Stories from September 11, 2024

An undecided swing state voter watched the debate. It moved the needle
Cameron Lewellen of Georgia headed into Tuesday's debate one of the small but potentially key slice of voters who are undecided about the presidential election. After, his vote is in sharper focus.
‘Sisterhood’ of Black women leaders gather in St. Paul to watch Harris-Trump debate
There were watch parties for Tuesday night’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump across the nation, including one for a group of more than 100 Black women leaders in St. Paul.
A review of criminal cases that involved the former Ramsey County medical examiner has entered its third and final phase. The review started three years ago, sifting through 215 cases that Dr. Michael McGee played some part in. And a Minneapolis man was sentenced to over 30 years in prison today for the murder of a transgender woman last November.
New Minnesota Supreme Court council begins work to prevent child abuse
A new Minnesota Supreme Court council on Child Protection and Maltreatment Prevention has begun its work. State lawmakers voted to form the group after a Minnesota Star Tribune investigation found hundreds of children were abused after the state’s child protection system returned them to their parents.
Speaker Johnson calls off a vote on a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown
The legislation to continue government funding when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1 includes a requirement that people registering to vote must provide proof of citizenship. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled that he was not backing off linking the two main pillars of the bill.
Inflation falls to its lowest level in more than 3 years. Here’s what that means
Consumer prices in August were up 2.5 percent from a year ago — the smallest annual increase since February 2021. Falling inflation clears the way for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates next week — likely by a quarter percentage point.
Minneapolis man sentenced to 30 years in murder of trans woman
Damarean Bible, 25, was sentenced Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in August. Bible admitted to fatally shooting Savannah Ryan Williams, 38, early in the morning on Nov. 29.
Former Gov. Arne Carlson underlines Harris endorsement, calls Trump ‘mentally ill‘ post-debate
Elected as a Republican, former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson’s Rockefeller Republican nature meant a more moderate political career — and now a string of endorsements for Democrats up and down the ticket in recent elections.
Fact check: Trump calls out Minnesota abortion law, 2020 unrest in presidential debate
Tuesday’s presidential debate spurred multiple references to Minnesota, including Democratic vice-presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz and his policy track record here.
From the archive: remembering Minnesotan Tom Burnett, 23 years after the 9/11 attacks
On Sept. 11, 2001, Tom Burnett was aboard a hijacked airliner when it crashed in rural Pennsylvania. His wife Deena Burnett remembers that day in a 2001 interview.
Hazy, sunny and warm Wednesday
There are air quality concerns Wednesday for northwestern portions of Minnesota. Above-average temperatures continue across the state with minimal precipitation chances in the forecast.
Twins bash Angels 10-5 behind homers by Farmer, Wallner, Santana to lift lagging lineup
Kyle Farmer hit a three-run home run in the second inning to provide a well-timed jolt for a sputtering lineup, and Matt Wallner and Carlos Santana also went deep for the Minnesota Twins in a 10-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Vikings agree to 2-year extension with run-stopping stalwart Harrison Phillips
The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. He's a vital run-stopper who’s one of their most consistent players.
Our top story is last night’s presidential debate. MPR reporters Mark Zdechlik and Ellie Roth attended Republican and Democratic watch parties to get reactions from Minnesotans. And the Wayzata Police Department is seeking the public's help in finding an artifact that was part of a 9/11 memorial.
Cheers, jeers and minds already made up at Minnesota debate watch parties
The presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump gave the party faithful a chance to get together to cheer on their own and mock the opposition.
After the debate, Harris, with Biden, and Trump will commemorate 9/11 anniversary
Vice President Kamala Harris will join President Joe Biden on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 with visits to all of the crash sites. Former President Donald Trump will also travel to New York and Pennsylvania.
The heat is on: Indigenous-led nonprofit seeks to lower heating expenses with solar thermal
Since 2018, an Indigenous nonprofit near the White Earth Nation in northwestern Minnesota has been installing solar thermal panels to cut home heating costs in impoverished communities.
The stereotype of immigrants eating dogs and cats is storied — and vitriolic as ever
Immigration was always going to be part of Tuesday night’s presidential debate. More surprising was that the conversation veered into bizarre falsehoods about migrants eating pet dogs and cats.
Facial expressions spoke volumes when mics were muted in the presidential debate
In a presidential debate, the split screen shot of the candidates — with one candidate speaking and the other reacting non-verbally — can easily become the story of the debate.
Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris drives voters to visit vote.gov
After Taylor Swift posted on Instagram after the presidential debate, saying she was voting for Kamala Harris, her link to Vote.gov garnered 13 times as much engagement as the site typically sees.