Stories from June 20, 2022

No COVID-19 'hero pay' upsets Minnesota child care providers
Child care providers across Minnesota are upset they're not eligible for the state's COVID-19 “hero pay” program. Gov. Tim Walz signed the program into law in April. 
What to know ahead of South Dakota AG impeachment trial
South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg faces a historic impeachment trial this week for his actions surrounding a 2020 car crash in which he struck and killed a pedestrian.
'It's just hell there': Russia still pounds eastern Ukraine
Russia’s military kept on grinding down Ukraine’s defenses Monday, with combat in eastern areas said to be entering a “decisive” phase, as the war’s consequences for food and fuel supplies increasingly weighed on minds around the globe.
COVID-19 shots for infants, toddlers available in Minnesota this week
State officials say children as young as 6 months old can start vaccinations against COVID-19 as early as this week, after federal officials gave their long-awaited approval for the shots.
Steamy Monday; strong thunderstorms mainly north later
A hot blast of sultry weather statewide Monday. Strong thunderstorms beginning in west central and northwestern Minnesota in the afternoon will build across northern Minnesota by evening and central Minnesota overnight. Some storms are likely to become severe.
Elise Stefanik's defense of Trump around Jan. 6 clouds her pro-democracy work abroad
Rep. Elise Stefanik's outspoken defense of Donald Trump after Jan. 6 has roiled a pro-democracy group funded by Congress where she's a board member. Some staff members are sharing their concerns.
Far right groups shift focus to LBGTQ events. Their hateful aim hasn't changed
As anti-LGBTQ narratives ramp up in the mainstream, far-right groups Patriot Front and Proud Boys have used the moment to target Pride events. But their goal remains the same, extremism trackers say.
The new Juneteenth federal holiday traces its roots to Galveston, Texas
Union Gen. Gordon Granger set up his headquarters in Galveston, Texas, and famously signed an order June 19, 1865, "All slaves are free." President Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday last year.