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Stories from October 21, 2020

Democrats plan to boycott Senate Committee vote on Barrett nomination

Democrats plan to boycott Senate Committee vote on Barrett nomination

Democrats see Mitch McConnell's rush to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as unprecedented and "outrageous," but they have little power to stop it in a GOP-controlled Senate.
by Nina Totenberg

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Winter storm warning: 9 inches possible for central Minnesota

Winter storm warning: 9 inches possible for central Minnesota

By 7 a.m. Thursday, the snowy swath reaches into central Minnesota. By lunchtime, it’s snowing around Duluth. A wintry mix is possible in the Twin Cities, but the trend is for mostly rain in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota by afternoon.
by Paul Huttner

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Walz hails building plan ‘done because of hard work’

Walz hails building plan ‘done because of hard work’

Gov. Tim Walz signed the biggest construction borrowing plan in state history Wednesday, saying it resulted from compromise and will goose the economy.
by Brian Bakst

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COVID deaths reach a record high again, with ominous signs ahead

COVID deaths reach a record high again, with ominous signs ahead, as test positivity rates show spread of the coronavirus is picking up. This is an evening news update from MPR news, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Google lawsuit marks end of Washington's love affair with Big Tech

Google lawsuit marks end of Washington's love affair with Big Tech

The Justice Department's lawsuit against Google is the clearest sign yet of the "Techlash" that has politicians on both sides of the aisle bristling at the power of Silicon Valley.
by Shannon Bond

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Pandemic relief faces uncertainty in postelection session

Pandemic relief faces uncertainty in postelection session

Negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill are inching forward, but it’s clear that the window for action before the Nov. 3 election is closing and the issue will be tossed to a postelection lame-duck session of Congress. 
by The Associated Press

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Anxious Democrats don't trust Biden's lead. His campaign is fine with that

Anxious Democrats don't trust Biden's lead. His campaign is fine with that

After 2016, nothing will make Democrats feel secure in the final weeks of a presidential election. For Joe Biden's campaign, which doesn't want voters to be complacent, the anxiety is OK.
by Scott Detrow

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'Dark Archives' explores the use of human skin in bookbinding

'Dark Archives' explores the use of human skin in bookbinding

Megan Rosenbloom tells readers an adventurous tale of how her morbid curiosity brought her across an ocean to investigate the origins, motivations and techniques behind this macabre practice.
by Connor Goodwin

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Voter guide: Where the 3rd District candidates stand on the issues

Voter guide: Where the 3rd District candidates stand on the issues

Incumbent Rep. Dean Phillips faces Republican challenger Kendall Qualls in the 3rd District. Here’s a breakdown of the issues they discussed during a debate earlier this month.
by Madison Moroder

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How to manage kids’ screen time during the pandemic

How to manage kids’ screen time during the pandemic

Children’s screen use before the pandemic was already high — distance learning has only added to that. A pediatrician and a communications professor join host Angela Davis to talk about how this could be affecting children’s wellbeing and how to balance screen use.
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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Will voting in a nonbattleground state make a difference?

Will voting in a nonbattleground state make a difference?

How does your vote matter if you don't live in a presidential battleground state? There are plenty of other races where your vote still makes a difference. 
by The Associated Press

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Should we trust the polls in the 2020 election?

Should we trust the polls in the 2020 election?

After Donald Trump won the election in 2016, surprised observers said polls had underestimated his support. What did pollsters get right, what did they get wrong and what have they learned?
by Kerri Miller

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Voter guide: Where the 6th District candidates stand on the issues

Voter guide: Where the 6th District candidates stand on the issues

Incumbent Rep. Tom Emmer faces DFL challenger Tawnja Zahradka in the 6th District. Here’s a breakdown of the issues they discussed during an MPR News debate.
by Darian Leddy

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Are the risks of reopening schools exaggerated?

Are the risks of reopening schools exaggerated?

New research has found few links between in-person K-12 schooling and COVID-19 case rates. "There is not a consistent pattern," one study author said.
by Anya Kamenetz

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Barrett was trustee at private school with anti-gay policies

Barrett was trustee at private school with anti-gay policies

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett served for nearly three years on the board of private Christian schools that effectively barred admission to children of same-sex parents and made it plain that openly gay and lesbian teachers weren't welcome in the classroom. The three schools, in Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia, are affiliated with People of Praise.
by The Associated Press

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Pope Francis calls for same-sex civil union law in new documentary

Pope Francis calls for same-sex civil union law in new documentary

"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered," the pope said in an interview in the film “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
by Sylvia Poggioli, Tom Gjelten and Alex Leff

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History and hatred drive the horror in 'Ring Shout'

History and hatred drive the horror in 'Ring Shout'

P. Djèlí Clark's new novella is set in an alternate Jim Crow America where the Ku Klux Klan contains actual pointy-headed white demons, and “The Birth Of a Nation” is not just a film but an incantation.
by Danny Lore

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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.
by The Associated Press

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Real-world experience gives 'The Nightworkers' its punch

Real-world experience gives 'The Nightworkers' its punch

Brian Selfon spent years working in the criminal justice field, and he brings that knowledge to bear in his debut, about a family of money launderers whose lives are upended when a bag goes missing.
by Gabino Iglesias

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

'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.
by Elizabeth Shockman

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

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.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Justice Department offers assistance to Minneapolis police

U.S. Department of Justice officials announced Tuesday that they’re offering to collaborate with the Minneapolis police as part of a new initiative to assist police departments with training or other policing practices.  This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday, October 21, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Oct. 21 update on COVID-19 in MN: Record daily deaths; hospitalizations climb

Oct. 21 update on COVID-19 in MN: Record daily deaths; hospitalizations climb

Officials said they were saddened but not surprised by the numbers. The surge in cases has led to a surge in hospitalizations and more deaths, and the state must brace itself for more unless more Minnesotans take steps to stem the spread of the disease.
by MPR News Staff

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

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.
by Mark Katkov

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NPR special report: Voting in America

NPR special report: Voting in America

In an hour-long special report, NPR explores an extraordinary electoral season that’s coincided with the global pandemic.
by MPR News Staff

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Even the most successful women pay a big price in pandemic

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.
by Andrea Hsu

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