MPR News

A nurse fills a syringe with a vaccine dose.

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccinations accelerate; disease data stable

Gov. Tim Walz is expected to speak at 2 p.m. on the arrival of a supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Minnesota. State data shows the vaccination trend line at a new high, while active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations hold fairly steady.

A man stands outside on a snow-covered field.

'Steps toward healing': Dakota tribe reclaims its land — and its story

The Lower Sioux Indian Community’s homeland lies along the Minnesota River in Redwood County. Last month, 114 acres, formerly controlled by the state, were transferred back to the tribe. “Steps towards healing is what we need,” tribal Chair Robert Larsen said. ‘And this is one of those steps.”

A group of plain clothes police officers march with batons.

St. Paul police lead training to protect firefighters during mass demonstrations

The St. Paul Police Department added the training to deal with a specific problem they had last year: Firefighters had trouble responding to buildings on fire because of the volatile situation around them. Meanwhile, activists say they are skeptical police will respect their First Amendment rights.

A view of a military air base

Pentagon: U.S. contractor dies in rocket attack at Iraq base

A U.S. contractor died Wednesday when at least 10 rockets slammed into an air base housing U.S. and other coalition troops in western Iraq, the Pentagon said.

President Biden keeps a note card in his suit pocket with the running tally of how many Americans have died from COVID-19 and how many have been vaccinated.

How the White House got 2 pharma rivals to work together on a COVID-19 vaccine

A 15-minute call with Johnson & Johnson executives on a Sunday afternoon stretched into a 75-minute turning point. "We have to take bold action and overwhelm this," a senior official said.

An employee makes respiratory masks in a family-owned medical equipment factory in Miami on Feb. 15. American manufacturers are thriving but they are running into an unexpected problem: Finding critical supplies.

American factories are roaring back. The problem? They can't find critical parts

U.S. factories are thriving thanks to unexpected strong demand for all kinds of goods, but that is also leading to unexpected headaches.

A mob storms the U.S. Capitol.

Watch live: National security officials to testify on Jan. 6 mistakes

Federal national security officials are set to testify in the second Senate hearing about what went wrong on Jan. 6, facing questions about missed intelligence and botched efforts to quickly gather National Guard troops that day as a violent mob laid siege to the U.S. Capitol.

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say fatal drug overdoses nationwide surged roughly 20% during the pandemic, killing more than 83,000 people in 2020. A growing body of research suggests Black Americans have suffered the heaviest toll.

Drug overdose deaths surge among Black Americans during pandemic

Black Americans with addiction face "pervasive and continuing systemic racism" and often struggle to gain access to treatments that prevent fatal overdoses.

The coronavirus variant first spotted in South Africa alarms scientists because it evolved a mutation, known as E484K, that appears to make it better at evading antibodies produced by the immune system.

Worried about coronavirus variants? Here's what you need to know

Scientists are spotting new coronavirus variants almost on a daily basis. So far public health experts are still most worried about three important ones.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the nation's infrastructure a grade of C-minus on it's quadrennial infrastructure report card. Many of the country's roads, bridges, airports, dams, levees and water systems are aging and in poor to mediocre condition.

Potholes, grid failures, aging tunnels and bridges: Nation's infrastructure gets a C-

The quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers is an improvement from the D+ four years ago, but shows federal investment is still lacking.

Doctor's visit

New center to reframe how we research health disparities

A new grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will support antiracism research in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph

Vikings cut TE Kyle Rudolph after 10 years for cap savings

The Minnesota Vikings have released two-time Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph, ending his 10-season run with the team.

Neera Tanden testified during a Senate Committee on the Budget hearing on Capitol Hill on Feb. 10.

Biden's Budget nominee Neera Tanden withdraws nomination amid opposition

The former head of the Center for American Progress was criticized for tweets disparaging some lawmakers. President Joe Biden said in a statement he accepted Tanden's request.

Report: Fatal shootout began when suspect fired on police

An exchange of gunfire between a police officer and two brothers who were shot and killed on a road near Sebeka, Minn., began when one of the suspects opened fire on the officer and a sheriff's deputy, according to a BCA report.

The red-cockaded woodpecker has been listed as endangered for more than half a century.

How the military helped bring back the red-cockaded woodpecker

The U.S. military and conservation groups forged an unusual alliance to help save the red-cockaded woodpecker, but a Trump-era move to take it off the endangered list could threaten the bird.

Douglas Kim

As virus-era attacks on Asians rise, past victims look back

Asian Americans have faced a dangerous climate since the coronavirus entered the U.S. a year ago. Now, just over a year and thousands of incidents later, some of the earliest victims find moving forward has been difficult or, at best, bittersweet.

Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a deadly crash near Holtville, Calif., on Tuesday. Authorities say a truck crashed into an SUV carrying 25 people on a Southern California highway, killing at least 13 people.

At least 13 people dead after crowded SUV collides with truck in California

The police say they believe the SUV was carrying 25 people when it collided with a gravel truck.

A man wearing a face mask kneels while disinfecting a tool.

Deal brewing on quick tax relief bill in Minnesota

A portion of Minnesota’s budget surplus could be used to shield businesses and those who were unemployed during the pandemic avoid a tax punch. Funding for summer school is also in the mix.

Iowa company wants to store carbon dioxide under North Dakota

An Iowa company is leading a $2 billion effort to capture carbon dioxide from Midwestern ethanol plants and pipe it to North Dakota where it would be buried deep underground.

Civil rights icon Vernon Jordan speaks at an event honoring Josie Johnson.

Vernon Jordan, activist, former Clinton adviser, has died

Vernon Jordan, who rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to become a champion of civil rights before reinventing himself as a Washington insider and corporate influencer, has died, according to a statement from his daughter. He was 85.