Oct. 1, 2021

The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting a new daily high number of active COVID-19 cases for this year: 21,547.

By comparison, that figure neared 50,000 during the peak last November.

Many of the newly infected people live outside the Twin Cities metro. The biggest surge in cases is in northwestern Minnesota.

The wave — driven by the delta variant — continues to put stress on doctors, nurses and other health care workers.

Areas of the state experiencing the largest per-capita numbers of cases are the same regions where vaccination rates are the lowest.

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She lost her vision, but that won't keep this runner from the Twin Cities Marathon

Over the weekend, MPR News will follow Laura Sosalla and her guides Natalie Elmore and Rachel Bentley throughout their marathon experience, including on the 26.2-mile course from Minneapolis to St. Paul. You can follow along with Sosalla on our website.

Report: Minnesota had 30 known victims of intimate partner homicide in 2020

Advocates are calling for more housing options and resources for survivors of domestic abuse as the pandemic highlights the ongoing disproportionate impact on Black and Indigenous women.

Minnesota Republicans to choose a new chair

Republican Party of Minnesota delegates will meet in Hopkins Saturday to elect a new party chair to replace Jennifer Carnahan, who stepped down in August.

Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of COVID-19

The pharmaceutical company says its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected. Merck said it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize its use.

Electric car sales pitch heads to northern Minnesota to drive up interest

Some have expressed skepticism about whether electric vehicles can hold up during the winter and questioned the higher costs. But advocates say they’ve seen doubt change to acceptance quickly as more drivers switch to electric.

Heaviest rainfall totals focused on central Minnesota this weekend

Our slow-moving low-pressure system lingers into Saturday. Some short-range models suggest a cluster of rain cells around the Twin Cities in the hours surrounding midnight. Scattered rains will persist through Saturday as the system gradually pulls eastward into Wisconsin.

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How the drought is impacting Minnesota's fall colors; and leaf-peeping tips

After a summer of high heat and drought across Minnesota, the DNR’s fall color expert had predicted this year's season would be a bit of a flop. But as we enter the first weeks of fall, her predictions have taken a turn.

Santa's sleigh is looking emptier. Fewer toys, higher prices loom for holiday season

Toy makers are warning of emptier shelves and pricier toys this holiday season. Their supplies are ensnarled in floating traffic jams of container ships wallowing near key U.S. ports.

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