The fatal floods that wreaked havoc in South Africa in mid-April this year have been attributed to human-caused climate change, a rapid analysis published Friday by a team of leading international scientists said.

The study by the World Weather Attribution group analyzed both historical and emerging sets of weather data relating to the catastrophic rainfall last month, which triggered massive landslides in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces, and concluded that climate change was a contributing factor to the scale of the damage.

The Minnesota Senate Democratic minority tried unsuccessfully to force consideration Thursday of nine abortion and health-related bills that the Republican majority has kept bottled up in committee, saying it was critical to take a stand even though they lacked the votes to prevail.

The leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and sharply curtail abortion rights has energized both sides of the abortion debate in Minnesota. While it’s unlikely that any abortion measures will pass before the May 23 adjournment deadline, the issue is certain to take on new importance in the November elections.

St. Thomas’ O’Shaughnessy-Frey library was left mostly unscathed after a storm dropped almost two inches of rain during a tornado warning in Minneapolis and St. Paul, according to the National Weather Service.

Radio host Joe LaPorte can be reached at joelaporte@gmail.com.