Sick and safe time law. Silver Bay revisioned
The Twin Cities had a record high temperature of 54 to make Christmas 2023 the warmest on record. Tuesday should see areas of rain and, as cooler air settles in, areas of snow. Scattered rain showers and light snow are possible into Wednesday. Get the latest weather news on Updraft.
Coming up on Morning Edition: The town of Silver Bay on the North Shore of Lake Superior can be easy to miss. A giant taconite processing plant spans Highway 61, but the town is tucked away a mile inland. Plans are moving forward to bring more visitors and residents to Silver Bay. The idea is to diversify its economy and, perhaps, embrace a new identity. Dan Kraker brings us the story.
Coming up at 9 a.m.: Angela Davis revisits her very first Power Pair conversation. Resmaa Menakem and Keith Ellison talk about how their friendship formed long before either of them were nationally known and how that friendship sustains their justice work. | |
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| New for 2024: Minnesota law to grant more workers access to sick and safe time
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Starting in January, Minnesota workers can accumulate short spurts of time off to take care of themselves or a loved one under a new state law.
Under the sick and safe time policy, an employee could earn up to one hour of time off for every 30 hours they work, capped at 48 hours each year. That means after six weeks, a worker could be eligible for an eight-hour day off for qualifying reasons.
The measure passed through the DFL-led Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz. State labor leaders are working to raise awareness about it, while some small business owners say they’re struggling to implement it. | |
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| | Along the North Shore, sleepy Silver Bay embraces development to put itself 'on the map' |
Even by North Shore standards, the stretch of undeveloped land along Lake Superior across the highway from the small city of Silver Bay is spectacular. Some 50 miles out of Duluth, waves crash against jagged rock outcroppings. Pine and birch trees dot the shoreline.
This is the spot where Silver Bay plans to jumpstart a new future, one that embraces newcomers and tourists to supplement an economy based on the giant taconite processing plant that straddles the highway on the way into town. | |
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| | MPR News reporters share 8 of their most memorable stories from 2023 |
When we’re not busy covering news, reporters and editors sometimes think about what we liked working on over the past year. Some of their reflections and those stories are collected here.
The list also reflects new projects. Winter Play celebrated the activities that Minnesotans enjoy at this time of year. Getting to Green, a series that will continue in 2024, examines the efforts to reach a goal set by Gov. Tim Walz’s administration to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
And two of the stories were included in our North Star Journey series, started in 2022, which highlights culture, history and problem-solving in Minnesota’s diverse communities. | |
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| What else we're watching: |
Minneapolis police chief calls homicide trend "disturbing." Minneapolis police have begun investigations into 12 homicides this month — not yet counting two incidents that happened on Saturday and Sunday. The overall number of homicides in 2023 is 10 percent less than last year, but Chief Brian O’Hara is still worried about the current trend.
Hundreds honor Twin Cities artist and activist Tou Ger Xiong at Woodbury vigil. Xiong, 50, was kidnapped and killed while vacationing in northern Colombia earlier this month. He was born in Laos and grew up in St. Paul. He was valedictorian of his class at Humboldt High School and was a performer and activist.
Sled dog race postponed due to lack of snow. The 2024 Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race in northeastern Minnesota has been postponed due to warm temperatures. “We need a good foot and a half, two feet [of snow] … in order to pull this race off,” said organizer Cathy Quinn.
How two Minnesota producers helped launch Janet Jackson's career. She was in her late teens when she released an album that changed her career. Jackson came to Minneapolis to make that album — and it was also a turning point for the two producers she worked with.
Therapy pets and giraffe poop: Top 16 animal stories from MPR News in 2023. Count down the days until 2024 with the animals that never really left our hearts this year. Take a paws with us as we reminisce.
— Anna Haecherl, MPR News |
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