MPR News PM Update
Aug. 3, 2020

Quiet and comfy Tuesday. Tomorrow will be slightly warmer than Monday, with highs in the 70s and mostly sunny skies across Minnesota. The Twin Cities metro area may see some clouds and a light southwest breeze in the afternoon. More on the Updraft weather blog.

U of M’s Osterholm warns of potential for outbreak from Sturgis rally. The motorcycle rally, which starts this Friday in neighboring South Dakota , could lead to a major outbreak in the coming weeks, says U of M epidemiologist Michael Osterholm. The rally is expected to draw more than 250,000 riders and their friends from around the U.S. and it will feature some high-risk factors, including a surge of possibly hundreds of thousands of people — many of them older — packing into a relatively small town. Osterholm was on MPR News this morning to discuss the potential outbreak, vaccine development, the possibility of additional lockdowns and more. Listen to that conversation on MPR News with Kerri Miller. 

Minnesota’s daily new case count is now as high as the peak in May; ICU cases highest in 5 weeks . Minnesota reported two more deaths from COVID-19 while new cases remain on the upswing, including 622 reported Monday. While total current hospitalizations (302) were flat from Sunday, the count of those in the ICU (153) rose to a level not seen in five weeks.

Analysis: Several toss-up states have shifted in Biden’s favor in the past weeks. The latest NPR analysis of the Electoral College shows several swing or toss-up states, including Florida, now leaning toward Joe Biden. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee now has a 297-170 advantage over President Trump with exactly three months to go until Election Day. Check out  this map and analysis of where each state stands. Have questions about the upcoming election? Ask MPR News!

— Jiwon Choi, MPR News | @ChoiGEE1

 
Investigation launched into leaked Floyd bodycam video
Authorities in Hennepin County are investigating how officer body camera video of George Floyd’s final moments was leaked to a British tabloid after the newspaper published the footage on its website Monday.
More: Police bodycam video details fatal arrest
By appointment only: Bodycam video in Floyd killing shown in mid-July
 
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University of Minnesota lab to study size, force of boat wakes
University of Minnesota researchers plan to launch a study this fall of wakes created by recreational boats, hoping to provide insight into their impact on Minnesota lakes and shorelines.
Surf's up on Minnesota's hottest lake sport: But not everyone's on board
 
Minnesota has lost a greater share of revenue than most states due to COVID-19
March arrived with a projected $1.5 billion surplus; a state estimate released Friday said the revenue shortfall would reach $4.7 billion for the next two years.
States are broke and many are eyeing massive cuts: Here's how yours is doing
 
Blue Line LRT extension derailed
Railroad’s refusal to share right of way forces officials to look for new route for Bottineau corridor.
 
Annual Sturgis rally expecting 250,000 people, stirring virus concerns
Sturgis is on. The message has been broadcast across social media as South Dakota, which has seen an uptick in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, braces to host hundreds of thousands of bikers for the 80th edition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
MPR News with Kerri Miller:Michael Osterholm warns against the rally, discusses where we are now with the pandemic
 
'If not now, when?': Black women seize political spotlight
Black women have long been the Democratic Party’s most reliable and loyal voters, but for generations that allegiance didn’t translate to their own political rise. There have been zero Black woman governors, just two senators, several dozen congresswomen. But now Black women are mobilized and demanding an overdue return on their investment.  
 

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