Santa Claus may not be coming to town this year amid hired Santa shortage
There are an estimated 10-15% fewer Santa Clauses this year compared to last year due to COVID-19 and many Santas retiring, according to Mitch Allen, head elf at Hire Santa.
St. Paul council member tests positive for COVID-19
A St. Paul city council woman says she is recovering after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Bed shortage approaches desperate levels for organization helping the homeless
The community relations coordinator with Bridging, Diana Dalsin, says the current bed supply is prompting her desperate public call for donations.
Unemployment claims drop to 267,000, a new pandemic low
Jobless claims fell by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
NFL fines Packers, Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard for violating league COVID-19 rules
The NFL on Tuesday fined the Green Bay Packers $300,000 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers as well as wide receiver Allen Lazard $14,500 each for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols.
Wisconsin health officials report increase in cases of MIS-C
Health officials in Wisconsin are reporting an increase in cases of Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19.
Regeneron says single dose of antibody treatment cut COVID-19 risk by 81%
Regeneron said Monday that its monoclonal antibody treatment was shown to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 81.6% for up to eight months.
Minnesota reports 4,253 new COVID-19 cases, highest single-day since December 2020
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 4,253 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, the highest single-day total since Dec. 12, 2020.
Schools playing major role in youth vaccination effort
Many elementary schools around the U.S. are preparing to offer COVID-19 shots that educators see as key to keeping students learning in person and making the classroom experience closer to what it once was.
Minnesota doctor urges COVID-19 booster shots before holiday gatherings
This year, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coincide with the six-month mark for many people who got the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines this spring.
Minnesota provider removing barriers to mental health services
It’s now been more than a year and a half since we first went into lockdown, and studies show that the pandemic continues to have an impact on mental health. One Twin Cities-based mental health provider is seeing it firsthand and says that it's taking steps to break down barriers to care.
Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by nearly 90%
Pfizer said its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk patients.
Iowa study: 82.5% of deer tested positive for COVID-19
When researchers in Iowa first began testing deer for COVID-19 in April of 2020, they didn’t find any signs of the virus for months. That changed in the fall when the first positives popped up in September and October.
For kids with medical conditions, COVID-19 vaccines are 'life-changing'
Several COVID-19 vaccine clinics kicked off at elementary school across the state, marking an important moment for children with health conditions.
US unemployment claims drop to 269,000, another pandemic low
U.S. unemployment claims fell to a fresh pandemic low last week to 269,000.
Merck COVID-19 pill: UK authorizes antiviral in world's 1st approval of drug
The U.K. has granted conditional authorization to Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill. It is the first country to OK the treatment.
Minnesota begins giving COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5-11
On the first day that kids ages 5 to 11 could get vaccinated against COVID-19, a steady stream of parents and kids walked into the state vaccination site at Mall of America. Not all the kids were excited, but the parents certainly were.
Gas prices stable 'for the time being,' shouldn't move much higher, expert says
The national average for gas prices is sitting at about $3.39 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data.
Walmart holds 2-day supply chain hiring event as holiday season nears
Supply chain associates will earn an average of $20.37 per hour.