Author: The Associated Press

White House Details Plans to Vaccinate 28M Children Age 5-11

WASHINGTON (AP) – Kids aged 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy, and potentially even their school. The White House is detailing plans Wednesday for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for younger children in a matter of weeks. The country has ample supplies of shots to vaccinate…

US Regulators Lay Out Plan for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health officials are laying out plans to let most Americans buy hearing aids without a prescription. Tuesday’s announcement is a long-awaited move intended to make the devices more accessible to millions of Americans with hearing problems. The Food and Drug Administration said the proposal would let people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss buy hearing aids at pharmacies…

1st Woman To Lead State Minnesota Air National Guard Assumes Duties

(courtesy: Minnesota National Guard) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The first woman to lead the Minnesota Air National Guard has officially assumed her duties. Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Erikson is the most senior enlisted member of the Minnesota Air Guard. She’s in charge of about 2,000 airmen located at two separate wings and the command headquarters. Erikson has 32…

Evictions Rise as State COVID-19 Protections Begin To Lift

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Housing experts say rental evictions are rising in Minnesota as state protections adopted because of COVID-19 are beginning to ease. As of last week, a 15-day notice is no longer required before an eviction notice is filed over delinquent rent. Lease terminations can also occur more easily. For some, a pending application for financial aid through…

Gov. Walz Announces Bid for Second Term

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Also Announced Re-Election Tuesday Morning

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has launched his campaign for a second term in an increasingly divided state, saying he made the tough calls necessary to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic and revive the economy. The former high school football coach made the announcement in a YouTube video posted Tuesday that shows him standing on a football…

Minnesota Nears 400 Traffic Deaths This Year, Outpacing 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota public safety officials said Monday that nearly 400 people have died in traffic crashes on Minnesota roads this year, putting the state on pace to see the highest number of traffic fatalities recorded since 2007. Officials said there have been 384 traffic fatalities in 2021. That’s a 23% increase over this time last year….

Biden Team Asks Supreme Court to Pause Texas Abortion Law

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court to block the Texas law banning most abortions, while the fight over the measure’s constitutionality plays out in the courts. The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours. It bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around…

Ret. Gen. Colin Powell Dies of COVID-19 Complications

WASHIINGTON (AP) – Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday. In an announcement on social media, the family said Powell had been fully vaccinated. Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. But his reputation also…

Biden to Discuss Proposed Plan, Lowering Cost of Child Care for American Families

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden plans to highlight his plan to lower the cost of child care for most American families as he makes the case for his stalled social spending bill during a visit to Connecticut. Biden will visit a child development center in Hartford on Friday to promote his proposal to make such carefree for lower-income families….

4 Students Hurt in Northwestern Minnesota School Bus Crash

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) – Four children were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening after the school bus they were riding in crashed with a pickup truck in northwestern Minnesota’s Clay County. Sheriff Mark Empting said the crash happened at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in rural Clay County. Empting said the preliminary investigation shows the driver of…

Modified Weapons Showing up at More Minneapolis Crime Scenes

MINNEAPOLIS – Authorities say handguns and rifles that have been modified into fully automatic weapons that can fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute have been involved in a string of Minneapolis shootings and have been showing up at more crime scenes. Police data show the city’s ShotSpotter network has recorded 78 automatic gunfire activations of 935 total rounds, compared…

US Wholesale Prices Rose Record 8.6% Over 12 Months

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke) WASHINGTON (AP) – Inflation at the wholesale level rose 8.6% in September compared to a year ago, the largest advance since the 12-month change was first calculated in 2010. The Labor Department reported Thursday that the increase in its producer price index, which measures inflationary pressures before they reach consumers, was 0.5% for September compared to a…

Minnesota Zoo searches for lost owl

(courtesy: MN Zoo via Twitter) APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Zoo is searching for a lost owl. KFGO reported Wednesday that Gladys, the zoo’s Eurasian eagle owl, flew off during a routine exercise and training session earlier this month and didn’t return. Zoo staff believes Gladys is probably still within the zoo’s 485-acre, heavily forested grounds. They’re asking…

Minnesota Court: Workers’ Comp Can’t Cover Medical Marijuana

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court says workers’ compensation for injured employees doesn’t cover medical marijuana because the drug remains illegal under federal law. The high court issued a pair of rulings Wednesday that overturned lower court orders for employers to pay for medical marijuana to treat work-related injuries. Federal law prohibits the prescribing and possession of marijuana regardless…

Judge Won’t Block Vaccine Mandate for Minnesota Workers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A federal judge won’t block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for scores of Minnesota health care workers, at least for now. Nearly 200 Minnesota health care workers filed a lawsuit in September challenging the requirement from President Joe Biden’s administration that all workers in most health settings get vaccinated or lose their jobs. The workers argued…

Social Security COLA Largest in Decades as Inflation Jumps

WASHINGTON (AP) – Millions of retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9% boost in benefits for 2022. The biggest cost-of-living adjustment in 39 years follows a burst in inflation as the economy struggles to shake off the drag of the coronavirus pandemic. The COLA increase amounts to $92 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released…

US To Reopen Land Borders in November for Fully Vaccinated

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration says the U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic. International visitors will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vehicle, rail, and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada, and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade,…

Minnesota COVID-19 Positivity Rate Hits Vaccine-era High

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has soared to 8.3%, the highest mark since the vaccines first rolled out late last year. The seven-day rolling average for the state’s positivity rate continues to climb toward the high-risk category. The state draws that line at 10%. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota reached 960 as of Monday and…

Coroner: Gabby Petito Strangled, Died 3-4 Weeks Before Found

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) – A coroner in Wyoming says slain cross-country traveler Gabby Petito died as a result of strangulation. The 22-year-old woman’s body was found last month near an undeveloped camping area in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said in a news conference Tuesday he was prevented…

Amazon Distribution Center Coming to Twin Cities Suburb

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An Amazon distribution center is coming to a Twin Cities suburb. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Monday that the 517,000-square-foot facility will open in Woodbury late next summer. The center is expected to generate 500 jobs and may add another 500 during the holiday season. The building will be Amazon’s third large-scale facility in…

Next on FDA’s Agenda: Booster Shots of Moderna, J&J Vaccines

WASHINGTON (AP) – With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it’s their turn. Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week. On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers…

Minnesota Clinic Shooting Brings Premeditated Murder Charge

BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man accused of killing a staff member at a medical clinic and wounding four others during a February shooting is now facing an upgraded murder charge. A grand jury indicted Gregory Ulrich with one count of first-degree premeditated murder. He’s also charged with four counts of first-degree attempted murder in the shooting at the…

Evers Issues Formal Apology for Indian Boarding Schools

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has issued a formal apology for Wisconsin’s role in Native American boarding schools, joining with leaders from the state’s tribes at an Indigenous Peoples Day event. Evers signed an executive order on Monday that also formally supported the previously announced U.S. Department of Interior investigation…

Parent Sues Wisconsin School District After Child Contracts COVID-19

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) – A parent has sued a southeastern Wisconsin school district after her son contracted COVID-19 from a classmate. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Shannon Jensen filed the lawsuit in federal court against the Waukesha School District and school board on Oct. 5. According to the lawsuit, the board in May removed a student mask requirement and…

Merck Asks US FDA To Authorize Promising Anti-COVID Pill

(Merck & Co. via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) – Drugmaker Merck has asked U.S. regulators to authorize its promising antiviral pill against COVID-19, setting the stage for a decision within weeks. If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19, adding a new, easy-to-use weapon to the world’s arsenal against the pandemic….

Minnesota Halts Deer Importation, Movement Within State

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota officials have blocked the importation and movement of deer into and within the state to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease. The state Department of Natural Resources announced the move early Monday morning. The decision comes after a CWD-positive game farm in Wisconsin shipped nearly 400 deer to farms in seven states. Minnesota…

Feds won’t seek charges against cop in Jacob Blake shooting

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Federal prosecutors say they won’t file charges against a white police officer who shot Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last year. Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, who is Black, during a domestic disturbance in Kenosha in August 2020. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down and sparked several nights of protests. An Illinois man shot…

Woman found fatally shot in Crow Wing County cabin

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials say a woman was found fatally shot in a cabin in Crow Wing County after deputies responded to a call about gunfire and arrested an armed man. Dispatchers received a shooting complaint about 11 p.m. Thursday. The caller said several gunshots were heard in Lake Edward Township. Law enforcement officers responded and encountered a…

Minnesota Health Leaders Warn of Strain on Caregivers, Kids

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota health leaders are warning that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is putting a heavy strain on hospitals and health care workers statewide as the coronavirus burns through the unvaccinated population. They also told reporters Thursday that transmission in schools and among children is a particular concern, with pediatric ICU beds in short supply. Health…

US Employers Add a Weak 194,000 Jobs as Delta Maintains Hold

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers added just 194,000 jobs in September, a second straight tepid gain and evidence that the pandemic still has a grip on the economy with many companies struggling to fill millions of open jobs. Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate fell sharply to 4.8% from 5.2% in August. The economy…

Most State Workers Get COVID Shots, but Some Face Discipline

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Some Minnesota government employees say that a month into the COVID-19 vaccine policy for state workers, their agencies are ramping up discipline for employees who either won’t get the vaccine or submit to weekly testing. State officials say more than 500 employees have declined both options, Employees who decline to be vaccinated or tested can…

US Jobless Claims Fall to 326,000, First Drop In Four Weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, another sign that the U.S. job market and economy continue their steady recovery from last year’s coronavirus recession. The Labor Department said Thursday that unemployment claims were down by 38,000 to 326,000, the first drop in four weeks. Since surpassing 900,000 in early January, the weekly…

Agreement on Short-term Debt Ceiling Fix, Averting Crisis

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says an agreement has been reached with Republicans to extend the government’s borrowing authority into December. That temporarily averts a debt crisis. Schumer made the announcement as he opened the Senate on Thursday. He said he hoped the Senate could vote later in the day. Republican leader Mitch McConnell…

Los Angeles OKs One of Strictest Us Vaccination Mandates

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles leaders have voted to enact one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates. The sweeping measure requires the shots for everyone entering bars, restaurants, nail salons, gyms, and even a Lakers game. The City Council on Wednesday voted 11-2 in favor of the ordinance. Supporters say it’s a way of preventing more COVID-19 surges. Critics…

Minnesota Court Denies Chauvin’s Request for Public Defender

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday denied former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin’s request to have a public defender represent him as he appeals his murder conviction and sentence in the death of George Floyd. The state’s high court said Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to a public defender. The justices made that decision…

Student Taken Into Custody Hours After Texas School Shooting

(Arlington Police Department via AP) ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Police in Texas have arrested a student suspected of opening fire during a fight at his Dallas-area high school, leaving four people injured. Police say 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins fled from Timberview High School in Arlington and drove away in a 2018 silver Dodge Charger after the Wednesday morning shooting. Simpkins…

Texas High School on Lockdown Amid Reports of Shooting

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A Dallas-area school district said Wednesday that law enforcement was responding to reports of an “active shooter situation” at a high school. The Mansfield Independent School District said in a news release that Timberview High School was on lockdown Wednesday morning. The school is in Arlington, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. An…

Walz Calls for Vaccine and Testing Requirements for Teachers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz is calling on lawmakers to approve a series of new measures to respond to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine and testing requirements for teachers and school staff, and for long-term care workers. The Democratic governor detailed his proposal in a letter to lawmakers that he released after meeting privately with…

Mohamed Noor To Be Resentenced Oct. 21

(Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot a woman who called 911 to report a possible rape behind her home is being resentenced this month after the Minnesota Supreme Court threw out his murder conviction. Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of Justine…

Judge Refuses To Toss Weapons Charge Against Rittenhouse

(Antioch Police Department via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A judge has declined to dismiss a weapons charge against an Illinois man accused of shooting three people during a protest against police brutality in Wisconsin last year. Prosecutors charged Kyle Rittenhouse with homicide and other crimes, including being a minor in possession of a firearm, after he killed two men…