Harris accepts nomination at DNC. Xcel Energy drops requirement on controversial pricing proposal

this is MPR news supported by little moments count a community movement to raise awareness and support parents based on what is known about brain development in the first thousand days of life more at little moments count.org [Music] it's the Minnesota today newscast podcast for Friday August 23rd I'm Phil picardi the Democratic National Convention is over and party leaders say the focus now turns to getting the kamla Harris Tim Wall's ticket across the Finish Line in November Minneapolis delegate Jamie Edwards said Democrats don't need to respond to every criticism from the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance instead he said democrats should focus on what they have to offer this is the election of our lifetime you know an historic opportunity to send the first woman uh to the White House and she couldn't have a better running mate in Tim wall Edwards is Native American he hopes to turn out fellow native Americans for Harris and walls this fall a group of convention delegates not sold on the Democratic presidential ticket is leaving Chicago upset that no Palestinian American was allowed to speak from the stage clay Masters reports organizers of a movement seeking an immediate ceasefire in Gaza say they were in talks about having a Palestinian speaker address the DNC they held a sit in outside the convention area Georgia State lawmaker Rua Roman read the speech she would have delivered outside the convention let's commit to each other to electing vice president Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur let's fight for the policies long overdue from restoring access to abortions to ensuring a living wage to demanding an end to Reckless war and a ceasefire in RZA Minnesota sent the most uncommitted delegates to the National Convention 19% % of Democrats voted uncommitted over President Joe Biden in Minnesota's primary I'm clay Masters in Chicago one Democrat who returned to Minnesota from the convention earlier this week is Congressman Dean Phillips he had been ostracized by members of his party after challenging President Joe Biden in the primaries questioning Biden's ability to lead at the State Fair yesterday Philip said he initially did not plan to go to the DNC but I did decide to go and I was met with high fives and and handshakes uh uh a lot of kindness and a lot of decency and it made this whole very painful Journey worthwhile because there still is room uh to issue dissent and be welcome back and that's something I'm trying to inspire as well Phillips called Minnesota Governor Tim walls' vice presidential nomination and keynote speech at the convention a great moment for the state of Minnesota XL Energy is modifying its cont controversial proposal to charge customers more for electricity they use during peak times of the day Kirsty morone has more Minnesota's largest electric utility had proposed charging variable rates to better reflect the actual cost of delivering electricity during high demand periods Excel said its goal was to get customers to shift their electricity use to off peak periods when energy is more affordable it planned to enroll all residential customers in the time of use rate program unless they chose to opt out but the proposal met with push back from some Excel customers and consumer Advocates they said the price difference between Peak and off peak rates was too large and some customers might not be able to change their energy use to avoid higher bills in a filing with State Regulators Excel said it's modifying the plan by shortening the peak period and shifting it later in the day it's also making the program voluntary I'm Christy morrone in sports the links play the Las Vegas Aces tonight in Minneapolis the links beat the aces Wednesday in Vegas the twins begin a weekend Series tonight against the St Louis Cardinals at home the Vikings play the Eagles in Philadelphia tomorrow in the final pre-season game Minnesota United returns to the pitch tomorrow hosting Seattle in the warm weather forecast partly sunny skies today with a chance of showers and thunderstorms highs from the upper 70s to the mid 80s tomorrow Saturday most mostly sunny skies highs region wide in the80s that is Minnesota today on an early Friday we have an update for you this afternoon [Music]