk show in Minneapolis Friday night was targeting a specific person. Tuesday is the final day to apply for 2021 Minnesota property tax refunds. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.
Gray strikes out 7, Luplow homers and the Twins beat the Phillies. Bohm is ejected for spiking bat
Sonny Gray tossed two-hit ball over six shutout innings, reliever Caleb Thielbar pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and Jordan Luplow homered to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. 
US Steel rejects a $7.3 billion offer from rival Cleveland-Cliffs; considers alternatives
United States Steel Corp. said Sunday that it rejected a $7.3 billion buyout proposal from rival Cleveland Cliffs and was reviewing “strategic alternatives” after receiving several unsolicited offers.
Thinking of buying a new pair of jeans? Breaking down the cost over time might help you decide
Shoppers are looking beyond just the price tag of a skirt or a pair of pants in the wake of still stubbornly high inflation. Some are adopting a new calculation: how many times will they wear a piece of clothing to be able to justify the cost?
'Barbie' has legs: Greta Gerwig's film tops box office again and gives industry a midsummer surge
“Barbie” is cruising atop the box office. Studio estimates Sunday said director Greta Gerwig’s film phenomenon remained a runaway No. 1 in its fourth week, bringing in $33.7 million. 
On heels of big state construction package, another $7.4 billion in requests await
Minnesota lawmakers passed a record $2.6 billion public works funding package in May. Already they’re looking at a mountain of requests for next year, and leaders say the competition for dollars will be intense.