Delta Air Lines imposes $200 monthly insurance fee on unvaccinated workers

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Delta Air Lines imposes $200 monthly insurance fee on unvaccinated workers: Delta Air Lines said Wednesday it will impose a $200 monthly surcharge in its health plan to employees who haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19. Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's full approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine this week, the Atlanta-based airline is [now taking a more hardline approach to vaccinations]( among its employees. - With Greenwood fire growing, BWCA closure is extended: More than 400 crew members are working on the Superior National Forest fire. [Officials have extended the Boundary Waters closure due to fires another week](, to Sept. 3. - Federal health officials advise wearing masks in outdoor crowds: [Federal health officials recently expanded their masking recommendations]( beyond public indoor spaces to include crowded outdoor settings in areas where COVID-19 transmission levels are high. In Minnesota, that includes most areas of the state, including Ramsey County, home of the Minnesota State Fair. - Bus driver shortage hits Minneapolis, St. Paul school districts: Minneapolis and St. Paul schools are [scrambling to find solutions to an urgent school bus driver shortage](, including asking parents to drive their children to school and offering to reimbursing them for the expense. Minneapolis has nearly 50 vacancies, representing a third of the bus drivers it needs. St. Paul is short between 40 and 60 drivers for its 274 slots. - U.S. to prioritize evacuations from Kabul until final hours: The U.S. military airlift of Americans and others from Kabul [will continue until the final hours of President Joe Biden's Aug. 31 deadline]( for ending the frantic evacuation from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Pentagon officials said Wednesday. - U.S. lawmakers' trip to Kabul prompts Biden administration fury: [Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport]( in the middle of the chaotic evacuation stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said. - New N.Y. governor adds 12K COVID-19 deaths to state's publicized total: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul promised more government transparency on her first day in office and by day's end her administration had quietly delivered it by [acknowledging nearly 12,000 more deaths in the state from COVID-19]( than had been publicized by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo. - Minnesota judge orders transfer of Mike Lindell countersuits to D.C.: Lindell's federal countersuits against a voting machine company [are being moved to the Washington, D.C.-based federal court]( where the MyPillow CEO and his Chaska-based company face $1.3 billion in defamation claims. WATCH THIS A supercut of photographers getting in the way at sporting events: [Getting the shot can be risky, at times!]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Without Charlie Watts, there's no Rolling Stones anymore: The Rolling Stones without Bill Wyman. Sure. Without Brian Jones. OK. Then without Mick Taylor. Alright. But the Stones without Charlie Watts? Nope. No way. When it came to image and personality, Watts, who died Tuesday at age 80, [was an outlier.]( - New farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Minneapolis is actually owned by farmers: A new downtown Minneapolis restaurant owned and operated by the Minnesota Farmers Union [is about as farm-to-table as you can get.]( Farmers Kitchen + Bar is now open in the former Spoonriver spot in the Mill District. - Jonas Brothers' Mystic Lake concert is in jeopardy over vaccine dispute: [The band wants vaccine requirements at shows](, but the casino says that's against its protocols. SPORTS ROUNDUP - In Twins' season of blunders, absence of one player is a powerful reminder: Yes, the Twins pitching has collapsed because of an assortment of bad decisions. But another big mistake was made that could have been avoided — [the departure of LaMonte Wade Jr.]( - Barr still out of action with undisclosed injury, may miss Vikings' opener: Anthony Barr hasn't practiced in two weeks as absences that were initially called rest-related by coaches have been [revealed to be related to an undisclosed injury.]( - At 48, ex-Twins star Koskie making comeback — as a town ball DH: "Two of Corey Koskie's sons play for the Loretto Larks and sold their father on the idea of returning to the game with one of Minnesota's well-known town ball teams. It hasn't always been easy," [writes La Velle E. Neal III.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK Will this prehistoric giant beaver found in St. Paul become Minnesota's state fossil? "A write-in campaign for a prehistoric giant beaver that weighed more than 200 pounds has secured it a spot on a list of possible candidates for state fossil," [reports Mary Divine for the Pioneer Press.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES Aug. 25, 2016: Delta Air Lines hosts its annual de-icing training at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where it brings in hub managers from around the U.S. to train them in the latest and greatest practices for ice removal. They practice on an old DC-9 in a remote corner of the airport. (Photo: Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune) 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 © 2021 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](