Nation
Texas governor rules out another shutdown as virus surges
As Texas shattered a single-day record with 12,000 new coronavirus cases reported, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday ruled out another lockdown and accused local leaders of not enforcing existing restrictions.
Nation
Judge halts federal execution after lawyers contract virus
A federal judge is temporarily blocking the federal government's plan to execute the first female death row inmate in almost six decades after her attorneys contracted the coronavirus visiting her in prison.
Nation
Irked Illinois governor to Speaker: End 'political circus'
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said taxpayers "don't deserve a political circus" on Thursday when he gave powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan a choice: Answer questions about a federal bribery investigation which implicates him, or give up the gavel after three decades of iron-grip control.
Local
Minnesota shuts more businesses as COVID-19 spread soars
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday imposed four weeks' worth of new COVID-19 restrictions as the spread spiked to an all-time high, shutting down bars, restaurants and fitness centers, while pausing social gatherings and organized amateur sports.
Nation
Illegal border crossings rise for sixth straight month
U.S. border authorities stopped people entering the country illegally from Mexico more than 69,000 times in October, the sixth straight monthly increase and the highest level since July 2019.
Local
Wisconsin hospital leader urges Evers, Republicans to unite
Faced with hospitals running out of beds and staff to treat the rising number of COVID-19 patients, the leader of the Wisconsin Hospital Association pleaded Thursday with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and state legislative leaders to come together immediately to fight the virus before the current crisis becomes a catastrophe.
Business
Smithsonian closing museums and zoo again amid virus spike
In response to rising COVID-19 infection numbers, the Smithsonian Institution is indefinitely shutting down operations at all its facilities, effective Monday and affecting seven museums, plus the National Zoo.
Business
Macy's loses money in 3Q; virus surges into holiday season
Macy's swung to a quarterly loss and sales tumbled 22% as the department store chain struggled to bring shoppers back to stores during a pandemic.
Politics
Analysis: Trump's bid to spread misinformation and sow doubt
President Donald Trump is trying to turn America's free and fair election into a muddled mess of misinformation, specious legal claims and baseless attacks on the underpinnings of the nation's democracy.
Nation
US adult smoking rate looks unchanged, vaping rate higher
The U.S. decline in cigarette smoking could be stalling while the adult vaping rate appears to be rising, according to a government report released Thursday.
Nation
Isolated for months, island crew sees pandemic for 1st time
Just as the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold, in February, four people set sail for one of the most remote places on Earth — a small camp on Kure Atoll, at the edge of the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Business
Southwest, United Airlines see weak demand over holidays, 1Q
United Airlines warned Thursday that bookings have slowed and cancellations have increased as the number of coronavirus infections spikes across the country.
Variety
Taraji P. Henson tells New Jack Swing backstory in podcast
Taraji P. Henson remembered wearing her favorite outfit to a music festival where some of the biggest New Jack Swing tunes were being performed from Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison" to Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Feels Good."
Local
Wisconsin unemployment increases to 5.7% in October
Wisconsin's unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in October from 5.4% in September as the coronavirus continues to rage across the state, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday.
Business
IMF director: virus could disrupt global recovery
The head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday that the while the United States and other major economies turned in better-than-expected economic performances in the third quarter, the world now faces slower momentum with a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
Nation
Trump pushes new environmental rollbacks on way out the door
Down to its final weeks, the Trump administration is working to push through dozens of environmental rollbacks that could weaken century-old protections for migratory birds, expand Arctic drilling and hamstring future regulation of public health threats.
Nation
Justice Dept.'s China focus likely to continue under Biden
President Donald Trump has identified China as the country's biggest foe and the Justice Department mirrored that emphasis over the last four years with a drumbeat of cases against defendants ranging from hackers accused of targeting intellectual property to professors charged with grant fraud.
Business
US mortgage rates fall to new lows; 30-year loan at 2.72%
U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week, reaching record lows for the 13th time this year amid fresh signs of weakness in the pandemic-ravaged economy.
Business
Bankers survey projects drop in holiday retail sales
Rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states are expected to see a not-as-jolly holiday retail season this year, according to a new monthly survey of bankers in the region.
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Health news
Latest news and features coverage of health care in Minnesota and elsewhere.