Hours before a deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, the Minnesota Legislature passed the final elements of a $52 billion two-year state budget. It capped a year of remote meetings and special sessions related to the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed the limits of divided state government. - New tax bill Cuts prevail over hikes - Pandemic bonuses For some front-line workers
A World Health Organization representative just advised wearing masks after vaccination. The CDC has a different perspective. NPR asked public health specialists to weigh in.
A report from the city’s Audit Committee released Monday comes several days after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin had served as a field training officer for Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — both of whom face aiding and abetting charges in Floyd’s killing. - Angela Davis What kind of police reform is possible and how do we get there? - Federal level With slow progress, police reform remains patchwork across U.S.
How do you get young people who might not even own a radio to fall in love with audio storytelling? That's the mission of our annual Radio Camp, a weeklong program for high school students in partnership with ThreeSixty Journalism at the University of St. Thomas. Over two one-week camps, 16 students from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota worked with veteran reporters and editors at MPR News to learn the basics of what we do: field recording, interviewing, writing stories and voicing their own scripts. This summer, we also welcomed three new partners to the camp: MIGIZI, KRSM 98.9 LPFM (Pillsbury United Communities) and American Indian Family Center. The theme of the 2021 camp is youth interviewing youth to reveal youth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest. The results? Inspiring, sound-rich radio storytelling — featuring the students' own voice tracks and the audio they gathered in the field — mixed by a professional sound engineer. Listen to the student’s pieces
Twin Cities Pride festivities may be postponed until July, but Pride is alive and well at The Current. We invite you to dance, sing, and maybe even cry along to these songs by brilliant contemporary LGBTQIA+ artists.
A Duluth family celebrates together at a trans potluck. The Taking Back Pride march demands justice and a ban on cops. And Fergus Falls hosts its first ever LGBTQ Pride weekend. - #TellMPRNews What does Pride mean to you? - On the stage After a year of mutual aid, Gully Boys return for Pride
Conditions are dry all across Minnesota. Severe drought is spreading into the northwest and south. Crops are showing signs of stress, and without widespread rains over the next few weeks, crops will continue to deteriorate. - Drought now covers 75 percent of Minnesota Rain chances limited
Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Friday was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the May 2020 murder of George Floyd while in police custody. The sentence handed down by Judge Peter Cahill is 10 years more than guidelines recommend. Cahill said that he departed from the guidance because of Chauvin's abuse of authority. Cahill kept his comments short but shortly after posted his 22-page memorandum supporting his sentence. MPR News George Floyd: One year later
With new and active cases and hospital admissions trending at or near their 14-month lows, Minnesota’s most recent COVID-19 data paints a picture of a rapidly shrinking pandemic. Vaccinations, however, are stuck at crawl. - Sign up Analysis of COVID-19 data in Minnesota - APM Research Lab Tracking the vaccination progress in the U.S.
Yeej Moua debuts his short film, “The Wind Always Strikes the Highest Mountain,” for the Northern Spark festival’s final weekend. Minnesota artists explore issues of disability and theater at Full Circle. And Laura Sellner has a new EP.