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

A beleaguered Minneapolis prepares to pick its leader
After a year of high-profile police killings, mass protests and a surge in gun violence and civil unrest, Minneapolis residents are getting ready to elect a new mayor. Seven mayoral candidates, including incumbent Jacob Frey, are vying for this week’s DFL endorsement. 
Worker shortage frustrates Minnesota businesses
Minnesota officials have been reaching out to people on unemployment in hopes of linking them with jobs. Some blame enhanced unemployment payments for the worker shortage, but others underscore the labor shortage preceded the pandemic. Challenges with child care and transportation have prevented some from joining the workforce.
Action at open state Capitol aims to avert shutdown
With the public welcomed back to observe, Minnesota lawmakers return to the Capitol for a special session that will continue until a new state budget is enacted.
1 dead, 3 hurt after driver plows into protesters in Uptown Minneapolis
One person was killed and three injured Sunday night after the driver of an SUV drove into a crowd of protesters in the Uptown area of Minneapolis, near the site where Winston Smith was shot by sheriff's deputies earlier this month.
This month’s heat wave prompted an MPR listener to ask about the statewide record for consecutive days with temps at or above 90 degrees.
Audio postcard: Searching for orchids at Lake Bemidji State Park
We get occasional dispatches from wildflower chasers Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, as they roam the state looking for what’s in bloom. Their latest postcard comes from the bog boardwalk at Lake Bemidji State Park, where they caught the beginning of orchid season.
'He just made you feel like he was completely there': An appreciation of guitarist Billy Franze
Billy Franze, who passed away in April, thrilled cheering bar crowds with Dr. Mambo’s Combo for more than three decades. He’s being remembered as an extremely talented musician and a good-natured soul who helped many other musicians get a foothold in the Minneapolis music scene.
Winston Smith killing: Passenger says Smith did not have a gun
A woman who says she was in the car when Winston Smith was killed by sheriff’s deputies said through her attorney that she never saw a gun, contradicting the initial law enforcement report. Attorneys for George Floyd’s family also said they are now representing Smith’s family.
High school graduation rates remain steady; gaps persist
Minnesota's high school graduation rate held steady for the Class of 2020, despite an abrupt shift toward the end of its senior year as the early stage of the pandemic shuttered school buildings across the state. But schools haven’t managed to shake their nearly worst-in-the-nation education inequalities.