Voting is underway, and eyes are on Minneapolis

The city that sparked a movement calling for police accountability will decide on a mayor and whether to replace its police department.

View this email as a web page Nov. 2, 2021 Staffing woes are forcing Metro Transit to cut back dozens of routes starting next month, in an attempt to make service more reliable and avoid last-minute cancellations. The agency says 54 local and express bus routes will be affected. That includes outright cancellations, running Saturday buses on Sunday schedules and running buses less frequently. Adam Harrington, director of service development for Metro Transit, says the changes typically involve routes that are little-used or have ready alternatives. "That includes supporting local routes that are running in tandem with BRT or LRT, but it also includes some rounds that would be commuter express where people haven't another option to drive to another park and ride, for example." The changes go into effect Dec. 4 and are detailed on the Metro Transit site. Harrington said the agency is continuing a hiring push, hoping to get more drivers on board. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson, MPR News Minnesota voters head to the polls as Election Day arrives Minnesotans are casting ballots for school boards, city councils and mayoral races around the state. National attention has focused on Minneapolis, where voters are weighing in on a mayor and deciding whether to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety. | Tune in at 9 p.m. for special election night coverage, you can also listen live on Facebook or YouTube. Where to find information on who and what's on your ballot There are more than 50 elections and dozens of special elections taking place in Minnesota on Tuesday. Many of these local races are challenging to find information on. Here’s a round-up of coverage from around the state. Follow along for live election results Twin Cities: Keep this tab open on your browser tonight — it's where we'll have live results on the Minneapolis mayor race, questions two and three in Minneapolis and St. Paul's rent control measure. Results will be available after polls close at 8 p.m. Few Minn. counties require COVID vaccines for jail workers Unlike state prisons, which are operated by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, jails are under the authority of county sheriffs, who set their own policies. Only two Minnesota counties — Hennepin and Ramsey — are requiring COVID vaccines or weekly testing for employees. Inflation climbs and Minnesota consumers notice Prices are going up for food and gasoline. And now with dropping temperatures, it looks like it'll be more expensive to heat our homes. The situation isn’t as bad as back in the 1970s, but for many people it’s the first time they’ve seen such rapidly rising prices. Coldest night so far Tuesday, 60 again this weekend? The first few days of November really feel like late autumn in Minnesota. But our frosty start to November gives way to milder temperatures again later this week. SPONSOR New U of M research center to focus on how the brain works The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain allows health care providers, neuroscientists and educators to try to answer enduring questions of how brains are shaped by their environments. Judge releases names of jurors in Derek Chauvin's trial Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill also Monday released the names of alternates who watched the trial but did not deliberate, as well as questionnaires they filled out during jury selection. More activists who have had abortions are saying so out loud. Here's why. Advocates for abortion rights used to commonly assert that the procedure should be "safe, legal and rare," but that motto has become deeply controversial as the movement tries to remove stigma. Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101