Oct. 12, 2020

Colder temps on the way. Look for increasing clouds tonight, with scattered rain showers in the northern part of the state. Lows will be in the 40s. Tomorrow will be sunny with highs in the mid-50s to lower 60s.

The confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett kicked off in Washington this morning, with statements from Barrett and nearly two dozen members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Minnesota’s senior senator, Amy Klobuchar sits on the committee and expressed her opposition to confirming a justice in an election year after Republicans blocked Merrick Garland in 2016. She also said that the Senate should have other priorities.

The Minnesota Department of Health relaxed its restrictions on visiting nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Officials said the state had one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infections among senior living residents in the country — ranking 40th among the states.

The new guidelines, effective Saturday, allow more visitors in facilities that haven’t had a COVID-19 case in two weeks and have limited transmission in the surrounding community.

Minnesota reported another 1,100 positive COVID-19 tests today, marking the first time positive cases have topped 1,000 for five days in a row.

The numbers are actually down slightly from the weekend, when the state reported more than 3,000 new cases. The rolling seven-day average for new cases is up over 1,200 for a second day — more than double that average a month ago.

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Federal judge upholds Minnesota's extended ballot counting

A federal judge has upheld a Minnesota state court agreement that allows counting of absentee ballots received up to seven days after Election Day as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. Attorneys for the Republican plaintiffs filed a notice saying they will appeal.

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Facebook bans Holocaust denial, reversing earlier policy

CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who previously considered such claims free speech, said his thinking has "evolved." Survivors had lobbied the social network to remove posts that deny the Holocaust.

Comic: You're wearing it wrong! A face mask safety refresher

Pleats, filters, fabric. With so many available features and types, NPR breaks down which common face coverings are more effective and the right way to wear and handle them.

Brooklyn Park charter school principal dies of coronavirus

The family of Choua Yang says she died Friday at age 53 after battling COVID-19 for four weeks, including three weeks on a ventilator. Staff say Yang was a passionate educator and caring principal who took the threat of the coronavirus seriously.

Black churches mobilizing voters despite virus challenges

This year, churches are organizing socially distant caravans with greatly reduced capacity for early voting and Election Day ballot-casting. Volunteers are phone-banking and canvasing the homes of church members to ensure mail-in and absentee ballots are requested and delivered before the deadlines.

Union survey finds nearly one-third of MN teachers want to quit

A survey conducted by Minnesota’s teacher union finds pandemic stress is causing educators to think about leaving their profession or retire early.

MPR archive: Stories, documentaries, arts, interviews on Native Americans

In recognition of this year’s Indigenous Peoples Day, the MPR Archive Portal presents a curated selection of stories, documentaries, arts, interviews and reports on the Native American people.

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