Sept. 4, 2020

Planning summer fun this weekend? You're in luck. It looks like a summery Saturday and Sunday ahead followed by a cooler Labor Day. Strong to severe storms are possible Saturday night. Expect near average highs in the 70s and 80s Saturday and Sunday, with Labor Day highs in the 50s in the far north, and a lot of 60s elsewhere.

A Minnesota man and a man from North Carolina are accused of trying to conspire with an international terrorist organization. Michael Solomon, 30, of New Brighton is facing one federal criminal charge for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Hamas. Prosecutors also charged 22-year-old Benjamin Teeter of Hampstead, N.C. According to the criminal complaint, the men identify as members of the Boogaloo Bois, a group that seeks to violently overthrow the government.

Officials to Minnesotans: Stay vigilant this weekend to curb COVID-19's spread. State Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann says simple backyard gatherings and weddings are accounting for much of a steep climb in cases recently. "COIVD still transmits when you're outside. All things being equal, outside is better than being inside. But you still have to socially distance and wear masks," she urges Minnesotans ahead of the Labor Day weekend.

Double-digit death toll, 856 new cases reported today. The Minnesota Department of Health Friday reported 856 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 new deaths. The new cases were part of nearly 18,700 newly reported tests. 274 people remain hospitalized with nearly half in intensive care, while hospitalizations have plateaued.

Preparations for fall semester underway at the U of M. The university plan is to test students who are symptomatic or have had direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. However Carl Anderson, with the on-campus Boynton Health clinic, says the U does not plan blanket testing of students. Earlier this week, the school also introduced plans to restrict movement of students living in campus residence halls during their first few weeks to limit the spread of COVID-19.

You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast.

Another holiday weekend, another coronavirus surge?

Many are worried that Labor Day will be like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, when travel and celebrations fanned the flames of viral spread, especially across the U.S. South and West.

Fact check: CDC has not reduced the death count related to COVID-19
Coronavirus cases: 6 million infections now confirmed in U.S.

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Many meat processors booked up through deer season

As the fall hunting season prepares to ramp up this month, some local butchers and meat markets might have to turn their game customers away. Many processors are already operating at full capacity — a ripple effect of COVID-19 closures at major pork and beef processors this spring.

CWD spreads in Minnesota deer: COVID-19 may make monitoring harder
From June: Long Prairie beef processor among latest swept by COVID-19
From May: Pork processing resumes at JBS plant shut down by pandemic

Hmong community leaders share thoughts on education, economy and politics

A lot has changed in Minnesota’s Hmong community since the first Hmong refugees arrived to the Twin Cities in the 1970s. Host Angela Davis talks with three Hmong community leaders about education, the economy and politics and what’s being done to address remaining disparities.

President Trump's new COVID-19 adviser is making public health experts nervous

Dr. Scott Atlas is a radiologist from Stanford with some unorthodox ideas about managing the pandemic. The White House says his thinking is just what's needed, but scientists aren't so sure.

The annual State Fair weather quiz with Mark Seeley is on

The Minnesota State Fair might be canceled, but there’s no way we would have let the annual weather quiz with Mark Seeley go on hiatus for a pandemic. For the 24th year in a row, Seeley will be taking your questions about the weather and quizzing you back. Have you been paying attention? You can call into the the radio-only show guest hosted by Gary Eichten at 11 a.m. on Labor Day.

How to care for older people in the pandemic (and a printable guide!)

Three experts share advice on how to help the older people in our lives — parents, grandparents, neighbors, relatives, friends — feel comfortable and safe in the pandemic.

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