Author: The Associated Press

US Hiring Rebounded in October, With 531,000 Jobs Added

WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers stepped up their hiring in October, adding a solid 531,000 jobs, the most since July and a sign that the recovery from the pandemic recession may be overcoming a virus-induced slowdown. Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% last month, from 4.8% in September. The economy’s emergence…

Manufacturers Sue Over Federal Vaccine Mandates for Workers

DARIEN, Wis. (AP) – Two Wisconsin manufacturers are among those suing to block the Biden administration from instituting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private-sector workers. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Darien-based Tankcraft Corp. and Plasticraft Corp. The lawsuit challenges the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses with 100…

Michigan Will No Longer Tax Tampons, Other Feminine Products

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan will no longer apply the 6% sales tax to tampons and other menstrual products under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The change will take effect in early February. Supporters of the new law said the feminine products are a necessity, not a luxury, and should be exempt from taxation like other medically necessary…

Rittenhouse Juror Dismissed After Joke About Blake Shooting

(Mark Hertzberg /Pool Photo via AP) KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — A juror in Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial was dismissed Thursday after a court security officer reported that the man told a joke about the police shooting of Jacob Blake, which set off protests in the Wisconsin city where Rittenhouse is accused of shooting three people. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce…

Unemployment Claims Drop to 269,000, Another Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a fresh pandemic low last week, another sign the job market is healing after last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 14,000 to 269,000 last week. Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications have fallen more or less steadily ever since and are gradually…

US Mandates Vaccines or Tests for Big Companies by Jan. 4

(AP) – Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly. The new government rules were issued Thursday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says companies that fail to comply could face penalties of nearly $14,000 per violation….

Frey Wins 2nd Term as Minneapolis Mayor After Bitter Race

(AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)   MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minneapolis voters have reelected Mayor Jacob Frey after a bitter race that focused on calls for changes to policing and racial justice. More than a dozen candidates ran to be mayor, including many who took issue with the way the Democratic incumbent has handled changes to the police department since one of its…

COVID-19 Vaccinations for Younger Children Begins This Week

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday health care providers and others will begin vaccinating 5- to 11-year-old children this week, now that the Pfizer coronavirus shot has received federal approval. The vaccine will arrive in waves this week and that Minnesota providers have ordered as many doses as possible from the federal government, Walz said. More…

US Gives Final Clearance To COVID-19 Shots For Kids 5 to 11

(AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign. The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

Judge: No Release for GOP Donor Accused of Sex Trafficking

(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS – A federal judge says a prominent Minnesota GOP donor charged with multiple counts of sex trafficking must remain in jail as he prepares his defense. U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz cited “very troubling” testimony that Anton Lazzaro threatened law enforcement and prosecutors after he was arrested. Lazzaro allegedly told Minneapolis police officer, Brandon Brugger, he…

US Advisers Urge COVID Shot for Kids 5-11, Final OK Due Soon

(AP) – An influential U.S. advisory panel is recommending that all children ages 5 to 11 should get Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. If the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees with Tuesday’s vote, the U.S. will embark on a major expansion of vaccinations. Pediatricians are getting ready to put kid-size doses into little arms as soon…

Facebook To Shut Down Face-Recognition System, Delete Data

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Facebook said it will shut down its face-recognition system and delete the faceprints of more than 1 billion people. “This change will represent one of the largest shifts in facial recognition usage in the technology’s history,” said a blog post on Tuesday from Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence for…

U.S. Military Weighs Penalties for Service Members Who Refuse COVID Vaccine

(courtesy: U.S. Navy) WASHINGTON (AP) – As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders must now wrestle with the fate of those who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally. The vast majority of the active-duty force has received at least…

COVID-19 Vaccine To Be Ready for Children in Wisconsin Later This Week

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Health care providers and other coronavirus vaccine distributors in Wisconsin say they could have doses that are ready to be administered to younger children by the end of the week. On Tuesday, a special advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet to consider recommendations for administering the Pfizer vaccine to younger…

Wisconsin Gun Dealers Continue to Struggle with Ammo Shortage

Gun Dealers Report Ammo Continues to be in Short Supply

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin gun dealers continue to struggle with keeping shelves stocked with ammunition. Supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic and increased demand for guns and ammunition have left shelves empty in some cases. And when a shipment does arrive at local gun stores, ammunition is quickly snapped up. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates about 8.4…

Judge Hopes to Seat Kyle Rittenhouse Jury Within a Day

Rittenhouse Could Face Life in Prison if Convicted of one of the Homicide Counts Against Him

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse has begun with the challenging task of seating jurors who haven’t already made up their minds about the man who shot three people, killing two, during a violent night of protests last summer. Rittenhouse was 17 when he traveled from his home in Illinois, just across the Wisconsin border, during protests…

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Tests Positive for COVID

Lt. Gov. Flanagan Received the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Last Spring

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19, she announced over the weekend. Flanagan says she received the positive test after caring for her 8-year-old daughter Siobhan, who tested positive on Oct. 22. The lieutenant governor received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine last spring. Flanagan said she and her husband, Tom, had…

People, Homes Vanish Due To 2020 Census’ New Privacy Method

The three-bedroom colonial-style house where Jessica Stephenson has lived in Milwaukee for the last six years bustles with activity on any given weekday, filled with the chattering of children in the day care center she runs out of her home. The U.S. Census Bureau says no one lives there. “They should come and see it for themselves,” Stephenson said. From…

FDA Paves Way for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccinations in Young Kids

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration has paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The agency authorized the kid-size doses on Friday. But there’s one more regulatory hurdle. Next week, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss which youngsters should get vaccinated. In the meantime, Pfizer plans…

Judge Says Man Unfit for Trial, Cites Energy Drink Testimony

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge said a Minnesota man accused of killing three family members with a wrench is mentally incompetent to stand trial, citing testimony from doctors about his schizophrenia intensified by his consumption of energy drinks. David Ekers, 36, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder in last year’s attack in a Minneapolis suburb that killed his…

UW System To Follow Vaccine Order for Federal Contractors

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin System says it will comply with an executive order issued by President Biden that requires federal contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Biden’s order has convinced colleges across the country to institute vaccine requirements, even in some conservative states where governors and legislators oppose mandates. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the…

Biden at Capitol to Pitch $1.75T Agenda, Unite Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is traveling to Capitol Hill to pitch House Democrats on a dramatically scaled back domestic policy package. It’s now $1.75 trillion and without a paid family leave program and other priorities. But it’s still a sweeping proposal with new health care, free-prekindergarten, and climate change programs. Later, the president will make remarks at the…

Stiffest Charge Stands for Ex-cop Who Killed Daunte Wright

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has denied a defense request to dismiss the most serious charge against a former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she meant to use a Taser instead of a handgun when she fatally shot Black motorist Daunte Wright. Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter will stand trial in Hennepin County on first- and second-degree…

Merck Agrees To Let Other Drug Makers Make Its COVID Pill

(Merck & Co. via AP) LONDON (AP) – Pharmaceutical company Merck has agreed to allow other drug makers to make its COVID-19 treatment, the first pill that has been shown to be effective against the disease. The move aims at helping millions of people in poorer countries access the drug. The U.N.-backed Medicines Patent Pool said in a statement on…

Twin Metals to Appeal Federal Decision on Proposed Mine

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Twin Metals says it will appeal a federal decision that dealt a serious blow to its proposed copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. Last week, the Biden administration ordered a mineral withdrawal study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a popular recreational area in the Superior National…

Wisconsin Lawmakers To Send Anti-abortion Bills to Governor

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly is poised to give final approval to a package of anti-abortion bills that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is all but certain to veto. Final approval on Wednesday of the bills designed the reduce the number of abortions in the state comes after the state Senate, also controlled by Republicans, passed the measures…

FDA Advisers Back Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Kids

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health advisers have endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for younger children. The vote Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration panel moves the U.S. closer to vaccinating children ages 5 to 11. The FDA isn’t bound by the panel’s recommendation and is expected to make its own decision within days. If regulators agree, shots…

Judge in Chauvin Trial to Release Names of Jurors on Nov. 1

(Mark Hertzberg/Pool Photo via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin judge is setting the final ground rules for what evidence will be allowed at Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial next week. The Illinois teen shot three people, killing two of them, during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha in August 2020. He faces multiple charges, including homicide. He has argued…

Update: Names Released Following Fatal Small Plane Crash Near Ashland

Courtesy: Ashland Daily Press via AP MARENGO, Wis. (AP) – The brother and sister who died when their small plane crashed into a house in a tiny, northern Wisconsin town were known to the homeowners, who escaped injury. The single-engine plane went down Saturday afternoon in the Ashland County community of Marengo, home to about 400 residents located about 80…

Whistleblower Haugen Says Facebook Makes Online Hate Worse

LONDON (AP) — Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told British lawmakers Monday that the social media giant stokes online hate and extremism, fails to protect children from harmful content and lacks any incentive to fix the problems, providing momentum for efforts by European governments working on stricter regulation of tech companies. While her testimony echoed much of what she told the U.S. Senate this month,…

School Board Resignations Triple in Minnesota

Nearly 70 Board Members Have Resigned in 2021, Triple the Number of Resignations in a Regular Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Contentious disagreements over COVID-19 policies and critical race theory have caused a significant increase in the number of local school board resignations in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota School Boards Association, nearly 70 board members have resigned from their positions this year, triple the number of resignations in a regular year. The association says that equates…

US Budget Deficit Hits $2.77 Trillion in 2021, 2nd Highest

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. budget deficit totaled $2.77 trillion for 2021, the second-highest on record but an improvement from the all-time high of $3.13 trillion in 2020. The deficits in both years reflected trillions of dollars in government spending to counteract the devastating effects of a global pandemic. The Biden administration said Friday that the 2021 deficit, for the…

Minneapolis Officer Charged in Pursuit That Killed Motorist

(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A prosecutor says a Minneapolis police officer has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a fatal crash in July that occurred while the officer was pursuing a stolen vehicle. Officer Brian Cummings was driving nearly 80 mph in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into a…

Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine More Than 90% Effective in Kids

(AP) – Pfizer says kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine are safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children. Details of the study were posted online Friday as U.S. regulators consider opening vaccinations to youngsters 5 to 11. The shots could begin early next month if regulators give the go-ahead. If the FDA authorizes the…

Teachers Ask For Virus Protocols After Student, Staff Deaths

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Members of Minnesota’s teacher’s union are calling on on school leaders to do more to protect students and staff after the state Department of Health reported the first student death from COVID-19 this school year. Health officials said the student and two staff members died last week. That increased the total number of school fatalities…

House Votes To Hold Trump Ally Steve Bannon in Contempt

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Now the U.S. attorney’s office must decide whether to prosecute. The congressional committee has vowed to move swiftly and forcefully to…

Minnesota Colleges Investigate Alleged Sex Competition

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University is investigating allegations that some male students started a competition this fall to see who could have more sexual encounters with female students. The allegations were first reported by The Record, the student newspaper for both colleges, which are Roman Catholic schools. Katie Alvino, a spokeswoman for…

UPDATE: Ex-Minneapolis Cop Gets 57 Months in Killing of 911 Caller

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape behind her home has been sentenced to 57 months in prison, which was the maximum term possible under the state’s sentencing guidelines. Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of…

Unvaccinated Minnesotans 30x More Likely To Die From COVID

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says unvaccinated Minnesotans are 15 times more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19 and 30 times more likely to die from the disease than unvaccinated residents. The commissioner gave those figures Wednesday as the Minnesota Department of Health began posting additional data as part of its weekly report on vaccine breakthrough cases, which…

FBI: Items Linked to Brian Laundrie Found in Florida Park

(The Moab Police Department via AP) ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – The FBI and a family attorney say items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie have been found in a Florida wilderness park as the search continues for clues in the slaying of Gabby Petito. Attorney Steven Bertolino says Laundrie’s parents took part in the search Wednesday with the FBI…

Biden Administration Delivers Serious Blow to Proposed Twin Metals Mine

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Biden administration dealt a serious blow Wednesday to the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, ordering a study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The government said it has filed an application for a “mineral withdrawal,” which would begin with a comprehensive study…