Leech Lake band of Ojibwe legalizes adult-use cannabis on its tribal lands
The Leech Lake band of Ojibwe has legalized adult-use recreational cannabis on its tribal lands. The ordinance is consistent with Minnesota state law and permits adults 21 years of age and older to possess and consume cannabis on Leech Lake tribal lands, LeRoy Fairbanks, a district representative of the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe reservation […]
As U.S. COVID hospitalizations rise, some places are bringing mask mandates back
A face mask sign is displayed in a window in Queens, New York City on May 11, the day the federal public health emergency for COVID ended. Spencer Platt/Getty Images The U.S. is seeing a late-summer spike in COVID cases, prompting some schools, hospitals and businesses to encourage — or even require — people to […]
Minnesota THC beverage company co-founder sees Black ownership in the marijuana business as social justice issue
Many places you go these days, liquor stores, co-ops and even convenience stores, you see them: colorful cans of CBD and THC drinks, recently legal to sell and consume in Minnesota. And when happy hour comes around, I often finding myself reaching for one of them instead of a glass of wine. Unlike with alcohol, […]
Why Biden is now routinely taking the short stairs up to Air Force One
President Biden boards Air Force One at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. on June 1, 2023, after attending the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony. Andrew Harnik/AP It’s one of the iconic images of the American presidency: the commander in chief, standing and waving to the cameras from the top […]
Some U.S. airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia
Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, for a solo flight from Arizona to Oklahoma to visit family. She worries about travelers and airport officials misinterpreting his forgetfulness or habit of getting in people’s personal space, and feels guilty about not being able to accompany him. “People say, ‘He […]
Mobile restroom facility increases accessibility at Minnesota State Fair
It was a standing laugh line for Jerry Hammer, the now-retired general manager of the Minnesota State Fair. “You’re only as good as your bathrooms,” he’d muse about the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Well, the fair has upped its game this year. “Over the last few years, we’ve been hearing from more and more guests about […]
Prescription costs for Minnesotans to decrease
The federal government is moving ahead with plans to give Medicare a seat at the bargaining table, when it comes to negotiating prices for prescription drugs. On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced the first ten drugs up for price negotiation — including Jardiance for people with type 2 diabetes and Xarelto, a blood thinner. Those […]
As more teens overdose on fentanyl, schools face a drug crisis unlike any other
Photo illustration by LA Johnson/Getty Images/NPR Before the overdose, Griffin Hoffmann was a sophomore, about to lead his Portland, Ore., high school’s tennis team. Sienna Vaughn was a junior in Plano, Texas, who participated in Girl Scouts and cheerleading. Laird Ramirez was 17 years old living near Charlotte and competing on his high school’s wrestling […]
3M announces $6B deal to settle claims over earplugs
3M on Tuesday announced it has reached a $6 billion settlement over thousands of claims related to its Combat Arms earplugs, sold to the U.S. military for hearing protection. Plaintiffs said the earplugs did not provide the hearing protection 3M claimed when the company sold them to the military from 1999 to 2015. Hundreds of […]
She paid her husband’s hospital bill. A year after his death, they wanted more money
Matt Kile for KFF Health News Last summer, Eloise Reynolds paid the bill for her husband’s final stay in the hospital. In February 2022, doctors said that Kent, her husband of 33 years, was too weak for the routine chemotherapy that had kept his colon cancer at bay since 2018. He was admitted to Barnes-Jewish […]