Morning Edition

Cathy Wurzer
Cathy Wurzer
MPR

Morning Edition, with Cathy Wurzer in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington and Los Angeles, brings you all the news from overnight and the information you need to start your day. Listen from 4 to 9 a.m. every weekday.

Morning Announcements | Weather chats with Mark Seeley

'Step in the right direction' as Minnesota nursing home residents get first vaccine doses
The first residents and staff at a St. Cloud nursing home and a Prairie Island Indian Community assisted living facility have received their initial doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. It’s good news for long-term care facilities, which have been hardest hit by the virus. Sixty-five percent of the state's 4,896 deaths have been among long-term care residents.
Local film giant Al Milgrom dies at 98
Al Milgrom taught film at the University of Minnesota and founded the U Film Society in the 1960s. In time, his efforts produced what became the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. 
Duluth rebuilds Lakewalk to — hopefully — withstand future storms
After being battered repeatedly by big storms and waves, the city of Duluth has invested millions of dollars in what it hopes is a bigger and stronger Lakewalk, the popular hiking and biking trail on the shore of Lake Superior. It’s part of an effort to make the city’s shoreline more climate resilient. 
Rescuing the plywood — and memorializing a movement
Among those who protested the police killing of George Floyd last spring were artists who expressed their grief and anger through painting. They created hundreds of murals on the plywood that Twin Cities businesses used to protect their windows during the civil unrest. With winter on the way, two young Black women are leading a major effort to preserve the artwork.
Overall, 2020 was warmer than average in Minnesota – and drier than normal, too. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer ran down the year in weather with retired university of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley.
AG Ellison: 'Nobody wants to push anybody to close'
Dozens of bars and restaurants across Minnesota are openly defying Gov. Tim Walz’s ban on indoor dining and drinking. Many say they have nothing to lose as they've been bleeding money for months. In response, the state is ramping up its efforts to squash what seems like a growing rebellion.
'This is the beginning of the end': Bemidji doctor marks months of treating COVID patients with vaccine
As the COVID-19 vaccine makes its way across Minnesota, Bemidji’s Sanford Health gave the first six of its nearly thousand doses to doctors and nurses on Thursday.
U of M President Gabel on COVID-19 challenges, plans
The University of Minnesota is facing a major budget shortfall as it grapples with losses in its athletics department, coupled with low revenue from student housing and other pandemic-related challenges.