Minnesota Today

While some districts like Minneapolis and St. Paul have announced their plans, it may be several more weeks before families get final word from their districts. MPR News morning update for July 31, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

The state is recommending in-person classes for districts with low levels of infection and adequate space to social distance in schools. MPR News evening update for July 30, 2020. Hosted by Tim Nelson.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday is expected to give districts and charter schools guidance on the upcoming school year to help them make decisions on reopening this fall. 

The governor said he wants students to be able to return to in-person classes, but to do it safely.

This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, July 30, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Ending the COVID-19 outbreak depends on individual Minnesotans acting responsibly to stem the spread, the state’s infectious disease director said Wednesday as hospitalizations and intensive cases continued to climb.

With every decision Minnesotans make now about masking or not masking, socially distancing or not, “you are contributing to the solution, or to the crisis,” Kris Ehresmann told reporters.

This is an MPR News evening update for Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Hosted by Tim Nelson and Megan Burks.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Coronavirus hospitalizations in Minnesota hit their highest level in a month on Monday with 37 more people admitted — one of the largest one-day increases since the pandemic began.

While hospitalizations and ICU cases are on the upswing, the growth in new cases seems to be moderating after a steep, month-long climb and the six-week path of daily deaths in single digits continued.

This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday July 29, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

An alleged white supremacist instigated an initial round of destruction in Minneapolis following George Floyd’s killing, breaking windows at an auto parts store and egging on others to loot the store before it was burned down, according to a search warrant for the man’s phone records.

The warrant refers to the person as “Umbrella Man,” a 32-year-old dressed in all black, carrying a black umbrella and a sledge hammer he used to break storefront windows. His most recent address is at a home in the Anoka County city of Ramsey. MPR News is not naming the man because he has not yet been charged with any crime.

This is an MPR News evening update for Tuesday, July 28, 2020. Hosted by Megan Burks and Tim Nelson.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

State health officials again ratcheted up the worry that COVID-19 trends in Minnesota are headed the wrong way on Monday, just days before Gov. Tim Walz was to announce his plan for the upcoming school year.

With more than 2,000 new cases confirmed over the past few days, authorities implored Minnesotans to stay vigilant, wear masks and keep social distancing so the state does not suffer the problems seen now in Florida, Texas and other states struggling to control outbreaks.

This is an MPR News morning update for Tuesday, July 28, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Ivanka Trump made two stops in Minnesota on Monday, July 27. Trump spoke at outdoor gear and apparel maker Duluth Pack, where executives signed onto the Trump Administration’s Pledge to American Workers. She also visited Bloomington, where the Department of the Interior opened a new office to investigate the disappearances and killings of Native Americans.

Protesters staged rallies outside both events, including Native American drummers in Bloomington, saying the effort was an empty political gesture. Some top Native American leaders in Minnesota who have worked on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people for years say they were not invited.

An alternative to a move by the Minneapolis City Council to remove the Police Department from the city's charter is in the works. The Minneapolis Charter Commission will listen to public testimony Monday evening on its own measure that does not make changes on the same scale as the City Council's amendment.

This is an MPR News morning update for Monday, July 27, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

Heavy rain that started Saturday evening in south-central Minnesota continued through the night, adding up to more than a half-foot by Sunday morning in some areas and flooding roads.

Flash flood warnings were issued overnight from New Ulm, Mankato and Faribault to the north and west. Among the hardest-hit areas were parts of Sibley and Nicollet counties, where weather spotters reported flooded roads overnight as storm after storm moved across the same area.

This is an MPR News update for Sunday, July 26, 2020. Hosted by Emily Bright.

Our theme music is by Gary Meister.