Minnesota
Minnesota has seen 5 measles cases so far in 2026
Measles cases in the U.S. are rising at the fastest rate in a generation, and the trend now includes five cases in Minnesota since the start of the new year.
The Minnesota Department of Health said the five cases occurred in unvaccinated children and adults in the Twin Cities area. Four of the cases are linked, the department said, and all were infected within the United States.
Nationwide, doctors have diagnosed nearly 1,000 cases of measles in 2026. Last year, there were 2,281 cases total, with three deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported so far this year.
In Minnesota, 26 cases were reported last year.
The CDC classifies measles as one of the most contagious infectious diseases. It can lead to severe lung and brain infections, cognitive issues, hearing loss and even death. Experts say getting vaccinated is the best protection against the disease — 94% of U.S. cases this year have occurred in unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.
Officials recommend children receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine — the first at 12 to 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Health experts blame declining vaccination rates for increases in preventable diseases like measles. During the 2019-2020 school year, 95.2% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against measles. In 2021-2022, that figutre dropped to 93%, and again to 92.7% in 2023-2024.
A 29-year-old man drowned at a lake in northern Minnesota on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said the man drowned at the swimming area at Little Emily Lake Park. The man was at the park with family and friends at the time.
First responders arrived at the scene to try and rescue him, but he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Little Emily Lake is about 40 miles north of Brainerd.
Minnesota
If Nolan Teasley is the “primary football executive” in Minnesota, Seahawks will get compensatory picks
The hiring of Seahawks assistant G.M. Nolan Teasley as the Vikings’ new G.M. will carry a specific benefit for his former team.
Per the league, Teasley qualifies as a diverse candidate under the NFL provision that gives the former team of a newly-hired G.M. or head coach a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks.
The only question is whether Teasley will be Minnesota’s “primary football executive.” That requirement prevented the Bears from receiving the compensatory draft picks when assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham was hired to be the Falcons G.M. The league decided that president of football Matt Ryan is the “primary football executive” in Atlanta.
The Bears appealed the decision to the league, and Bears fans continue to be mystified by the outcome — especially since Ryan has made it clear that Cunningham is a General Manager “in every facet of the word.”
Minnesota has no similar position to Ryan’s job with the Falcons. The only alternative to Teasley would be coach Kevin O’Connell. But there has been no indication that, moving forward, O’Connell will emerge as the top football executive for the Vikings, with full control over the roster and the draft.
The NFL’s full collection of diversity of initiatives have recently come under attack by Florida’s attorney general. The Seahawks getting two extra third-round draft picks undoubtedly will spark a reaction from those who, in the current climate, attack efforts aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
-
Detroit, MI17 minutes agoDetroit Grand Prix father-daughter volunteers help make winner’s circle moments shine
-
San Francisco, CA25 minutes agoTony Vitello just lost the only Giants allies he has left
-
Dallas, TX32 minutes agoFatal crash on LBJ Freeway in Dallas leaves 1 dead, multiple people hospitalized, police say
-
Miami, FL35 minutes agoDeputies searching for 2 men accused of shooting man during attempted robbery in SW Miami-Dade
-
Boston, MA40 minutes agoFriend of Worcester woman killed in Virginia I-95 crash ‘cannot believe she is gone.’ – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO47 minutes agoDenver hockey’s Johnny Hicks wins DU Pioneers’ Male Athlete of the Year
-
Seattle, WA50 minutes agoVikings stealing Nolan Teasley from Seahawks might be even worse than it appears
-
San Diego, CA55 minutes agoDining Out — series Part 1: A look at the evolution of La Jolla’s restaurant scene
