Good Question: Can You Get The Flu From The Flu Shot?
Last year, the flu virus showed up in Minnesota in October, so many doctors are recommending people get the shot now. That has Susie wondering: Can you get sick from the flu shot?
Last year, the flu virus showed up in Minnesota in October, so many doctors are recommending people get the shot now. That has Susie wondering: Can you get sick from the flu shot?
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers won't be getting paid for the foreseeable future. That had many of you emailing, wanting to know: Do members of Congress get paid during a government shutdown?
Many viewers of the Vikings game Sunday may have taken in some adult beverages; perhaps a beer or two. So, we thought this would be a good time to answer a question from Bruce in Blaine: How much does beer contribute to a beer belly? Allina Health cardiologist Dr. Courtney Baechler says beer bellies are a bit of a myth. "Culturally speaking, men tend to drink a little more beer than women, and it's the perfect nitus to get fat because it's a lot of carbohydrates," Dr. Baechler said.
Thanks to everyone who sent in Good Question suggestions this week! Please keep them coming! In the meantime, I wanted to answer a few that didn't make air. Rosy has a question I've never thought about before: Why do people put an "s" on the end of email, as in emails? We don't say we are going to pick up our snail mails from the post office. Good point, Rosy. I looked up the definition of email in the dictionary and found three definitions – two for nouns and one for a verb.
This weekend, the University of Minnesota, along with many other colleges and high schools, will celebrate homecoming. That had U of M senior Kelli Peterson wondering: How did homecoming traditions start?
It's a source of pride for many Minnesotans – the number of Fortune 500 companies that call Minnesota home. "We live in an amazing state, so I thought a big percentage were here," said Diane Anderson, of Minneapolis.
On Tuesday, Burger King released a healthier french fry: the Satisfry. The fast-food restaurant says it has 20 percent fewer calories and 25 percent percent less fat compared to regular fries. It's made with a different batter so less oil is absorbed.
After mortgage banker Alex Stenback of Alerus Mortgage helps people buy a new home, he sells off the mortgage. "We sell everything that we do here," Stenback said. "When we sell them, it's one by one." About 80 percent of home loans are eligible to be sold. Stenback says it can happen for a couple of reasons. "One is there is $10 trillion in outstanding mortgages right now in the country and there's simply not enough deposits in all the banks to make that many mortgages," he said.
It's Friday, and Heather Brown went to the mailbag to answer some of your burning Good Questions about the human body.
Thank you to everyone who sent in Good Question suggestions this week! So far, I've counted about 75 submissions and that's just from the emails. Please keep them coming! In the meantime, though, I wanted to answer a few that didn't make air.
In the land of lutefisk and Uff-da, it appears there are fewer Sven and Oles. According to new data released by the U.S. Census, the faces of Minnesota are changing.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released its "eat your fruits and vegetables" reminder. It used to be the experts suggested people eat between 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruits each day. But now the CDC says the number of servings depends on the person.
All across the state, workplaces, doctors' offices and drug stores have been offering the flu shot. For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Minnesota Department of Health have recommended people get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available, which is generally the middle to end of September.
According to AAA, the average cost of gas has been more than $3 per gallon for 1,000 days straight. It's the longest streak ever for gas prices at this level. Right now, the average in Minnesota is $3.50 per gallon, slightly lower than the national average of $3.54 per gallon. Bob Darbelnet, president and CEO of AAA, says kiss the days of cheaper gas prices goodbye. "Paying less than $3 per gallon for gasoline may be automotive history for most Americans, like using 8-track tapes or going to a drive-in movie," Darbelnet said.
Don from Eden Prairie and Linda from Roseville want to know: What happens to the money collected when NFL players are fined?
We've all heard that sound -- a motorcycle so loud it can hurt your ears. Some bikers say they do it to be safer on the road, but being too loud is against Minnesota law.
Almost all of us remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center 12 years ago. "I remember thinking, is this really happening, it's like an out of body experience," said Kristin Witte of Minneapolis.
In 2013, 91 percent of us own some sort of cell phone. Fifty-six percent own a smart phone. It wasn't until 2007 that we saw what's now considered the first smartphone – the iPhone. The iPhone 5 is now the top selling phone in US, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S III.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, the average Minnesota driver pays $125 per year to register his or her car. But some of us pay much more, and some of us pay much less. So, when Joel Tracy of St. Paul found out his daughter paid almost $400 her new minivan's tags, he was surprised. He had only paid $41 for his 2002 Tahoe. "I thought she stuttered," Tracy said. According to Bruce Gordon, the director of communications for the Department of Public Safety, the car tabs fees are set by the state legislature.
Mary from Eagan wants to know: Why do speedometers go so high? Her Honda CRV says 140 mph, but she, like many of us, would never go that fast. According to Larry Dominique, a longtime automotive engineer and current president of ALG, there are two reasons: 1) Consumer research shows that when people are driving on the highway, they like their speedometers to be between 11 and 1, like on a clock. That makes the needle easier to see at highway speeds. 2) Consumers believe that a car that says it can go 140 mph is better than a car that says it can go 120 mph.
It's estimated about 40,000 to 50,000 Minnesotans are Jewish. And on Thursday, many of them went to services or spent time with family to celebrate an important holiday – Rosh Hashanah. "It's our new year. It's the start of a new beginning," said Madeline Grolnick just after she attended services at Temple Israel in uptown Minneapolis.
Over the past few weeks, you might have been hearing a loud buzzing sound outside. It sounds like buzzing power lines, but it's actually an insect we usually start hearing in Minnesota in July. "All the buzzing is cicadas," said U of M Extension Entomologist Jeffrey Hahn. He said he heard from so many people about the cicadas at the U of M Extension State Fair booth that he decided to write an article about it.
At the Cherokee Tavern in West St. Paul, four fantasy football leagues conducted their drafts. "I'm very excited," said J.J. Kurtz of Lakeville. "I got the Bears defense." Over the year, 36 million people will play fantasy sports. That's up from nine million in 2005. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), a player spends three hours per week managing a team and spends $467.60.
Judy from Minneapolis wants to know: Why do MLB games start at 10 minutes after the hour instead of on the hour? According to Twins spokesman Kevin Smith, the start time are to accommodate radio and television networks that come on the air at the top of the hour. It gives them time to set up the game, welcome everyone and sometimes take a commercial break.
With school starting again, many parents will be sitting along the sidelines for their children's games, meets or matches. Experts say how we act could affect how they do.
"Thomas Dambo, he believes the trolls really help us kind of shine a light on how we can take better care of the environment and be better to each other," said Stearns.
The cold is settling in over the holiday, and with the gusty winds, it'll feel especially chilly.
Rep. Dean Phillips speaks to WCCO about his thoughts on the 2024 presidential election.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
More than 80% of what's on the shelves comes from outside the U.S.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
More than 80% of what's on the shelves comes from outside the U.S.
Wild turkeys are serving up trouble for Minneapolis mail carriers.
The Office of Cannabis Management says it will not add any additional delivery methods to the medical cannabis program in 2025.
A Minnesota Court of Appeals judge has overturned the murder conviction of a man accused of fatally shooting another man at a vigil in north Minneapolis three years ago.
"Thomas Dambo, he believes the trolls really help us kind of shine a light on how we can take better care of the environment and be better to each other," said Stearns.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
A Red Lake Department of Public Safety officer was one of two people killed in a crash in the northern Minnesota community Wednesday morning.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota concluded that they were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
A woman is dead following an early morning crash Wednesday in northwestern Minnesota's Otter Tail County.
Xcel Energy is in the early stages of planning a 5,000-acre solar energy project in the eastern part of St. Croix County.
Authorities are urging a Wisconsin man accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to come home and spend the holidays with his wife and three children.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is grappling with a case affecting whether the swing state's nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Documents say Steven Williams resigned from the Prescott, Wisconsin police force "in lieu of termination."
An attorney representing a conservative prosecutor struggled Monday to convince Wisconsin's liberal-leaning Supreme Court to reactivate the state's 175-year-old abortion ban.
A Red Lake Department of Public Safety officer was one of two people killed in a crash in the northern Minnesota community Wednesday morning.
The cost of Thanksgiving dinner is still nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Union Gospel Mission is lightening the load by welcoming 10,000 families through their meal kit pick-up.
From the Twin Cities to the North Shore, here are the holiday tree lightings and parades in 2024 in the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota.
A group of young adults wants everyone, regardless of what suburb or rural area they live in, to know what it's really like to live in the heart of the city and to sometimes not have a place to live at all.
Inside Catholic Charities St Paul Opportunity Center, local physicians, surgeons, and lawyers gathered on Sunday to support people experiencing homelessness.
Rep. Dean Phillips speaks to WCCO about his thoughts on the 2024 presidential election.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota concluded that they were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota concluded that they were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday.
A new White House proposal would make costly weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, accessible to millions more Americans — but it's unclear if the $35 billion proposal will go anywhere.
GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan says Canadian tariffs would mean Minnesotans will pay between 35 and 50 cents more per gallon for gas, depending on the season, because a majority of the state's crude oil comes from Canada.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the Sun Country is expecting to serve 82,000 passengers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics chain, reported another quarterly drop in sales as Americans continued to tighten their purse strings on appliances and gadgets to focus on essentials.
The Minnesota State Fair is getting the jump on Black Friday again this year with a Tuesday-only flash sale on 2025 tickets.
The average price for a typical turkey is about $25 this year. That's 6% cheaper than last November.
A Minnesota Court of Appeals judge has overturned the murder conviction of a man accused of fatally shooting another man at a vigil in north Minneapolis three years ago.
The head of Minneapolis police says one of his officers "put his life on the line" while taking an armed felon into custody over the weekend.
A fight inside a Duluth high school on Tuesday left two police officers and a staff member injured.
Charges have been filed in an alleged attack that seriously wounded a teenage Fleet Farm worker in Minnesota over the weekend.
A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison after he robbed two women at gunpoint and stole from another.
A lawsuit filed in federal court last Friday seeks to nullify Minnesota's laws protecting access to abortion, arguing they violate the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
A case of active tuberculosis was confirmed at a high school south of the Twin Cities, but officials said there is "no further risk of exposure at the school."
Minnesota has completed its inventory of community water systems as part of its effort to eliminate lead pipes across the state.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have confirmed a total of 15 cases of E. coli related illnesses in Minnesota.
One of the most successful computer games of all time is currently being developed by Apple as a forthcoming movie.
Chuck Woolery was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978.
English hyperpop artist Charli XCX will be coming to Minneapolis on April 26, 2025.
After almost a decade of "Disney On Ice" performances, a Minnesota native is eagerly anticipating his first show at the Xcel Energy Center.
Post Malone announced Tuesday that the "Big A** Stadium Tour" will come to U.S. Bank Stadium on May 20, 2025.
Meet a student athlete from Chisago Lakes with endless drive, despite a surprise diagnosis. Plus, Becker and Totino-Grace battled at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Class 4A championship.
As the Gopher volleyball team closes out their regular season this week, there's a question looming in the back of their minds: whether they'll be able to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
The Minnesota Vikings are signing recently released New York Giants quarterback and former first-round pick Daniel Jones.
Alperen Sengun had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, Fred VanVleet added 27 points and 11 assists, and the Houston Rockets pulled out a 117-111 overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA Cup game.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has been placed on injured reserve after hurting his hamstring Sunday in a 30-27 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
"Thomas Dambo, he believes the trolls really help us kind of shine a light on how we can take better care of the environment and be better to each other," said Stearns.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
Did you know that donkeys are fast, smart and can build life-long bonds with other animals and people? It's believed that donkeys are smarter than most dogs.
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.
We're just over two weeks since Minnesota's deer opener and already hunters have harvested more than 123,000 of them using firearms. That could equal huge dollars for the state if they all took one extra step.
This holiday season, you might pull out a Betty Crocker cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.
Krueger is the third-generation owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm. While he finds joy in knowing the evergreens will make a family happy, they might not realize the effort it took to reach these towering heights.
As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, there's one department for which he's yet to announce a leader. That could be because he promised it wouldn't exist after taking office.
The tiny sensory organs that cover our tongue allow us to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami — which is a savory, rich or meaty flavor.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
The cold is settling in over the holiday, and with the gusty winds, it'll feel especially chilly.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
The chill is settling in on Thanksgiving, as wind gusts look to push 30 mph.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast.
The chill is settling in on Thanksgiving, as wind gusts look to push 30 mph.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast.
A small town in northern Minnesota has garnered attention thanks in part to the town's unusual statues. WCCO's John Lauritsen has the story.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara talks about safety plans for the unofficial bar holiday, the night before Thanksgiving. WCCO's Ubah Ali has the story.
The preliminary investigation into what happened to 20 ballots unaccounted for in the closest state House race in Minnesota concluded that they were likely thrown away and won't be recovered, the Scott County attorney said Wednesday. WCCO's Frankie McLister has more.