🌊 A house perched over the eroding Blue Earth River near the Rapidan Dam fell into the rain-swollen river Wednesday night. Rivers across southern Minnesota are flooded after heavy rains soaked the already-saturated soil over the last week. 

🧪 A group of scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey spent their Tuesday measuring water levels and collecting water quality samples, including some near the Rapidan Dam. James Fallon is a data chief for the Upper Midwest Water Science Center of the USGS. He joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about what that sampling looks like and why it's important.

👮In a city struggling to maintain police officer staffing levels, the Minneapolis City Council is holding public hearings on a tentative union contract that would make Minneapolis officers some of the highest paid police in the state . Despite pressure from the mayor and his allies to quickly approve the contract, council members want the public to have time to consider whether the city is getting enough reforms to make up for the additional $20 million it will cost over the next two years. Jon Collins brings us the story.

🌊 What happened to Minnesota's Rapidan Dam? Here's what to know about its flooding and partial failure. On Tuesday, the dam was still intact and there were no mass evacuations. Authorities said the partial failure of the abutment was caused by the recent bout of heavy rain, but a past assessment of the dam revealed it was already at risk.