April 21, 2020
Picture-perfect spring day. Tomorrow will be the warmest day of the week - with highs nearing the 70s in the Twin Cities area. There’s a chance of rain and snow showers in the morning in northern Minnesota, but other than that, it will be a beautiful spring day in most parts of the state. COVID-19 in Minnesota today: 17 more deaths reported, 2,567 cases confirmed. During Tuesday’s daily briefing, health officials noted a one-day dip in the number of intensive care patients from 126 to 117 while current hospitalizations tied to the disease remained stable. When it comes to reopening the economy, Gov. Tim Walz has repeatedly said that restaurants, bars and big sporting events will be among the last pieces to restart. ICYMI: This Minnesota activist, and his brother, at the center of anti-stay-home rallies across U.S. Last week, as cars and people filled the street in front of the governor’s residence, demanding an end to Minnesota’s stay-home order, the group’s leader, Ben Dorr, took credit for helping draw supporters to the rally. Across the country, Ben Dorr and his two older brothers are using social media platforms to call for anti-quarantine protests in Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and New York. 1.6M N95 masks, 52K bottles of hand sanitizer, 800 ventilators: Where is MN’s $200M COVID-19 fund used? Minnesota procurement officials are working to scoop up personal protective equipment and other supplies to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Purchases are occurring at a rapid clip since the Legislature freed up $200 million for Walz’s administration to spend — and that’s by design. For your next video call, why not invite a llama? After weeks of working from home, talking to people via your computer screen, here’s a way you can freshen up your routine virtual meeting - by inviting farm animals! Sweet Farm, an animal sanctuary in California, is offering people around the world the opportunity to invite farm animals to liven up their video calls. Find more details here on how you can invite a goat, a llama or a horse to your next meeting. Speaking of animals, what Minnesota plants and animals have you spotted outside your home this spring? Spring has arrived in Minnesota. How do you appreciate the outdoors while social distancing? Share with us what you see and hear from nature in your backyard and beyond! — Jiwon Choi, MPR News
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