Stories from December 14, 2023

Minneapolis awarded $20 million federal grant to improve traffic safety
The Biden Administration announced Wednesday the $20 million grant will pay for city safety measures at more than 500 intersections and for more protected bike lanes and pedestrian refuge islands.
A Hennepin County judge Thursday sentenced a young man to time served after rejecting an earlier plea deal in a fatal attempted carjacking. That story and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Feven Gerezgiher. Music by Gary Meister.
'Interpretation is key': Professor weighs in on antisemitism claims at UMN
A University of Minnesota law professor and a former regent this week asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate alleged antisemitism at the university. It comes as conflicting ideas about what is antisemitic has universities across the nation struggling to strike a balance between free speech and protecting students.
In a 4-hour press conference, a confident Putin vows the Ukraine war will go on
Russian President Vladimir Putin resumed his traditional year-end press conference, after canceling last year, when Russia was doing badly on the battlefield. He combined it with a call-in program.
Houston White’s plan to cultivate a robust Black middle class in Minneapolis
Designer and entrepreneur Houston White has a singular vision: to create a vibrant Black middle class in Minneapolis. And it’s more than a plan. It’s already becoming reality.
4 scenarios that can ignite a family fight — and 12 strategies to minimize them
Is your aunt asking too many personal questions? Is your cousin talking your ear off about politics? These coping techniques can help you navigate sticky social situations at family holiday parties.
Feeding Our Future defendant pleads guilty, admits to diverting millions to co-conspirators
Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis have charged five dozen people with stealing $250 million from food programs meant for children in need. Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim is the 16th to plead guilty.
People marched Wednesday night in Minneapolis to protest the planned closure of Camp Nenookaasi, a homeless encampment in the East Phillips neighborhood. And the Minnesota Supreme Court has released a decision in a case with the potential to remake the racial and socioeconomic structure of schools. The court found that racial imbalances in schools alone do not violate the state constitution.
Israel is using an AI system to find targets in Gaza. Experts say it's just the start
Israel's military says the system makes it more efficient and reduces collateral damage. Critics see a host of problems with the nation's use of AI, but other militaries will likely follow suit.
Marvin Haynes on 19 years wrongfully convicted and what's next for him
Marvin Haynes walked out of a Stillwater prison on Monday a free man. A judge had vacated his conviction, for which he was serving a life sentence. He received the news on his birthday after fighting nearly 20 years to prove his innocence.
Minnesota postal carriers deliver concerns on workload, conditions as holiday season packages pile up
Holiday season is always a busy one for the nation’s mail carriers. But some Minnesota mail carriers say they’re being overworked as the Post Office takes on more business than it can handle.
Art Hounds: Opera, a cappella and theater
The a cappella group Johnson Street Underground entertains audiences at their holiday concert this Saturday at Winona Arts Center. New Native Theatre’s play “A Christmas in Ochopee” runs through this weekend. Skylark Opera Theatre stages “The Gift of the Magi” in St Paul. 
March through Minneapolis protests Camp Nenookaasi eviction
Political organizers and supporters of Minneapolis’s unsheltered population marched Tuesday evening from the site of the Wall of Forgotten Natives — a now-closed encampment — to Camp Nenookaasi, an existing camp the city plans to tear down.