Stories from December 4, 2024

Military superstar and ‘thrill-seeker’ from Minnesota wins Rhodes Scholarship
Sarah Cao is a Minnesotan and collegiate military superstar. Her long resume includes work with the Pentagon, diving out of planes and commanding over 1,600 cadets. Now, she’s adding Rhodes Scholar.
Minneapolis City Council member Emily Koski joins mayor’s race
She joins Minnesota DFL Sen. Omar Fateh and the Rev. DeWayne Davis of Plymouth Congregational Church in challenging Mayor Jacob Frey, who’s running for reelection.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed this morning. The state of Minnesota has released an economic forecast this morning that is $1.1 billion less than its prior estimates.
Wind, weather advisories into Wednesday night; big weekend warmup
Gusty northwest winds will continue overnight but will be a little lighter. Temperatures and wind chills will be frigid into Thursday before a big weekend warmup. 
Rochester police say burglars targeting Asian victims
The Rochester Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that the burglars targeted five homes, mainly in the northwestern part of the city, between Nov. 13 and Dec. 3. All of the victims are of Asian descent.
French lawmakers oust the prime minister after just 91 days, toppling the government
France's government has been toppled by a no-confidence vote in parliament, for the first time sine 1962. Prime Minister Michel Barnier served the shortest time in the post in France's modern history.
Media ethics expert 'concerned' as social media influencers become a go-to source for news
Americans are increasingly putting trust in social media personalities as sources of news. But a majority of these news influencers have no news affiliation or journalism background.
Frigid temperatures to follow Wednesday wind, snow
Wind and even some snow began to whip wildly in the Twin Cities metro Wednesday morning and much of the state faces a wind advisory for the afternoon.
Minneapolis musician raises money through song for people affected by sarcoma
Ben Cook-Feltz will throw his fourth-annual “Holiday Shindig” Sunday at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. The event will raise money to support people with sarcoma, a rare bone and tissue cancer.
How to talk with children about racialized trauma
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the authors of an illustrated children’s book aimed at helping families have conversations about generational trauma.
Rescuers reassess safety in a search for a Pa. woman they believe fell into sinkhole
Rescuers contemplated the safest way to search for a woman who apparently fell into a Pennsylvania sinkhole while looking for her lost cat. A crumbling old coal mine was endangering rescue workers.
Montana lawmakers cross the aisle to block a trans bathroom ban in the state capitol
Some Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting the measure, which would have restricted bathroom access. Rep. Zooey Zephyr, Montana's first openly transgender legislator, won a second term last month.
Morning Announcements for Dec. 4
Here are the morning announcements for Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
Search fails to locate Cannon Falls man missing since Monday night
Cannon Falls police said a 60-year-old man took his dog for a walk in the woods near the Cannon River on Monday night and didn’t return. Searches on Monday night and Tuesday failed to locate him.
Windy with falling temperatures Wednesday into Thursday
Behind a cold front, temperatures will fall through Wednesday with gusty northwest winds. We’ll see subzero wind chills statewide Wednesday night into Thursday morning before warming up. 
State economic officials release a key budget forecast on Wednesday. The projection of either a surplus or deficit will provide lawmakers and the governor an idea of how to proceed when crafting a new two-year budget.
'Guardian' journalists strike to protest sale of sister paper 'Observer'
Nearly 500 journalists have walked out of the Guardian and its sister paper, the Observer, to protest what they see as a betrayal of the paper's values: the planned sale of the Observer to a startup.
Inside RFK Jr.'s nonprofit's legal battles over vaccines and public health
The nonprofit Children's Health Defense that Kennedy led has filed nearly 30 federal and state lawsuits since 2020, many challenging vaccines and public health mandates.
Minnesota budget update shows $1.1B less than prior forecast
The economic report released Wednesday morning by state budget officials projects a downturn, with only a $616 million cushion expected by the end of the next budget period. The new data will guide lawmakers when budget deliberations begin in January.