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Stories from February 23, 2021

Adults behind on routine vaccines may want to wait to catch up

Adults behind on routine vaccines may want to wait to catch up

Many adults are behind on routine vaccinations. Catching up is important, says Dr. Jon Hallberg, but those eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine may want to wait until after they get it.
by Tom Crann and Dr. Jon Hallberg

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Appeals court to hear arguments on adding 3rd-degree murder charge against Chauvin

Appeals court to hear arguments on adding 3rd-degree murder charge against Chauvin

With the first trial stemming from the killing of George Floyd set to begin in less than two weeks, a state appeals court says it will fast-track a request from the Minnesota Attorney General's office to consider adding a third-degree murder charge to the case of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin.
by Jon Collins

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Federal officials have reportedly rebooted their legal work on the death of George Floyd

Federal officials have reportedly rebooted their legal work on the death of George Floyd. The New York Times says evidence in the case is going back before a grand jury as his state trial approaches. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Tiger Woods seriously injured in crash on steep LA-area road

Tiger Woods seriously injured in crash on steep LA-area road

Authorities say Tiger Woods was seriously injured when his SUV crashed into a median and rolled over several times on a steep roadway in suburban Los Angeles. His agent said the golf superstar was undergoing leg surgery Tuesday. 
by The Associated Press

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Can we solve the payday loan debt trap?

Can we solve the payday loan debt trap?

High interest rates on short-term consumer loans can spiral into crushing debt. MPR News guest host and senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talks to a lawyer and a nonprofit advocate about the latest efforts to curb payday loans.
by Chris Farrell and Maja Beckstrom

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Block Party aims to be a 'spam folder' for social media harassment

Block Party aims to be a 'spam folder' for social media harassment

In part because of her own experience being targeted with online harassment and threats, Tracy Chou launched Block Party, a startup that aims to help people feel safer on social media.
by Shannon Bond

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Carving out a path through the pandemic — and the snow — on Northwest Angle's ice road

Carving out a path through the pandemic — and the snow — on Northwest Angle's ice road

Minnesota’s Northwest Angle has been cut off from the mainland since the start of the pandemic — almost a year. To keep their fishing resort industry open, Angle residents skirted the Canadian border closures by plowing a 30-mile ice road across Lake of the Woods.
by John Enger

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AP Exclusive: Black Lives Matter opens up about its finances

AP Exclusive: Black Lives Matter opens up about its finances

A financial snapshot shared exclusively with The Associated Press shows the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation brought in just over $90 million last year. The foundation widely seen as a steward of the Black Lives Matter movement said individual donations averaged $30.76 in 2020.
by The Associated Press

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Pigeons star in a tale of mining in 'Flight of the Diamond Smugglers'

Pigeons star in a tale of mining in 'Flight of the Diamond Smugglers'

Journalist Matthew Gavin Frank exposes the history of South Africa's nefarious diamond industry, accompanied by a tale of pigeons and their role in subversion, in crisp and poetic prose.
by Martha Anne Toll

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What’s it like to be part of an adolescent COVID-19 vaccine trial?

The FDA has greenlighted Pfizer’s vaccine for people age 16 and older, and Moderna’s version for those aged 18 and up. Now, trials are underway to test whether those vaccines are safe and effective for younger populations.
by Cathy Wurzer

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'Red Line' examines Syria's use of chemical weapons, and the world's discovery of it

'Red Line' examines Syria's use of chemical weapons, and the world's discovery of it

Journalist Joby Warrick takes a detailed look at an excruciating moment for the world — the time in 2013 when the U.S. concluded that Syria's government had used chemical weapons in its civil war.
by Steve Inskeep

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For older Minnesotans, whether they're vaccinated has a lot to do with where they live

For older Minnesotans, whether they're vaccinated has a lot to do with where they live

In Minnesota, whether people 65 or older have gotten a vaccine for COVID-19 yet depends, in large part, on where they live. In some rural Minnesota counties, older residents are more than twice as likely to have gotten at least a first dose of the vaccine than if they live in most parts of the Twin Cities metro area. But even in rural parts of the state, there are significant differences from county to county.
by Dan Kraker

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Tuesday brings rain and snow

Coming off the warmest day in months, Minnesota continues a milder trend through the end of February. Meanwhile, Tuesday brings another round of snow.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Snow moves across Minnesota Tuesday

Due to the milder temperatures Minnesota is finally seeing, a storm sliding across the state Tuesday will bring both snow and some areas of rain.
by Nicole Mitchell

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History repeats itself: COVID-19 vaccine inequities echo HIV crisis

History repeats itself: COVID-19 vaccine inequities echo HIV crisis

People were dying of a disease that could be treated — but in poor countries, they did not have access to medicines that could help. That was the story of HIV — and now of COVID-19.
by Eyder Peralta

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Race versus time: Targeting vaccine to the most vulnerable is no speedy task

Race versus time: Targeting vaccine to the most vulnerable is no speedy task

The Biden team wants to swiftly vaccinate people of color and others most vulnerable to COVID-19. But health centers are learning that speed and achieving racial equity don't always go hand in hand.
by Yuki Noguchi

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Interior nominee Haaland vows 'balance' on energy, climate

Interior nominee Haaland vows 'balance' on energy, climate

Deb Haaland, a New Mexico congresswoman named to lead the Interior Department, said she is committed to "strike the right balance" as the agency manages energy development and seeks to restore and protect the nation's sprawling federal lands.
by The Associated Press

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Gov. Walz hopes to pass new public construction package

Gov. Tim Walz announced his latest bonding bill proposal Monday at the University of Minnesota. The DFL governor said his plan represents a $518 million investment in infrastructure projects across the state. This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Ousted Capitol security officials say they didn't have intel to plan for riot

Ousted Capitol security officials say they didn't have intel to plan for riot

Former U.S. Capitol security officials told Congress during a joint hearing on Tuesday that they did not have sufficient information ahead of Jan. 6 to accurately predict the scale of the attack. All three former Capitol security officials, however, agreed that the Jan. 6 attack was planned and coordinated and that it involved white supremacists and extremist groups.
by NPR Staff and MPR News Staff

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Feb. 23 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccine pace stays flat; daily deaths drop

Feb. 23 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccine pace stays flat; daily deaths drop

Officials anticipate this week will be a busy one as weather-delayed shots make their way into the state atop the expected 100,000 doses from the feds. Overall pandemic metrics are still looking good — including only two deaths reported in two days.
by MPR News Staff

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Young people struggle to keep friends close as pandemic pulls them apart

Young people struggle to keep friends close as pandemic pulls them apart

The pandemic has prolonged the post-graduation transition amid a tough economy. With the lack of in-person interaction, young professionals are trying to adjust to a diminishing social circle.
by Hadia Bakkar

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Minnesota races for Congress in 2022 could get wild

Minnesota races for Congress in 2022 could get wild

Late-arriving census numbers could lead to an unlikely scenario where members of Congress are elected at-large statewide. It happened once before in Minnesota.
by David H. Montgomery

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A multi-generational plea for social justice activism from Josie Johnson and her granddaughter

A multi-generational plea for social justice activism from Josie Johnson and her granddaughter

Josie Johnson and her granddaughter Josie Duffy Rice discuss the enduring importance of civil rights and social justice activism, at a 2020 event hosted by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
by MPR News Staff

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'Popular Longing' digs into everything we'd rather leave unsaid

'Popular Longing' digs into everything we'd rather leave unsaid

In her third collection of poems, Natalie Shapero takes a blunt, funny look at the uncomfortable realities of life under capitalism. She says her work engages with the things people don't talk about.
by Jeevika Verma

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Why the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has gotten a bad rap — and why that's not fair

Why the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has gotten a bad rap — and why that's not fair

By some measures, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may appear to be less effective than Moderna and Pfizer. But Dr. Ashish Jha says when it comes to hospitalizations and deaths, it's just as good.
by Ari Shapiro

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City probe faults overall police treatment of Elijah McClain

City probe faults overall police treatment of Elijah McClain

The report of the investigation conducted for the Colorado city of Aurora faults officers for their quick, aggressive treatment of the 23-year-old Black man. 
by The Associated Press

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Deputy allegedly had fentanyl in system during deadly chase

Authorities say an Otter Tail County deputy was under the influence of the powerful painkiller fentanyl while involved in a high-speed chase that ended in a deadly crash. 
by The Associated Press

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