(AP Photo/Douglas Healey, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department officials told The Associated Press that Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin, will plead guilty to three federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion. OxyContin is the powerful prescription painkiller that experts say helped touch off an opioid epidemic. The officials say Purdue will…
(Angela Major/The Janesville Gazette via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More than 75,000 people cast their ballots in-person on Tuesday, the first day that was available in battleground Wisconsin, the state elections commission reported. Mail-in absentee voting has been available since September and more than 1 million people have already returned their ballots that way. Taken together with the 75,518 who voted…
(Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A record-setting October snowstorm dumped heavy snow in Minnesota and parts of northern Wisconsin and the eastern Dakotas, causing slippery driving conditions. It was the heaviest snow this early in October for many Minnesota locations and some in northwestern Wisconsin. The National Weather Service said Lakeville and some other southern Twin Cities…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The season’s first significant snowstorm of the year was dumping heavy amounts of precipitation in Minnesota and Wisconsin Tuesday and causing slippery driving conditions in the Dakotas. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning until early evening for portions of central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin. Snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches were expected with…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump’s return to the campaign trail will have to wait. Her chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, said Tuesday that Mrs. Trump continues to feel better every day following her recent recovery from COVID-19 but has a lingering cough. Grisham says the first lady has decided not to accompany President Donald Trump to a campaign rally Tuesday…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A lawsuit accuses officials in Minneapolis and Hennepin County of violating the civil rights of people in homeless encampments when they conducted sweeps that displaced them and put their health at risk. The federal complaint filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is asking a judge to declare class-action status…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to attend Thursday’s debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden despite rule changes — opposed by his campaign — that are meant to foster more ordered discussions. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien says Trump “is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last-minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has restarted its daily COVID-19 update dashboard after a weekend upgrade and reported nearly triple its normal number of negative tests as it caught up. The 42,131 total tests reflected in its Monday update surpassed the previous one-day high of 18,682 results recorded 11 days earlier, WMTV-TV reported. That number…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers. The litigation marks the government’s most significant action to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. The suit could be an opening salvo…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,632 new cases of the coronavirus and five deaths on Monday after climbing over 2,000 daily cases on one day last week. The newly-reported numbers raised the statewide totals to 124,439 cases and 2,239 deaths since the pandemic began in March. Minnesota’s death count is the 24th highest in the country…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin judge has reimposed an order from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration limiting the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants, and other indoor places to 25% of capacity. The capacity limits order was issued Oct. 6 in the face of surging coronavirus cases in Wisconsin. But a judge blocked the order on Oct….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More people are flocking to Wisconsin state parks amid the coronavirus pandemic. WMTV-TV reports that state parks officials report a 12% increase in both visitation and camping. The Department of Natural Resources said it pulled in more than $15 million from vehicle admission fees and trail passes from January through August. That’s a 21% increase from the…
(AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota sports columnist and radio personality Sid Hartman, an old-school home team booster who once ran the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers, has died at age 100. Star Tribune sports editor Chris Carr says Hartman died Sunday while surrounded by family. Hartman’s first newspaper column was published in 1945. He kept up his age-defying pace…
(Ben Garvin/Pioneer Press via AP,File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Seven years after his death to cancer at age 18, a Minnesota singer-songwriter has returned to the top of the iTunes chart with his inspirational tune “Clouds.” The Star Tribune reports that “Clouds” by Zach Sobiech took over iTunes’ No. 1 slot from Justin Bieber on Sunday, two days after the Hollywood movie of…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has broken the record for new positive coronavirus cases for the third time in a week as a surge that began in early September shows no signs of abating. The state also hit record highs for daily deaths and hospitalizations this week. Also on Friday, a third lawsuit was filed arguing that Democratic Gov. Tony…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials have reported nearly 2,300 new coronavirus cases, the first time the state has surpassed the 2,000 mark. The surge comes as Wisconsin and the Dakotas continue to experience some of the worst per-capita transmission rates in the country. Minnesota’s 2,297 new cases as of Friday raised the state’s total to over 119,000. Friday’s case…
(Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, File) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that prosecutors have provided enough evidence to move toward trial for five Michigan men accused of plotting to kidnap the state’s governor. A two-day preliminary hearing this week featured testimony by one of the FBI agents who ran the investigation, relying on…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Surging coronavirus cases in Minnesota schools have reduced the number of counties where the virus is spreading at low enough rates to allow for full, in-person instruction. State health officials say statewide, more than 500 schools had at least one positive case in the last two weeks, and 24 public and private schools reported outbreaks with at…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has rejected a prosecution request to put a 48-hour hold on filings in the criminal cases of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said Thursday that a natural lag in the court filing system gives prosecutors sufficient time to see filings and ask that they be…
GENEVA (AP) — The world’s largest randomized trial of COVID-19 treatments found “conclusive evidence” that remdesivir, a drug used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump when he fell ill, has little or no effect on severe cases, the U.N. health agency said Friday. The World Health Organization announced the long-awaited results of a six-month trial that endeavored to see if…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has hit a new daily high for positive coronavirus cases for the second time this week, a surge that the state’s chief health officer is calling a crisis. There were 3,747 new cases reported Thursday, breaking the record of 3,279, set on Tuesday. To date, there have been more than 162,000 positive cases and 1,553…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin education officials said Thursday that enrollment at public schools in the state has dropped 3% this year, adding more misery to funding problems created by the coronavirus. The numbers decline could further hurt districts already in a financial inch because of the extra costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, such as more laptops and internet…
ATLANTA (AP) – The Atlanta Falcons shut their facility Thursday following one new positive test for COVID-19. The team remains scheduled to play at Minnesota on Sunday. Defensive tackle Marlon Davidson was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list this week, and the addition of a second unidentified person caused the Falcons to act out of caution. All team activity will be…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House has finally passed a $1.37 billion public works construction borrowing package after months of gridlock. Twenty-five Republicans crossed over Wednesday night to give the Democrats the 60% supermajority the legislations needed to pass. The vote was 100-34. The bill now goes to the Republican-led Senate, which was scheduled to reconvene Thursday. The bonding…
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said Thursday that vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will suspend in-person events until Monday after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for coronavirus. The campaign said Biden had no exposure, though he and Harris spent several hours campaigning together in Arizona on Oct. 8. Harris was scheduled to travel Thursday…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has set an Oct. 22 vote on recommending approval of Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. Republicans are racing to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick and Democrats are acknowledging there is little they can do stop them. Her confirmation would lock the conservative majority on the court for years to come. Thursday’s session…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump says her 14-year-old son, Barron, had tested positive for the coronavirus but has since tested negative. The White House initially said he had tested negative after both of his parents tested positive earlier this month. The first lady said Wednesday that subsequent testing showed Barron had also come down with COVID-19, the disease caused by…
PEMBINA, N.D. (AP) — Enbridge Energy officials said Wednesday they have completed a small section of its Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement project in North Dakota, leaving only the Minnesota stretch that has been challenged by state officials and others. Line 3 starts in Alberta and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing northern Minnesota en route to…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota House reconvenes Wednesday for what could be its last chance to pass a $1.37 billion public works construction borrowing package, but it requires at least six Republican votes. The legislation, known as a bonding bill, requires a 60% supermajority to pass. And the Democratic-controlled House must approve it before the Republican-controlled Senate can…
(William Glasheen/The Post-Crescent via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked an order from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration limiting the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants, and other indoor places, a move that comes as the state breaks records for new coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations. The Tavern League of Wisconsin sued…
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is spreading out its traditional one-day Black Friday deals over three weekends in November in an effort to reduce crowds in its stores during a pandemic. The company’s plans announced Wednesday offers the first glimpse from a major retailer of what a reinvented Black Friday will look like during a pandemic. Others like Macy’s have…
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A late-stage study of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been paused while the company investigates whether a study participant’s “unexplained illness” is related to the shot. The company said in a statement Monday evening that illnesses, accidents, and other so-called adverse events “are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies,”…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has told Foxconn Technology Group that it won’t qualify for billions of dollars in state tax credits unless it strikes a new deal for a scaled-back factory complex. State officials have told Taiwan-based Foxconn since last year that it wouldn’t qualify for the tax credits without revisions to its 2017 contract given that the scope…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials have rolled back rules that prevented many families from visiting loved ones in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities because of the coronavirus pandemic. The new guidelines put in place Monday allow indoor visitations at most senior homes that have not had new infections in the preceding two weeks and when the infection rate in…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A dispute over the future of the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine goes before the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday. The state Department of Natural Resources and PolyMet are challenging a ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals that canceled three major permits for the project. The appeals court ruled in January that the state agency…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett says she will be able to put aside her Catholic beliefs when ruling if she’s confirmed as a justice on the nation’s highest court. Barrett told Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Tuesday she “can” set aside her Catholic beliefs and has “done that” since her confirmation as an…
(Gary Monreal/Monreal Photography LLC/Wauwatosa Police Department via AP) MILWAUKEE (AP) — The police chief of a Milwaukee suburb that has seen protests and unrest since an officer was cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of a Black teenager says he sees no reason why the officer should be fired. Wauwatosa police Chief Barry Weber said in a news…
WASHINGTON (AP) — At her confirmation hearing, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has declared that Americans deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets the Constitution and laws “as they are written.” That statement encapsulates her conservative approach that has Republicans excited about the prospect of her taking the place of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Election Day….
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing has begun as the Republican-led Senate is charging ahead to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with President Donald Trump’s pick before Election Day. Barring a dramatic development, Republicans appear to have the votes to confirm the 48-year-old conservative appellate judge to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court….
(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota House and Senate convene Monday for their fifth special session of 2020 and what’s likely their last chance to pass a public works construction package known as a bonding bill this year. A Senate committee met Monday morning to walk through a package that would borrow $1.36 billion in general…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge has upheld Gov. Tony Evers’ mask mandate in the face of a conservative challenge. St. Croix County Circuit Judge R. Michael Waterman ruled Monday that Evers did not overstep his authority by issuing multiple emergency orders on the coronavirus. Evers says the mask order was within his power and that he has followed…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has upheld a Minnesota state court agreement that allows counting of absentee ballots received up to seven days after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel ruled late Sunday night that the plaintiffs in the case don’t have standing and denied their motion for a…
WASHINGTON (AP) – On Saturday, President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first in-person event since testing positive for the coronavirus. Two weeks after the Rose Garden event that is now considered a “superspreader,” Trump is planning to convene another large crowd outside the White House for an event on “law and order.” That’s despite the ongoing White House…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge cited safety concerns Friday as he issued new conditions of release for an ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd that would allow him to live in a neighboring state while he awaits trial. Derek Chauvin posted a $1 million bond on Wednesday and was allowed to walk free from the maximum…
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence plans to make a campaign stop Tuesday at a manufacturing company in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, the Trump campaign announced Thursday. Pence will speak at Weldall Manufacturing, which does large-scale fabrication work. Doors open at 10 a.m. Tuesday for the noon event. While President Donald Trump remains sidelined as he recovers from COVID-19,…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota is changing spring break plans at its five campuses because of the coronavirus. University leaders are moving the weeklong vacation from March to April for Twin Cities and Rochester students and spreading the days across the semester for those attending in Duluth, Morris, and Crookston, the Star Tribune reported. In addition, university officials…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal appeals court has blocked a decision to extend by six days the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Democrats will almost certainly appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled last month that any ballots that arrive in clerks’ offices by Nov. 9 will be counted as long as…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials on Thursday reported the second-highest number of daily COVID-19 hospital admissions, on the same day the state loosened regulations in bars and restaurants. Updated guidelines permit as many as 10 people seated together in restaurants and event spaces, up from four or six if they were members of a single household. Live music will…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Fifty-one people were arrested during protests after a former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd was released on bail. Derek Chauvin had been in a Minnesota prison for months as he awaits trial on charges of murder and other counts. He was released Wednesday after posting a $1 million bond. About 300 people…
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A surge of coronavirus cases in Wisconsin and the Dakotas are forcing a scramble for hospital beds and rising political tensions, as the Upper Midwest and Plains emerge as one of the nation’s most troubling hotspots. The three states now lead all others in new cases per capita, after months in which many residents and…
