COVID-19: Coverage of the pandemic from MPR News

The White House offered Wednesday to connect Nicki Minaj with one of the Biden administration's doctors to address her questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, after the Trinidadian-born rapper's erroneous tweet alleging the vaccine causes impotence went viral.

The highly contagious delta variant is spreading fast across the country, leading to a flurry of reinstated mask rules and mandatory vaccination announcements. Here’s where you’ll need to mask up in Minnesota, and which colleges and employers are requiring vaccines.

Experts say there's no scientific evidence showing that masks cause harm to kids' health despite claims to the contrary on social media and elsewhere. Among the unfounded arguments: Masks can foster germs if they become moist or cause unhealthy levels of carbon dioxide. But experts say washing masks routinely keeps them safe and clean.

Minnesota labor unions are turning up the heat on state lawmakers to resolve their differences on pandemic front-line worker pay and start distributing $250 million to essential workers.