All Things Considered

With the country still reeling from an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and on edge ahead of a precarious transition of power, many are reflecting on what it means to be American. Against that backdrop, many immigrants and refugees remain clear-eyed about the country's promise, including a St. Paul couple who became citizens Friday, under unusual circumstances.

As security ramped up at the Minnesota Capitol, Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said a recent FBI bulletin about potential threats to state Capitol buildings across the country is outdated. Nevertheless, top state officials said they were ready to keep Minnesotans safe. 

Native nations in Minnesota managed the early months of the coronavirus pandemic with relatively few cases and deaths. But that changed in the fall, as COVID-19 cases and deaths surged. A doctor helping lead the coronavirus response for the White Earth Nation talks about fighting the virus with science and spiritual practices.

The state says health care providers are now allowed to vaccinate people 65 and older, and those who have underlying health conditions — if they have extra doses. The announcement appears to be the first step in following new federal guidance on who should be next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Renowned climate scientist Michael Mann looks at the tactics fossil fuel interests are using to obstruct broad policy shifts that are our surest bet to “take back our planet.”

While the new guidance lets providers vaccinate those 65 and older, “we are not yet ready to advise large groups of Minnesotans on how they can get vaccine,” the state’s health commissioner told reporters.

Often working together, Eve and Gary Wallinga use sticks to apply acrylic paint to canvas, creating images from layered dots.

Latinos in Minnesota are a diverse and growing community. Recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the community is about 300,000 — more than six times the size just three decades ago.

The Duluth-based company is the second major utility in Minnesota to announce a goal of producing all its electricity from carbon-free sources by midcentury, following Xcel Energy, which was the first utility in the country to make the pledge in late 2018.

Citing COVID-19 restrictions, the judge overseeing the trial of four former police officers charged in the killing of George Floyd says Derek Chauvin will be tried months before the three other officers are scheduled to go on trial.