Stories from December 9, 2024

Police have arrested a man they believe was involved in the fatal shooting of the CEO of United HealthCare. And more than seventy hospital and long-term care workers at Deer River Essentia Health began an open-ended unfair labor practice strike today.
Backers of proposed resort expansion near Ely drop plans amid state lawsuit
Backers of a proposed $45 million expansion of Silver Rapids Lodge near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have dropped their plans after a lawsuit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Holiday Train set to make annual trek across Minnesota
The brightly decorated, colorful boxcars of CPKC Railway’s annual Holiday Train are back in Minnesota this week, with 20 stops planned across the state.
Duluth chooses Arizona agency over local firms to market the city to tourists
The Duluth City Council voted 8-1 Monday night to award a multimillion-dollar tourism marketing contract to a company based in Tucson, Ariz., over objections from some in the business community who wanted the city to hire a local firm.
Bidders are back in court battling over the auction of Alex Jones' Infowars
A U.S. bankruptcy judge is hearing arguments for and against selling the show to The Onion, the satirical news site named the winning bidder. Host Alex Jones says the auction was rigged.
CEO Brian Thompson’s death sparks jokes and glee: A psychologist explains the reaction
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Dec. 4 released a flood of anger online — not at his death, but at the controversial insurance company he led and the wider health care industry.
‘This is not a partisan issue:’ ATF director Dettelbach talks the future of gun safety in the U.S.
On Monday, public safety officials from across the country gathered in downtown Minneapolis to talk about strategies for reducing violent crime. It’s part of a summit hosted by the Justice Department.
Supreme Court rejects challenge to Boston's school admissions policy
The court's action was the second time the justices declined to intervene in an admissions program based on geography since their 2023 ruling invalidating affirmative action in higher education.
New York prosecutors charge suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing with murder, court records show
Officials say 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione had a gun believed to be the one used in the killing and writings suggesting his anger with corporate America.
How Syria's revolution could reshape the Middle East
The swift downfall of Bashar al-Assad is reverberating throughout the Middle East. Countries are urgently reassessing how to deal with a nation seeking to rebuild itself after years of civil war.
Arctic air set to send Minnesota midweek temps plummeting
With two cold fronts passing through this week, temperatures will plummet by midweek. The coldest air of the season is arriving, bringing wind chill values ranging from minus 10 to minus 30 degrees below zero.
Morning Announcements for Dec. 9
Here are the morning announcements for Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
Timeline of the search for UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter
The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer since Thompson was ambushed Wednesday outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel has stretched beyond New York City. Here's what we know so far about what the NYPD describes as a planned attack.
Yes, the number of food recalls has been rising. Here's what you need to know
Food recalls fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic but are on an uptick now. Here's how the government is tracing outbreaks — and some tips on handling food safely to minimize the risk of illness.
Hundreds of law enforcement leaders will meet in downtown Minneapolis this week for a Justice Department summit on crime reduction. And Minnesota DNR officials were busy this fall apprehending people for illegally cutting the tops off of spruce trees.
‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year
Depending on who you ask, the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country or were cause for celebration. Is it any surprise the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”?
The last ‘A Very Die Hard Christmas’: A seasonal theater tradition comes to an end
The 113th and final performance of “A Very Die Hard Christmas,” a popular Twin Cities holiday tradition and musical farce inspired by the debated status of “Die Hard” as a Christmas movie, will take place on Dec. 21 at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater, ending a decade-long run due to the cast’s desire to conclude on a high note and focus on family.
‘Green Gold’: Booming demand for holiday greenery sparks illicit trade in northern Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says unlicensed bandits are snipping off the tops of spruce trees, trying to cash in on a market that one legal harvester calls “green gold.” 
In western Minnesota, a writer rooted in two worlds seeks common ground
Columnist, county commissioner and former farmer Brent Olson is a “bleeding-heart liberal” in the middle of rural Minnesota Trump country. He tries to bridge that political and social gap in his national writing and through his local community work.