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Stories from April 6, 2021

Nearly half of new U.S. virus infections are in just 5 states

Nearly half of new U.S. virus infections are in just 5 states

New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey together reported 44 percent of the nation’s new COVID-19 infections. That's nearly 197,500 new cases in the latest available seven-day period.
by The Associated Press

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A tool that prioritizes people for homeless services favored white people. So Hennepin Co. stopped using it.

Since changing its intake questionnaire, Hennepin County has seen a reversal, with more people of color — who are also more likely to experience homelessness — prioritized for permanent housing.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Wildfire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park 45 percent contained

Wildfire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park 45 percent contained

Firefighters are making headway against a blaze in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The fire in the park's North Unit tripled in size on Sunday, threatening park staff housing, maintenance buildings and the CCC Campground. 
by The Associated Press

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State's case heading into home stretch for Chauvin trial

State's case heading into home stretch for Chauvin trial, as experts testify about the use of force standards and what the video of George Floyd’s death shows. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

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Black nurse volunteers give shots to Minnesota's most vulnerable

Black nurse volunteers give shots to Minnesota's most vulnerable

Inequities persist between how easily and quickly Minnesotans of color are getting vaccinated for COVID-19, as compared to their white neighbors. Helping to bridge that gap is a volunteer network of Black nurses, who say giving shots in familiar locations is key to getting more people of color vaccinated more quickly.
by Catharine Richert

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Election bills highlight Minnesota’s political divide

Election bills highlight Minnesota’s political divide

House Democrats and Senate Republicans rolled out competing election plans Tuesday that offer little room for compromise the remaining weeks of the 2021 session.
by Tim Pugmire

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As Biden pushes major rail investments, Amtrak's 2035 map has people talking

As Biden pushes major rail investments, Amtrak's 2035 map has people talking

"You and your family could travel coast to coast without a single tank of gas onboard a high-speed train," President Joe Biden said. The map shows 30 new routes across the U.S. that funding could create.
by Laurel Wamsley

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Why stress causes teachers to leave the classroom

Why stress causes teachers to leave the classroom

More than a year after schools were forced to shut down because of COVID-19, teachers are struggling to cope with the added pressure and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. MPR News host Kerri Miller talks to two experts about teacher stress, recruiting new teachers and what the future holds.
by Kerri Miller and Ariana Rosas

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President Biden: All adults should be vaccine eligible by April 19

President Biden: All adults should be vaccine eligible by April 19

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that states must open vaccine eligibility to all U.S. residents 16 and older by April 19, about two weeks ahead of his initial May 1 deadline.
by Rachel Treisman

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Scientists race to develop next generation of COVID vaccines

Scientists race to develop next generation of COVID vaccines

The three vaccines available in the U.S. are safe and effective, but not ideal. Now, work is underway to create more convenient and potent vaccines, including a tablet and nasal spray.
by Joe Palca

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Floyd's family takes its seat in ex-officer's murder trial

Floyd's family takes its seat in ex-officer's murder trial

A member of George Floyd's family often occupies a reserved seat in the back corner of the Minneapolis courtroom where former police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial in Floyd's death. The seat reserved for Chauvin's family goes unclaimed.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

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Your 2020 tax questions, answered

Your 2020 tax questions, answered

Yes, we have an extra month to file our taxes. But don’t procrastinate — 2020 threw some financial curve balls that could make filing a little more complicated this year.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Slain Capitol Police officer will lie in honor in the rotunda

Slain Capitol Police officer will lie in honor in the rotunda

William Evans is the second Capitol Police officer to receive the rare distinction to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda this year. He was killed last Friday when a man rammed his car into a barrier.
by Barbara Sprunt

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Soggy and cooler weather returns

Following record warmth Sunday and Monday, temperatures trend cooler as clouds and rain start to spread across Minnesota, then the rest of the week turns soggy.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Official: Biden moving vaccine eligibility date to April 19

Official: Biden moving vaccine eligibility date to April 19

President Joe Biden was set to announce Tuesday that he is shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines.
by The Associated Press

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Memoir offers advice on 'How to Raise a Feminist Son'

Memoir offers advice on 'How to Raise a Feminist Son'

A feminist son, says author Sonora Jha, means "a boy who believes in the full humanity of women and girls around him." It also means recognizing that as they grow older, they can be led by women.
by Rachel Martin

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Rain spreads across Minnesota Tuesday

While still mild, temperatures Tuesday will be noticeably cooler than Monday as clouds and rain make their way across the state.
by Nicole Mitchell

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St. Paul police fight catalytic converter thefts with spray paint 

St. Paul police fight catalytic converter thefts with spray paint 

St. Paul police are taking a new approach to fighting catalytic converter thefts: They're offering to paint the devices underneath cars and SUVs to deter thieves. 
by Tim Nelson

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Chauvin trial: Top cops say Floyd restraint violated MPD policy, principles

A key part of Derek Chauvin’s murder trial defense is that the Minneapolis officer’s use of force against George Floyd last May was appropriate and in line with department policy. But high-ranking Minneapolis police leaders have spent the past few days testifying that simply isn’t so. This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Hosted by Phil Picardi. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Woman gets new windpipe in groundbreaking transplant surgery

Woman gets new windpipe in groundbreaking transplant surgery

A medical team in New York City says it has performed the first complete surgical transplant of a trachea. These kinds of transplants are one of the last big transplant challenges.
by Richard Harris

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April 6 update on COVID-19 in MN: Hospitalizations trending younger

April 6 update on COVID-19 in MN: Hospitalizations trending younger

Thanks to vaccinations, Minnesota likely won’t see as severe a spike in cases as it saw in November and December — but the pandemic isn’t over, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Tuesday.
by MPR News Staff

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Chauvin trial: MPD instructor says cops aren't trained to use knee on neck

Chauvin trial: MPD instructor says cops aren't trained to use knee on neck

A Minneapolis use-of-force instructor testified that officers aren't trained to use their legs or knees on somebody's neck, while another police official told jurors that Derek Chauvin received extensive training in how to defuse tense situations.
by Brandt Williams, Riham Feshir, Jon Collins and Matt Sepic

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Comic: Teaching preschoolers while masked up during the pandemic

Comic: Teaching preschoolers while masked up during the pandemic

It's been a year since teachers were handed an unprecedented request: educate students in entirely new ways amid the backdrop of a pandemic.
by LA Johnson

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African immigrant health groups battle a transatlantic tide of vaccine disinformation

African immigrant health groups battle a transatlantic tide of vaccine disinformation

Efforts to address hesitancy among Black people in America often overlook African immigrants, who get information from friends and family back home through social media platforms such as WhatsApp.
by Eva Tesfaye

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