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Stories from December 8, 2020

Minnesota vaccine rollout will cover 183K in first round

Gov. Tim Walz and his administration gave details on COVID-19 vaccine distribution Tuesday, including who would be prioritized in receiving the initial dosages. The governor says that there’s enough for about 183,000 people in the first rounds of distribution for those in high-priority groups to receive the vaccination.  This is the MPR News evening update for Dec. 8, 2020. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
by Hannah Yang

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Odds for a white Christmas? Light snow chances next week

Odds for a white Christmas? Light snow chances next week

What are the odds for a white Christmas around much of Minnesota? Friday's storm will likely miss Minnesota. Light snow is possible next week.
by Paul Huttner

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Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to reverse Pennsylvania election results

Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to reverse Pennsylvania election results

The lawsuit argued a 2019 state law authorizing universal mail-in voting was unconstitutional and that all ballots cast by mail in the general election in Pennsylvania should be thrown out.
by Barbara Sprunt

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What you need to know: Minnesota's vaccine distribution plan

What you need to know: Minnesota's vaccine distribution plan

Health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities will be the first to receive the vaccine. Here’s what you need to know about the vaccine and Minnesota’s distribution plan.
by Dan Kraker

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Simon warns senators not to spread election lies

Simon warns senators not to spread election lies

DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon warned lawmakers against spreading misinformation about election results during a Senate hearing Tuesday convened by a Republican lawmaker who used to hold his job.
by Tim Pugmire

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National panel recommends Burrell's immediate release

National panel recommends Burrell's immediate release

A national panel of legal experts recommended the immediate release of a Black man sentenced to life in prison as a teenager nearly two decades ago.  
by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason

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Can Minnesota close gaps and lead in early childhood development?

Can Minnesota close gaps and lead in early childhood development?

As part of the annual conference for Little Moments Count — an initiative focused on early childhood development — advocates highlighted how racial disparities and COVID-19 are affecting families with young children and what Minnesota needs to do to close the gaps.
by Angela Davis

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Biden's defense pick raises concerns over civilian control of the military

Biden's defense pick raises concerns over civilian control of the military

Gen. Lloyd Austin retired from the U.S. Army in 2016. He'll need a waiver from Congress to serve as the top civilian at the Pentagon. It was granted to Trump's first defense chief, Gen. James Mattis.
by Scott Detrow

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Sounders score twice late, stun Minnesota United 3-2

Sounders score twice late, stun Minnesota United 3-2

Gustav Svensson scored off a corner kick in the final moments of second-half stoppage time, and the Seattle Sounders beat Minnesota United 3-2 to advance to the MLS Cup final.
by The Associated Press

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Temperatures stay mild through midweek

Temperatures stay well above average through the middle of the week. Seasonably cold weather returns by the weekend, along with snow chances.
by Nicole Mitchell

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State by state, wildly different responses to the same viral outbreak

State by state, wildly different responses to the same viral outbreak

The United States confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in late January and is now approaching 300,000 deaths from the disease. In the intervening months, the response to the pandemic — from restrictions to testing access — has largely been left up to the states. What do current caseloads and hospitalizations across the country tell us about mitigation efforts?
by Kerri Miller and Marcheta Fornoff

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Feds passed up chance to lock in more Pfizer vaccine doses

Feds passed up chance to lock in more Pfizer vaccine doses

The Trump administration's coronavirus vaccine effort is coming under new scrutiny after failing to lock in a chance to buy millions of additional doses of Pfizer's vaccine, which has shown to be highly effective against COVID-19. That decision could delay the delivery of a second batch of doses until manufacturer Pfizer fulfills other international contracts.
by The Associated Press

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U.S. regulators post positive review of Pfizer vaccine data

U.S. regulators post positive review of Pfizer vaccine data

Documents released by U.S. regulators Tuesday confirmed that Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was strongly protective against COVID-19 — offering the world's first detailed look at the evidence behind the shots.
by The Associated Press

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Safe harbor law locks Congress into accepting Biden's win

Safe harbor law locks Congress into accepting Biden's win

Other than Wisconsin, every state appears to have met a deadline in federal law that essentially means Congress has to accept the electoral votes that will be cast next week and sent to the Capitol for counting on Jan. 6. Those votes will elect Joe Biden as the country's next president.
by The Associated Press

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Slightly more sun across Minnesota Tuesday

After morning fog dissipates, Minnesota sees another mostly cloudy but mild day.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Pilot Chuck Yeager dies at 97, had 'the right stuff' and then some

Pilot Chuck Yeager dies at 97, had 'the right stuff' and then some

Chuck Yeager, fighter ace, test pilot, breaker of the sound barrier and coolest of the cool, was the man even astronauts looked up to. Yeager never sought the spotlight, and was always a bit gruff.
by Russell Lewis

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‘Route out’ of pandemic: UK gives 1st COVID-19 vaccine doses

‘Route out’ of pandemic: UK gives 1st COVID-19 vaccine doses

A retired British shop clerk received the first shot in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program Tuesday, signaling the start of a global immunization effort intended to offer a route out of a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota officials expected to detail COVID-19 vaccine plan

With cases of COVID-19 still surging throughout Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce the state’s plan for vaccine distribution Tuesday. This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, December 8, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Dec. 8 update on COVID-19 in MN: 22 more deaths; 3K new cases

Dec. 8 update on COVID-19 in MN: 22 more deaths; 3K new cases

The newest numbers are part of a crucial week of COVID-19 news and decision-making. Gov. Tim Walz and a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday rallied around a plan for vaccinations expected to start before Christmas.
by MPR News Staff

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Hardly any 1918 flu memorials exist. Will we remember COVID-19 differently?

Hardly any 1918 flu memorials exist. Will we remember COVID-19 differently?

Traditional monuments commemorate politicians or war heroes but rarely victims of disease. We must "mark how profound the catastrophic loss of life has been," says Monument Lab director Paul Farber.
by Zachary Small

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Penalties rare for ignoring COVID-19 precautions

Penalties rare for ignoring COVID-19 precautions

Even as Minnesota has become a national hot spot for coronavirus cases and deaths, many people are ignoring safety protocols ordered by Gov. Tim Walz. The safety measures allow for noncompliance penalties, but they appear to be rare. Health officials say education is a better approach than punishment to get people to follow COVID-19 safety measures.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Tell us something good about 2020

Tell us something good about 2020

Yes, it’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. But it hasn’t all been awful. Some perfected the art of breadmaking. Sidewalk chalk brightened up our neighborhoods while birthdays got the parades they deserve. So tell us: What brought you joy this year?
by Nancy Yang

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Walz details COVID-19 vaccine plan; GOP leaders back it

Walz details COVID-19 vaccine plan; GOP leaders back it

Vaccinations for health workers and the state’s most vulnerable residents could begin before Christmas, and all residents who get vaccinated will get a card confirming it. “It is happening. It is ready,” Gov. Tim Walz said of the start of vaccinations.
by Catharine Richert

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As COVID-19 spreads in Minn. prisons, loved ones worry

As COVID-19 spreads in Minn. prisons, loved ones worry

Prisons have lowered their numbers and taken other measures to stem the virus’s spread. But that hasn’t been enough to stop deadly outbreaks in Minnesota and across the United States — and family members and advocates say state and federal governments haven’t done enough to keep their loved ones safe.
by Kirsti Marohn

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How We Survive: Adapting to Climate Change

How We Survive: Adapting to Climate Change

Climate change is here. Experts say the time for prevention has passed, and we need to adapt—but what does that actually look like? This one-hour special from APM Marketplace, hosted by Molly Wood, explores the role of technology in helping humanity weather the impacts of climate change.

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Mpls. council pushes forward with police budget cuts; Frey considers veto

Mpls. council pushes forward with police budget cuts; Frey considers veto

The cuts are part of a proposal introduced late last month by members of the council, which takes $7.7 million from the Police Department’s budget to fund other public safety programs and initiatives.
by MPR News Staff

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