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Stories from December 18, 2020

Minn. health officials Malcolm, Ehresmann answer your questions about COVID vaccines, restrictions

Minn. health officials Malcolm, Ehresmann answer your questions about COVID vaccines, restrictions

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann talk about Minnesota COVID-19 cases in the wake of restrictions on restaurants, bars and gyms and answer listener questions about the vaccine rollout. 
by Kerri Miller

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Big weather changes ahead Christmas week

Big weather changes are ahead for Christmas week in Minnesota.
by Paul Huttner

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With Trump silent, reprisals for hacks may fall to Biden

With Trump silent, reprisals for hacks may fall to Biden

All fingers are pointing to Russia as the source of a punishing hack of U.S. government agencies. But President Donald Trump has long been wary of blaming Moscow for cyberattacks and has been silent.
by The Associated Press

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U.S. clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal

U.S. clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal

Much-needed doses are set to arrive Monday after the FDA authorized an emergency rollout of the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota moves ahead with 'clean car' rules

Minnesota moves ahead with 'clean car' rules

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency plans to publish a draft rule on Monday requiring carmakers to make more zero-emissions vehicles available for sale in the state. The goal is to reduce Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions, but auto dealers and some lawmakers argue it will drive up the cost of cars and trucks.
by Dan Kraker

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Minnesota receives less vaccine than expected

Minnesota is getting less COVID-19 vaccine in the initial shipment than first promised. State infectious disease division director Kris Ehresmann says that federal officials have indicated that it's because of fluctuations in manufacturing. This is an MPR News evening update for December 18, 2020, hosted by Nina Moini. Our theme music is by Gary Meister. 

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State cracking down on bars and restaurants opening against order

State cracking down on bars and restaurants opening against order

Bars and restaurants around Minnesota that opened in violation of Gov. Tim Walz’s order banning inside dining and drinking are finding out there is no negotiation around the restrictions. The attorney general’s office is contacting them one by one, threatening big fines and liquor license suspensions for noncompliance.
by Mark Zdechlik

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Myon Burrell enjoys 1st days of freedom after prison release

Myon Burrell enjoys 1st days of freedom after prison release

Myon Burrell spent 18 years behind bars for a crime that he said he didn't commit. For years, as he sat in prison, time seemed to drag on slowly. But on the outside things moved at a much faster pace.
by Robin McDowell

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The rapidly changing world of podcasts

The rapidly changing world of podcasts

Why are podcasts so popular? What makes a good podcast? And can just anyone produce a hit? Guest host Chris Farrell talks with industry experts about the past, present and future of podcasts and podcasting.
by Chris Farrell and Katie Moritz

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Minn. schools announce return to in-person learning in 2021

Minn. schools announce return to in-person learning in 2021

Minnesota school districts, including St. Paul and Anoka-Hennepin, are starting to share their plans for the next semester after Gov. Tim Walz laid out a roadmap to re-starting in-person instruction for the state’s youngest learners.
by Elizabeth Shockman

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Penumbra Theatre's Sarah Bellamy on motherhood, theater and racial healing

Penumbra Theatre's Sarah Bellamy on motherhood, theater and racial healing

Host Angela Davis talks with Penumbra Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Bellamy about her artistic journey and her expanded vision for Penumbra as a place where theater, wellness and social justice converge.
by Angela Davis

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Additional Minnesota bar defies COVID-19 restrictions

Minnesota public safety officials have issued another liquor license suspension notice as more businesses are defying Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order barring indoor service at restaurants and bars to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
by The Associated Press

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Legal bid to undo state election results tossed by judge

Legal bid to undo state election results tossed by judge

A set of cases that challenged four congressional victories by four Minnesota Democrats was dismissed by a judge Friday.
by Brian Bakst

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Weekend forecast: Quiet weather; flake chance returns Sunday night

Weekend forecast: Quiet weather; flake chance returns Sunday night

Our weekend weather will be mostly drama-free. We have details on the mild weekend temps, plus who may see some snowflakes Sunday evening and overnight Sunday.
by Ron Trenda

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A look back at Minnesota's year in weather

Overall, 2020 was warmer than average in Minnesota – and drier than normal, too. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer ran down the year in weather with retired university of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Supreme Court punts census case, giving Trump an iffy chance to alter numbers

Supreme Court punts census case, giving Trump an iffy chance to alter numbers

The opinion said the case was "riddled with contingencies and speculation that impede judicial review." The president has been seeking to use a count that does not include undocumented immigrants.
by Nina Totenberg and Hansi Lo Wang

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AG Ellison: 'Nobody wants to push anybody to close'

AG Ellison: 'Nobody wants to push anybody to close'

Dozens of bars and restaurants across Minnesota are openly defying Gov. Tim Walz’s ban on indoor dining and drinking. Many say they have nothing to lose as they've been bleeding money for months. In response, the state is ramping up its efforts to squash what seems like a growing rebellion.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Northern Minnesota sees light snow Friday

All of Friday stays very mild, with light snow moving across northern Minnesota throughout the day.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Latest unemployment numbers show lower rate, but loss of jobs

Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November, down slightly from October. The latest numbers from the Department of Employment and Economic Development show the state also shed more than 12,000 jobs in November. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, December 18, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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New York Times retracts hit podcast series 'Caliphate' on ISIS executioner

New York Times retracts hit podcast series 'Caliphate' on ISIS executioner

After an internal review, The New York Times now says it built the 2018 podcast Caliphate on a story it cannot vouch for. It says star reporter Rukmini Callimachi will no longer cover terrorism.
by David Folkenflik

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Winter travel raises more fears of viral spread

Winter travel raises more fears of viral spread

Tens of millions of people are expected to travel to family gatherings or winter vacations over Christmas. That's despite pleas by public health experts who fear the result could be another surge in coronavirus cases.
by The Associated Press

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1 in 5 prisoners in the U.S. has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died

1 in 5 prisoners in the U.S. has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died

One in very five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times higher than the general population. 
by The Associated Press

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Congress averts shutdown; fight continues over pandemic aid

Congress averts shutdown; fight continues over pandemic aid

The hoped-for agreement would provide more than $300 billion in aid to businesses, a $300-per-week bonus federal jobless benefit, and $600 direct payments to individuals.
by The Associated Press

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Ask a Bookseller: Let’s talk about money

Ask a Bookseller: Let’s talk about money

Chuck Neal of Chapters Bookstore in Miami, Okla., recommended a nonfiction title on a ubiquitous topic this week: “Money: the True Story of a Made-up Thing,” by Jacob Goldstein of NPR’s Planet Money.
by Emily Bright

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2 former Obama officials are crucial to Biden's sweeping climate plans

2 former Obama officials are crucial to Biden's sweeping climate plans

The Biden administration will view climate change as an urgent crisis, and two former Obama Cabinet officials from Massachusetts will be key to taking on the challenge.
by Scott Detrow

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Ellison enforces indoor dining prohibition

Several bars and restaurants are facing lawsuits from the state for reopening in defiance of Governor Tim Walz’s latest executive order. MPR News evening update for December 17, 2020. Hosted by Hannah Yang. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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