News

MPR News Reports Democratic Sen. Al Franken Will Resign

7:56pm December 06, 2017

by Susan Davis

Minnesota Public Radio has confirmed with a Democratic official who has spoken to Sen. Al Franken and key aides who say Franken will resign his Minnesota Senate seat on Thursday.

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Tight Mayoral Vote In Atlanta Leaves Both Candidates Uncertain

7:56pm December 06, 2017

Atlanta's mayoral race is likely on its way to a recount. The tally separating the two candidates was fewer than 800 votes. The election has featured a lot of discussion about race. The candidate currently trailing, if elected, would be the first white mayor of Atlanta in decades.

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New Mayor Of Ventura, Calif. Faces Wildfires The Day After Taking Office

7:56pm December 06, 2017

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Ventura, Calif. Mayor Neal Andrews about the wildfire that has consumed more than 50,000 acres and thousands of homes. Andrews took office the evening the fire started.

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Economy

Bitcoin's Rising Value Could Be Good News, But Might Not

7:56pm December 06, 2017

by Uri Berliner

The price of Bitcoin has skyrocketed more than 1,200 percent this year. That's got people talking about the digital currency and wondering why it has climbed so high and whether its rise is a bubble which will burst.

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Three major U.S. airlines have announced new restrictions on "smart luggage" because of the fire hazard posed by lithium-ion batteries in cargo holds. The airlines say any such batteries need to be removable.

National

Airlines Restrict 'Smart Luggage' Over Fire Hazards Posed By Batteries

7:42pm December 06, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

Today's suitcases can charge your phone, track their location and even propel themselves behind you. But concerns about their batteries igniting in cargo holds have led airlines to issue new policies.

Multiple Democratic senators are calling for the resignation of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who has been accused of sexual misconduct.

Al Franken To Resign, Democratic Official Says

7:02pm December 06, 2017

by Brian Naylor

An official who has spoken to the Minnesota senator and key aides tells Minnesota Public Radio that Franken will step down on Thursday. Franken's office says that "no final decision has been made."

Democratic Senators Call For Sen. Al Franken To Resign Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

6:26pm December 06, 2017

Several Democratic senators have called for Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to resign in light of allegations of sexual misconduct against him. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, one of the senators who says Franken should step down.

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Democrats Want Protection For DREAMers Included In Government Funding Bill

6:26pm December 06, 2017

by Kelsey Snell

Democrats want a permanent legal fix to protect so-called DREAMers, undocumented immigrants who arrived in this country with their parents when they were young children. The Democrats want to resolve the issue as part of year-end negotiations over funding the federal government. President Trump pushed back on their demands Wednesday.

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French pop star Johnny Hallyday on stage at Paris' Palais Des Sports stadium in 1969.

France Mourns Its Favorite Rock Star, Johnny Hallyday

6:26pm December 06, 2017

by Eleanor Beardsley

Hallyday, who died Wednesday at 74, had a career that spanned 50 years. He recorded more than 1,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records — but was little known outside France.

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Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt was sentenced to 7 years in prison for conspiring to evade U.S. clean air laws.

Senior Volkswagen Executive Sentenced In Diesel-Emissions Scandal

6:01pm December 06, 2017

by Richard Gonzales

Oliver Schmidt admitted to conspiring to defraud the United States by misleading federal regulators about the emissions of diesel cars and violating clean air laws.