Stories from May 30, 2024

Advocates for government transparency say the city of Minneapolis is illegally restricting public access to information about police officer misconduct. And DFL Senator Nicole Mitchell is resisting calls from the top of her party to resign amid a burglary charge.
County attorney rules fatal police shooting in St. Paul was legally justified
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that it will not file charges against a St. Paul police officer who fatally wounded a man during an exchange of gunfire on a city street last December.
Women’s 3-on-3 league developed by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart to debut in January
Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s 3-on-3 league Unrivaled is set to debut in January with players earning the highest average salary in women’s professional team sports. Early investors include NBA players and Minnesota natives Tre and Tyus Jones.
Court docs reveal evidence MPD ‘coached’ officers involved in serious misconduct 
Under state law, complaints against police officers only become public if the officer is disciplined. City officials have historically claimed that “coaching” an officer doesn’t qualify as discipline, and therefore isn’t public information. 
Man sentenced to 30 years for 2022 Mall of America shooting
Nineteen-year-old Taeshawn Adams-Wright was sentenced Thursday to more than 30 years in prison for a murder at the Mall of America in 2022. He is the first person sentenced in the shooting that shut down the mall during a holiday shopping rush.
Should families and schools restrict smartphones?
Are smartphones and social media making kids distracted and anxious? MPR News correspondent and guest host Catharine Richert talks with lawmakers, parents and students about when kids should get a smartphone and why some schools are restricting them.
Best Buy and Kohl’s extends streak of quarterly sales slumps
The earnings results from Best Buy and Kohl’s, announced Thursday, offer the latest evidence of consumers’ cautious spending amid a challenging economic environment.
It’s cottonwood ‘snow’ season in Minnesota
Today’s weather forecast for Minnesota: Highs in the 80s to low 90s, hazy skies, scattered showers and storms... and if you live anywhere near a cottonwood tree, a good chance for “snow.”
Where to celebrate Minnesota’s PWHL championship win this weekend
Minnesota’s PWHL Championship team announced a celebration Friday for their victory in the inaugural season of the women’s professional league. And St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has hinted about planning a parade.
Primary battle looms for GOP Senate candidates Joe Fraser and Royce White
Businessman and Navy veteran Joe Fraser lost the Republican endorsement to former professional basketball player Royce White. Fraser, who pledged to honor the endorsement and drop out of the Senate race if someone else won, said he’s reversing that stance amid concerns about White’s background.
Walz, DFL chair call on Sen. Mitchell to resign; she says she won’t
State Sen. Nicole Mitchell cast deciding votes on a number of policy and spending bills in the final weeks of the legislative session, following her arrest for allegedly burglarizing a relative’s home in April.
LAFC runs win streak to four, snaps Minnesota United's unbeaten run at six with 2-0 victory
Denis Bouanga scored on a first-half penalty kick, Mateusz Bogusz added a late goal and Hugo Lloris notched his fourth straight clean sheet to help Los Angeles FC up its win streak to four and snap Minnesota United’s six-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory. 
Minnesota has won the first ever Walter Cup championship Wednesday night in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. And today marks the second anniversary of the tornado that ripped through the small town of Forada, just south of Alexandria.
PWHL Minnesota fans cheer on the team in Boston and at home as they win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota's Professional Women's Hockey League team made history last night, winning the first-ever PWHL championship. They beat Boston 3-0 to win the league's championship trophy, the Walter Cup.
Biden’s problems with younger voters are glaring, poll finds
Younger voters have been a crucial voting bloc for Democrats, but President Joe Biden is facing real challenges — and it's part of why his race with former President Donald Trump is so tight.
Two years after a tornado, Forada finds a new sense of community
On May 30, 2022, an EF-2 tornado leveled much of Forada. Since then, the small west-central town has almost fully recovered. While some residents lost everything, in the months and years that followed many said they have gained something in the meantime — a sense of community. 
Food fraud defendant testifies as others stay quiet
In a surprise move on Wednesday, one of the defendants in the Feeding Our Future trial took the stand in his own defense. Unlike the six others, Mukhtar Shariff not only called witnesses, but waived his right to remain silent.