MPR News AM Update: Twins, Loons clinch playoff slots
Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your Thursday.
It was a big evening for Minnesota sports. A Twins win and a Cleveland loss secured a spot in the MLB playoffs for Minnesota. And in pro soccer, a thrilling 90th-minute goal sent Minnesota United to its first MLS playoffs ever.
Buckle up: the country’s top spy faces Congress this morning. Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, will testify before Congress on “the Ukraine affair,” as NPR reports. It starts at 8 a.m. We’ll carry live video online and you can hear it on the radio.
Who says bipartisanship is dead? The House, in a 421-0 vote (two reps voted present), backed a resolution seeking immediate release of the whistleblower complaint regarding President Trump’s call with the Ukrainian leader — which set off all the impeachment talk this week. That reporting is from a nice summary of yesterday’s events from the Washington Post.
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All this political news stressing you out? I get it. A new study finds that discussing politics can hurt relationships and personal health. But when the issues are too important to ignore, we need to find ways to cope with the stress. This story dives into the effects and some coping strategies of political stress.
A right-wing site is stoking controversy on race in Chaska schools. MinnPost’s Erin Hinrich’s explains how Alpha News’ video criticizing equity efforts in Eastern Carver County after black students and their families sued the school district for allegedly not responding to racial discrimination.
Tim Walz proposes California’s climate-friendly emissions standards. The governor says the new “clean car” standards would be healthy for our lungs and the environment. One thing standing in the way, though, is the Trump administration, which is battling California in court over the same standards Walz wants here.
The governor says he can’t ban vaping in Minnesota. While Massachusetts' governor banned vape products, Walz says his hands are tied by state law. Ariel Meyers said on Facebook she supports vaping products staying on the market: “It's an alternative to actually smoking and counterfeit cartridges are causing the recent illnesses and deaths."
To get legal cannabis, advocates must weed out the bad ideas. Minnesota’s two marijuana focused political parties are officially major parties, just like the GOP and DFL, and they’re at work finding the best ways to get ready for 2020.
Are you raising kids in Minnesota? Tell us how’s the school year going. Discuss with some kindred spirits in our Facebook group for parents.
It’s getting frosty, at least meteorologically speaking. A frost advisory was issued at midnight and expires Thursday. Yikes. Possible showers in the northwest and highs will be in the 60s for most of the state. More on Updraft.
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