Jan. 27, 2021

Tonight will be mostly clear northeast, mostly cloudy elsewhere. Lows 6 below to 14 below zero up north, to 3 below to 3 above zero further south. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with highs 13 to 21. Looks like we might get some snow Saturday and Sunday. Find the latest from Updraft.

Thousands of Minnesotans got messages from the state Wednesday telling them whether they've been allotted a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The state has only about 9,400 doses to administer this week in a program for people 65 and older — and 226,000 of them asked for a shot in a 24-hour sign up for a vaccine lottery Tuesday. Check out our FAQ for more information on how the pilot program works.

Minnesota's COVID-19 vaccinations are continuing to accelerate, according to today's data.

The seven-day rolling average for new vaccinations topped 19,000, its highest point since vaccinations started in late December, and nearly double where that figure stood a week ago. Newly reported vaccinations have now topped 20,000 for four of the last seven days and total vaccinations are at about 301,000 in the latest data. That means about 7 percent of the adult population has gotten at least one shot.

Deaths due to COVID-19 were at 18 in the latest data, slightly below the recent average. Newly confirmed cases stayed below 1,000 for a third straight day, which hasn't happened since the first week of October.

You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News

Some Walz budget items require quick legislative action

Urgency surrounds parts of Gov. Tim Walz’s budget meant to help people and businesses recover from COVID-19. The Legislature isn’t known for speed on the state budget. If the past is any guide, lawmakers will wait until the very end of session in May to decide how $50 billion or more are allocated.

Expired driver's licenses, IDs should be renewed soon, Minnesota officials say

A COVID-19-related extension for Minnesota driver's license renewals is ending soon. Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation last year that extended the expiration date for many driver's licenses and ID cards to March 31.

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House DFL bill would offer safety protections for meatpacking workers

A state lawmaker is pushing for stronger safety protections for workers at Minnesota meat and poultry processing plants, where COVID-19 outbreaks sickened hundreds of employees during the pandemic.

Why scientists are very worried about the variant from Brazil

They don't yet understand why the coronavirus variant called P.1 has spread so explosively there. Its set of mutations seem especially dangerous. And this week P.1 was confirmed in the U.S.

Jan. 26:Minnesota confirms first COVID-19 variant from Brazil

Minneapolis settles suit over MPD response to unrest

The Minneapolis City Council agreed to pay $57,900 earlier this month to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman who says she was injured by police last year during unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd.

Voter ID bill clears Senate committee amid squabbling

Republicans in the Minnesota Senate advanced a voter ID bill Wednesday following a sometimes contentious committee hearing.

Census data for congressional seats still months away

The numbers used for divvying up U.S. congressional seats among the states won’t be ready until the end of April, a Census Bureau official said Wednesday.

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