Stories from January 7, 2022

Authorities say a toddler who was in a vehicle believed stolen from a store parking Friday afternoon has been found and is safe back with his mother.
Highs in the 30s across southern Minnesota Saturday. Another arctic front sweeps south Sunday.
St. Paul families increasingly prefer racially segregated schools
More than 20,000 St. Paul kids chose not to enroll in the city’s public schools last year. Many of those students — white, Black and Asian — are leaving for charter schools that cater to students of their own race.
The Minnesota Hospital Association is pleading with people to avoid emergency rooms unless they are experiencing a true medical emergency.  This is an MPR News Evening update for Jan 7, 2022. Hosted by Natasha Senjanovic. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Transportation commissioner to head Minneapolis public works
MnDOT Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher plans to leave the state agency to work for the city of Minneapolis. Her nomination by Mayor Jacob Frey requires City Council approval. 
How civil wars start and why it could happen again in America
A contemporary civil war in America wouldn’t much resemble the last one, says political scientist Barbara F. Walter in her new book. But it could happen again — and if you’re skeptical about that, she believes you suffer from a lack of imagination that puts the country at risk.
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Active cases leap; hospitals 'literally full'
As the surge continues to whack Minnesota, state hospital leaders Friday begged people not to come to emergency rooms seeking COVID tests or other nonemergency care.
As gun fire increases in Mpls., women becoming more frequent targets
The city of Minneapolis saw an increase in gun violence victims that were women in 2021, even when accounting for a year of record gunfire.
Sir, we loved you: Sidney Poitier dies at 94
Poitier was the first African American to win a Best Actor Oscar, for 1963's “Lilies of the Field.” His good looks and smooth, commanding presence made him an icon to generations of moviegoers.
What it really takes to keep schools open during the omicron surge
Schools are just starting to get regular access to testing; teachers are still paying out of pocket for masks and air purifiers; and qualified substitutes and bus drivers can be hard to find.
The Twin Cities will be near 30 degrees Saturday afternoon after dropping to minus 17 Friday morning. In Bemidji, it my be a 60-degree swing. Then comes Sunday.
Temps on Friday morning were -35 F in Park Rapids and -32 F in Bemidji. The windchill in Thief River Falls was -47 F. This is a morning news update for Friday, January 7, 2022. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Clear skies overnight made for an arctic start Friday morning, but milder air will have temperatures rising quickly throughout the day. Northern Minnesota sees light snow late in the day.
How do I know if I have a cold, the flu or COVID-19?
Symptoms of common colds, the flu and COVID-19 can overlap, so experts say testing is the best way to determine what you have. 
COVID vaccines may briefly change your menstrual cycle, but you should still get one
The new research affirms what many individuals had reported. But it also shows the changes to the menstrual cycle are mostly minor and brief, more akin to a sore arm than a dangerous reaction.
The immovable Republican Party and 'ink-blot politics'
Several of the key facts of the Jan. 6 insurrection are indisputable. And yet millions on the right do dispute them. Here's a look at how that happened.
Supreme Court conservatives seem skeptical of vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses
Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Friday of the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test mandate it imposed on large companies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Making weather forecasts is hard. Getting people to understand them is even harder
After nearly a decade, the director of the National Weather Service has stepped down. Getting the public to understand weather is just as important as the science that delivers the forecasts, he says.
Late response to shooting of Floyd grandniece prompts review
Houston police and city officials are investigating an hourslong delay by authorities in responding to a shooting early on New Year’s Day in which the 4-year-old grandniece of George Floyd was wounded while she slept in her Houston apartment.  
As COVID-19 surges in schools, will districts return to distance learning?
As the omicron variant races through Minnesota, we're seeing more kids getting sick, and school staff, too. MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman joined host Cathy Wurzer with the latest on how schools across the state are managing the pandemic — and whether some might go back to distance learning.