MPR News Update

An agreement that puts equal amounts into tax cuts and new spending is on the table, but negotiators are struggling with the details of the various components. DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman says a tax deal is close that would cut the lowest income tax rate and expand a renter's tax credit program. The budget surplus agreement also calls for $1 billion in new spending on education, although the distribution plan remains in flux. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Hannah Yang. Music by Gary Meister.

The Minnesota DFL Party holds its state convention in Rochester this weekend. Unlike Republicans last week, there are no contested endorsements.  This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Skull revealed by southern Minnesota drought turns out to be ancient Native American, and unemployment in the state is the lowest ever recorded. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

A former Minneapolis police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. As part of the plea deal, Thomas Lane will have a count of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder dismissed. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

One of three former Minneapolis cops still facing George Floyd charges pleads guilty, and lawmakers are wrangling over $1 billion in new school funding. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

The city of Minneapolis will pay $1.5 million to a man who accused police officers of using excessive force during an arrest in 2020. Jaleel Stallings filed a federal lawsuit, after he was acquitted by a jury last year. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

State budget surplus will boost per pupil spending, student support, says governor. Also a man beaten by officers after he returned fire from an unmarked police van gets a $1.5 million settlement from Minneapolis. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

As the second anniversary of George Floyd's murder approaches, prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for the state criminal trial next month of the three former officers charged in his death. Former officers J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane are charged in Hennepin County District Court with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter in Floyd's killing. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers have cut a deal on how much money from the big projected budget surplus will go to cut taxes, give a boost to schools and be used to enhance public safety. This is the evening MPR News update for Monday, May 16. Hosted by Nina Moini. Theme music by Gary Meister.

With one week left in session, Minnesota lawmakers have reached a deal to spend the state's historic surplus. MPR News reporter Brian Bakst joined host Chris Farrell to talk more about the agreement.

Republican delegates chose family physician and former state Sen. Scott Jensen as their candidate for governor Saturday after a pitched endorsement battle that went nine ballots. Jensen, who served one term in the Senate, beat out four other candidates in a see-saw battle where he saw an early lead disappear and then return as other contenders left the race. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Republicans say frustration over COVID-19 vaccines, restrictions and other steps taken during the pandemic will be a central theme as they meet in Rochester. Convention delegates who arrived for the opening Friday say they're hopeful their eventual nominee can beat incumbent Gov. Tim Walz. This is the evening MPR News update for Friday, May 13. Hosted by Nancy Lebens. Theme music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota Republicans gather Friday in Rochester for their state party convention amid a backdrop of discontent fueled by dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden, lingering anger over pandemic restrictions many felt went too far and a false sense that Donald Trump unfairly lost in 2020. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Thousands of homes and businesses remained without power across southern Minnesota on Thursday in the wake of severe storms that brought damaging winds, flooding rain, hail and one confirmed tornado. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Kirsti Marohn. Music by Gary Meister.

Earlier this week, the Minneapolis school board approved long time Minneapolis school district administrator, Rochelle Cox, as the interim district superintendent. Cox will replace Ed Graff who is leaving in June. Graff is not the only leader of a Minnesota school district who has resigned recently—a record number of school board members have also resigned across the state, citing chaos, bullying, and abuse in their districts. Beth Hawkins reported extensively on the great resignation of Minnesota school district leaders over the past year. Beth is a reporter for “The 74”, a news site about education in America.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power across southern Minnesota on Thursday morning, in the wake of severe storms that brought damaging winds, flooding rain, hail and a few reports of tornadoes. The storms were responsible for at least one death — a woman who died in a crash caused by downed power lines along Interstate 90 near Worthington.

New federal report opens the door to reckoning with Minnesota's Native boarding school history and a family in Mankato pleads for help finding a young woman gone missing for more than two weeks. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Bob Elm waited for the setting sun to dip below the horizon before heading out onto the chilly blue waters of Mille Lacs Lake. At a public landing on the lake's east side, he and other tribal members loaded spears and buckets into fishing boats, and donned helmets with headlamps attached. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Paid family leave takes a big step forward at the Capitol, with a long way yet to go. Also, Minnesotans are down in Oklahoma today for the opening of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Health officials in Minnesota are asking parents to keep an eye out for signs of hepatitis in their kids as the number of children who have experienced the severe liver disease increases across the country. Three Minnesota children under the age of three have recently contracted hepatitis. One child required a liver transplant, and all three have since recovered. Dr. Sara Hassan is a pediatric transplant hepatologist and gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk more about the increase in hepatitis cases and what parents can do to keep their children safe.

Testimony got underway Monday in the trial of a man charged with lying to a federal grand jury about absentee ballot fraud. Muse Mohamud Mohamed is charged with two counts of making false statements to a grand jury during an investigation that followed the August 2020 primary for a Minnesota Senate seat. In filings, prosecutors allege that Muse Mohamed sent three absentee ballots to the Minneapolis elections office on behalf of three voters using a process called “agent delivery.” This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Goodhue County authorities announced Monday they have filed second-degree murder charges against a woman they say is the mother of two newborn babies found dead in the Mississippi River in 1999 and 2003. This is an MPR News evening update for May 9, 2022. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Our theme music is by Gary Meister. 

MPR's politics reporter Brian Bakst joined host Cathy Wurzer to explain three competing and vastly different tax plans at the Capitol.

The Legislature is barreling toward the end of its yearly session still lacking a big deal on taxes and spending but making progress around the edges nonetheless. Without a broad framework to guide them to the finale, it's difficult to gauge whether the Republican-led Senate, DFL-led House and DFL Gov. Tim Walz will avert a collapse on the session's biggest items — public safety, school aid, long-term care relief and tax cuts high on that list.  This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Each Sunday we bring you a selection of reporting from the MPR News North Star Journey series. Today, reporter Jon Collins brings us a story about how Black Farmers in Minnesota are reconnecting to the land. Then, reporter Peter Cox explains how COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Minnesota's Hmong community. And finally, reporter Tim Nelson explains why some groups are pushing to change the images on Minnesota's flag. North Star Journey is a celebration of communities in Minnesota and the champions who are doing the work that we should be bringing a voice to. We hope to bring new understandings of our state and what brought us to today. The series was made possible in part with funds from the Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The mother of a man killed by Brooklyn Center police last year says an officer there threatened to arrest her for legally filming a traffic stop and arrest Wednesday night. Katie Wright — the mother of Daunte Wright — was recording from the opposite side of Highway 252 when an officer walked across traffic, demanded her driver's license, threatened to put her in jail and grabbed her wrist. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

The Army Corps of Engineers is weighing a key permit for Polymet, and doctors at Mayo are among those trying to figure out a strange outbreak of childhood hepatitis. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

After more than a year of haggling, the Legislature finally agreed on giving out $500 million dollars in direct payments to frontline workers. Any individual in Minnesota who had to remain on the job in person during the pandemic is eligible to receive a $750 “hero” check. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Deputy Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach talked with host Cathy Wurzer about the program and what it will mean for frontline workers.

North Dakota National Guard helicopter crews have been airlifting one-ton sandbags to shore up a dam in danger of failing, as rivers across the region remain in flood stage from snowmelt and heavy rain in recent weeks. The Guard on Tuesday dropped more than 100 of the massive sandbags at the Bourbanis Dam in Pembina County, about 70 miles northwest of Grand Forks, N.D. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

There's still plenty of potential politicking for abortion rights in Minnesota as Roe may end, and the state wants a deal for oversight of Minneapolis police before Labor Day. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

The growing possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court will upend decades of precedent around abortion law has invigorated a political struggle about what comes next just months before the midterm elections. A leaked draft of an opinion that overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion doesn't mean a final Supreme Court ruling will go that far. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

In a first of its kind three day public hearing this week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hearing testimony to determine whether the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine would violate the water quality standards of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, whose reservation lies downstream of the proposed project.  This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Walz says he'll fight for tax rebate checks to Minnesotans as legislative session heads to an end game, and the state is already figuring out how to hand out frontline worker bonuses. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

The number of new Covid cases and hospitalizations are increasing dramatically in Minneapolis. The state department of health is now strongly recommending people wear masks in indoor public settings and businesses - regardless of vaccination status. And parents may hear some news in June about new Covid vaccines for children under the age of 5. Dr. Michael Osterholm is a professor and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He joined host Cathy Wurzer to sift through the latest news.

New rent control regulations that are among the strictest in the country take effect Sunday in St. Paul. The measure, which caps rent increases at 3 percent per year, won approval from St. Paul voters in November. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

In this latest selection from the MPR News North Star Journey series, editor Brandt Williams interviews Chad Montrie, who recently published a book about racial exclusion in Minnesota. You'll also hear a report from Mark Zdechlik about efforts to expand financial literacy education, and a story from Kirsti Marohn about efforts to bridge the homeownership gap in St. Cloud. These stories are made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

One man is dead and another person is injured after a state trooper and a sheriff's deputy fired on a vehicle after an attempted traffic stop last night in central Minnesota. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says it happened just before 6 p.m. near the city of Bowlus in Morrison County. This is the evening MPR News update for April 29, 2022. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Theme music by Gary Meister.

A long-stalled deal to repair the state's unemployment insurance fund and deliver hero checks to some frontline pandemic workers has been struck by top leaders at the Minnesota Capitol. The agreement would clear the way for bonuses to as many as 667,000 workers that have been held up since House and Senate negotiators deadlocked on a plan last summer. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Tom Crann. Music by Gary Meister.

Deal struck for unemployment insurance and pandemic worker pay at Capitol, and a Minnesota sailor lost on the U.S.S. Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor has at long last been identified and will be buried in June in his home town. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson.

Mayor and council members vow action on scathing state report on Minneapolis police, and Starbucks employees have unionized the first store in Minnesota, on Snelling Avenue in the city's Macalester-Groveland neighborhood. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

State report says Minneapolis police have longstanding racial bias, leadership problems. And a 14-year-old boy is being held on $1 million for the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Chippewa Falls. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Police say 10-year-old Wisconsin girl knew her killer after they arrested a juvenile suspect. Also, the state releases a human rights probe of the Minneapolis Police Department today, sparked by the death of George Floyd. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Embattled lawmaker disputes police account of his intervention in daughter's traffic stop and experts say early education took a significant blow in Minnesota during the pandemic. This is an evening news update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

DFLers are pushing big pandemic spending in the MInnesota legislature's end game and the state's largest solar power facility may be headed to Becker to replace a long-running coal fired plant. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

State Rep. John Thompson is back in the news after intervening in St. Paul traffic stop, taking away woman he said he was his daughter before she submitted to field sobriety test. Also, police find missing Chippewa Falls girl dead. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Walz urges giving back state surplus in 1st in person state of the state speech in three years. Republicans say permanent tax cuts would be the best option. Also, flooding threatens Crookston and other Red River Valley cities. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

The MPR News North Star Journey series follows the history and culture of various Minnesota communities. Each Sunday, MPR News brings Minnesota Today listeners a couple of these stories. Today, you'll hear a story from contributor Melissa Olson about preserving Indigenous languages. And reporter Dan Kraker brings us a story about the East-West divide in Duluth. Finally, reporter Vicki Adame reports about the West Side Flats area in St. Paul, which is now an industrial park. Editor Brandt Williams hosts. Theme music by Gary Meister.

The state Department of Health said the rate of Minnesotans without health insurance coverage declined last year to the lowest level on record. But for Minnesotans of color, the uninsured rate went up. This is the evening MPR News update for Friday, April 22, 2022. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Theme music by Gary Meister.

Officials believe Brandon Taylor Cole-Skogstad, 29, was responsible for the killings of four family members at the home, where a family dog was also killed. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, April 22, 2022. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Duluth police say five deaths are a murder suicide, greatest toll in decades. Also, pending evictions are up sharply as state rental assistance dries up, prompting demands for more. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

As the rain and snow continue through is chilly spring, it may be hard to remember the dry drought-ridden summer of last year.  But as farmers and gardeners prepare for the growing season, many are wondering about the drought outlook for the coming months.  Jeffrey Strock is a professor at the University of Minnesota's Southwest Research and Outreach Center. He joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the drought outlook as temperatures rise.