Good morning,
Welcome to Wednesday. It'll feel more like July than almost October again today. Mostly sunny with increasing clouds throughout the day and highs in the mid-80s — cooler if you're near Lake Superior.
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University of Minnesota students at Coffman Memorial Union on Sept. 3Peter Cox, MPR News file
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By Peter Cox
Hundreds of University of Minnesota faculty and staff say the school system has not taken strong enough precautions as the state sees a spike in cases linked to the delta variant.
Students are required to get a COVID vaccine, with religious and health exemptions. They attest to getting that vaccine in an online form. They also have to wear masks indoors. Missing are lockdowns and tougher requirements for indoor spacing.
Last year, the University deployed a return to campus process that included protocols and restrictions on student movement, as well as a large number of online-only courses.
“This year I feel like it's a disaster in terms of how long it took the University to implement a vaccine mandate. I don't feel like the vaccine mandate has teeth," said Karen-Sue Taussig, an associate professor and chair of the anthropology department who said she "felt incredibly supported" last year.
Earlier this month, Taussig and more than 500 faculty, staff and students sent President Joan Gabel a letter urging her to revisit several protocols around COVID-19 at the school, including the vaccine mandate, indoor spacing and more flexibility in teaching.
Some faculty and staff say there’s also a lack of clarity for what to do if people are sick or aren’t vaccinated, said Cherrene Horazuk, and president of AFSCME Local 3800, the clerical workers union at the University of Minnesota.
The University says it's using CDC and MDH guidelines to shape its policies and will change them if there are serious health concerns. The U says reported COVID cases ranged from 36 in the first week and 27 cases in the second.
[Read more]
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Brooklyn Center mayor Mike Elliott addresses the media during a press conference on April 20 at the site where Daunte Wright was killed | Nicole Neri for MPR News file
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By Nina Moini
Brooklyn Center introduced its first public safety changes that are part of a package of reforms Mayor Mike Elliott announced after the police killing of Daunte Wright in April.
Effective immediately, the new citation policy aims to prevent traffic stops for minor infractions that could escalate. Elliott said that many deadly encounters between police and Black men could have been prevented with a better approach to public safety.
The new policy will prohibit detaining people for low-level offenses like non-moving traffic infractions and non-felony warrants. There are exceptions for public safety, but officers who make arrests will have to file a report about why.
Other changes coming: Elliott wants to create two new departments to respond to lower-level infractions and mental health calls which are separate from the police department.
[ Read more]
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Mandate pushback: Nearly 200 Minnesota health workers have filed a federal lawsuit over the pending requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their job. The Minnesota case is similar to lawsuits cropping up nationwide.
Morgue sale: The St. Paul Port Authority is poised to buy the building the state bought last year as a prospective temporary morgue as the COVID-19 pandemic picked up. The building was a former produce warehouse already outfitted for cold storage when the state bought it for $5.5 million to avoid storing bodies in refrigerated trailers. The purchase drew derision from critics, who said the death toll would never reach that point in Minnesota — which it did not.
La Niña watch: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Niña watch for the upcoming winter season . La Niña events historically favor colder, snowier winters in Minnesota. But it’s bucking the strong trend of milder winters overall caused by climate change.
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