Health

Despite a concerns about mass shootings and a focus on violent crime in the metro, a new report shows the majority of gun deaths in 2021 were suicides in greater Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and state officials are urging people to update their COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of the fall, when a migration indoors can lead to more exposures.

They argue the threat posed by COVID has lessened because of preexisting immunity and access to treatment. Plus, some deaths may be incorrectly blamed on COVID. Others caution it's too soon to tell.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the rollout of the mental health crisis line 988 in Minnesota.

Minnesotans can now get more at-home COVID-19 tests for free from the state. They can be ordered online or by calling 1-833-431-2053.

Supplemental Security Income, a federal program meant to be a financial floor for people unable to work, hasn't kept pace with inflation. Many recipients are homeless, unable to save for an apartment.

Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association at 15 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports walked off the job Monday over contract negotiations. Next they will see if the walkout will help at the bargaining table.

A new report from the Lancet Commission sums up the many mistakes that have been made and offers proposals for a more effective global strategy if and when another pandemic should strike.

Updated vaccine boosters for COVID-19 are rolling out across Minnesota. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two infectious disease doctors about the boosters, managing COVID as we head into fall and why this year’s flu season could be a doozy. 

Data shows that a disproportionate number of people who contract monkeypox are also HIV positive. Researchers are trying to figure out the reason.