Minnesota

Minnesota sees increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, experts say they’re not surprised

Published

2 years ago

August 2, 2024

Minnesota sees increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, experts say they’re not surprised

Minnesota has seen an upward trend of hospitalizations from COVID-19, and it’s a little earlier than last year, when hospitalizations started to increase later in the summer toward the end of August, according to APM Research Lab data.

Minnesota Department of Health experts still don’t have enough data to find a clear pattern or trend for the virus. Senior epidemiologist Keeley Morris said Minnesota does tend to experience a “summer increase” and that it appeared that the number of cases happened earlier this season.

“But certainly not something that’s so out of the ordinary that it’s really taken us by surprise,” Morris said. “It’s something that we sort of expected and we just don’t have enough pattern yet to know exactly which month that’s going to happen year after year.”

MDH is monitoring the increased number of cases, and though they’re not surprised by the uptick, they’re concerned for people who are at higher risk for severe disease. Mostly because when there’s increased hospitalizations, there’s more disease transmission.

Gifts from individuals keep MPR News accessible to all – free of paywalls and barriers.

MDH said people who are over the age of 65, severely immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk. Health officials urge them to reach out to their health providers if they start feeling sick so they can take antiviral treatments to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and death.

Morris said they’re also monitoring whether Minnesota is experiencing a variant that’s more severe or more likely to lead to hospitalizations, which currently doesn’t seem to be the case.

“These variants are just much better at evading immunity that people have from prior vaccinations or prior infections,” she said. “So, we started to see an increase in cases because there’s more transmission happening from person to person as a result of these new variants emerging. But, thankfully, so far, we haven’t seen that increase in severity, which would be cause for concern, but has not happened to this point.”

As MDH continues to track the virus, Morris said there are still unknowns about COVID-19, though there seemed to be a roughly six to eight-month pattern from when people’s immunity wanes from the last vaccination or last time they contracted the virus, and seeing another increase in cases, infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Morris added there would be pretty significant increases in the winter when people move indoors, and then smaller increases around the summer, when immunity starts to wane from vaccination and previous infection.

“This year in particular, we’ve had a very hot summer, we’ve had a lot of wet weather and we didn’t see a high uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations last fall, so it’s possible that the combination of all those factors is leading to a little bit of an earlier or higher increase than we’ve seen in the past,” she said. “But, I don’t think there’s anything particularly shocking or unexpected about what we’re experiencing now.”

Although COVID-19 from the policy perspective isn’t on the forefront, MDH continues to track the virus daily and emphasizes that the virus is “absolutely still with us” as it continues to see transmission of the disease. Morris encourages individuals to seek testing if they experience symptoms as new variants emerge, which is especially critical for those at highest risk for severe disease.

Antiviral medications are most effective within the first five days of developing symptoms, Morris adds, and reduce the risk of hospitalizations and death. She said the public should continue washing hands, staying home when sick to prevent transmission of COVID-19 and to keep an eye out for new vaccines releasing this fall.

“With the new formulation coming out in the fall, it’s really important to sort of weigh out the benefits of being vaccinated now and the protection you might get from that, over the benefits of waiting until a vaccine that’s available later this year and is a little more closely matched to the variants that are circulating now,” she said. “We just encourage folks to weigh that out with their health care provider about what’s the best approach for them.”

Source link

Minnesota

Support from DC for Michele Tafoya’s Senate run splits Minnesota GOP

Published

4 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Support from DC for Michele Tafoya’s Senate run splits Minnesota GOP

The former sportscaster is expected to struggle to win the endorsement over her GOP rivals.

Ana Radelat
| MinnPost

Former sportscaster Michele Tafoya is seeking the Republican nomination for a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat.
Tafoya’s past moderate stances and criticism of Donald Trump have alienated some conservative party delegates.
Despite internal party divisions, Tafoya has significantly outraised her GOP rivals with help from the national party.

A dream candidate for the national Republican Party, former sportscaster Michele Tafoya is finding support from Washington to be a double-edged sword as she seeks to win retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat.

Tafoya, 61, is a skilled and media-savvy communicator whose name recognition and political smarts prompted the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to call her “the only candidate with the common-sense leadership Minnesotans are desperately craving.”

Tafoya gets endorsement from Sen. Tim Scott

The endorsement by NRSC Chairman Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., made just after Tafoya announced her candidacy in January, has rankled some Minnesota Republicans.

Why? Because there were other Republicans vying for Smith’s seat, including Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, former NBA player Royce White and Navy veteran Tom Weiler.

Another GOP candidate, former Minnesota Republican Party candidate David Hann, was also in the race at that time but dropped out last month. And Mark York, a seven-generation farmer from Lake Wilson is also running.

Yet the national Republican Party, which is battling to prevent a Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate in November’s midterm election, placed its bet on Tafoya.

That has disgruntled some of the 2,500 Republican delegates who will vote to endorse the GOP Senate candidates in Duluth at the end of the month.

“You have people who would see (support from the national party) as a plus, and there also are people who would see it as meddling from Washington,” said Frank Long, a delegate and longtime party activist from Watertown Township who supports Schwarze.

Long said the state’s Republicans “are not a monolithic organization.” He said some delegates are concerned about Tafoya’s support for abortion – which she says now is limited to procedures in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Tafoya has also expressed support for “red flag” laws — which allow law enforcement to temporarily remove weapons to individuals a court has assessed might be a danger to themselves or others — that are opposed by many gun-rights delegates.

Remarks Tafoya made about President Donald Trump in 2022 are another turnoff for some GOP delegates. She wrote an open letter to Trump in a now deleted post on Substack that said she hoped he would not run again, and even as she praised his accomplishments, she called his politics “messy.”

While Tafoya may not be the first choice of some delegates, “she has the right to run,” Long said.

Tafoya has since aligned herself closely with Trump’s platform and embroiled herself in the culture wars with her fierce opposition to transgender women in female sports.

But if she makes it to the general election, running against either Rep. Angie Craig, D-2^nd District, or Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who are locked in battle for the Democratic nomination, Tafoya will likely revert to the more moderate candidate she once considered herself to be.

“I think Minnesota is starving for a moderate Republican who doesn’t tell them that they’re going to ban abortion who is the antithesis of the Tim Walz regime,” Tafoya told WDAY Radio when Smith announced her retirement early last year.

After the February 2022 Super Bowl, Tafoya quit her broadcasting career, launched a political podcast and spent several years weighing whether to run for political office. She met with the NRSC in December and declared her candidacy about a month later.

Weiler, who ran unsuccessfully for the 3^rd Congressional District seat in 2022, said he contacted the NRSC last fall seeking support. But he said the people he spoke with seemed uninterested in him because he was “not rich or famous.”

He said he was surprised and disappointed that the NRSC backed Tafoya.

“It was clearly a decision made in Washington, D.C., without any input from Minnesotans,” Weiler said.

Tafoya raised more than $2 million in the two months after she announced her candidacy, with the help of the national GOP. That’s more money than all of her GOP rivals combined.

According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, the NRSC gave Tafoya’s campaign $62,000 and Senate Republican Leader John Thune’s leadership political action committee has held joint fundraisers with Tafoya’s campaign.

The national party’s endorsement also brings help in recruiting campaign staff and campaign consulting, a must-have for a candidate who has never before run for political office.

Minnesota is ‘a grass-roots state’

Tim Lindberg, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota-Morris, said the national Republican Party had to step into the race for Smith’s seat “to some extent because the state party has been in disarray.”

Shut out of holding a statewide seat for 20 years, the state party is low on cash and divided between the establishment Republicans, like Tafoya, and more conservative MAGA activists.

So, while Tafoya’s campaign has had a boost from the NRSC and other GOP national organizations it is not guaranteed that she will win the votes of 60% of the GOP delegates needed to win an endorsement.

Tafoya’s campaign did not respond to requests for an interview and information. But the former sportscaster has said she will continue to run for the U.S. Senate and participate in the Aug. 11 primary even without an endorsement.

Historically, not all of Minnesota’s GOP candidates have abided by the endorsement. But the state’s political history also shows that Republican voters don’t reward non-endorsed candidates very often, especially in statewide elections, when the primary comes around.

Schwarze, another rival for the GOP endorsement, said Republicans “don’t reward people who take shortcuts.”

He called Tafoya a “D.C. out-of -the -box candidate” and is confident he will earn the endorsement, even if it takes several rounds of balloting.

“Minnesotans are not for sale,” Schwarze said. “This is a grass-roots state.”

The former Navy SEAL speaks in military terms about the U.S. Senate race.

“I’ve been preparing for this campaign run as if it were a ‘no-fail’ mission,” he said. After Tafoya, Schwarze, who reported raising more than $1 million as of March 31, has amassed the largest campaign chest among the GOP Senate candidates. Yet Democrats Craig and Flanagan have much larger war chests than Tafoya and Schwarze.

Both Schwarze and White — who won the GOP endorsement to run against Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2024 — have vowed to abide by the endorsement and support the delegates’ candidate of choice.

“The mission is going to get a Republican U.S. Senator,” Schwarze said.

But Weiler has a different attitude. He said he would continue his campaign unless he’s convinced the delegates have chosen a candidate “who can win and be an effective senator for Minnesota.”

Tafoya is a high profile Minnesota senate candidate

Lindberg said Tafoya is well liked for her high profile in the world of sports.

She spent three decades covering the NBA, NFL, Olympics and college football. A Californian by birth, many Minnesotans got to know Tafoya when she worked as a sportscaster and reporter for sports radio KFAN in Minneapolis — covering the Vikings — the Midwest Sports Channel and WCCO-TV.

Lindberg said the NRSC is “banking” on her popularity and name recognition. But he said that strategy could “backfire” in an endorsement process that is dominated by party activists in both the Democratic and Republican state conventions.

“It’s not clear that the people at these conventions really care about electability,” he said.

Source link

Minnesota

Minnesota could see northern lights tonight, here’s how

Published

16 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota could see northern lights tonight, here’s how

Minnesotans could see northern lights on May 14 and 15 as the natural spectacle will be visible through several northern states.

The best time to look for the aurora borealis is between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Showers and thunderstorms are predicted in the early evening in St. Cloud, but skies should clear somewhat before the northern lights show would begin, according to the NOAA forecast.

There could be more auroras to come this weekend as well, as the geomagnetic activity that makes the lights viewable is predicted to continue through May 16.

Here’s what to know about catching the northern lights.

When will the northern lights be viewable?

People in several U.S. states may get chances to see the aurora display on May 14 and 15. The best times to view the lights are generally between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA, though this can vary significantly by location and as weather and visibility forecasts are updated.

This time around, geomagnetic activity is expected to peak between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to the forecast, which could trigger moderate geomagnetic storms that make the auroras viewable farther south.

More up-to-date forecasts can be found on NOAA’S Aurora Dashboard.

Which states can see the northern lights?

How far and wide the auroras can clearly be seen will depend on whether the geomagnetic storm reaches a G1 to G2 (mild to moderate) or G3 (strong) level and the weather in your location.

Though Canada is getting the best, most intense viewing this time around, the states listed below will have at least a chance of catching a glimpse, according to NOAA’S forecast map.

Washington
Idaho
Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
Michigan
Wisconsin

What are the northern lights, aka aurora borealis?

The northern lights are a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Known for creating ribbons of colorful light in the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Southern Hemisphere has its own polar lights known as the southern lights, or aurora australis, which create their own dazzling display.

Put simply, auroras are a result of the sun interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere. A collision between electrically charged particles from the sun and gases in Earth’s atmosphere produces a series of minuscule flashes that appear like moving lights in the sky. The charged particles are pulled toward the North and South poles due to Earth’s magnetic field.

While that magnetic field usually protects the Earth from solar winds, the winds can occasionally get strong enough to bypass the field, allowing particles and gases in the magnetosphere to interact and generate the colorful displays, according to the Geophysical Institute and the Canadian Space Agency.

Tips for viewing the northern lights

The top tip for getting the best view of the northern lights is finding a dark spot away from light pollution. Space.com recommends finding a location as far as possible from city lights and heading out there as soon as the sky gets dark. Then, it’s a waiting game.

Find a north-facing view with a clear horizon and exercise patience, as the lights often come in waves, said Space.com. You can also download apps to track aurora forecasts based on your location, such as “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts.”

Source link

Minnesota

Caribou Coffee in Minnesota launches value menu

Published

1 day ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Caribou Coffee in Minnesota launches value menu

Caribou Coffee has launched a new value menu, with items priced as low as $2.
The coffee chain made the change to expand the options for customers and create more flexibility, a company officer said.
Check the list for Caribou Coffee locations in central Minnesota.

Caribou Coffee, a coffeehouse known for its handcrafted beverages made with real ingredients, is rolling out a new value menu at participating locations nationwide.

Beginning May 7, a company release stated, Caribou Coffee is serving Caribou Everyday Value Menu items, including to-go favorites and barista-made beverages.

The Everyday Value Menu features a curated lineup of Caribou classics now offered at prices starting at $2, the release stated. Guests will be able to enjoy signature items such as a small, specialty-grade brewed coffee, streusel-topped blueberry muffins and Caribou’s Cold Press, its version of cold-brewed coffee.

The value menu also introduces a new a bacon breakfast sandwich. It features crispy bacon, a cage-free scrambled egg patty and melted cheddar cheese layered on a toasted English muffin for $4. These prices are before tax.

“For many of our guests, their daily coffee ritual is a meaningful part of their day, and we know how much it matters that it delivers on quality, convenience and value,” Matt Reiter, chief commercial and strategy officer for Caribou said in a release. “At Caribou, we’re committed to creating a consistent, high-quality experience every time someone walks into one of our coffeehouses, with a range of options that fit into their day. The Everyday Value Menu expands the ways we do that and creates even more flexibility and value for guests.”

Caribou’s Everyday Value Menu includes:

$2 small brewed coffee: A rotating selection of regular and seasonal coffees, brewed every hour to ensure maximum freshness
$3 Blueberry Muffin: A blueberry muffin topped with streusel
$3.50 small Cold Press coffee: Caribou’s cold brew coffee served over ice
$4 Bacon Breakfast Sandwich: Crispy bacon, cage-free scrambled egg patty and melted cheddar cheese layered on a toasted English muffin

Caribou is also offering non-dairy customization at no extra charge, the release stated. Also, the Caribou Perks loyalty program allows guests to earn points with every Caribou purchase. These points are redeemable for free handcrafted beverages, bakery items and more.

Guests can order items from the Everyday Value Menu in-store, at the drive-thru and through the Caribou Coffee app for pickup or delivery.

Caribou Coffee serves handcrafted beverages and food items in more than 800 coffeehouses worldwide. It opened its first location in 1992. Focused on smart growth, the coffee shop operates and franchises coffeehouses across 11 countries.