Minnesota budget gels slowly but ‘end is not exactly in sight yet’

For the rest of Thursday we'll see mostly sunny skies, with a chance of rain and thunderstorms in the south and east. Highs in the upper 70s to upper 80s. Tonight, partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms again. Expect the same thing Friday with highs in the upper 70s to upper 80s. Find the latest on Updraft.

The former Minneapolis Police officer who pinned George Floyd to the ground for more than 9 minutes is set to be sentenced Friday.

A jury found Derrick Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in April. He’s the first white police officer in the state to ever be convicted of murdering a Black man while on duty.

The killing of George Floyd prompted racial justice protests across the world. And the trial of Derek Chauvin earlier this year was a pivotal moment in the fight for accountability.

Sentencing guidelines call for 12 and a half years in prison. But prosecutors are asking for more time due to aggravating factors. The judge overseeing the case has found that Chauvin treated Floyd with “cruelty” that resulted in his “slow death.” He determined that those aggravating factors do justify a tougher sentence.

The state is closing three COVID-19 testing sites in the Twin Cities — another sign that the pandemic is receding. State officials say that the number of cases are declining and so is the demand for testing.

The state health department reported 138 new confirmed or probable cases Thursday of the coronavirus, along with six additional deaths associated with the pandemic.