Dec. 23, 2020

Our first major winter storm of the winter season is in progress across the Upper Midwest. Blizzard warnings have now been expanded to include the greater Twin Cities area until 6 a.m. Thursday.

The combination of high winds and heavy snow will make travel difficult to impossible this afternoon and evening in much of Minnesota. Check out the latest from Updraft and follow along with live updates on our severe weather blog. Stay safe, Minnesota!

The newest COVID-19 numbers for the state continue to show positive trends in hospitalizations and caseloads even as the death toll nears 5,000.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm praised Minnesotans for heeding the guidance on public gatherings and social distancing and said vaccinations will help even more.

Health officials are still imploring people to wear masks, socially distance and take other measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

“We’re still in a situation where there’s just a lot of virus circulating in the community,” Malcolm said Wednesday.

Gov. Tim Walz is adding six months to a 10 percent pay cut that he and his chief of staff are takingduring the pandemic.

Walz imposed the pay cut in April, saying he wanted to save the state money and show solidarity with people struggling due to restrictions he imposed. Those were set to expire next week.

The governor also signed an executive order allowing out-of-state pharmacists to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine because of staffing strains among Minnesota pharmacists.

You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast.
— Jon collins and Sara Porter | MPR News

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In a school year that has forced shutdowns and virtual lessons, engagement is faltering and the number of failing grades is doubling. But Northfield Public Schools is experimenting with an extra effort to help students and families to make sure learning is still happening.

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Minnesotans plan for expected federal relief payment

Most Minnesotans are expecting more COVID-19 relief money from the federal government, even as President Donald Trump floats the possibility of vetoing the stimulus package congressional Republicans and Democrats finally settled on. The president says direct payments should be more than three times larger than the $600 the House and Senate came up with.

'Step in the right direction' as Minnesota nursing home residents get first vaccine doses

The first residents and staff at a St. Cloud nursing home and a Prairie Island Indian Community assisted living facility have received their initial doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. It’s good news for long-term care facilities, which have been hardest hit by the virus. Sixty-five percent of the state's 4,896 deaths have been among long-term care residents.
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What's at stake with Trump's threat: COVID-19 relief and a government shutdown

President Donald Trump has introduced a round of Christmas chaos that imperils direct payments to millions of Americans suffering due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Volunteers turned a bus into a 'MASH unit'

Over the summer, Kia Bible and other volunteers turned a bus into a medical unit to heal trauma at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. It's since grown into a nonprofit staffed by volunteers who provide routine care for people in the neighborhood.

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For overwhelmed and burnt-out COVID contact tracers, help is (hopefully) coming

NPR's latest survey finds the contact tracing workforce now tops 70,000, a dramatic increase in the last two months. But to truly meet the growing demand, new federal funding will be key.

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