Sept. 9, 2021
Good evening, A legal bid to require masking in Minnesota schools is pending in court after a hearing today, and should be decided soon. Ramsey County Judge Thomas Gilligan said he understands the urgency of the issue, as kids are back in classrooms together, although he voiced doubts about his ability to do that. He noted that while the continuing spread of COVID-19 is cause for concern, he’s uncomfortable with the judicial branch telling Gov. Tim Walz to impose a new mask mandate. An attorney for the governor says the legal move should be denied on separation-of-powers grounds, although the Walz administration supports universal masking in certain situations. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, and is hopeful that recent treatment will be successful. Because of the pandemic, the senator said she had put off a routine mammogram until February, which led to her diagnosis. "It was stage one, and they were able to remove it, I had radiation in May. And now they tell me that my chances of getting cancer again are the same as any average person, which is great," she told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, who has also battled cancer. Klobuchar on the show urged people to keep up with routine medical care. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson, MPR News | 