MPR News
A young woman wearing a hijab speaks into a microphone.

'I’m not alone': Minnesota students of color lead movement for equity in schools

Inspired by the protests following the police killing of George Floyd, high school students and recent graduates are pushing for anti-racist changes to curriculum, school boards and school discipline. And in some schools, their strategies appear to be working this fall.
  • Racial equity in schoolsThe path forward is often met with resistance
  • In FocusEquity in Education, an MPR News community event

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A person walks in the distance in a park with snow on the ground.

After record snowfall, more snow on the way for northern Minn.

About 8 inches fell in the Twin Cities Tuesday — the second highest October daily snowfall ever recorded in the metro area, topped only by the Halloween blizzard of 1991 (yes, we have to mention the Halloween blizzard). It’ll be a relatively quiet Wednesday, with only isolated precipitation chances. Thursday: The snow returns in northern Minnesota.
  • TuesdayHeavy snow shatters October records
  • PhotosFirst significant snowstorm of the season arrives
A vial with liquid that has been separated.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Cases climb, hospital beds fill

State officials expected that late summer and early fall gatherings, sporting events and informal get-togethers among Minnesotans would deliver a surge of cases in October. They also anticipated the wave would put more people in the hospital. They were right.
  • Comparing COVID-19In Minnesota and its neighbors in Upper Midwest

Wisconsin's Country USA and Rock USA festivals call it quits

The company that puts on the 25-year-old Country USA and the 9-year-old Rock USA, two of Wisconsin's biggest annual music festivals, said this week it plans to file for bankruptcy.
Karla Monterroso says after going to Alameda Hospital in May with a very accelerated heart rate, very low blood pressure and cycling oxygen levels, her entire experience was one of being punished for being 'insubordinate.'

'All you want is to be believed': Sick with COVID-19 and facing racial bias in the ER

When a Latina woman went to a Bay Area hospital, a doctor was dismissive of her COVID-19 symptoms. Is unconscious bias one reason people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus?
A teacher stands in front of a white board in a classroom.

First-year teachers get a crash course on dealing with chaos and change in pandemic

Managing classroom chaos — and anxiety — are just some of the usual challenges that come with being a first year teacher. But this year, those new teachers also have to master remote learning and managing all of the extra health protocols.
  • During COVIDStudent enrollment is declining in Twin Cities public school districts
  • Tension in schoolsTeachers, parents, districts at odds over learning scenarios
A man speaks at a microphone as 3 others look on.

Justice Department offers assistance to Minneapolis police

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said he hopes the city takes advantage of the assistance offer, saying it could provide important support for training and policies.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Trump will have their final debate on Thursday.

The final Biden-Trump debate is Thursday. Here's what you need to know

The debate likely marks President Donald Trump's last chance to reach a massive audience as he trails Joe Biden in polls nationally and in key states.
David Xol of Guatemala hugs his son Byron as they were reunited at Los Angeles International Airport in January. The father and son were separated 18 months earlier under the Trump administration's "no tolerance" migration policy.

Parents of 545 children separated at U.S.-Mexico border still can't be found

A court filing said many of the parents are presumed to no longer be in the United States. Efforts to locate them have been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the filing.
The Google logo on a phone.

Google abuses its monopoly power over search, Justice Department says in lawsuit

The antitrust lawsuit against Google is the most significant action the federal government has taken against a technology company in two decades. Google calls the lawsuit "deeply flawed."
Joyce Chen, an associate professor of development economics at Ohio State University, has had to put her research on hold this year to oversee her children's virtual schooling. Chen is also teaching virtually this fall.

Even the most successful women pay a big price in pandemic

The unequal division of household work leads to the "mom penalty." For highly educated, high-income women, it could mean losing promotions, future earning power and roles as future leaders.
  • ListenHow the pandemic is squeezing women out of their jobs — maybe for good
  • 'This is too muchWorking moms are reaching the breaking point during the pandemic
  • Being a mom is toughBeing a mom in a pandemic is even tougher
A sign in front of a brick building.

Ramsey County moves forward with converting Bethesda Hospital to homeless shelter

The Ramsey County Board Tuesday unanimously agreed to move forward with an agreement that will allow the county to convert part of the complex into a 100-bed homeless shelter, blocks from the state Capitol.
People standing at voter booths spaced apart from each other.

Can you trust opinion polls? We asked a Minneapolis pollster

Just about all of the polls in 2016 projected Hillary Clinton would win both the popular vote and the electoral college. She didn’t. Are this year’s polls any different?
COVID-19 mortality rates are going down, according to studies of two large hospital systems, partly thanks to improvements in treatment. Here, clinicians care for a patient in July at an El Centro, Calif., hospital.

Studies point to big drop in COVID-19 death rates

More hospitalized patients are surviving than early in the pandemic. Improved treatments make a big difference, but so does flattening the curve to keep hospitals from overfilling, researchers say.
A man with a mask walks in front of revolving doors.

Defense attorney argues anew to move trial of ex-officers in George Floyd's killing

Attorney Thomas Plunkett filed a memo in the case Tuesday arguing that a confrontation following last week’s hearing in the case was evidence that the trial should be held elsewhere for safety reasons. 
A person votes in a room.

Election 2020: Voter guides

Side-by-side comparisons of the Democratic and Republican candidates running for Minnesota’s most hotly contested political races.
  • Full coverage from MPR NewsThe 2020 elections
Open enrollment is about to start for those buying private insurance off state or federal exchanges.

The Affordable Care Act's fate is in flux but 2021 health plan prices are stable

The Affordable Care Act's future is uncertain and there's no end in sight to the pandemic. But for the 2021 insurance year consumers can expect to see modest increases in prices, if any.
Matthias Millar, 5, foreground, and Sterling Millar, 7, hold chickens.

Wisconsin schools ‘whipsawing’ as COVID-19 hits rural districts

As infections in the state surge, some rural schools are forced to suspend in-person instruction or integrate virtual students into classrooms.
Lachlan (left) and Lillian Barilleau play in the backyard of their home in Central, La. They were displaced from the house for months after a flood in 2016.

Living in harm's way: Why most flood risk is not disclosed

About 15 million properties in the U.S. are prone to flooding, but patchwork and ineffective disclosure laws mean most people get little to no information about flood risk before they move.
A voter fills out his ballot during early voting at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office last week in San Jose, Calif.

If there's no election night winner, don't panic

The problem isn't with the results taking a little while to tabulate, experts say. The problem is with conspiracy theories that pop up as a result.
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