How a disgruntled male ex-employee blew the whistle on Garrison Keillor

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - How a disgruntled male ex-employee blew the whistle on Garrison Keillor: The person who first accused Garrison Keillor of inappropriate behavior wasn't a woman — it was an angry man. Dan Rowles, a close associate of Keillor's and a 16-year employee of "A Prairie Home Companion," [spoke up after he was dumped from the show]( last summer and rejected a severance offer from Minnesota Public Radio, according to seven people who have worked on the show. - White nationalist group leader backtracks on claimed ties to alleged Florida shooter: "The leader of a white nationalist militia called Republic of Florida, Thursday night appeared to walk back his earlier statements that Florida shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was a member of his group. Law enforcement in Tallahassee, Florida, said they had no record of Cruz being part of the organization," [CBS News reports.]( The suspect [admitted to investigators that he shot students]( in the hallways and on the grounds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said. Cruz said he brought more loaded magazines to the school and kept them in the backpack until he got to campus. [The FBI says it failed to investigate a tipster's report on Jan. 5]( that Cruz could be plotting a school shooting. [At least 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil]( Thursday night for the 17 people killed in the shooting, some of the mourners sobbing openly as the victims' names were read aloud. - About that "18 school shootings in 2018" number: A widely cited statistic (including in yesterday's edition of this newsletter) from the gun-control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety appears to inflate the number of school shootings so far in 2018. As [this analysis from the Washington Post]( notes, it included several incidents that happened on college campuses, one after school hours and an adult suicide. Maplewood police commander Dave Kvam [disputes the inclusion of a Feb. 5 incident]( at Harmony Learning Center in which a third-grader pushed the trigger on a police officer's holstered gun, striking the floor. According to Post reporter John Woodrow Cox, [more than 150,000 students have endured a school shooting]( since Columbine in 1999. - Partner of officer who shot Justine Damond appears before grand jury: Minneapolis police officer Matthew Harrity was there to [shed some light on what he remembers from the night Damond died]( after being shot by his partner, Mohamed Noor. The two officers were responding to a 911 call Damond made to report a possible assault behind her south Minneapolis home. - St. Paul school district to hire 53 new employees under new contract: The hiring of 30 new teachers of English language learners and 23 people to work with special-education students are among the highlights of the tentative deal struck between the St. Paul Public Schools and its teachers, [according to new details released Thursday.]( - DACA recipients left in limbo as Senate rejects immigration bills: The Senate left hundreds of thousands of "Dreamer" immigrants in limbo Thursday, [rejecting rival plans that would have spared them]( from deportation and strengthened the nation's border security. Senators dealt President Donald Trump an especially galling defeat as more than a quarter of fellow Republicans abandoned him on an issue that helped propel him to the White House. - Driver in Hwy. 65 crash recounts fatal shooting of man with knife: A knife-wielding man who was [shot in the wild aftermath of a multicar crash]( Wednesday afternoon in Fridley has died of his injuries, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said. - National Enquirer bought and buried Playboy model's story about Trump affair: The New Yorker details how the National Enquirer, under the leadership of Trump ally David Pecker, [paid $150,000 to former Playmate of the Year Karen MacDougal]( just four days before the 2016 election for exclusive rights to her story detailing an alleged extramarital affair with the president in 2006, but never published anything. Tabloid industry insiders refer to the practice as "catch and kill." - 15-year-old boy struck and killed on Hwy. 7 in St. Louis Park: The Minnesota State Patrol said the victim was in the left lane on Hwy. 7 as a westbound Acura MDX passed through a green light at Texas Avenue and hit him, propelling him into eastbound traffic where [he was struck by another vehicle.]( - Wellstone brothers call dispute with Wellstone Action a "betrayal": Mark and David Wellstone said Thursday that [they feel angry, saddened and betrayed by a public dispute]( with Wellstone Action, the nonprofit created in honor of their father, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone. The brothers will be voted off the group's board on Friday, according to David Wellstone and confirmed by media representatives for the remaining board members.  Watch this Will the owner of this jet ski please pick it up at St. Anthony Falls? Twitter user Nick Magrino posted this video of [a rogue jet ski trapped in the ice]( at the St. Anthony Falls Dam near downtown Minneapolis. Hopefully its rider made it out of the river safely.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Video shows luxury sports cars' 100-MPH joyride on I-394: Newly released video shows [the danger a lane-changing pack of exotic sports cars]( created as they sped past unsuspecting motorists, and even two school buses, on a busy west metro highway at more than 100 mph. - Theartrice Williams returns to restore confidence in Phyllis Wheatley Center: The civil rights leader said he wants the venerable north Minneapolis nonprofit to [find new community partners, shore up existing programs and expand.]( - "Black Panther" claws out new paradigm for superhero movies: A big and bold change of focus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Panther” pushes past many of the clichéd plot devices, archetypes and formulas of standard comic book blockbusters. Calling a moratorium on planet-devastating villains, maverick heroes, romance-free story lines and people of color exclusively viewed as sidekicks, this well crafted stand-alone [takes viewers on a voyage of discovery.](  Sports roundup - Ex-Gophers star Reggie Lynch drops appeal, leaves U: Former Gophers basketball star Reggie Lynch said Thursday [he will accept his expulsion from the University of Minnesota]( for sexual misconduct, not because he is guilty but because he can’t get a fair hearing. That means Lynch’s short-lived, controversy-filled tenure with the Gophers is over on the court and off. In a statement hours after Lynch made his comments, the U pushed back firmly against claims that he was treated unfairly. - Donato's two goals lead Team USA over Slovakia: The effort was more complete. The defense was better. The poise was resolute. The U.S. men’s hockey team looked like a completely different team in another tense situation Friday afternoon. [The result reflected that, too.]( Lindsey Vonn is 33 and still a megastar, but her career has reached its twilight. She’s trying to become the oldest woman to win an Olympic Alpine medal. [Her first race of these Olympics comes Friday night]( (Central time) in super-G slalom. - As Timberwolves win, mystery of Andrew Wiggins continues: The Wolves are often winning — as they did Thursday — [despite the performance of perhaps their most talented player]( instead of because of him.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “When I heard it was Dan, I just about fell out of the chair.” -- [Jennifer Howe](, Garrison Keillor's longtime personal assistant, on the disgruntled ex-employee who first accused Keillor of inappropriate behavior.  Worth a click Minnesota farmer finds love on Swedish reality TV show: Here's a nice story about a 25-year-old farmer from Hallock and a 28-year-old champion X Games rock climber from Colorado who shared [an improbable "meet cute" on Sweden's No. 1 reality TV show](, "Allt for Sverige." The couple, both of whom lost the competition, was married on New Year's Eve.  Talkers trivia Want to win a Star Tribune travel mug? Today is Friday, so it's time for a trivia question. The correct answer can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to [talkers@startribune.com]( by midnight on Sunday night. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive an official Star Tribune travel mug, as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: Which Minnesota-based band announced its return from a long hiatus this week with its first new album in four years? Good luck!  From the archives Feb. 16, 1973: A 1950s-style sock hop at Augsburg College's Si Melby Hall was authentic in every way, except for the minor detail that almost all of the participants wore shoes. The event was a benefit for the college's Conservation of Human Resources program. (Photo: Regene Radniecki/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]( [twitter]( [google+]( [pinterest]( [instagram]( [tumblr]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2018 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! 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