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Stories from October 26, 2023

Confederate monument melted down to create new, more inclusive public art

Confederate monument melted down to create new, more inclusive public art

A project in Charlottesville, Va., seeks to upend the narrative around the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was the center of deadly white nationalist protests there in 2017.
by Debbie Elliott

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Climate change is wreaking havoc on the global insurance market

Climate change is wreaking havoc on the global insurance market

Climate change is wreaking havoc on the global insurance market. That’s the takeaway from a piece in Grist that points out natural disasters now cost the U.S. insurance industry $100 billion a year.
by Paul Huttner and Ngoc Bui

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Walz orders flags at half-staff to honor victims of Maine mass shooting

Flags at state buildings in Minnesota will be flown at half-staff to honor the lives lost in yesterday’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Authorities say a gunman killed 18 people and injured 13 others in shootings at a bowling alley and a bar.  That story and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.
by Jacob Aloi

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Scary and sudsy: Spooky car washes pop up across Minnesota for Halloween

Scary and sudsy: Spooky car washes pop up across Minnesota for Halloween

Developers of Tommy’s Express Car Wash pride themselves on their design: open, bright and soothing for people with autoplenophobia — fear of car washes. But it’s Halloween season, which is all about fear. So this weekend, Tommy’s washes across Minnesota and the country are switching things up.
by Amy Felegy

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Workers with autism make connections at St. Paul job fair

Workers with autism make connections at St. Paul job fair

A job fair for adults with autism drew about 350 attendees to the State Services for the Blind office in St. Paul on Thursday. The fair was meant to facilitate the job hunt — something that can be hard for autistic workers.  
by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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Minnesota tree nursery plans big expansion to meet demand

Minnesota tree nursery plans big expansion to meet demand

Minnesotans are planting more trees. Efforts to mitigate climate change are driving the demand. The outdated state tree nursery in northern Minnesota is undergoing major renovations so it can grow millions of new seedlings each year.
by Dan Gunderson

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Rep. Phillips set to file paperwork for presidential run Friday in New Hampshire

Rep. Phillips set to file paperwork for presidential run Friday in New Hampshire

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democrat now in his third term in Congress, has been exploring a primary challenge to President Joe Biden. He faces long odds beating an incumbent for the party nomination.
by Mark Zdechlik and Dana Ferguson

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Brooklyn Center puts pause on police reform policy

Brooklyn Center puts pause on police reform policy

The policy changes proposed after the police killing of Daunte Wright would prevent officers from pulling people over for smaller violations.
by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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Weekend weather: Cold; flakes at times Saturday afternoon and evening

Weekend weather: Cold; flakes at times Saturday afternoon and evening

There are some flakes in our Saturday forecast and the entire weekend will be cold. We have the forecast details, plus an update on Thursday snow in northwestern Minnesota.
by Ron Trenda

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Minnesota man charged in connection with fatal shooting of 2-year-old boy by another child

A southwest Minnesota man faces charges including second-degree manslaughter, child endangerment and negligent storage of a loaded firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old boy by another child earlier this month.
by MPR News Staff

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Minneapolis City Council president faces strong challenge in 'bellwether' contest

Minneapolis City Council president faces strong challenge in 'bellwether' contest

Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins and challenger Soren Stevenson share similar views on major issues like affordable housing, police reform and racial equity. However, Jenkins, a self-titled “pragmatic progressive,” isn’t progressive enough for some who want to see a majority on the council that will stand up to a “strong mayor.”
by Jon Collins

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How your vote can influence the power of local government

How your vote can influence the power of local government

Local elections are around the corner, and voters in many cities will decide who ends up on their city council. MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the importance of city council and county commission seats and how your vote can decide the balance of power for your local government.
by Angela Davis and Matthew Alvarez

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Scattered rain showers with wind, cold, snow coming; latest drought update

Scattered rain showers with wind, cold, snow coming; latest drought update

Scattered rain showers are back in Minnesota with snow falling in northwestern Minnesota Thursday. Temps drop Friday with winds increasing. Snow will fall in southern Minnesota Saturday.
by Sven Sundgaard

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Republicans rally behind new House speaker; new pumpkin king of the Halloween capital

Republicans are rallying behind the new U.S. House speaker, Rep. Tom Emmer who sought the job. Anoka — the “Halloween Capital of the world” — is honoring one of its own for a gourd-gantuan achievement.

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Vikings safety Cam Bynum's wife hasn't seen a game in person. She needs a visa from the Philippines

Vikings safety Cam Bynum's wife hasn't seen a game in person. She needs a visa from the Philippines

Minnesota safety Camryn Bynum won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award after two interceptions in the final 5½ minutes of the game that helped the Vikings preserve a victory over San Francisco. He seized the opportunity to spread the word about his quest to reunite with his wife, Lalaine.
by The Associated Press

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Scattered showers Thursday; snow in northwest Minnesota

Scattered showers Thursday; snow in northwest Minnesota

Expect a soggy Thursday nearly statewide. Scattered rain showers will dominate with snow in the northwest. Winds will increase and temperatures will fall on Friday.
by Sven Sundgaard

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Deer charges through crowded Wisconsin restaurant

People go to Noodles & Company to save a buck, not to have one interrupt their meal. But that’s what happened in Beloit, Wis., on Tuesday when a deer came crashing through a restaurant window. 
by The Associated Press

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Raptors beat Timberwolves 97-94 in season opener

Raptors beat Timberwolves 97-94 in season opener

Dennis Schroder scored 22 points in his Toronto debut, O.G. Anunoby had 20 and the Raptors gave new coach Darko Rajakovic a victory in his first game by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-94.
by The Associated Press

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A suspect in the fatal shooting of 18 in Maine is still at large. Residents are sheltering in place

A suspect in the fatal shooting of 18 in Maine is still at large. Residents are sheltering in place

Authorities have launched a massive search for a U.S. Army reservist who they say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine. The shootings in the city of Lewiston on Wednesday night sent panicked patrons scrambling under tables and behind bowling pins.
by The Associated Press

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Death toll in Gaza approaches 7,000 as aid groups raise alarm about fuel

Death toll in Gaza approaches 7,000 as aid groups raise alarm about fuel

Aid groups are escalating their warnings that a lack of fuel has reached a critical point across Gaza. The U.N. agency providing relief to Palestinians says it could run out of fuel within a day.
by Becky Sullivan

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This teacher shortage solution has gone viral. But does it work?

This teacher shortage solution has gone viral. But does it work?

State and federal governments have made hundreds of millions of dollars available to pay for Grow Your Own teacher programs. But researchers say it's unclear whether they actually work.
by Kavitha Cardoza

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Who is Mike Johnson? An ardent conservative who embraces far-right policies

Who is Mike Johnson? An ardent conservative who embraces far-right policies

The new House speaker opposes abortion rights and same sex marriages. He's also an ally of former President Donald Trump and refused to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
by Molly Ryan

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Minnesota school boards and their powers: 3 key questions, answered

Minnesota school boards and their powers: 3 key questions, answered

Elected school boards are at the top of the accountability chain in Minnesota school districts, overseeing school administration, curriculum and governance while answering to voters. But how much power do they have and what does the job entail?
by Kyra Miles

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Art Hounds: Frank Theatre returns

Art Hounds: Frank Theatre returns

Art Hounds recommend ofrendas, music and more in Minneapolis for Día de los Muertos this weekend.
by Emily Bright

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In Duluth, hard-fought mayoral campaign nears finish

In Duluth, hard-fought mayoral campaign nears finish

On Nov. 7, Duluth voters will decide the city’s most contested mayoral election in 15 years, in a contest that pits two-term incumbent Emily Larson, the city’s first woman to be elected mayor, against attorney and former state legislator Roger Reinert.
by Dan Kraker

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Shootings spotlight 'alarming' jump in violence against rural Minnesota officers

Shootings spotlight 'alarming' jump in violence against rural Minnesota officers

At least 14 officers in rural areas of Minnesota and western Wisconsin have been shot this year, with four killed. Observers say the dangers of rural policing are growing, with suspects more willing to pull the trigger, yet the reality is rarely examined or discussed.
by Dan Gunderson

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Courts approve overseas travel for several Feeding our Future defendants

Courts approve overseas travel for several Feeding our Future defendants

A federal judge on Wednesday allowed a man convicted in the Feeding our Future case to travel to east Africa to sell property in order to make restitution payments. Liban Alishire is among at least three defendants whom courts have allowed to make limited overseas trips.
by Matt Sepic

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Who is Mike Johnson? New House speaker is a strong Trump ally and a quiet force among Republicans

Who is Mike Johnson? New House speaker is a strong Trump ally and a quiet force among Republicans

A low-key lawmaker in Congress for less than a decade, new House Speaker Mike Johnson isn’t recognizable to most Americans. But the social conservative and devoted ally of former President Donald Trump has been a quiet force within the Republican conference he now unexpectedly leads.
by The Associated Press

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