Author: The Associated Press

Trump Calls on Americans to Cease Hoarding Food, Supplies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Americans to cease hoarding groceries and other supplies, while one of the nation’s most senior public health officials called on the nation to act with more urgency to safeguard their health as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread across the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he would like to…

5 New COVID-19 Cases in Fond du Lac County Raise Wisconsin Total to 33

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Wisconsin has reached 33, after five new cases were reported in Fond du Lac County. Wisconsin health officials on Sunday reported a total of six new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Fond du Lac County now has the most confirmed cases of any county…

Wisconsin Reports 27 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wisconsin has jumped to 27. Wisconsin health officials on Saturday reported eight new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that includes four new cases in Milwaukee County. Winnebago County also reported its first case. Two more cases were reported in Waukesha County…

State: Prep for School Closures as Coronavirus Cases Rise

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin health officials are warning parents to prepare contingency plans for school closures as the number of coronavirus infections in the state continues to rise. The state Department of Health Services says the number of confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon stood at 19, up from eight on Thursday. DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk…

Live at 2:00 p.m.: Trump Preparing to Invoke Emergency Powers Over Coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is preparing to invoke emergency powers as the country struggles to contain the coronavirus outbreak. This is according to two people familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity. It is still unclear precisely what mechanism Trump would use to free up additional federal resources for testing and treatment as well as…

St. Paul Teachers, School District Reach Deal Ending Strike

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The St. Paul teachers union and Minnesota’s second-largest school district have reached a tentative contract agreement, ending a strike that began Tuesday and canceled classes for some 36,000 students. The agreement was reached about 3:30 a.m. Friday after more than 19 hours of mediation that began early Thursday. The union represents about…

Robbinsdale Schools Cancel Classes Amid COVID-19 Concerns

The District Was Closed After a Parent Came in Contact With Someone Who Tested Positive

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – One Minnesota school district has canceled classes Friday over concerns about COVID-19, and the Minnesota House has canceled all meetings until Monday. The Robbinsdale Area School District in suburban Minneapolis said it canceled classes and other activities for the day “out of an abundance of caution” after a parent came in contact with someone who…

Disneyland to Close Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Disneyland Park Will be Closed Through the End of the Month

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Disneyland announced that it’s shutting down its California theme parks on Saturday over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will be closed through the end of the month though there have been no reported cases of the new virus, the company said in a statement Thursday. It’s closing after reviewing…

March Madness: Conferences Scrap Tourneys; NCAAs in Doubt

The Move Puts an Abrupt End to the Season

(AP) – The NCAA has canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus. The move puts an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. The decision comes a day after the NCAA announced the games that were scheduled to start next week would go on but played…

Walz Proposes Banking Most of Surplus Over COVID-19 Fears

(Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has proposed banking $1.2 billion of Minnesota’s projected $1.5 billion budget surplus because of the uncertainties over how the new coronavirus will affect the economy. The Democratic governor’s supplemental budget would add only $256 million in new spending on programs to the budget the Legislature approved last…

NHL ‘Pausing’ Season Amid Coronavirus Concerns

The NHL is Halting Play With 189 Games Left in the Regular Season

(AP) – The NHL is following the NBA’s lead and suspending its season amid the coronavirus outbreak. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is “pausing” its season. The move comes a day after the NBA suspended play following a player’s positive COVID-19 test. The NHL has not said any player has tested positive for the virus. The NHL is…

Evers Declares Health Emergency; Prep Tourneys Restricted

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers has declared a public health emergency over the coronavirus. Evers’ move Thursday helps free up resources to respond to the virus that has been confirmed in five people so far and is expected to spread. Meanwhile, the state’s high school athletics association moved to drastically restrict attendance at remaining winter sports tournaments. That…

Trump Campaign Cancels Wisconsin Event Next Week

MILWAUKEE (AP) – President Donald Trump’s campaign has canceled an event in Wisconsin next week because of the coronavirus. The “Catholics for Trump” event was scheduled on March 19 in Milwaukee. Reelection campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh tweeted the cancellation was made “out of an abundance of caution because of the coronavirus outbreak.” Murtaugh said the event will be rescheduled. After…

US Capitol Closing to Public Until April Amid Virus Outbreak

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress is shutting the Capitol and all House and Senate office buildings to the public until April in reaction to the spread of the coronavirus. The House and Senate sergeants at arms said in a statement that the closure will begin at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday. Lawmakers, aides, journalists, and official visitors will be allowed into the…

Fourth Case of Coronavirus Confirmed in Minnesota

The Fourth Confirmed Case in Minnesota is in Olmsted County

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota health officials have confirmed the state’s fourth case of the coronavirus in a person in Olmsted County. That county’s public health department planned a news conference later Wednesday and no additional details were immediately available. The state’s earlier cases involve residents of Anoka, Ramsey and Carver counties. The state earlier this week set aside $21 million…

WHO Declares That Virus Crisis is Now a Pandemic

ROME (AP) – The World Health Organization is declaring that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic. The assessment comes as Italy is weighing even tighter restrictions on daily life and has announced billions in financial relief to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus. Premier Giuseppe Conte says he will consider requests to toughen an already extraordinary lockdown. The…

Annual Ice Breaking Ritual Begins at Duluth-Superior Harbor

The Great Lakes Shipping Season Begins March 25

DULUTH, Minn. – A U.S. Coast Guard cutter has started ice-breaking activities in the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, an annual ritual that signals the approach of spring. The cutter Alder began clearing the channels Tuesday for the upcoming shipping season. It’s so the 1,000-foot long ships loaded with taconite, coal, limestone and other cargo can maneuver through without…

Minnesota Legislature Speeds $21M in Coronavirus Money

(Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Legislature has voted unanimously to earmark nearly $21 million to reinforce the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz praised lawmakers for “working in a totally nonpartisan manner” shortly before the  64-0 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. The Democratic-controlled House passed the bill soon afterward,…

Third Wisconsin Person Tests Positive for New Coronavirus

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A third person in Wisconsin, and the second in Dane County, has tested positive for the coronavirus. State health officials announced the latest positive case on Tuesday. The news came on the same day that the Osceola School District in western Wisconsin canceled classes so that its facilities could be thoroughly cleaned because someone sickened by…

Curling Considers New Rules to Speed up the Sport

Among the Proposals are Putting Players on a More Demanding Clock

(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)   (AP) – The 500-year-old sport of curling is looking for ways to shorten games and keep fans engaged. The sport’s governing body is considering radical rule changes as it tries to balance centuries of tradition with the modern need to move things along. Among the proposals being tested are putting players on a more demanding…

$21 Million in Coronavirus Money Passed by Minnesota Senate

ST. PAUL, Minn.-The Minnesota Senate voted 64-0 to approve $21 million to reinforce the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. The House is poised to follow suit quickly so that the bill reaches Gov. Tim Walz’s desk this week. The Democratic governor says he’s pleased at how lawmakers are working in a “totally nonpartisan manner.” He spoke to reporters shortly…

Thousands Prepare to Get Off Ship Hit by Virus in California

More Than 2,400 Passengers Will be Quarantined for 14 Days

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Federal and state officials in California are preparing to receive thousands of people from a cruise ship that has been idling off the coast of San Francisco with at least 21 people aboard infected with the coronavirus. Fox 9 reported Sunday that 42 Minnesotans are among the passengers on the Grand Princess Cruise ship. Personnel covered…

Dow Drops 1,500 Points as Oil Price Plunge Shocks Markets

NEW YORK (AP) – The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 1,500 points, or 6%, following similar drops in Europe after a fight among major crude-producing countries jolted investors already on edge about the widening fallout from the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Indexes in London and Frankfurt dropped more than 8%. The benchmark for Italy, where the industrial and financial…

Pence Pledges to ‘Lean Into’ Fight Against Coronavirus

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence is pledging that federal officials will “lean into” the fight against the new coronavirus. The vice president commented from Minnesota, where he visited with a leading maker of masks being used to stem the spread of the virus. He spoke after meeting with 3M CEO Mike Roman and Minnesota Gov. Tom Walz…

Warren Ends 2020 Presidential Bid After Super Tuesday Rout

WASHINGTON (AP) – Elizabeth Warren has ended her Democratic presidential bid after a disappointing finish in Super Tuesday states. That’s according to a person familiar with her plans. The Massachusetts senator’s campaign had the markers of success: robust poll numbers, impressive fundraising, a national organization. But she was squeezed out by Bernie Sanders, who had an immovable base of voters…

Bloomberg Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Biden

NEW YORK (AP) – Billionaire Mike Bloomberg has ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination and has endorsed Joe Biden. It was a stunning collapse for the former New York City mayor, who had pinned his 2020 hopes on the Super Tuesday states and drained more than $500 million from his own fortune into his ultimately unsuccessful campaign. Bloomberg…

Biden Claims 9 Super Tuesday Victories, Including Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) – A resurgent Joe Biden scored sweeping victories from Texas to Massachusetts on Super Tuesday, revitalizing a presidential bid that was teetering on the edge of disaster just days earlier. But his rival Bernie Sanders seized the biggest prize with a win in California that ensured he would drive the Democrats’ nomination fight for the foreseeable future. Suddenly,…

Biden wins Minnesota, surges in South; Sanders wins Colorado

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden scored key Super Tuesday victories in Minnesota and across the South, building on momentum that has swiftly revived his Democratic presidential campaign in recent days. Bernie Sanders countered with wins in his home state of Vermont and in Colorado, as the race began to shift west, where some polls were starting to close. Biden took…

Evers Calls Meeting of State Leaders to Discuss Coronavirus

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers is convening a meeting of the state’s political leaders to hear from health officials about what is being done to deal with the new coronavirus. Evers’ spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said Tuesday that the governor called the meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday to discuss COVID-19. There has been one confirmed case in Wisconsin…

Tornadoes Hit Tennessee, Killing at Least 19 People

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tornadoes have ripped across Tennessee overnight, shredding at least 40 buildings and killing at least 19 people. One of the twisters caused severe damage across downtown Nashville on Tuesday, leaving blown-down walls and roofs, snapped power lines, huge broken trees, and city streets in gridlock. Schools, courts, transit lines, an airport, and the state Capitol are…

Klobuchar Exit Boosts Sanders for Minnesota’s Super Tuesday

(AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The abrupt withdrawal of Amy Klobuchar from the presidential race gives front-runner Bernie Sanders a sudden opportunity for locking up her home state on Super Tuesday. Sanders, who easily won Minnesota’s caucuses in 2016, has a large and motivated progressive base in the state. He also had a fortuitously timed last-minute rally…

Amy Klobuchar Ends Presidential Bid, Now Endorsing Biden

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar Will Now Endorse Former Vice President Joe Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) – Amy Klobuchar is ending her Democratic presidential campaign and is set to endorse Joe Biden. The Minnesota senator announced the decision Monday, calling it quits after a bid that broke briefly into the top tier with a third-place finish in New Hampshire but failed to sustain that energy further into the Democratic nomination fight. The three-term senator…

Klobuchar Cancels Minnesota Rally

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has canceled a rally in her home state after protesters took over the stage shouting for her to drop out of the presidential race. Klobuchar was scheduled to speak Sunday at St. Louis Park High School ahead of Tuesday’s primary. But dozens of protesters took the stage chanting “black lives…

House Approves Bill to Ban the Sale of Flavored E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has approved a bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. Lawmakers say the bill will stem a vaping epidemic among young people. The bill would place new restrictions on the marketing of e-cigarettes and ban flavors in tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. It also would place a new excise…

Milwaukee Police ID Brewery Shooter as 15-Year Electrician

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Authorities on Thursday identified the man who gunned down five co-workers at one of the nation’s largest breweries before taking his own life a 51-year-old electrician who had worked at the Milwaukee Molson Coors complex for 15 years. Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales identified the shooter as Anthony Ferrill during a news conference. He also identified the…

Minnesota’s Projected Surplus Grows to Over $1.5 Billion

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s projected surplus has grown to over $1.5 billion, state budget officials said Thursday. The new estimate from Minnesota Management and Budget is $181 million higher than the agency’s last budget forecast in November. And it means lawmakers will have more money available to spend, save or cut taxes. The agency attributed the larger surplus…