What’s on MPR News – 2/20/19

Bob CollinsBob Collins Feb 20, 2019
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Wednesday February 20, 2019
(Subject to change as events dictate. This page is updated throughout the day.)

9 a.m. – MPR News with Kerri Miller
David Treuer’s new book “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee” takes a look at Native American history in a way that moves beyond letting tragedy define a culture.

Guest: David Treuer, author of “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee”

10 a.m.- 1A with Joshua Johnson
Insects vastly outnumber humans on Earth. And humans are far more dependent on insects than vice versa. Which is why it’s bad news that insects are dying rapidly, to the point that mass extinction is on the mind of some researchers.

If this mass insect extinction happens, the implications are “catastrophic to say the least, as insects are at the structural and functional base of many of the world’s ecosystems” according to new research co-authored by scientists Francisco S nchez-Bayoa and Kris A.G. Wyckhuys.

Guests: John Losey, professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell University; Emma Pelton, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist & Monarch Science Lead, The Xerces Society.

11 a.m. – MPR News with Angela Davis
Yesterday, DFL Gov. Tim Walz released his state budget for the coming two years, and Republicans immediately voiced objections. MPR News host Angela Davis will speak with two guests about the new budget, its likely reception and whether this is an early indication of friction between Walz and Republican leadership.

Guests: Sen. Paul Gazelka; Rep. Ryan Winkler

12 p.m. – MPR News Presents
Yesterday was “Japanese-American Day of Remembrance.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, ordering the relocation and incarceration of Japanese-Americans. Today and tomorrow, you’ll hear the APM Reports documentaries: “Order 9066.”

1 p.m. – The Takeaway
Led by California, 16 states are challenging President Trump in court for his use of a declaration of emergency to fund a border wall, saying that he does not have the power to divert funds approved by Congress to pay for the wall.

One in four homeless Americans live in California and about 50,000 homeless people live in and around Los Angeles, the majority living unsheltered on the streets. But unlike other cities, Los Angeles now has more than enough funding to deal with the crisis, the result of a $1.2 billion bond measure and a sales tax designed to help the crisis in L.A. County.

The Takeaway has the latest on a hearing before North Carolina’s Board of Elections that looks into alleged ballot fraud that might have rigged the election in Republican Mark Harris’ favor.

An investigation by The Atlanta Journal Constitution and Channel 2 Action News found that Georgia House Speaker David Ralston repeatedly delayed criminal court cases by claiming the dates interfered with his legislative duties.

2 p.m. – BBC NewsHour
Pope Francis will meet survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy ahead of a global conference on sex scandals in the Catholic Church.The family of Shamima Begum, who left London in 2015, to join the Islamic State group in Syria, is considering a legal challenge to the government’s decision to revoke her citizenship. And the latest in our special reports on Climate Change: Our environment analyst visits a hotel at Tromso in Norway to see what they’re doing to induce their guests to waste less.

3 p.m. – All Things Considered
In his first year, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has remade the office with changes to sentencing recommendations, bail and who to charge. They’ve also invited controversy.

Also: Planet Money on flossing; who makes the hate group list; anger and MLK Jr.; CVS’ health hubs examined.

6:00 p.m. – Marketplace
The history and psychology of the tax refund. Tax refunds are really just interest-free loans to the government. But why have taxpayers come to rely on them as supplemental income?

6:30 p.m. – The Daily
Senator Bernie Sanders has entered a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates. We look at how candidates who agree on many social issues are fighting to distinguish themselves in order to beat President Trump.

Guest: Alexander Burns, who covers national politics for The New York Times.

7 p.m. – The World
Our series on Saudi Arabia continues today with a look at the Saudi economy, and an effort to diversify it beyond oil. The World’s Shirin Jaafari takes us to a shopping mall in Riyadh, to look at the retail jobs that Saudi women are now taking.

Also, shrinking the US trade deficit, especially in relation to China, was one of President Trump’s signature campaign promises. The World’s Jason Margolis reports on how the trade deficit has changed under Trump’s policies.

Plus, a visit to Tlaxiaco, the Mexican hometown of Oscar-nominated actress Yalitza Aparacio. Emily Green reports on the how migration between the US and Mexico has shaped the town’s culture.

8 p.m. – Fresh Air
Executive producer Dream Hampton of the Lifetime documentary series Surviving R Kelly. It’s about the R&B singer R Kelly and the allegations of physical and sexual abuse that have followed him for decades. In the series, Hampton interviews several women who describe how he sexually, physically and emotionally abused them. The series also looks at why it took so long for the music industry and fans to stop protecting R Kelly. The series premiered in January. It will be shown again beginning February 25th.