June 23, 2020

Sunny, not-too-hot Wednesday. Our clear, sunny skies are returning with highs in the 70s and 80s tomorrow. The pleasant summery weather will stay in Minnesota for the coming two days, and storms and showers come back on the weekend.

Bob Kroll won’t leave his post anytime soon, Mpls. police union leaders say. Minneapolis police union head Lt. Bob Kroll and other union leaders on Tuesday spoke to MPR News and other media for the first time since the killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day. The union leaders say they don’t plan to challenge now-fired officer Derek Chauvin’s termination and are willing to discuss some of the demands made by community members. However, Kroll is not going away anytime soon, they said.

No Twin Cities Marathon this year. Like many other events canceled amid the pandemic, all of its running events scheduled for the Fourth of July will go virtual. Registered participants will get credit, but no refunds will be offered, organizers say.

Top Senate Republican: It’s too late to take on police reform this session. “Minneapolis wanted to defund the police. The Democrats of the House wanted to do alternatives to policing. We didn't approve of dismantling the police, nor felon voting, which in the end, they took that one off,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka told MPR News host Cathy Warzur. “They just added too much at the end, and there was no way we were going to get done, even in weeks.” Listen to his full interview on MPR News here.

COVID-19 in Minnesota today: Hospitalization, ICU cases’ curves stay downward; 9 new deaths. The total number of Minnesotans who died from COVID-19 since the pandemic is now 1,393, but the daily rate of deaths continues to slow -- Today marked the first time since mid-April that the daily death count remained in the single digits for three consecutive days.

— Jiwon Choi, MPR News | @ChoiGEE1

Minneapolis police union open to community demands, but Kroll staying put

Leaders of the Minneapolis Police Federation say the city needs more police on the streets and are willing to discuss some of the demands made by community members. However, union boss Lt. Bob Kroll is not going away anytime soon.

In Minneapolis: Talk of changing Police Department means taking on union
'Bob Kroll has got to go': Calls grow for Minneapolis police union leader's resignation

Floyd killing: Arradondo says cops knew how to keep suspects subdued, breathing

Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao had completed Minneapolis Police Department training designed to teach officers to arrest and restrain suspects in ways where they can still breathe, said Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Analysis: Minneapolis police have used neck restraints more than 200 times since 2015
In wake of Floyd death: Minneapolis to ban police chokeholds

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Duluth council tables vote to remove ‘chief’ from job titles

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson’s administration pushed for changing the name of the city’s chief administrative officer to city administrator, saying the word “chief” is offensive. But at least one council member argued the issue was a distraction from more pressing priorities.

Last week: Duluth moves to remove the word 'chief' from key job titles

Rayshard Brooks' funeral held at church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached

"Rayshard Brooks wasn't just running from the police. He was running from a system that makes slaves out of people," the historic church's pastor says. Brooks was fatally shot by police in Atlanta.

Monday: Mourners pay respects to Rayshard Brooks at Martin Luther King Jr.'s church

'None of us have ever been told to slow down on testing,' Fauci testifies

House Democrats pressed the leaders of federal agencies for details on whether President Trump has stymied health experts from taking more effective action to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Charges: A state trooper downloaded nude photos of woman to his phone while assisting her

A 36-year-old Minnesota state trooper faces charges of felony stalking after nude photos of a woman he assisted along Interstate 94 were allegedly downloaded to his phone.

GOP's Lewis uses call to defund police against Smith in Senate race

Republican challenger Jason Lewis is trying to tag Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith as a supporter of efforts to defund the Minneapolis Police Department even though Smith has not used the phrase.

White parents of Black children navigate a changing nation

George Floyd’s death has inspired national and international protests and led to changes in police procedures. These parents say that's a great start, but for the country to take full advantage of the moment and make America better for their children, white people must go beyond carrying signs, marching and chanting.

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