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Stories from October 19, 2020

Court hears arguments in suit over Minneapolis police staffing

Court hears arguments in suit over Minneapolis police staffing

Residents who brought the lawsuit say the City Council's push to dismantle the Police Department has led to a wave of officers to seek retirement and medical leaves. And they say the lack of officers has made their neighborhoods dangerous. 
by Brandt Williams

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Study: Plastic baby bottles shed microplastics when heated

The implications for a child's health are not yet known. The study's authors urge people not to panic — and stress the need for more research.
by Maria Godoy

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New law creates 988 hotline for mental health emergencies

New law creates 988 hotline for mental health emergencies

President Donald Trump has signed a bipartisan bill creating a three-digit hotline for mental health emergencies. Mental health advocates say it will bring mental health crisis response into the 21st century.
by Rhitu Chatterjee

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Waseca welcomes back police officer recovering from shooting

Waseca welcomes back police officer recovering from shooting

Waseca police officer Arik Matson returned to the Waseca Public Safety Center Monday after being shot in the head Jan. 6 while responding with other officers to a suspicious person report.

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An early blast of winter is heading for central Minnesota

An early blast of winter is heading for central Minnesota, with as much as five inches of snow forecast in some areas. Its likely to impact the Twin Cities evening rush hour. This is an evening news update from MPR news, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Republicans pledge to lift COVID restrictions if elected

Republicans pledge to lift COVID restrictions if elected

Minnesota House and Senate Republican leaders Monday outlined a five-point contract to open state schools and businesses if they win legislative majorities in the November election.
by Tim Pugmire

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U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico will stay closed another month

U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico will stay closed another month

"The situation in the United States continues to be of concern. So we're going to make sure we're keeping Canadians safe as best as we can," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
by Laurel Wamsley

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Minnesota-made app helping first responders nationwide

Minnesota-made app helping first responders nationwide

University of Minnesota researchers say their app to help first responders manage stress has now been downloaded in all 50 states.
by Tom Crann

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Teaching kids Indigenous language and culture

Teaching kids Indigenous language and culture

Some Minnesota school districts are home to Native American education programs, where Native kids can learn Indigenous languages, art forms and history. At 11 a.m. Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis will talk with two educators who lead these programs about why they’re so important to have in our public schools.
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

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Game on: Plowable October snowfall arrives Tuesday

Game on: Plowable October snowfall arrives Tuesday

The season's first significant snowfall accumulation arrives for many Minnesota locations Tuesday.
by Paul Huttner

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Some things to know about Minnesota's atypical election

Some things to know about Minnesota's atypical election

Like political contests around the country, Minnesota’s general election is expected to be like none other. Minnesotans are voting absentee in record numbers this year and a court has approved the counting of properly postmarked ballots for up to a week after Election Day. That means winners in some races may not be be declared for days.
by Amy Forliti, Associated Press

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What happens if Roe v. Wade is overturned?

What happens if Roe v. Wade is overturned?

A more conservative Supreme Court may reconsider Roe v. Wade, giving state legislatures the power to regulate abortion. In many ways, they already are.
by Kerri Miller

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MN top health officials on what’s behind the Midwest COVID-19 surge

MN top health officials on what’s behind the Midwest COVID-19 surge

The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is climbing toward a third peak. This time, the Midwest is driving the surge. Host Kerri Miller talked to two top Minnesota public health officials — Commissioner Jan Malcolm and state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann — about the current surge and what’s driving it.
by Kerri Miller

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Judge puts Wisconsin capacity limit order back into effect

Judge puts Wisconsin capacity limit order back into effect

A Wisconsin judge has reimposed an order from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration limiting the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants and other indoor places to 25 percent of capacity. 
by The Associated Press

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Trump goes after Fauci, tries to buck up his campaign team

Trump goes after Fauci, tries to buck up his campaign team

President Trump is trying to buck up his campaign staffers two weeks from Election Day as he campaigns in the West. He's also dismissing the cautionary coronavirus advice of his scientific experts as well as polling that shows him trailing rival Joe Biden across key battleground states.
by The Associated Press

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County government is boring by design. National politics are making it less so

County government is boring by design. National politics are making it less so

As this year’s hotly contested presidential election draws near, the drama is bleeding down into Minnesota’s ground-level politics. That’s especially true in Beltrami County, where local races seem to be messier and more partisan than ever.
by John Enger

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Removing cops from behavioral crisis calls: 'We need to change the model'

Removing cops from behavioral crisis calls: 'We need to change the model'

San Francisco will soon launch the nation's largest experiment that diverts most nonviolent mental health and behavioral crisis calls away from police and to specially trained mobile units.
by Eric Westervelt

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Record snow targets Minnesota Tuesday

Record snow targets Minnesota Tuesday

The week ahead turns very active with two big storms on the horizon, including a statewide snowstorm that hits Tuesday.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minnesota stays cold Monday

Monday remains much colder than average, and a disturbance brings light rain and snow across southern Minnesota.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Legendary Minnesota sports journalist Sid Hartman dies at age 100

Sid Hartman, who chronicled Minnesota sports for decades for the Star Tribune and WCCO radio, has died at age 100. Hartman's son, Chad, tweeted Sunday afternoon that "my father’s extraordinary and resilient life has come to a peaceful conclusion surrounded by his family." This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, October, 19, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Coronavirus cases rise to highest level since late July

Coronavirus cases rise to highest level since late July

Raging outbreaks in the Midwest and Great Plains are driving the numbers but every region of the country is showing growth in new infections.
by Will Stone

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Race for a (ballot) cure: The scramble to fix absentee-ballot problems

Race for a (ballot) cure: The scramble to fix absentee-ballot problems

Hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots could be rejected because of small mistakes. Many groups are rushing to help voters "cure" their ballots so they can be counted.
by Pam Fessler

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Oct. 19 update on COVID-19 in MN: Big holiday gatherings too risky?

Oct. 19 update on COVID-19 in MN: Big holiday gatherings too risky?

As Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers continue to go the wrong way, the state’s health commissioner on Monday urged Minnesotans to rethink their plans for traditional year-end holiday celebrations.
by MPR News Staff

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COVID test results get faster, but still too slow to help slow disease spread

COVID test results get faster, but still too slow to help slow disease spread

The average wait time for results of a coronavirus test has dropped to about three days, but that is still too slow to keep infected people from unknowingly spreading the virus, researchers report.
by Rob Stein

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Two new reports find St. Croix River still clean, but at risk

Two new reports find St. Croix River still clean, but at risk

Popular for its scenic beauty and recreation opportunities for boaters and anglers, the St. Croix remains one of the cleanest tributaries to the Mississippi River. But two new reports highlight some troubling trends.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Sixty years on, an NBA story teaches about racial injustice

Sixty years on, an NBA story teaches about racial injustice

The Minneapolis Laker’s Elgin Baylor’s high-flying style of basketball energized the early NBA, but it was his appearance courtside in a suit that changed the league. Now that story is being told in a children’s book.
by Myah Christenson

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Anoka’s huge Halloween festival returns to its roots amid pandemic

Anoka’s huge Halloween festival returns to its roots amid pandemic

This year marks a century of Halloween celebrations for the Twin Cities suburb. While COVID-19 is forcing Anoka to rein in many of its traditions, the 2020 festival has not been canceled. Here’s what the “Halloween Capital of the World” has planned.
by Madison Moroder

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Twitter blocks tweet from Trump adviser downplaying masks

Twitter blocks tweet from Trump adviser downplaying masks

Twitter blocked a post Sunday from an adviser to President Donald Trump who suggested that masks do not work to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
by The Associated Press

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