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Stories from August 4, 2020

2 Iowa schools rebuff governor's return demand

2 Iowa schools rebuff governor's return demand

At least two school districts in Iowa are refusing to follow the governor’s demand that they return students to classrooms, rebuffing the idea that the state can override what local officials believe is the safest way to educate their children as coronavirus spreads in their counties.
by The Associated Press

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No high school football this fall

The Minnesota State High School League on Tuesday agreed to move high school football and volleyball to spring seasons this year while other fall sports maintain modified schedules in response to COVID-19. Volleyball and football will be allowed to hold practices this fall with conditions. Girls tennis, boys and girls cross country and girls swimming and diving, boys and girls soccer will be allowed to to start Aug. 17. This is an MPR News evening update for Tuesday, August 4, 2020. Hosted by Tim Nelson and Britta Greene. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Food is growing more plentiful, so why do people keep warning of shortages?

Food is growing more plentiful, so why do people keep warning of shortages?

For more than a century, food has been getting more abundant, and cheaper. Yet people keep worrying about food shortages. Some economists say the fears actually create their own problems.
by Dan Charles

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Lawsuit challenges Minnesota's mask mandate

Lawsuit challenges Minnesota's mask mandate

A lawsuit filed in federal court is challenging the constitutionality of the mask-wearing mandate that Gov. Walz issued to fight COVID-19.
by Tim Pugmire

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Minnesota high school football, volleyball seasons pushed to spring

Minnesota high school football, volleyball seasons pushed to spring

The Minnesota State High School League on Tuesday backed a plan to move high school football and volleyball to spring seasons this year while other fall sports maintain modified schedules in response to COVID-19.
by MPR News Staff and John Enger

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It's more than racism: Isabel Wilkerson explains America's 'caste' system

It's more than racism: Isabel Wilkerson explains America's 'caste' system

In “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines the laws and practices that created a bipolar caste system in the U.S. — and how the Nazis borrowed from it.
by Terry Gross

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Miles from the farm, U.S. Senate rivals debate ag policy

Miles from the farm, U.S. Senate rivals debate ag policy

The annual FarmFest event was relegated to a virtual gathering during the pandemic, pushing a pair of U.S. Senate candidates from an open-air tent to a stilted debate via computer.
by Brian Bakst

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Summery weather pattern returns

Summery weather pattern returns

Warmth and humidity ramp up the next few days.
by Paul Huttner

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Gophers WR Bateman skips season amid virus worries, goes pro

Gophers WR Bateman skips season amid virus worries, goes pro

Minnesota Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman has opted out of the 2020 season amid concerns about the coronavirus. He will forgo his remaining two years of eligibility to enter the 2021 NFL draft. 
by The Associated Press

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‘Hey, don’t do what you’re doing’: Teaching cops to say something if they see something

‘Hey, don’t do what you’re doing’: Teaching cops to say something if they see something

Amid growing calls for police reform in the wake of Floyd’s death, law enforcement agencies around the country are rethinking their expectations for officers who witness misconduct by fellow officers. Some departments, including St. Paul, are planning to train officers to speak up when they see a colleague do wrong.
by Jon Collins

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More people are heading back to work. So who's watching the kids?

More people are heading back to work. So who's watching the kids?

More people are headed back to work in person — but with COVID-19 cases on the rise in Minnesota, there are plenty of health implications. There are child care implications, too.
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

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Trump signs $3B-a-year plan to boost conservation, parks

Trump signs $3B-a-year plan to boost conservation, parks

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law legislation that will devote nearly $3 billion annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands. The measure was overwhelmingly approved by Congress.
by The Associated Press

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Minneapolis crime continues to spike as crucial decisions on police near

Minneapolis crime continues to spike as crucial decisions on police near

Violent crime continues to climb to levels not seen in the last several years. It’s happening at a time when the number of police officers on the street is declining and members of the City Council are supporting a change to the charter that would eliminate the department as we know it.
by Brandt Williams

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What the pandemic has revealed about climate change views, activism

What the pandemic has revealed about climate change views, activism

The early months of the pandemic saw a short decline in air pollutant levels and the usage of fossil fuels. But while the green effects may be fleeting, the pandemic has offered a variety of lessons for climate change activists about how to move forward with the movement. We explore what’s ahead for climate change education and activism.
by Kerri Miller, Breann Schossow and Kelly Gordon

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'Every Bone' speaks in this painful, beautiful debut novel

'Every Bone' speaks in this painful, beautiful debut novel

Ashley Blooms' novel follows ten-year-old Misty, who can speak to everything around her — even the mice in the walls answer back. But she doesn't have words for what her friend has done to her.
by Fran Wilde

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2020 flu shot strategy: Get yours early in the season

2020 flu shot strategy: Get yours early in the season

With the flu season looming, public health officials urge nearly all Americans over 6 months old to get immunized starting next month. Strategize now to avoid getting the flu while COVID-19 is raging.
by Fran Kritz

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Parents unhappy with school options assemble learning 'pods'

Parents unhappy with school options assemble learning 'pods'

The race to set up "learning pods" threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education. In some cases, parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods, promising teachers $40 to $100 an hour or more. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has called learning pods "luxuries" that are not an option for low-income parents. 
by The Associated Press

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'A line in the sand': Both sides dig in on virus relief bill

'A line in the sand': Both sides dig in on virus relief bill

Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to schools struggling to reopen safely assuming a higher profile in the talks.
by The Associated Press

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Nursing home residents moved out to make way for COVID-19 patients

Nursing home residents moved out to make way for COVID-19 patients

Some nursing homes have switched to treating only COVID-19 patients, who bring in more government money. But to make room for them, the original residents are forced out of places they've called home.
by Ina Jaffe

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Gov. Walz reups request for federal rebuilding aid

The governor is asking for a federal disaster declaration to help Minneapolis businesses that were damaged or destroyed in recent civil unrest. MPR News morning update for August 4, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Despite mask wars, Americans support aggressive measures to stop COVID-19, poll finds

Despite mask wars, Americans support aggressive measures to stop COVID-19, poll finds

Two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. is handling the pandemic worse than other nations, an NPR/Ipsos poll finds. Majorities support more aggressive measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
by Brian Mann

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Isaias, again a tropical storm, spawns wild inland weather

Isaias, again a tropical storm, spawns wild inland weather

The center of Isaias is nearing southeast Virginia after it was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center says strong winds, heavy rain and the threat of tornadoes will spread northward along the mid-Atlantic Coast.
by The Associated Press

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Aug. 4 update on COVID-19 in MN: Hospitalizations, ICU cases reach 6-week high

Aug. 4 update on COVID-19 in MN: Hospitalizations, ICU cases reach 6-week high

Officials have been bracing Minnesotans to expect hospitalizations and ICU cases to grow in response to the case surge the past few weeks as the state began allowing customers to return to indoor gathering spaces, including bars, stores and restaurants.
by MPR News Staff

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Primary election amid pandemic sets stage for November

Primary election amid pandemic sets stage for November

Minnesota voters will finalize November’s ballot in the Aug. 11 primary election. The first statewide election amid the pandemic will look different than voters are accustomed to, and election officials are preaching patience.
by Brian Bakst

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Author ventures into the Russian wilds to save a magnificent owl

Author ventures into the Russian wilds to save a magnificent owl

Ornithologist and writer Jonathan Slaght spent several frigid winters camping in the forests of the Russian Far East. He was there to study the biggest owl in the world, which survived by eating fish snatched out of holes in the river ice.
by Euan Kerr

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APM Marketplace special, Technology: The Pivot Point

APM Marketplace special, Technology: The Pivot Point

Marketplace Tech’s Molly Wood shares how current innovations might help us transition to our post-pandemic future and how the crisis has underscored the inequity in internet access.
by MPR News Staff

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Census cuts all counting efforts short by a month

Census cuts all counting efforts short by a month

Under pressure to meet legal deadlines Congress has not changed despite pandemic-related delays, the Census Bureau announced a new end date after NPR reported that door knocking will be cut short.
by Hansi Lo Wang

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How is the mask mandate impacting Minnesota business owners?

How is the mask mandate impacting Minnesota business owners?

Minnesota’s mask mandate went into effect more than a week ago. How are businesses doing? How are owners and managers dealing with the mask requirement and how are they handling pushback from customers?  
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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