Stories from April 8, 2024

Frey again pushes Minneapolis City Council to reconsider Uber/Lyft ordinance
Advocates for disabled people as well as downtown business backers joined Mayor Jacob Frey Monday to urge council members to “step back from the cliff.” They say if Uber and Lyft follow through on their promises to leave the city May. 1 people who rely on their services will be negatively impacted.
Minneapolis officials discuss possible next use for former 3rd Precinct site
Minneapolis city officials are recommending that the city’s Elections and Voter Services offices be housed in the former 3rd Precinct police station. However, some council members say the city needs to get more public input before it goes any further on the plan.
NAIA all but bans transgender athletes from women’s sports
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, which oversees some 83,000 athletes competing in more than 25 sports, is thought to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.
Minnesota legislators are considering a measure to require any person selling copper to have a state-issued license to curb wire theft. St. Paul is one city that has been plagued by copper wire loss from street lights, creating dark neighborhoods. Also, the state Senate backed a bill that adds extra legal protections for renters. The is the evening MPR News update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music by Gary Meister.
Minnesota veteran walks 1,000 miles to eclipse in Texas to spread hope
Daniel Crawford walked from Austin, Minn., to just outside Austin, Texas, to raise awareness and money for Duluth-based charity 23rd Veteran, which Crawford credits for helping him become sober.
MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard live from the eclipse
Many parts of the country saw a total solar eclipse Monday. Minnesota experienced a partial eclipse, but the clouds blocked most Minnesotans from seeing it. MPR News’Sven Sundgaard was in the path of totality in Indiana and joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer live to talk about what he was seeing.
Spring's green wave may reach southern Minnesota this weekend
Trees and shrubs are shooting out a fresh canopy of green to our south in Iowa. The leading edge of the green leaf-out is likely to arrive in southern Minnesota by this weekend and spread north through next week.
Proposed bill seeks to curb copper wire theft in St. Paul
A proposed state bill aiming to curb copper wire theft would require any person selling copper metal to have a state-issued license.
A new bill could make ‘swatting’ against public officials a felony in Minnesota
A Senate committee will hear a bill that could make false emergency calls on public officials a felony. We spoke with the bill’s author about the danger of swatting, plus why he’s acting now.
A Republican and a Democrat make the case for civility in politics
Former North Dakota U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, and former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, a Republican, encourage people to break out of a cycle of cultural divisions to work toward bipartisan civil discourse.
Tackling the burden of medical debt
The Minnesota Legislature is considering a proposal to change how medical debt is handled. Listen back to a conversation with MPR News host Angela Davis about the burden of medical debt and what can be done about it.
Brazil’s Supreme Court judge opens an investigation of Elon Musk over misinformation
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice included Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news and opened a separate investigation into Musk for alleged obstruction.
Clouds and showers for the partial eclipse in Minnesota
Showers will linger Monday with the most activity in northern Minnesota. Tuesday will be brighter west. Sunshine and much warmer air moves in for Wednesday. 
Trump declines to endorse a national abortion ban and says it should be left to the states
Former President Donald Trump has declined to endorse a national abortion ban and says he believes abortion should be left to the states. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee released a video outlining his position on Monday after months of mixed messages and speculation.
Biden seeks student debt relief for millions
The sweeping new proposals, if enacted, could ease student loan debt for millions of borrowers.
The trial of Nicolae Miu, a Minnesota man charged with fatally stabbing a teenager during a tubing trip in western Wisconsin, is entering its second week. And the Minneapolis City Council gets an update this afternoon on reuse of the old 3rd Precinct police headquarters.
Marijuana law modifications are on tap before legal sales take root
Recreational cannabis was legalized in Minnesota last year, but it won’t be broadly available for purchase from dispensaries before 2025. There's still a lot of work ahead to make that happen.
Solar eclipse excites Minnesota despite clouds across much of state
A solar eclipse was visible across a swath of the U.S. on Monday afternoon. Minnesota was not in the path of totality, but a roughly 75 percent partial eclipse was visible, peaking around 2:02 p.m.