Record 5,454 new COVID-19 cases, 36 deaths in Minnesota

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Record 5,454 new cases, 36 deaths in Minnesota: [More than 1,000 Minnesota hospital beds are filled with COVID-19 patients for the first time]( in the pandemic. The totals include 36 more deaths reported by the Minnesota Department of Health today along with a record-shattering one-day total of 5,454 diagnosed infections. - Joe Biden on the cusp of presidency after gains in Pennsylvania: New leads over President Donald Trump in the critical battlegrounds of Georgia and Pennsylvania [have put Biden in a stronger position to capture the 270 Electoral College votes]( needed to take the White House. The winner will lead a country facing a historic set of challenges, including a surging pandemic and deep political polarization. - Macalester College president offering reimbursement to students fined for civil disobedience: Suzanne M. Rivera says [the school will reimburse students arrested while participating in civil disobedience]( and can't afford to pay the fine. She extended the offer this week in a letter to the college community and in a series of tweets. - Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad dies at 74: Ramstad, who [served western Hennepin County for nine terms in Congress]( and earned bipartisan respect for work on mental health and other issues, died on Thursday. - Unemployment drops to 6.9%: The U.S. job market showed a burst of strength in October, with [employers adding 638,000 jobs and the unemployment rate tumbling to 6.9%](. Still, the pace of hiring isn't enough to rapidly soak up the millions of Americans who were thrown out of work by the pandemic recession. - North Denmark in lockdown over mutated virus in mink farms: More than a quarter million Danes went into lockdown today in a northern region of the country where [a mutated variation of the coronavirus has infected minks being farmed for their fur](, leading to an order to kill millions of the animals. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. Trending - Why does St. Paul leave alley snowplowing to its residents? In St. Paul, many residents have to band together to hire plow drivers during the winter. [Curious Minnesota asks why the plowing in St. Paul is handled differently from Minneapolis.]( - Al Roker to take time off work to battle prostate cancer: Weatherman and morning TV co-host [Al Roker has revealed that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer]( and will be undergoing surgery to have his prostate removed. - 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week: Food writers Rick Nelson and Sharyn Jackson highlight [the favorites of their weekly dining experiences](. Sports roundup - Everson Griffen irked by Mike Zimmer's words: Defensive end Everson Griffen's passion, which helped make him the voice of the Vikings defense for the second half of his decade in Minnesota, [has turned on his former team this week](. - Revisiting preseason predictions and handing out NFL midseason awards: Star Tribune NFL writer Mark Craig says the Steelers, the last unbeaten team, and the Seahawks [garner biggest accolades at the season's halfway point](. - Hockey and humor collide for sports marketing and advertising gurus: John King, creator of the "State Tournament All-Hockey Hair Team'' video, and Tom Garrity, commissioner of the USHL, have teamed to launch pulltabsports.com, [a sports and entertainment website with Minnesota and hockey in prominent roles](.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. Worth a click Biden recaptures lost ground as many Minnesota counties move left: Despite several visits from President Donald Trump hoping to win Minnesota, the electorate favored former vice president Joe Biden, [delivering him the win in a handful of counties that evaded Hillary Clinton in 2016](. Where Trump prevailed, his win margin was tighter in regional population centers, while it grew in some of the most rural parts of the North Star State. From the archives Nov. 6, 1959: Nan Bergin of the Northwest Organ Company plays an organ installed in a Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser between the Twin Cities and Chicago and New York. (Photo: Star Tribune file) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2020 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](