Nov. 29, 2021

State health officials say they are tracking a new variant of coronavirus called omicron that was first identified last week by researchers in South Africa. State Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann says no cases have so far been detected in Minnesota or the United States.

"But given its international spread and its reported transmissibility, we expect that there will be cases found both in the U.S. and likely in Minnesota," she said.

Ehresmann said the state public health lab is preparing to be able to test for the variant and that Minnesota has among the strongest genomic sequencing and variant surveillance systems in the U.S.

Minnesota is back at the top of the nation’s rankings for new COVID cases per capita, and school leaders say they’re making plans in case they need to move to distance learning in coming weeks.

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Daunte Wright's family thanks supporters on eve of trial of ex-cop charged with killing him

Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter’s trial for first and second-degree manslaughter begins in a Minneapolis courtroom on Tuesday.

Jury selection begins Tuesday in Potter's trial. Here are the charges she faces

When prosecutors begin presenting their case, they'll argue that Potter, who quit the Brooklyn Center police force two days after the shooting, committed first- and second-degree manslaughter when she killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.

MPR News reporter Jon Collins on covering the Potter trial

How do reporters and editors decide what to cover and how in these trials? MPR News' lead reporter on the trial walked host Cathy Wurzer through the process of covering complicated legal issues, the responsibilities of being a pool reporter, courtroom security and how he responds to critiques from the public.

Panel aims to stop violence against African American women

Minnesota officials launched the state’s new Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women on Monday. The group will spend the next year looking at the systemic causes of violence against Black women and then recommend policy changes.

Lee Elder, 1st Black golfer to play Masters, dies at age 87

The golf pioneer died at the age of 87. He broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters and paved the way for Tiger Woods and others to follow.

As the Supreme Court considers Roe v. Wade, a look at how abortion became legal

Abortion did not become illegal in most states until the mid to late 1800s. By the 1960s, abortion, like childbirth, had become a safe procedure when performed by a doctor.

New variant cause for concern, not panic, Biden tells U.S.

President Joe Biden is urging Americans to get vaccinated, including booster shots, as he seeks to quell concerns over the newly identified COVID-19 variant named omicron. But he said Monday he won't be seeking any widespread lockdowns.

What Minnesota hospitals need to face a surging patient volume

Minnesota hospitals are overrun with patients. Dr. Rahul Koranne, president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association, told host Cathy Wurzer what hospitals need.

Some immigrant parents say St. Paul school closures would hurt their communities

Somali American parents in St. Paul say a plan to close Highwood Hills Elementary would endanger a neighborhood hub. Latino parents say they weren’t included in the decision to close Wellstone Elementary. With a school-board vote coming soon, immigrant parents want to be heard.

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Hanukkah isn't Jewish Christmas. Here's the story of the holiday and why we celebrate

Jewish families haven't always given presents on Hanukkah — it only dates to the 1880s. Arthur Levine's kids' book “The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol” imagines a fanciful origin for the tradition.

Hanukkah Lights 2021: Revisiting stories of the season

For the 31st anniversary of “Hanukkah Lights,” Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz revisit old favorites from authors Sholem Aleichem, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Ellen Orleans, Lia Pripstein and Clement Clarke Moore.

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