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Stories from February 3, 2021

Advocates call for constitutional amendment to help close state’s achievement gaps

Advocates call for constitutional amendment to help close state’s achievement gaps

Long before the pandemic hit Minnesota, the state had one of the worst achievement gaps in the country. Would adding a guarantee to “a quality public education” in the state constitution make a difference?
by Kerri Miller and MPR News Staff

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St. Louis County film incentive already bearing fruit

The program, which the county approved in December, has lured filmmakers and film-adjacent businesses to the Duluth area.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Wisconsin prosecutors seek Rittenhouse arrest, higher bond

Wisconsin prosecutors seek Rittenhouse arrest, higher bond

Wisconsin prosecutors have asked a judge for a new arrest warrant for an Illinois teen charged with fatally shooting two people during an anti-police protest in Kenosha in August.
by The Associated Press

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Plan to strip Walz of power to close schools passes 1st test

Plan to strip Walz of power to close schools passes 1st test

State Sen. Carla Nelson says her bill would put the decision-making back with local school boards. All previous attempts to roll back Gov. Tim Walz’s emergency powers have failed along party lines. 
by The Associated Press

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Vaccinations are down from a spike last week, but a mass vaccination site is opening

Minnesota's vaccinations are down from a spike last week, as the state opens a mass vaccination site at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This is an evening news update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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5 hacks and tips to make your face mask more protective

5 hacks and tips to make your face mask more protective

From double-masking to getting a tighter seal, these suggestions and simple at-home hacks can make your mask a better barrier against the coronavirus — and help fend off more infectious strains.
by Maria Godoy

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Mental health providers are struggling, too

Mental health providers are struggling, too

About 40 percent of adults in the United States say they have struggled with substance abuse or their mental health issues since the pandemic began. Mental health professionals have been busy providing care and support, but who is helping them?
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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Study finds AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce virus transmission

Study finds AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce virus transmission

A new study may help answer answer one of the big open questions about the campaign to suppress the coronavirus outbreak. Researchers from Oxford University say AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine does more than protect people from falling seriously ill — it also appears to reduce transmission of the virus. 
by The Associated Press

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Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity

Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity

The Canadian government designated the Proud Boys group as a terrorist entity on Wednesday, noting they played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
by The Associated Press

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New translation shares the voice of a poet who wrote as intensely as she lived

New translation shares the voice of a poet who wrote as intensely as she lived

Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen took her own life in 1976. A newly translated version of her three-part memoir traces the sometimes amusing, sometimes painful turns of her unconventional life.
by John Powers

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Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Muñoz resigns

Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Muñoz resigns

The resignation is effective June 30, and comes on the heels of multiple instances of plagiarism coming to light.

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2021 Golden Globe nominees announced, Netflix leads the pack

2021 Golden Globe nominees announced, Netflix leads the pack

Nominees for the 2021 Golden Globes were announced today via a livestream. Past winners Sarah Jessica Parker and Taraji P. Henson revealed the first few nominees in a simulcast with the “Today” show.
by Petra Mayer

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Alaska musher wins Beargrease marathon by 7 seconds

Alaska musher wins Beargrease marathon by 7 seconds

Erin Letzring won the 37th John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon Tuesday ahead of fellow Alaskan Ryan Redington. Letzring is the first woman to win the marathon since 1998.

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A messy weather system, then dangerously cold

A messy weather system, then dangerously cold

Southerly winds ahead of a potent storm make Wednesday the warmest day of the week, but that changes fast as a strong cold front moves through. Minnesota sees a messy mix of winter precipitation Thursday. Temperatures nosedive, bringing dangerous cold by the weekend.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Cloudy but mild for Wednesday

Despite mostly cloudy skies, Wednesday will be the warmest day this week thanks largely to southerly winds ahead of a strong weather system.
by Nicole Mitchell

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A rocky road on the way to herd immunity for COVID-19

A rocky road on the way to herd immunity for COVID-19

At least 70 percent of people will need to be immune from the coronavirus before COVID-19 can recede through a process known as herd immunity. Vaccines can play a role. But reaching the goal won't be easy.
by Richard Harris

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Vaccine need still outstrips supply

State public health leaders have been pleading for patience over the pace of COVID-19 vaccination. They’re making it clear now that it could take up to four months to vaccinate Minnesotans 65 and older if the feds don’t deliver more vaccine faster. This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, Feb. 3, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Biden, Yellen say GOP virus aid too small, Democrats push on

Biden, Yellen say GOP virus aid too small, Democrats push on

President Joe Biden panned a Republican alternative to his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan as insufficient as Senate Democrats pushed ahead, voting to launch a process that could approve his sweeping rescue package on their own, if Republicans refuse to support it.
by The Associated Press

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Feb. 3 update on COVID-19 in MN: Trends stay solid, but vaccination pace slows

Feb. 3 update on COVID-19 in MN: Trends stay solid, but vaccination pace slows

Minnesota’s COVID-19 trend lines continue to show state on the right track, with new cases, active caseloads and hospitalizations all angling down. The pace of vaccination, though, remains frustrating.
by MPR News Staff

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Corporations nudge farmers to help the environment

Corporations nudge farmers to help the environment

Cargill and General Mills are offering incentives to farmers who adopt the principles of regenerative agriculture. It's a set of farming practices that make growing food more environmentally friendly. And as interest grows, so does the debate over how to define and measure the new system.
by Dan Gunderson

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GOP discord over Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene is still all about Trump

House Republicans are wrestling with divisions — Conference Chair Liz Cheney faces calls to step down after backing impeachment, while Majorie Taylor Greene may be sanctioned for controversial comments.
by Barbara Sprunt and Claudia Grisales

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Intelligence Squared debate: Is America still a model for the world?

Intelligence Squared debate: Is America still a model for the world?

Have months of strife around the election results and ensuing political violence destroyed America's credibility and ensured it will no longer inspire the oppressed or legitimately condemn authoritarians? Or have the nation's institutions held under pressure and demonstrated democracy's strength and resilience in politically polarized times?
by MPR News Staff

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MN lawmakers hear plan to reconnect historic Black neighborhood

MN lawmakers hear plan to reconnect historic Black neighborhood

Minnesota lawmakers on Tuesday heard a proposal that would construct a “land bridge” to reconnect St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood that was devastated in the 1960s to make way for Interstate 94.
by The Associated Press

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McCarthy faces choices as GOP divides over Cheney, Greene

McCarthy faces choices as GOP divides over Cheney, Greene

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing unrest from opposing ends of the Republican spectrum over Reps. Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The upheaval underscores GOP fissures as the party seeks its pathway without Donald Trump in the White House. 
by The Associated Press

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