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Stories from July 20, 2020

Record spike in COVID-19 cases

Minnesota’s COVID-19 toll continued to climb Monday with 922 total new cases and an extra measure of heartbreak — the first death of a child in the state, a 9-month-old in Clay County. The infant is among the youngest deaths in the country from COVID-19. The child did not have an underlying health problem and had not been hospitalized, Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, told reporters. This is an MPR News evening update for Monday, July 20, 2020. Hosted by Britta Greene and Tim Nelson. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Head of the line: Big companies got coronavirus loans first

Head of the line: Big companies got coronavirus loans first

An Associated Press analysis of Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program shows that nearly a third of the loans approved in the program’s first week ranged from $150,000 to $10 million, the maximum allowed. 
by The Associated Press

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The Thread: 'My Dark Vanessa' by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Thread: 'My Dark Vanessa' by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Are you flying through your summer reading list? Kerri Miller is here for you with the first of three delicious midsummer thrillers to keep you reading late into those summer nights.
by Kerri Miller

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Linguist John McWhorter says 'White Fragility' is condescending toward Black people

Linguist John McWhorter says 'White Fragility' is condescending toward Black people

Columbia University professor John McWhorter says the bestselling book “White Fragility” supposes that "Black people's feelings must be stepped around to an exquisitely sensitive degree."
by James Doubek

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8 things teen girl activists want you to know about their pandemic life

8 things teen girl activists want you to know about their pandemic life

Leaders in the global group Girl Up went to their annual conference — virtually — last week. We interviewed some of the attendees to see what's changed during the coronavirus crisis.
by Nadia Whitehead

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1918 flu inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — a disquieting pandemic novel

1918 flu inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — a disquieting pandemic novel

Set in a Dublin maternity ward in 1918, the novel captures a city devastated by a pandemic. By diving into the terrors of the past, Emma Donoghue presciently anticipates the miseries of our present.
by Maureen Corrigan

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A closer look at homelessness in the Twin Cities, and what's driving it

A closer look at homelessness in the Twin Cities, and what's driving it

While government agencies and nonprofits try to connect the people living in these tent communities with services, some neighbors are complaining about a surge in crime. What short-term and long-term solutions are being discussed to ensure more people have access to shelter?
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

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Biden snags support from prominent Muslim American officials

Biden snags support from prominent Muslim American officials

Several prominent Muslim American elected officials endorsed Joe Biden for president in a letter organized by Emgage Action ahead of an online summit that starts Monday and features the presumptive Democratic nominee.
by The Associated Press

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Lawmakers: Deal near on police changes

Lawmakers: Deal near on police changes

With a special session of the Legislature due to end Monday, leading lawmakers said they were close to a deal on police accountability measures. Other agreements, notably on a public works construction bill, were not in sight.
by Brian Bakst and Tim Pugmire

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Fact-checking misinformation about COVID-19

Fact-checking misinformation about COVID-19

In a world of changing information and fake news, how do you know what’s true about the COVID-19 pandemic? We get the latest on the science of the virus and talk about known facts and fiction.
by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

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Minnesota House GOP: No deal on bonding or policing bills

Minnesota House GOP: No deal on bonding or policing bills

Minnesota House Republican leaders said Monday they won't provide the votes needed to pass a $1.9 billion public construction projects bill, and that they won't back a package of police accountability measures either.
by The Associated Press

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Whales get a break as pandemic creates quieter oceans

Whales get a break as pandemic creates quieter oceans

A drop in shipping traffic is reducing underwater noise, so scientists are listening for how whales and other marine life are responding.
by Lauren Sommer

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New report details Derek Chauvin’s career, background

Despite the notoriety, little has emerged publicly about former officer Chauvin's life and career leading up to the day of Floyd's death. A new report from the New York Times fills in some details.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Another heat wave targets Minnesota

Temperatures remain slightly below average the first half of the week, then the heat and higher humidity return by late week. Tuesday brings the return of wet weather, especially for northern Minnesota.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Black kids die more often after surgery, new research shows

The researchers examined national data on nearly 173,000 operations from 2012 through 2017. Appendix removal and orthopedic operations were among the most common surgeries. And while there were few deaths, the disparities were striking: 23 black youngsters died within 30 days of surgery compared with 13 whites.
by The Associated Press

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Special session enters second week with little accomplished

Special session enters second week with little accomplished

No major bills have received votes, although one is on the docket for action Monday. But even that one, a massive construction projects bill, is in doubt.
by Tim Nelson

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Mostly sunny and pleasant for Monday

Monday stays comfortable across Minnesota under seasonable temperatures and mostly sunny skies, before rain moves in late in the evening.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Special session off to a slow start

Not much has happened since the summer’s second special session began a week ago, but a vote is planned for today on a bonding bill. MPR News morning update for July 20, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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The end of $600 unemployment benefits will hit millions of households and the economy

The end of $600 unemployment benefits will hit millions of households and the economy

Millions of Americans who lost jobs during the pandemic are in danger of having their incomes cut for a second time. The sudden halt in payments would be felt in households and throughout the economy.
by Scott Horsley

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July 20 update on COVID-19 in MN: 9-month-old dies; record spike in new case counts

July 20 update on COVID-19 in MN: 9-month-old dies; record spike in new case counts

Minnesota’s COVID-19 toll continued to climb Monday with 922 new cases and an extra measure of heartbreak — the first death of a child in the state, an infant in Clay County with no underlying health problems.
by MPR News Staff

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St. Cloud, Roseville, Bemidji pass mask requirements

St. Cloud, Roseville, Bemidji pass mask requirements

They join a growing number of Minnesota cities mandating the use of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Helping north Minneapolis rebuild — and putting businesses on more solid ground

Helping north Minneapolis rebuild — and putting businesses on more solid ground

North Minneapolis was hit hard in the uprising following George Floyd’s killing. The destruction spread to more than 100 businesses — many of them locally owned shops that were already flat on their backs from the economic fallout from COVID-19.
by Melissa Townsend

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Some Minnesota employers happy to see extra jobless benefits end

Some Minnesota employers happy to see extra jobless benefits end

Enhanced unemployment benefits to help offset the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic expire soon if Congress doesn't act. Some employers think those increased benefits have kept people from returning to the workforce.
by Mark Zdechlik

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A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned in July 1967

A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned in July 1967

A documentary, "A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned," is about the causes and consequences of major violence and fires that broke out in north Minneapolis in July 1967.
by MPR News Staff

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