Happy Tuesday, Minnesota. Here are top headlines for your morning: Spring's springing this week. We'll have sunny skies across Minnesota today, and highs in the 50s. Enjoy the sunshine! Find the latest forecast on Updraft. Economic pressures threaten waves of change on St. Paul’s West Side. Community organizers and residents in St. Paul's West Side worry that a gentrification wave may leave many low-income residents with nowhere to go. On top of that, layers of crises are stacking up against longtime residents: the COVID-19 pandemic, a hot housing and rental market, and the fears of foreclosures and evictions. Some see rent stabilization as the answer, but not everyone’s on board. A fifth of new COVID cases in the nation now involve children. A year ago, COVID-19 cases in children made up less than 3 percent of the U.S. total. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics said children represented 22.4 percent of new cases. Experts link the trend to several factors – from particularly high vaccination rates among older Americans, to new COVID-19 variants and the loosening of restrictions on school activities. COVID-19 vaccine for teens will soon get a green light from FDA. The federal agency is expected to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. In Minnesota, COVID cases and deaths fall, so do vaccinations. Active case counts are at their lowest since late March 31, but the current seven-day vaccination trend has also fallen to late March levels. That’s slowing the state’s efforts to reach herd immunity. Here are 3 things to know about COVID in Minnesota: - Vaccination pace declining
- 58.6 percent of Minnesotans 16 and older have received at least one dose; 45 percent completely vaccinated
- Gov. Tim Walz this week is expected to unveil plans to loosen capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants
Listen and join the conversation at 11 a.m: When should police officers pull drivers over? The police shooting death of Daunte Wright last month has renewed calls from criminal justice reform advocates to overhaul traffic stop procedures and the methods used by police departments to initiate stops. This morning host Angela Davis and her guests will examine the role traffic stops play in policing, when they are necessary and how those interactions with police can affect the communities they are serving. Have you had experience feeling targeted by police during a traffic stop? Give us a call at 651-227-6000 or toll free at 800-242-2828 during the live show or tweet @AngelaDavisMPR to join the conversation. 🎧 Here is what's on MPR News today. — Jiwon Choi, MPR News | Find me on Twitter @ChoiGEE1 |