MPR News

Travelers walk with their luggage in an airport

More omicron cases pop up as world rushes to learn more about variant

Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it's not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.

A fire tower

Photos: Handful of fire towers still stand sentinel over Minnesota bogs and forests

Two of the top three deadliest fires in U.S. history were in Minnesota. In response to the fires, the Minnesota forestry service was established in the early 1900s, creating the system of fire towers.

Joe Biden

Biden scheduled to tout infrastructure plan in Rosemount

President Joe Biden is slated to visit Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount this week to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

A nurse prepared COVID-19 vaccines.

Latest on COVID in MN: As death count rises, number of new cases drops week-over-week

Minnesota health officials on Friday reported another 56 COVID-19 deaths in the state, bringing the overall pandemic death toll to 9,338. But week-over-week, the number of new COVID cases dropped.

A portrait of a man outdoors wearing a baseball cap.

Superior National Forest hires first full-time tribal liaison

The Superior National Forest has hired its first full-time tribal liaison. Juan Martinez will help the Forest Service consult with area Ojibwe bands on projects that impact them within the forest boundaries.

The sign on the front of a Best Buy store

Police investigating mass thefts at two Best Buy stores in Twin Cities suburbs

Authorities in two Twin Cities suburbs are investigating incidents in which groups of people entered Best Buy stores on Friday night and stole merchandise.

Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins

Source: Twins, Buxton agree on 7-year, $100M contract

The Minnesota Twins and center fielder Byron Buxton agreed to a seven-year, $100 million contract Sunday, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

Chol Okey Opiew (left) and his children

Family, friends mourning after Austin community leader is killed in Ethiopia

“He was a great example of uniting cultures and saying, 'We all want to be better together.' And so he lived that,” a friend of Chol Okey Opiew recalled. “And that's what we need more of in today's world. So it's hard to lose someone that did that so well."

A loon floats just above the water.

Nonprofit preserves Crow Wing County lakeshore for loons

Loss of nesting habitat is a substantial threat to loons as people develop their shoreline property with beaches, rock rip rap, docks or other amenities.

Man airlifted to hospital after gunfire following police pursuit in Forest Lake

Police in Forest Lake, Minn., say a man was airlifted to a hospital Sunday afternoon after shots were fired following a police pursuit.

Phil Saviano

Phil Saviano, key clergy sex abuse whistleblower, dies at age 69

Phil Saviano, a clergy sex abuse survivor and whistleblower who played a pivotal role in exposing decades of predatory assaults by Roman Catholic priests in the United States, has died. “My gift to the world was not being afraid to speak out,” he said earlier this month.

A woman sorts food in the back of an SUV.

Opportunities to give and get help around Minnesota this holiday season

The pandemic is still affecting people across the state. If you are looking for places to donate to, or are looking for help, here is a list of nonprofits and organizations working in Minnesota.

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh dies of cancer at 41

Virgil Abloh, a leading designer whose groundbreaking fusions of streetwear and high couture made him one of the most celebrated tastemakers in fashion and beyond, has died of cancer. He was 41.

Vezna Hang and his son. Hang fell so ill with COVID-19 before being vaccinated that he needed a double lung transplant. He now encourages other people to get the shot.

Once rare, lung transplants for COVID-19 patients are rising quickly

About one in 10 lung transplants in the United States now go to COVID-19 patients. The trend is raising questions about the ethics of allocating a scarce resource to people who have chosen not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

On November 29, the World Health Organization will convene a virtual summit for its member states to consider the handling of future outbreaks. Pictured above: WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WHO is seeking a new treaty on handling future pandemics. It could be a hard sell

At a special session this week, the World Health Organization hopes to start sketching out a new global treaty covering pandemics. "We don't have rules of the game," says WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

A gas station attendant stands next to a newspaper headline in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday. The new omicron variant has spread from South Africa to parts of Europe, and as far as Hong Kong.

How vaccine makers plan to address the new omicron coronavirus variant

Vaccine makers are already pivoting their efforts to combat new coronavirus variants: testing higher doses of booster shots, designing new boosters that anticipate strain mutations, and developing omicron-specific boosters.

Two people carry an animal kennel

Reviving Ojibwe spiritual traditions, one pet at a time

Several members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota are working to address animal neglect on their tribal lands — and in doing so bringing their community closer to its spiritual roots.

Gophers claim Paul Bunyan's Axe

Minnesota chops down No. 18 Wisconsin to take back Paul Bunyan's Axe

Tanner Morgan overcame an interception that was returned for a first-half touchdown, leading Minnesota on three scoring drives after halftime to surge past No. 18 Wisconsin 23-13 and reclaim Paul Bunyan's Axe.

People line up to get on an Air France flight to Paris at OR Tambo's airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday as several countries announced travel bans in response to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

What to know about omicron, the new coronavirus variant

The World Health Organization has deemed it a coronavirus “variant of concern” — the first new variant of concern since delta. Here's what scientists know and what they're trying to learn.

Floodwaters inundate homes along a road

Another round of flood watches issued in Pacific Northwest

Residents in Washington state are preparing for possible flooding as “atmospheric rivers” once again threaten parts of the Northwest, which saw heavy damage from extreme weather earlier this month.