Sept. 2, 2021

Welcome to the Thursday edition of MPR News p.m. update.

Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright, will face an additional, tougher criminal charge in the killing. Attorney General Keith Ellison's office says Potter is being charged with first-degree manslaughter along with the original charge of second-degree manslaughter.

Police bodycam footage from April shows Potter yelling "Taser" but pulling her handgun and shooting the 20-year-old Wright. The new charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, up from 10 on the previous count.

Minnesota today recorded a double-digit COVID-19 death toll — the highest since May.

Almost all of the 22 deaths reported today occurred in late August. MPR News data reporter David Montgomery says it might be an anomaly but is worth watching amid the recent case spike.

Minnesota’s case growth has slowed in recent weeks, but events such as the State Fair and the start of school could affect that trajectory.

A 33-year-old Chicago man is facing murder charges for a shooting after an apparent traffic altercation on a highway in Plymouth, Minn., that killed a man driving his son home from a baseball game in July.

Jay Boughton was shot and died after his car crashed in a roadside parking lot in Plymouth. Police said an eight-week manhunt for Boughton’s killer ended with an arrest in Decatur, Ill., last week.

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Portions of the BWCA to reopen this weekend

Rain and cooler temperatures have helped crews make progress on northern Minnesota fires. Conditions have also lessened the risk of new fires.

Aug. 23 BWCA cleared of visitors amid increased fire danger
Hit or miss Greenwood Fire levels some cabins, spares others

Defense, prosecution reverse stances on broadcast of ex-cops' trial in Floyd death

In a reversal from last year, attorneys representing the remaining ex-cops charged in George Floyd’s killing now want to exclude cameras from the courtroom and prosecutors now favor broadcasting the proceedings when the trial starts next year.

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Our future on a hotter planet means more climate disasters happening simultaneously

Simultaneous disasters, like the wildfires in California and Hurricane Ida this week, are happening more often as the planet heats up. Emergency managers are preparing for that future.

CDC recommends that unvaccinated people don't travel over Labor Day weekend

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expressed concern about the further spread of the delta variant. Health officials have been concerned about holiday weekends during the pandemic.

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Art Hounds recommend art that grabs your attention

“8 Chapters” in Granite Falls explores the relationships between humans and land through blacksmithing and found natural objects. Minneapolis rock band Jung Yeller’s LP is “a party from front to back,” and Taylor Evan’s abstract paintings grab your attention with their bold colors.

Biden's approval rating hits a new low after the Afghanistan withdrawal

President Joe Biden's approval rating slid to just 43 percent, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. The decline is principally due to independents, a key swing group.

Crowded U.S. jails drove millions of COVID-19 cases, a new study says

The U.S. jail population has a 55 percent weekly turnover rate, raising the risk of infections passing between communities, according to the study.

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