Aug. 5, 2020

Summer resumes regular programming. Lazy, hazy, crazy. The dog days of summer return to Minnesota this weekend. Our warming trend peaks this weekend. Highs reach 85 to 90 across southern Minnesota Friday through Sunday. The best shot at hitting 90 again in the Twin Cities appears to be Sunday. More on the Updraft weather blog.

Voters weigh Omar vs. Melton-Meaux as primary approaches. Whoever wins the DFL primary will be on the ballot as the Democratic candidate in November. The district has been a safe one for Democrats, who have held the congressional seat for well over half a century. Check out our full coverage of the 2020 Election here.

Minneapolis commission takes up proposal to disband police. A Minneapolis commission is expected to take up a proposed amendment Wednesday that would dismantle the city's Police Department in the wake of George Floyd's death and replace it with a new public safety department. A majority of the City Council backs the idea, with supporters saying it would do away with a troubled department that has resisted change, and replace it with a more "holistic" and public health-oriented approach to public safety.

Getting ready to vote but not sure who's on your ballot? MPR News and the League of Women Voters Minnesota are providing a voter guide to let you compare candidates and their positions on key issues in the election. Click here to build your ballot based on location and political party preference. And be sure to keep checking back: Candidate responses are published as they respond.

The latest on COVID-19 in Minnesota: 9 more deaths; 629 new cases. The Health Department numbers show daily deaths remain in the single digits, with the number of people currently hospitalized dipping after trending up for weeks. Still, those current hospitalizations (305) stayed above 300 for the sixth straight day and ICU cases (152) remain up compared to a month ago.

State health officials are concerned about an increase in cases of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea among Minnesotans. The annual state STD report released Wednesday tallied 1,127 syphilis cases in 2019 — up 23 percent from the prior year. Research also showed that chlamydia cases were up 4 percent last year and gonorrhea was up 7 percent.

-- Matt Mikus | MPR News

During COVID-19, a growing interest in recycling food waste at home

With interest in organics recycling programs growing, the pandemic has highlighted Minnesota’s need for more compost sites to handle food waste.

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Big Ten football season set to begin on Labor Day weekend

The Big Ten released its 10-game conference-only football schedule beginning as early as Labor Day weekend but cautioned Wednesday there is no certainty games will be played. The Gophers start Sept. 5 at Michigan State and host Michigan and Iowa in September.

Trump considering giving convention speech from White House

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he's considering delivering his Republican convention acceptance speech from the White House after his initial plans to hold the event in two battleground states were foiled by coronavirus concerns and health restrictions.

Biden won't go to Milwaukee to accept Democratic nomination

Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus, party officials said Wednesday, signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual.

Foreign workers living overseas mistakenly received $1,200 U.S. stimulus checks

Thousands of foreign workers who entered the U.S. on temporary work visas received $1,200 checks in error during the first round of stimulus payments, and many of them are spending the money in their home nations. One tax preparation firm told NPR that it has clients from 129 countries who mistakenly received stimulus checks, including Brazil, Canada, China, India, Nigeria and South Korea.

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