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Stories from November 17, 2020

Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus

Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, says he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 87-year-old Grassley had said Tuesday morning that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and was waiting for the results of a test. 
by The Associated Press

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Surgical care is not great for the environment. Can it be more sustainable?

With surgical care on the rise globally, researchers worry the energy-consuming procedures will have a negative impact on the climate. But they say there are ways to make them more energy efficient.
by Joanne Lu

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Minnesotans should expect new COVID restrictions to roll out Wednesday

Minnesotans should expect new COVID restrictions to roll out Wednesday, as other states like Ohio and Califorina close businesses and impose curfews. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Majority of MPCA advisory group resigns in protest of agency’s Line 3 decision

Majority of MPCA advisory group resigns in protest of agency’s Line 3 decision

Twelve out of 17 members of an environmental justice group that advises the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency have resigned in protest of the agency’s decision last week to grant a key water quality permit to the controversial Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project. 
by Dan Kraker

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Lin Enger's new novel delves into truth, lies and the apocalypse

Lin Enger's new novel delves into truth, lies and the apocalypse

Lin Enger says his own obsession with the rapture developed over the years, as did a story he first set out to write three decades ago. “American Gospel” is set in the 1970s but has an eerie ring of today.
by Euan Kerr

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Gazelka: Senate GOP could've handled COVID-19 differently

Gazelka: Senate GOP could've handled COVID-19 differently

Sen. Paul Gazelka is among Republican senators who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. The Senate majority leader says his caucus could've handled positive COVID-19 cases among Republican senators differently. 
by Amy Forliti, Associated Press

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Carrying on a family recipe, in your own way

Carrying on a family recipe, in your own way

Making a family recipe for the first time can be daunting. Will it turn out just like you remembered? In this episode of NPR’s Life Kit, podcaster Noor Wazwaz walks us through what to remember in the kitchen. 
by Noor Wazwaz and Audrey Nguyen

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Intelligence Squared debate: Is it time to redistribute wealth?

Intelligence Squared debate: Is it time to redistribute wealth?

As nations around the world face a reckoning on racial and social justice and work to combat the economic impacts of the pandemic, we ask: Is it time to redistribute the wealth?
by MPR News Staff

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Biden filling top White House team with campaign veterans

Biden filling top White House team with campaign veterans

President-elect Joe Biden has announced top White House staff positions, drawing from the senior ranks of his campaign and some of his closest confidants. The latest round reflects his pledge to have diversity in his staff — the team includes four people of color and five women.
by The Associated Press

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What can dogs teach us about aging?

What can dogs teach us about aging?

New research on how dogs age could help us understand how humans can age better.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Why is the GOP supporting President Trump’s false claims about the election?

Why is the GOP supporting President Trump’s false claims about the election?

President Donald Trump continues to insist, falsely, that he didn’t lose the election — and many Republicans leaders back his claims. Why? And what could this mean for our democracy?
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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States plead for more federal help as virus outbreak worsens

States plead for more federal help as virus outbreak worsens

Between now and June 2022, state and local governments could be facing a shortfall or $400 billion or more by some estimates. But help is not expected anytime soon from a divided and lame-duck Congress.
by The Associated Press

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Georgia elections chief battles fellow Republicans, Trump

Georgia elections chief battles fellow Republicans, Trump

Georgia's secretary of state is a man on an island, and the political flood is rising fast, as President Donald Trump and his allies vent their outrage at the fellow Republican and make unsupported claims that mismanagement and fraud tainted the state's presidential election.
by The Associated Press

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Temperatures turn warmer by Wednesday

After a chilly day Tuesday, temperatures soar by Wednesday, with 50s and possibly a few 60s in southern Minnesota. Precipitation stays limited, although some rain and snow is likely during the weekend.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry

Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry

Now sold on Amazon: insulin and inhalers. The company said Tuesday that it has opened an online pharmacy, giving shoppers the chance to buy their medication on their phones and computers.
by The Associated Press

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'We are shipping to the U.S.': Inside China's online synthetic drug networks

'We are shipping to the U.S.': Inside China's online synthetic drug networks

China banned fentanyl last year, but an NPR investigation reveals how Chinese vendors continue to market the chemicals used to make the drug on e-commerce and social media sites.
by Emily Feng

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Minnesota hurdles towards a healthcare crisis during darkest part of the pandemic

Gov. Tim Walz could level more restrictions on Minnesotans as coronavirus cases continue to rise. Nearly 30 percent of intensive care patients across the state now have COVID-19. This is an MPR News morning update for November 27, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music by Gary Meister.

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Minn. officials have adjusted their guidance around Thanksgiving. Here’s what you need to know

Minn. officials have adjusted their guidance around Thanksgiving. Here’s what you need to know

State health officials joined Gov. Tim Walz Monday to plead with Minnesotans to stay home — especially on Thanksgiving. It was an about-face from health officials’ guidance the previous week, in which they urged scaling back and including only a limited number of households.
by MPR News Staff

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Nov. 17 update on COVID-19 in MN: New curbs coming for youth sports, gyms, night life

Nov. 17 update on COVID-19 in MN: New curbs coming for youth sports, gyms, night life

The moves, expected to be announced Wednesday, come amid a drumbeat of rising COVID-19 caseloads, hospitalizations and deaths. Overall “it’s going to be a difficult four weeks,” Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday.
by MPR News Staff

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SpaceX capsule with 4 astronauts reaches space station

SpaceX capsule with 4 astronauts reaches space station

Three NASA astronauts and one from Japan's space agency reached the International Space Station after a 27-hour flight following Sunday's liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center.
by Scott Neuman and Russell Lewis

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Minnesota immigration advocates hope for quick reversal of Trump policies

Minnesota immigration advocates hope for quick reversal of Trump policies

Immigration advocates say their clients are cautiously optimistic about their future, hoping a Biden administration will quickly roll back regulations that limited the number of refugees into the country, curtailed work visas and hampered family reunification over the past four years.
by Riham Feshir

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Iowa governor reverses course, issues mask mandate as COVID-19 cases rise

Iowa governor reverses course, issues mask mandate as COVID-19 cases rise

With hospitals in the state filling up with patients, Gov. Kim Reynolds, who once dismissed restrictions as "feel-good" measures, said Monday: "If Iowans don't buy into this, we'll lose."
by Scott Neuman

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