April 28, 2021

Tonight, it’ll be mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain showers north with isolated thunderstorms. Lows will be in the mid 30s to mid 40s. Tomorrow will be m ostly sunny. Patchy dense fog in the morning. Slight chance of rain east. Highs will be in the mid-50s to mid-60s.Get the latest on Updraft.

Both sides claimed victory Wednesday after the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a complex ruling over state permits for the proposed Polymet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.

The court's decision upholds a ruling made by the Minnesota Court of Appeals last year that reversed Polymet's permit to mine. The court ruled that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources failed to set a fixed end date for the permit, when it was issued.

In another part of the ruling, the court sent a dispute over the mine's waste management plan back to the DNR — for what's known as a "contested case hearing" on whether the mine's tailings pond would effectively keep pollution contained.

But the court's ruling rejected calls for a broader contested case hearing.

State and federal regulators gave final approval to the PolyMet project more than two years ago. It is set to become the state's first copper-nickel mine — but three key permits for the project are either suspended or reversed.

In COVID news, cases and the test positivity rate in Minnesota continue to decline, although vaccinations continue to be off the pace set earlier this month.

The 7-day rolling average for new cases has fallen to about where it was in the beginning of April. That's down from a mid-month rise that's been in a gradual decline for two weeks. There were about 1,500 cases identified in the latest data.

Deaths were up noticeably, at 22 in the latest numbers. That's their highest mark since the first week in February, although overall the trend remains mostly flat.

Also, Johnson and Johnson vaccinations are starting to show up in the numbers again, in very small amounts.

Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get the up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson | MPR News

Biden to pitch sweeping 'family plan' in speech to Congress

Marking his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden will use his first joint address to Congress to pitch a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform the role government plays in American life. Listen on the radio or watch at MPRnews.org live at 8 p.m. CT.

Survey finds student learning, mental health suffered during pandemic

Minnesota students, families and teachers say that learning over the last year has carried on, despite drastic COVID-19-related changes in education, according to a survey of sixth through 12th grade students released Wednesday by University of Minnesota researchers.

New blood tests should show how long a COVID-19 vaccine will protect you

Researchers are trying to come up with tests that can be performed using a blood sample that will determine not only whether a COVID-19 vaccine will work, but for how long.

For Minneapolis activists, guilty verdict just the start of a long journey toward justice

The racial justice movement spurred by the killing of George Floyd doesn’t end with last week’s murder conviction of Derek Chauvin. Proponents of change in the city where Floyd died under Chauvin’s knee say their work is just beginning.

Chauvin juror: 'Every day we had to come in and watch a Black man die'

Brandon Mitchell told a TV interviewer there were days he didn’t know how he could keep returning to watch footage of George Floyd dying in police custody under Derek Chauvin’s knee. "I didn't see any remorse,” he said of Chauvin’s demeanor in court.

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At two Mankato high schools, new course aims to tie history of social justice to movements today

Starting next fall, students at Mankato East and Mankato West high schools will be able to take the brand-new course — developed as a way to help them explore topics of race, civil rights and social justice. It’s intended to serve as a place where students can learn about history, and connect it to the social movements of today.

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