Morning Edition

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Morning Edition, with Cathy Wurzer in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington and Los Angeles, brings you all the news from overnight and the information you need to start your day. Listen from 4 to 9 a.m. every weekday.

Morning Announcements | Weather chats with Mark Seeley | Parting Thoughts

Minnesota lawmakers are considering a major overhaul for the 90-year-old State Office Building in St. Paul. The venerable old building is home to House members’ offices and many hearing rooms, but lawmakers say it’s in disrepair, and in need of major security and systems updates.
Minnesota opioid treatment clinics overwhelmed as needs rise, staffs shrink
Many of the state’s 16 opioid treatment programs are struggling to hire and retain licensed drug counselors as demand rises, but staff burnout is high. “We have people dying who are sitting on our waiting list, trying to get in,” one program director says.
Walz won't support completely removing Social Security state tax
Walz also said he’d like to see some of a nearly $18 billion projected budget surplus used to fund paid family and medical leave. He said that could help address the state’s workforce shortage issues — and help retain workers.
Art Hounds recommend works that celebrate our connection with water
Anne Labovitz’s painting series “Water Stories” is on view at Minnesota Marine Art Museum. The podcast “Back Channel Radio” tells the history of the boathouse community on Wolf Spider Island. Meanwhile in Burnsville, the Church Basement Ladies are back in a new installment of the musical comedy.
Rural town tries innovative solution to child care crisis
Affordable child care is a challenge for towns and cities across Minnesota. It's difficult to recruit or retain young workers if child care is not available and affordable. A northwestern Minnesota town is the first in the state to use local sales tax to fund a day care center.
Walz, DFL lawmakers look to speed up shift to carbon-free electricity
With DFLers now in charge of both the House and the Senate, the proposal’s chances of approval have improved. But some of the state’s top utilities say meeting that new deadline could be a challenge.
 Indigenous Bowl provides showcase for promising Native athletes
The fifth annual game is part of an effort to highlight athletic talent from schools that might otherwise escape the notice of college recruiters.
The early days of December have brought the coldest temperatures of the season so far, with more than 40 Minnesota counties reporting subzero temperatures this week. MPR News guest host John Wanamaker talked about the cold and next week’s weather outlook with retired University of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley.
St. Paul police release video showing officer fatally shooting man
St. Paul police on Thursday released edited video showing views of the gunfire on Monday between Howard Peter Johnson and the police before an officer shot and killed him. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.
Chauvin prosecutor Jerry Blackwell wins Senate confirmation as federal judge
“I think everyone got to know him when they saw his extraordinary work in the prosecution of the George Floyd murder case. But for people in the legal community, he'd been a star for a long time, U.S. Sen Amy Klobuchar told MPR News.