Stories from November 19, 2024

Traffic on Bluesky, an X competitor, is up 500% since the election. How will it handle the surge?
Unlike other social media sites, Bluesky allows users to create their own algorithm. The site does not have ads, nor harvest data for artificial intelligence training. But it is still very small, and it does not make money.
Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin is hoping to become the next leader of the Democratic National Committee. Rain is changing over to snow this evening across the region, with several inches possible in northwest Minnesota by late tomorrow.
First phase of massive Sherco Solar project now generating electricity
The first phase of the $1.1 billion Sherco Solar project was connected to the electrical grid in late October. When the next two phases are completed over the next two years, the project will produce enough energy to power about 150,000 homes.
New book traces life from a Somali orchard to running a nonprofit in Minnesota
In “My Dear Loving Sisters: Tea and Stories from an Audacious Life,” Fatoun Ali lays out how she survived poverty and abuse to raise four children and start a nonprofit. She told her story in the form of a workbook, with strategies and questions for overcoming all kinds of challenges.
A GOP lawmaker introduces a Capitol bathroom rule before her trans colleague arrives
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace says the resolution aims to protect women's rights. Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first out trans person elected to Congress, has slammed it as a distraction.
Trump chooses billionaire and key transition adviser Howard Lutnick for commerce secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary.
Mike Reilly having heart procedure after concussion testing found preexisting condition
The former Minnesota Wild defenseman will undergo a procedure to address a preexisting heart condition that was found during routine tests after his concussion earlier this month.
Manhattan prosecutors ask for additional pause in Trump hush-money criminal case
Manhattan prosecutors are asking for a further pause in the criminal trial against President-elect Donald Trump in order to give both sides time to weigh the unprecedented nature of the situation.
Eagan police say report of assault at Lebanon Hills Regional Park was false
A woman reported an assault on Nov. 7 at Lebanon Hills Regional Park and police launched an investigation. A department spokesperson said Tuesday that the woman now says the assault never happened.
EagleCam expansion: Minnesota DNR says new camera, new nesting pair will go live this week
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday announced its popular and beloved EagleCam feed will resume on Thursday at a new location, after the nest previously featured on camera fell in 2023.
How philanthropy can support housing stability and racial justice
The Pohlad Family Foundation focuses its philanthropy on housing and racial justice. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the foundation’s president, Susan Bass Roberts, about where the money goes.
How UnitedHealth’s playbook for limiting mental health coverage puts countless Americans’ treatment at risk
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due to a patchwork of regulation.
Survivor of deadly trip across Canada-US border expected to testify in human smuggling trial
An Indian migrant who survived a deadly trek across the Canada-U.S. border in blizzard conditions is expected to testify Tuesday in the federal trial of two men accused of taking part in a sprawling human smuggling scheme that ultimately killed a family of four.
A new report from the state Department of Health finds most Minnesota schools are not completing recommended radon level tests. And an E. coli outbreak linked to beef and carrots has led to at least 15 cases in the state.
FBI recovers deleted texts showing chaos of bribe attempt in Feeding our Future trial
In a new filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson writes that defendant Mukhtar Shariff “knew about the bribery attempt” and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his phone when Judge Nancy Brasel ordered Shariff and the other defendants to surrender their devices to the FBI.
 Grapegate: Remembering the New York Times’ grape salad debacle 10 years later
The New York Times said it “scoured the nation for recipes that evoke each of the 50 states,” and Minnesota wound up with a grape monstrosity mixed with sour cream and topped with brown sugar.
Dozens sentenced for up to 10 years in prison in Hong Kong national security case
A Hong Kong court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to up to a decade behind bars after it ruled in a landmark legal case that they had broken a national security law implemented by Beijing.