Stories from January 18, 2022

Waste water data indicates the COVID peak may already be here in the Twin Cities. Mayo Clinic says it is also seeing signs of a plateau. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.
With airlines worried about 5G, Verizon and AT&T agree to delay rollout near airports
The FAA says 5G service could interfere with critical navigation systems on some aircraft and will restrict flights into some airports, which could lead to widespread delays and cancellations.
Micro thaw Tuesday; arctic invasion the rest of this week
Highs hit the 40s across southern Minnesota Tuesday. Wind chills will be closer to minus 40 up north by Wednesday morning.
Phenomenal phenology reports from young reporters around Minn.
Every Tuesday, KAXE/KBXE radio in the Grand Rapids-Bemidji area airs nature reports from local students. John Latimer runs the show on phenology — that’s the study of changes in nature over the seasons. He told host Cathy Wurzer more.
The omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread rapidly throughout Minnesota, health care providers are swamped, and at Sanford Health, nurses are bearing the brunt of staffing challenges. Erica DeBoer, chief nursing officer for Sanford Health, joined host Cathy Wurzer with more.
When housing costs soar, Minnesota tenants and homebuyers get creative 
As the cost of shelter goes up, some people are turning to alternative ways to afford the roof over their head. MPR News guest host Twila Dang talks with experts involved with land trusts and housing cooperatives and takes listener calls about creative ideas for alternatives to rising rents and mortgages. 
The big picture: A conversation about the future of democracy
This week, as we step into a new year, we’re looking to the future of big issues in America. Tuesday, host Cathy Wurzer talked with anthropologist and Metropolitan State University associate professor of social science Jose Santos about truth and the future of democracy.
Amid another COVID wave, rural nurses face severe staffing challenges
The omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread rapidly throughout Minnesota, health care providers are swamped, and at Sanford Health, nurses are bearing the brunt of staffing challenges. Erica DeBoer, chief nursing officer for Sanford Health, joined host Cathy Wurzer with more.
St. Paul students demand switch to distance learning for 2 weeks
Hundreds of middle and high school students walked out of class on Tuesday afternoon, decrying unsafe health conditions in buildings and demanding more COVID prevention measures and testing.
Walz asks lawmakers to back record $2.7 billion bonding bill
Gov. Tim Walz is asking the Legislature to back a $2.7 billion “local jobs and projects” plan that’s considerably larger than the record package that lawmakers passed two years ago. 
Northern snowfall totals increase before Canadian cold arrives
An arctic air mass blows into Minnesota starting Tuesday through Wednesday and Thursday. Wind chill advisories cover all of northern Minnesota and run right up to the western Twin Cities late Tuesday through Wednesday morning.
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Signs of a possible peak; 11K pandemic deaths
Minnesota’s newest COVID-19 data remains muddled by post-holiday reporting lags, but Tuesday’s report offers reasons to be hopeful the surge in cases and hospitalizations may be ready to ebb. Deaths, however, continue to mount.
A St. Paul school walkout organizer calls for COVID-19 safety measures
Tuesday afternoon, a number of St. Paul high school and middle school students walked out of class, demanding the city’s public school district do more to keep them safe as COVID-19 case numbers spike.
Women's hockey league to increase salary cap, add 2 teams
The Premier Hockey Federation is more than doubling each teams’ salary cap to $750,000 and adding two expansion franchises next season in a bid to capitalize on the wave of attention women’s hockey traditionally enjoys following the Winter Olympics.
Canadian cold set to slash temps through Thursday across Minnesota
Snow continues Tuesday across northern Minnesota. In the northwest, strong winds will bring near-blizzard conditions in the Red River Valley. A Canadian cold front drops temperatures by late in the day.
Francouz steps in, Avs beat Wild in shootout
Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped 24 shots in relief of injured Darcy Kuemper and three more in the shootout, and Colorado beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 for its 14th straight home win.
A legal fight over a gravely ill Buffalo man's treatment at a Coon Rapids hospital is over after he was transferred to a hospital in Texas. This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Snow up north Tuesday; cold Canadian wind coming
Snow comes Tuesday to northern Minnesota with near-blizzard conditions in the Red River Valley. Wednesday and Thursday bring highs only in the plus and minus single digits. Expect high temperatures near zero both days in the Twin Cities.
Biden year one takeaways: Grand ambitions, humbling defeats
After the turbulence and chaos of his predecessor, Donald Trump, Joe Biden was seen by voters as one who could restore a sense of normalcy and a reassuring tone to the White House. But Biden also found out, as all his predecessors have, that events beyond his control would shape his time in office and the public’s assessment of him.
Supreme Court justices aren't 'scorpions,' but not happy campers either
Anybody who regularly watches Supreme Court arguments is used to seeing testy moments. But you don't have to be a keen observer these days to see that something out of the ordinary is happening.
These are the 5 things needed to stabilize the pandemic in Europe, WHO expert says
The omicron variant has added a lot of uncertainty to the trajectory of the pandemic. Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, has what he calls five pandemic stabilizers that could help.
Minnesota novelist delves into pandemic grief
Imagine working on a novel for 10 years about a world enduring a global plague only to have it published during a real pandemic. That's what's happening to Minneapolis writer Sequoia Nagamatsu. He has mixed feelings about the timing, but he hopes it helps people struggling with the impact of COVID.