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Stories from December 1, 2020

Bipartisan group pushes $908B COVID-19 plan, but McConnell crafts bill Trump will sign

Bipartisan group pushes $908B COVID-19 plan, but McConnell crafts bill Trump will sign

A loosely assembled group of House and Senate lawmakers released a legislative framework they hope can break the monthslong impasse between party leaders and the White House on pandemic relief.
by Susan Davis and Claudia Grisales

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Minnesota's economy and COVID prospects both show signs for hope

Minnesota's economy and COVID prospects both show signs for hope, as an initial round of a vaccine may be only weeks away. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Chief Axtell: Cop who shot, wounded man 'fell short of standards' on use of force

Chief Axtell: Cop who shot, wounded man 'fell short of standards' on use of force

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said he's taking action against at least one of the officers involved, but citing state law said he couldn't describe the action. Multiple news reports say Axtell fired the officer.
by Matt Sepic

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Enbridge starts construction on Line 3 in Minnesota

Enbridge starts construction on Line 3 in Minnesota

Enbridge Energy has begun construction on its Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement in Minnesota. The action Tuesday comes a day after state regulators approved the final permit for the $2.6 billion project.
by The Associated Press

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Progress report: 3 months into the school year, how are Minnesota’s students and teachers doing?

Progress report: 3 months into the school year, how are Minnesota’s students and teachers doing?

Minnesota’s school children returned for the fall semester three months ago. But like most of this year, it has been far from normal. How is it going? What can we expect next semester?
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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Barr: No evidence of fraud that’d change election outcome

Barr: No evidence of fraud that’d change election outcome

Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud and has seen nothing that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
by The Associated Press

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Trump files lawsuit challenging Wisconsin election results

Trump files lawsuit challenging Wisconsin election results

President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Wisconsin seeking to disqualify more than 221,000 ballots in the state's two most Democratic counties, a longshot attempt to overturn Joe Biden's win in the battleground state he lost by nearly 20,700 votes.
by The Associated Press

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The pandemic’s negative impact on social security

The pandemic’s negative impact on social security

Thanks to the pandemic, the Social Security trust fund is now expected to exhaust its assets by 2033 – three years earlier than previously projected. How might a Biden presidency impact the future of this social safety net?
by Chris Farrell and Kelly Gordon

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Starting a new business during the pandemic

Starting a new business during the pandemic

The number of people starting new businesses in the United States and in Minnesota shot up this summer and fall. Why now?
by Chris Farrell and Maja Beckstrom

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Another mysterious monolith suddenly appears — this time in Romania

Another mysterious monolith suddenly appears — this time in Romania

Not long after a metal object appeared without explanation in the Utah desert, it disappeared. Now, locals in Piatra Neamt say they have found a similar monolith, and answers remain just as scarce.
by Colin Dwyer

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The dry trend of fall continues into December

Following a warm November and a dry fall, December continues that pattern, starting off mild and mostly sunny for the first part of the month.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Dry and mild to start off the new month

December starts off mild and sunny, with the entire state seeing above average highs.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm: “We are a hot spot.”

Minnesota health leaders pleaded with people prior to Thanksgiving not to celebrate outside their immediate family households, warning that larger gatherings could lead to family members and friends without symptoms unknowingly spreading the virus to loved ones. State officials are bracing now for a jump in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in coming weeks originating from Thanksgiving celebrations This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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'Some good news': Student reading gains are steady, while math slows down

'Some good news': Student reading gains are steady, while math slows down

A new report offers the clearest picture yet of pandemic learning loss among U.S. students. But researchers warn that many of the nation's most vulnerable children aren't represented in the new data.
by Cory Turner

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Fired official says correcting Trump's fraud claims the 'right thing to do'

Fired official says correcting Trump's fraud claims the 'right thing to do'

Christopher Krebs, who led the federal government's efforts to secure the 2020 election, called the operation near seamless despite President Donald Trump's claims to the contrary.
by Miles Parks

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In International Falls, a rejection of backyard chickens

In International Falls, a rejection of backyard chickens

Keeping chickens has been on and off illegal in International Falls for the past 40 years. But a ballot measure in November put the question to rest — by a narrow margin.
by John Enger

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ChangeMakers: Mysti Babineau, protecting land and people

ChangeMakers: Mysti Babineau, protecting land and people

Mysti Babineau, 34, is an organizer with climate change organization MN350 and an advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous people. Her work focuses on the intersectionality of climate and social justice issues.
by Christine T. Nguyen

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Dec. 1 update on COVID-19 in MN: 'Light at the end of the tunnel' as pandemic rages

Dec. 1 update on COVID-19 in MN: 'Light at the end of the tunnel' as pandemic rages

Even as they brace for another wave of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, state public health authorities are laying the groundwork to distribute vaccines as soon as they’re available. On Tuesday, they sketched out their plan.
by MPR News Staff

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Biden's coalition was united in beating Trump. Governing may reveal its cracks

Biden's coalition was united in beating Trump. Governing may reveal its cracks

Joe Biden won by tapping into a diverse group of voters who were on a mission to defeat President Donald Trump. But now without Trump, Biden faces a daunting challenge to keep that coalition together.
by Asma Khalid

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Some health care workers are wary of getting COVID-19 vaccines

Some health care workers are wary of getting COVID-19 vaccines

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey released in November shows that only 63 percent of health care workers are ready to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Concern about speed and political interference are contributing to the hesitancy.
by Pien Huang

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Minnesota short-term budget picture brightens; long-term deficit remains

Minnesota short-term budget picture brightens; long-term deficit remains

The improved outlook — a $641 million surplus through June instead of a shortfall four times as big that was projected back in May — could lead to a quicker deal on a relief package for businesses and workers coping with fallout from COVID-19 and related restrictions.
by Brian Bakst

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Coronavirus was in U.S. weeks earlier than previously known, study says

Coronavirus was in U.S. weeks earlier than previously known, study says

The discovery, uncovered after analyzing blood donations from nine states, strengthens evidence that the coronavirus was quietly spreading around the world before health officials were aware.
by Jaclyn Diaz

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National security advisor nominee Jake Sullivan speaks on Biden's priorities

National security advisor nominee Jake Sullivan speaks on Biden's priorities

The Biden administration nominee for national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, spoke with former Vice President Walter Mondale and professor Larry Jacobs at a virtual University of Minnesota event in November.
by MPR News Staff

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Dr. Scott Atlas, special coronavirus adviser to Trump, resigns

Dr. Scott Atlas, special coronavirus adviser to Trump, resigns

Atlas, who was a radiologist by training, pushed fringe theories about the coronavirus, including the idea that large numbers of people should get infected in order to reach so-called "herd immunity."
by Vanessa Romo

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