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Oldest Black-owned newspaper in Minnesota turning 90 years old
ListenOldest Black-owned newspaper in Minnesota turning 90 years old. The oldest Black-owned newspaper in Minnesota is celebrating 90 years of publication. On Aug. 10, 1934, the Minneapolis Spokesman and the St. Paul Recorder began printing news for what was then a small, but growing, Black community. The papers would later be combined into the Minnesota Spokesman.
Nearly half of all lieutenant governors are women. Could the future of the governor's office be female?
You're reading Route Fifty's State and Local Roundup. To get the week’s news to use from around the country, you can subscribe here to get this update in your inbox every Saturday. In the meantime, be sure to read to the end as we've rounded up headlines from the week.
Here's when you can see the Perseid meteor shower in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS — The peak of a popular summer meteor shower is coming up this weekend.The Perseids, one of the best shows of the year, are already underway. However the most dazzling part of the display takes place Aug. 11 and Aug. 12.The show will compete with the light from a waxing crescent moon that won't set until a little before 11 p.m.Therefore, the best time to catch the meteor shower will be after 11 p.m. Sunday until dawn and 11 p.m. Monday until dawn.Even with the moon, NASA says up to 100 meteors could be visible each hour. They say you can look in any direction, but they'll be originating in the northeast sky from the constellation Perseus.The NEXT Weather forecast is calling for a partly cloudy sky Sunday night with evening temperatures falling through the 60s. Fewer clouds are expected Monday night.The Perseids will continue through Aug. 24.
Art Briefs: Rendezvous and powwow in Grand Portage, and more
Arts Briefs is a weekly roundup of Minnesota arts news compiled by the MPR News arts and culture team. Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota is hosting its annual Rendezvous Days this weekend. The free event celebrates the site’s Native heritage that dates back millennia and the fur trapping...
Kamala Harris campaign leans into celebrity influence with Bon Iver, Megan Thee Stallion
EAU CLAIRE — Before Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage for their rally in western Wisconsin, they brought up an act they hoped would resonate with Midwesterners: Grammy award-winning indie folk band Bon Iver. “This is a pretty good showing for Wisconsin, I’d say,” frontman Justin Vernon...
Fox News Host Laura Ingraham Eviscerated for Claiming Milwaukee Is in Minnesota: 'It's Time to Step Down'
Fox News host Laura Ingraham got backlash for claiming she knows "Minnesota well," though she mixed it up with neighboring state of Wisconsin when criticizing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.First, Ingraham said Kamala Harris' VP pick has a "tiny brain" and slammed his handling of the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in his state.“Sure, Tim Walz was a popular teacher but listen to him for five minutes on YouTube and you realize why so many high schoolers don’t know much about the constitution. They learn from people like Walz," she said. Laura Ingraham: If you know Minnesota well, and I know...
Minnesotan among US accents most confusing to AI, study finds
MINNEAPOLIS — Artificial intelligence has issues comprehending some American accents, with Minnesotan among the ones causing the most confusion.A study published last month by the language resource organization Guide2Fluency pinpointed the top 30 U.S. accents that trip up voice recognition technology in AI-driven devices and apps like Alexa, ChapGPT and Siri.With a survey size of 3,000 adults — broken down by age, gender and geography — the "Southern" accent was ranked first for the highest error rates in transcription and comprehension. Study authors say AI gets perplexed by the accent's "unique expressions and drawl."New York and New Jersey accents were ranked second and third, respectively, with Texan and Bostonian rounding out the top five.Minnesotan is ranked 13th on the list, although study authors didn't elaborate on its tricky features.Regional slang and distinct vowel sounds are big sources of AI befuddlement, as well as "cultural nuances," like the Cuban accent's blend of Southern American English and Cuban Spanish, or Cajun's inherent French flourishes.Authors say the study raises concerns about the accessibility, effectiveness and perceived trustworthiness of AI technology.
GOP’s Protect the Vote tour stops in Minnesota to recruit election judges, challengers
The Republican National Committee’s Protect the Vote tour stopped in Chaska this week. Attendees heard from Republican party leaders and received training on election laws. The tour seeks to recruit election judges and polling place observers across the country. “We believe when every legal vote is counted — and...
Oldest U.S. Latino advocacy group breaks tradition to endorse Harris, Walz
The League of United Latin American Citizens advocacy group broke with its longstanding tradition of not issuing presidential endorsements on Friday to back the Democratic 2024 ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Minnesota Wants Public Feedback On First Draft of Cannabis Sale Regulations
(The Center Square) – Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management released its first draft of recreational marijuana sales regulations, and it wants public input. Since recreational marijuana was legalized in August, this will be the first set of rules for the state’s cannabis industry. The entire draft of rules, which is more than 100 pages long, is available for review until Aug. 30 on the state office’s website.
Minnesota’s Own SPAM Helps Maui Fire Victims with New Merch Drop
SPAM is an international food brand that has its roots in Minnesota and to this day, SPAM still calls the state home, so it must be that "Minnesota Nice" that is behind this latest effort to help the Maui fire victims. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Lahaina...
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