Sept. 23, 2020
Spotty storm chances overnight. It will be mostly cloudy tonight with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially across the north. Lows will be in the mid-40s to the mid-50s for northern Minnesota and near 60 south. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs will be the upper 60s to the mid-70s.
Cases continue to grow; hospital, ICU beds starting to fill again. Health officials expressed new concern today about the growth of COVID-19 cases in the state, as Minnesota set yet another record for the seven-day rolling average of new confirmed cases of the disease. That average has now risen more than 40 percent since the end of August.
Hospitalizations have also been notching up, with two straight days of reported daily admissions topping 50 for the first time since the beginning of August. Also, the number of people hospitalized topped 300 for the first time in September.
Minneapolis mayor's budget plan includes millions for violence prevention program, small cut to MPD. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presented his 2021 budget today, calling for a 5.75 percent property tax increase and a police force of 770 officers. That would keep the force largely intact, with about a 7 percent budget cut, and more than 100 officers leaving the force by early next year.
And while the new budget includes millions in new funding for violence prevention, it does not end or defund the department, as some City Council members had previously called for in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Judge seems skeptical of mask mandate challenge. U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz sharply challenged a lawyer over his contention that Gov. Tim Walz's mask mandate conflicts with another law making it illegal for people to conceal their identity with a mask or another disguise. The judge says it’s unreasonable to suggest that people would face potential prosecution for taking steps to protect their health or that of others.
You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast.
— Tim Nelson | MPR News | 