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Stories from January 29, 2021

Getting to know The Warming House

Getting to know The Warming House

The Warming House co-hosts joined the program to talk about their new show, shared their favorite interviews and even played a round of trivia with MPR News host Angela Davis.
by Angela Davis

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New plan for Minneapolis police overhaul follows familiar model

New plan for Minneapolis police overhaul follows familiar model

The latest attempt by City Council members to change the Minneapolis Police Department is designed to look like the state’s Department of Public Safety.
by Brandt Williams

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Through grief, Hmong families torn between honoring the dead, keeping loved ones safe during COVID

Through grief, Hmong families torn between honoring the dead, keeping loved ones safe during COVID

In normal times, relatives and friends would gather for days or weeks, cooking side by side and consoling one another as part of the funeral proceedings. But with COVID-19 ravaging through the community, they’re left wrestling with how to plan a funeral that won’t be as big and lavish as they imagined.
by Riham Feshir

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COVID-19 outbreak closes Twin Cities metro school district to in-person instruction

A COVID-19 outbreak among busing staff at Bloomington Public Schools has forced the district to return to distance learning for two weeks. At least eight bus drivers and other staff in the transportation department have tested positive for the virus. This is the afternoon MPR News update for Jan. 29, 2021. Hosted by Nina Moini. Theme music by Gary Meister.
by Nina Moini

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With Biden team focused on other crises, experts say drug epidemic is exploding

With Biden team focused on other crises, experts say drug epidemic is exploding

The Biden administration had Day One plans for the pandemic, economy and climate change. Experts say they haven't yet seen that same focus on the addiction crisis, which is killing 220 people a day.
by Brian Mann

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Michigan approves Great Lakes oil pipeline tunnel permits

Michigan approves Great Lakes oil pipeline tunnel permits

Michigan's environmental agency said Friday it has approved construction of an underground tunnel to house a replacement for a controversial oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes.
by The Associated Press

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During a pandemic, are Minnesotans still hitting the slopes?

During a pandemic, are Minnesotans still hitting the slopes?

Minnesotans are known for their love of outdoor activities, and their enthusiasm for cold weather sports like skiing and snowshoeing — pandemic or not. Host Angela Davis talks with the executive director of Cook County’s convention and visitor’s bureau and an expert who studies tourism for the University of Minnesota about how the pandemic has affected popular winter travel and recreation destinations in the state.
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

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Amanda Gorman — and poetry — will be part of Super Bowl LV

Amanda Gorman — and poetry — will be part of Super Bowl LV

Fresh from her burst into the literary stratosphere after her appearance at President Joe Biden's inauguration, poet Amanda Gorman will recite a new poem during the Super Bowl LV pre-show next Sunday.
by Anastasia Tsioulcas

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Bloomington schools shutter classrooms again after bus drivers test positive for COVID-19

Bloomington schools shutter classrooms again after bus drivers test positive for COVID-19

Just 10 days after bringing some students back for in-person learning, an outbreak of COVID-19 among transportation workers has forced Bloomington Public Schools to return to distance learning until mid-February. At least eight people in the district’s transportation department have been infected.
by Jon Collins and Elizabeth Shockman

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Wrapping up an uncharacteristically warm January

This January will rank among the warmest in state history, according to retired University of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Osterholm on COVID variants: We need to understand what's coming

Osterholm on COVID variants: We need to understand what's coming

Coronavirus cases are falling and vaccination numbers are rising. That's good news, right? Yes, but COVID-19 strains that are believed to be more transmissible have public health experts warning about a possible new surge in cases.
by Cathy Wurzer

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DNR proposes state park fee hike to help plug budget deficit

DNR proposes state park fee hike to help plug budget deficit

The annual state park vehicle permit fee would go from $35 to $45, while the daily permit cost would rise from $7 to $10. Without the increases, the state’s park account is scheduled to go into the red by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, something the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources warns would result in shortened camping seasons and less frequent bathroom cleanings.
by Dan Kraker

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Icy conditions expected with weekend storm

A weekend storm is poised to bring a light but icy mix of freezing rain and snow.  Meanwhile temperatures remain much milder, with highs in the 20s and 30s.
by Nicole Mitchell

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For some Muslims, hope, uncertainty after travel ban lifted

For some Muslims, hope, uncertainty after travel ban lifted

President Joe Biden's repeal of the Trump administration's travel ban for several Muslim-majority nations brought a sigh of relief from those affected. But amid the celebrations are tales of dreams broken, families separated, savings used up and milestones missed. There's also uncertainty about the future: questions about backlogs, fees and travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
by The Associated Press

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'Simple is beautiful': One-shot vaccine proves effective

'Simple is beautiful': One-shot vaccine proves effective

Johnson & Johnson's long-awaited vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot — not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world in dire need of more doses.
by The Associated Press

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Milder weather for Friday

Temperatures are noticeably higher Friday, but the milder weather comes with gray skies.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minneapolis city council to consider move to establish rent control

Whether it’s called rent stabilization or rent control, the measure is designed to set limits on the rates at which housing costs can grow. This is an MPR News morning update for Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Hope and skepticism as Biden promises to address environmental racism

Hope and skepticism as Biden promises to address environmental racism

Environmental racism means that people of color experience more air and water pollution than white people, and suffer the health impacts. Can President Joe Biden change that?
by Rebecca Hersher

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From golden tickets to ‘Hunger Games’: Minnesota’s pilot program to vaccinate teachers

From golden tickets to ‘Hunger Games’: Minnesota’s pilot program to vaccinate teachers

Minnesota’s race to vaccinate educators and child care workers is now in its second week. The launch has successfully gotten shots into the arms of thousands of people, but it’s just a fraction of the state’s teaching force. And it’s not been without its share of mishap.
by Elizabeth Shockman

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Minneapolis council to consider move to establish rent control

Minneapolis council to consider move to establish rent control

The measure would set limits on the rates at which housing prices can grow. The Minneapolis City Council is expected to start the process Friday.
by Brandt Williams

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Prosecutors appeal ruling that split trials in Floyd's death

Prosecutors appeal ruling that split trials in Floyd's death

Minnesota prosecutors have appealed a judge’s ruling that split the trials of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death and kept the first trial scheduled to start in March.
by The Associated Press

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So what is short selling? An explainer

So what is short selling? An explainer

A primer on what you need to know about short selling as an army of amateur investors battles it out against hedge funds.
by Rafael Nam

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Cicely Tyson, groundbreaking award-winning actor, dead at 96

Cicely Tyson, groundbreaking award-winning actor, dead at 96

Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” has died. She was 96.
by The Associated Press

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