Author: The Associated Press

Mayo Clinic Joins Others in Requiring Worker Vaccinations

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – Mayo Clinic says it will require employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by mid-September, becoming one of the latest health systems to do so as delta variant cases rise around the country. The Rochester-based medical system says the “vast majority” of its employees are already vaccinated. But it says all employees must be fully vaccinated…

CDC Expected to Backpedal on Some Masking Guidelines

(AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to backpedal Tuesday on its masking guidelines and recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, a federal official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details of the new…

Wisconsin Assembly to Consider Override of Unemployment Veto

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – It’s shaping up to be a day full of partisan sniping but no real action in the Wisconsin Assembly. Republicans called the Assembly back into session Tuesday to vote on overriding Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of a bill that would have ended a federal $300 weekly unemployment supplemental payment. To succeed, Republicans will need Democrats…

Minnesota Officials Urge Shots as Delta Variant Surges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)-Minnesota health officials are warning that the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for more than 75% of the state’s new COVID-19 cases. And they say it’s a serious threat to unvaccinated people as the state’s case numbers head back up. Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, says the delta variant has gone from causing…

Evers Calls Special Session While GOP Eyes Veto Override

MADISON, Wis. (AP)-Gov. Tony Evers is calling the Republican-controlled Legislature into a special session to increase funding for public schools and higher education on the same day the Assembly plans to vote on a veto override. The override of a bill ending a $300 weekly unemployment payment was almost certain to fail because there aren’t enough Republicans to vote for…

Labor Agreements Reached for Thousands of State of Minnesota Employees

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)-Thousands of state employees in Minnesota would get a raise and a new paid holiday if labor contract agreements are finalized. Minnesota’s two biggest state employee unions on Thursday reached agreements with negotiators from Gov. Tim Walz’s administration. The contracts cover most of the state’s workforce and are subject to ratification by union members and the Legislature….

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Goes From Indians to Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP)-Known as the Indians since 1915, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team will be called Guardians. The ballclub announced the name change on Twitter, ending months of internal discussions triggered by a national reckoning by institutions and teams to permanently drop logos and names considered racist. The choice of Guardians will undoubtedly be criticized by many of the club’s die-hard…

Amazon’s Mission: Getting a ‘Key’ to Your Apartment Building

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon is pushing landlords around the country to give its drivers the ability to unlock apartment building front doors whenever they need to leave packages in the lobby instead of the street. The service, called Amazon Key for Business, allows delivery workers to make their rounds faster since they don’t have to ring doorbells. And fewer…

US Jobless Claims Rise to 419,000 From a Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week from the lowest point of the pandemic, even as the job market appears to be rebounding on the strength of a reopened economy. Jobless claims increased to 419,000 from 368,000 the previous week. The weekly number of first-time applications for benefits, which generally tracks layoffs, has fallen…

Shootings During Milwaukee NBA Finals Celebrations Wound 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Police say two shootings in downtown Milwaukee early Wednesday as crowds celebrated the Milwaukee Bucks’ first NBA championship in 50 years left three people wounded. The shootings both happened about 12:42 a.m. at two locations near Water Street. TV station WISN had a reporter broadcasting when multiple shots were heard, prompting people to flee. Police say a…

Trump Inaugural Committee Head Accused of Being UAE Agent

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) NEW YORK (AP) – The chair of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee was arrested Tuesday in California on charges alleging that he and others conspired to influence Trump’s foreign policy positions to benefit the United Arab Emirates. Tom Barrack was among three men charged in New York federal court with trying to influence…

Pilot of Crop-Dusting Helicopter Killed in Minnesota Crash

(courtesy: Fox 9) ELGIN, Minn. – Sheriff’s officials say the pilot of a helicopter has died in a crash in southeastern Minnesota. Authorities say 40-year-old Corey James Adcock from Victoria County, Texas was crop dusting Monday afternoon when the helicopter blades got caught in some power lines near Elgin and the chopper crashed and caught fire. Adcock, the only one…

Invasive Weed Starry Stonewort Confirmed in Leech Lake

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – An invasive weed that can choke out native plants and fish habitat has been found in one of Minnesota’s largest and most popular walleye lakes. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Monday confirmed the discovery of starry stonewort in Leech Lake, located in northwestern Minnesota. The DNR says the bright green microalgae plant has…

Minnesota Court Sends PolyMet Air Permit Case Back to Agency

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota has encountered a setback; the state Court of Appeals has ordered regulators to revisit a critical air emissions permit given to the project. The court ruled Monday that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency hadn’t sufficiently justified granting the permit after opponents raised allegations that PolyMet was planning a much…

Capitol Rioter Who Breached Senate Gets 8 Months for Felony

(AP) – A Florida man who breached the U.S. Senate chamber carrying a Trump campaign flag has received an eight-month prison term, the first resolution for a felony case in the Capitol insurrection. Prosecutors wanted Paul Allard Hodgkins to serve 18 months behind bars, saying he and other Jan. 6 rioters “contributed to the collective threat to democracy.” A lawyer…

Senate President Pro Tem Says He Has Lou Gehrig’s Disease

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. PAUL, Minn. – Longtime state Sen. David Tomassoni has informed his constituents that he has Lou Gehring’s disease, also known as ALS. The motor neuron disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that destroys the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. The 68-year-old senator from Chisholm says he was diagnosed a while ago and felt the…

American Gymnastics Alternate Tests Positive at Olympics

TOKYO (AP) – An alternate on the United States women’s gymnastics team has tested positive for COVID-19 in an Olympic training camp in Japan. USA Gymnastics says Olympic champion Simone Biles was not affected but another alternate was placed into isolation because of contact tracing. USA Gymnastics says “the Olympic athletes moved to separate lodging accommodations and a separate training…

Klobuchar: Infrastructure Bill Could Include Voting Measures

ATLANTA (AP) — Congressional Democrats are exploring ways to include financial incentives for states to expand voting access as part of a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill, a key senator said Sunday. Democrats have been struggling to get their marquee election reform bill passed in an evenly split Senate, where Republicans remain unified in their opposition and rules require 60 votes to…

Minnesota Leaders Seek Drought Aid for Livestock Producers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to come to the aid of Minnesota livestock producers amid the worsening drought by easing grazing restrictions. Walz asked Vilsack in a letter released Thursday to allow emergency haying and grazing on eligible Conservation Reserve Program acres in Minnesota counties experiencing severe to extreme drought…

The Latest: Europe’s Floods Kill 120; Climate Links Noted

(Rhein-Erft-Kreis via AP) (AP) – Despite ample warnings, politicians and weather forecasters in Europe have been shocked at the ferocity of the precipitation that caused flash flooding that killed at least 120 people. Many climate scientists say the link to global warming was unmistakable and the urgency to do something about it is undeniable. Scientists say climate change acerbates the…

Fully Vaccinated Americans Can Enter Canada as of Mid-August

(AP Photo/Toby Talbot,File) TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September. Trudeau spoke with leaders of Canada’s provinces on Thursday and released a readout of the call. The…

New Restrictions in Boundary Waters Due to Canadian Fires

ELY, Minn. (AP) — The Forest Service has announced new temporary travel restrictions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness over concerns that large wildfires burning in Canada could spread across the border. The new closures include travel, campsites, and portages along and near Iron and Crooked lakes along the Canadian border north of Ely, as well as some smaller…

Son Charged With Death of His Father; Mother Still Missing

MADISON, Wis. – The son of a Wisconsin couple who went missing last week has been formally accused of killing his father and dismembering his body. Twenty-three-year-old Chandler Halderson, who was living with his parents in Windsor, is charged in Dane County Court with first-degree intentional homicide, hiding and mutilating a corpse, and providing false information on a kidnapping. Court…

Britney Spears’ New Attorney Says Father Must Step Aside

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney of Britney Spears’ choosing has been appointed to represent the pop star in her conservatorship after a hearing in which the singer tearfully spoke about the case’s impact on her life. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on Wednesday approved Spears hiring former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart to represent her. His appointment was…

US Unemployment Claims Fall to 360,000, a New Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits has reached its lowest level since the pandemic struck last year, further evidence that the U.S. economy and job market are quickly rebounding from the pandemic recession. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week to 360,000. The weekly tally, a proxy…

Johnson & Johnson Recalling Sunscreens Due to Benzene Traces

(AP) – Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that it is recalling five of its sunscreen products after some samples were found to contain low levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer with repeated exposure. The affected products, packaged in aerosol cans, are Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen, and four Neutrogena sunscreen versions: Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen, CoolDry…

Line 3 Pipeline Opponents Appeal to Minnesota Supreme Court

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Tribal and environmental groups opposed to Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision affirming the approvals of the project. The state Commerce Department, which was part of the earlier appeal, is not joining in the appeal this time. The legal move comes as protests continue along…

Audit Finds No Overpayments by Minnesota for COVID-19 Tests

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Office of the Legislative Auditor says it found no evidence that the state of Minnesota overpaid two companies it hired to conduct COVID-19 saliva testing. Instead, the auditor’s report says, managed care organizations. acting on behalf of the state, scrutinized the claims submitted by the two companies, and paid just a fraction of the…

Canadian Wildfires Impact Air Quality in U.S.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Burning wildfires in Canada are causing air quality issues in parts of the U.S., including Minnesota and North Dakota. The smoke is lingering closer to the ground, according to weather experts. “Sometimes it stays aloft, but in this particular case behind the front, the smoke is finding its way closer to the surface. That’s why we…

Evers Directs $130 Million Toward Workforce Development

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers is directing $130 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to help address the state’s worker shortage problem and assist unemployed people searching for a job. The bulk of the money, $100 million, will go toward a workforce innovation program for the development of solutions to workforce challenges…

US Overdose Deaths Hit Record 93,000 in Pandemic Last Year

NEW YORK (AP) – Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government estimate released Wednesday eclipses the 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2019 and amounts to a 29% increase. Experts say lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get. Prescription painkillers once…

Penterman Wins Special Election for Wisconsin Assembly Seat

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican William Penterman is the apparent winner of a special election Tuesday to fill Wisconsin’s vacant 37th District Assembly seat. Unofficial results show Penterman received 3,742 votes. Democratic candidate Pete Adams received 3,063 votes and Independent Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. garnered 112 votes. Penterman, of Columbus, narrowly won the Republican primary by 16 votes. There were eight…

Condo Inspections Left to Property Owners in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some local building inspectors in Minnesota are fielding questions from residents worried about the safety of their condo buildings following the collapse of a tower in Surfside, Florida last month. In Minnesota, there is no state requirement for regular inspections of condo buildings. But, state officials say Minnesota doesn’t face the same risks as Florida and has…

Wisconsin Judge Suspended for Crude Remarks, Brandishing Gun

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a Winnebago County judge for making crude remarks to defendants and attorneys, and for menacing a defendant with a gun during a hearing. The court said Tuesday that it has suspended Scott Woldt for seven days in August. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission filed a complaint alleging that Woldt committed multiple…

Police Respond to Apparent Shooting at Wisconsin Gas Station

UPDATE: FRANKSVILLE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in Wisconsin say a man shot and killed another man at a gas station before fleeing and eventually dying in a shootout with an undercover investigator. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling says the events unfolded starting about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pilot Travel Center in the village of Caledonia. Schmaling says a 32-year-old…

Unwanted Pets: Giant Goldfish Turn up in Minnesota Waterways

(courtesy: Twitter/City of Burnsville) BURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP) – Officials in Minnesota say they’re finding more giant goldfish in waterways, prompting a plea to citizens to stop illegally dumping their unwanted fish into ponds and lakes. The goldfish, which can grow to the size of a football, compete with native species for food and increase algae in lakes. Burnsville officials found…

US Consumer Prices Surge in June by the Most Since 2008

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) WASHINGTON (AP) – American consumers faced a third straight monthly surge in prices in June, the latest evidence that a rapid reopening of the economy is fueling pent-up spending for goods and services that in many cases remain in short supply. Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that consumer prices in June rose 0.9% from May…