Good morning and welcome to the weekend. We're going to lead this newsletter once again with coronavirus news, as there have been major developments. Then, we will get back to covering the aftermath of George Floyd's killing. First, weather. Partly cloudy and not too hot. Twin Cities highs in the upper 70s with 5 to 10 mph winds. Statewide highs from the lower 70s to lower 80s, except 60s near Lake Superior. More on Updraft | Forecast As the COVID-19 case and death toll continue to increase, Gov. Tim Walz is reopening more of Minnesota. Among changes beginning Wednesday:
Indoor restaurant and bar service, as well as personal services, can open at 50% capacity with 250 person limitChurches can open at 50 percent capacity, with a 250-person limit Entertainment venues can open at 25 percent capacity with a 250-person limitSwimming pools can also open with capacity limits
Here are the latest coronavirus statistics:26,980 cases confirmed via 322,340 tests* 1,148 deaths 3,289 cases requiring hospitalization 478 people remain hospitalized; 220 in intensive care 21,864 patients no longer needing isolation *The Health Department appended this note to its testing data yesterday: "As of 6/5/2020, tests are reported per test instead of per person to account for changes in testing capacity and for individuals who are tested more than once over the course of the pandemic."
Now, onto George Floyd ... a man who was with him the night of his killing said Floyd did not resist arrest and tried diffusing the situation. That was before he was handcuffed and before former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Maurice Lester Hall, a longtime friend of Floyd's, was in Floyd's car when officers approached them. Hall told the New York Times that Floyd was trying to show he was not resisting. “I could hear him pleading, ‘ Please, officer, what’s all this for?’” Hall told the Times.
Minnesota county attorneys are asking for a major change in how police deadly force cases are prosecuted. Long criticized for conflicts of interest in prosecuting police due to their close relationship working on other criminal cases, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association has asked the state attorney general's office to handle future prosecution of police in deadly force . “Our entire association extends our heartfelt sympathy to George Floyd’s family and to the collective community that mourns his loss and advocates for honest dialog and real and immediate change in his name,” said Stevens County Attorney Aaron Jordan, who is president of the association.
Minneapolis is banning police choke holds. In the wake of Floyd's killing, the AP reports that the city is banning the maneuver and will require any bystander officers to stop them.
The series of memorials for George Floyd continues today. There will be a public viewing and private service for family in Raeford, N.C., where he was born 46 years ago. Then on Monday, there will be a public viewing in Houston, from where he left for Minneapolis in 2014, searching for a job and a new life.
— Cody Nelson. MPR News | @codyleenelson | 