March 16, 2021

Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow south and lows in the upper 20s across most of the state. Wednesday will be partly sunny with highs in the upper 20s to mid 40s. Find more from Updraft.

The judge in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin today left open the possibility he may still move or reschedule the high-profile criminal proceedings, in the wake of the city’s legal settlement with the family of George Floyd.

Judge Peter Cahill says he'll re-interview the first seven jurors selected in the trial of Derek Chauvin following a major civil settlement between the city of Minneapolis. George Floyd's family, city leaders and Floyd family attorneys announced the record breaking $27 million agreement last Friday.

Cahill says he'll ask the jurors what they know about the deal, which is separate from the criminal case. He plans to conduct the additional interviews by zoom tomorrow morning.

Cahill also denied a defense request to sequester the jury for the entirety of the trial, though jurors will be sequestered during deliberations. So far nine jurors have been picked the judge has set aside three weeks to choose 12 jurors and two alternates.

Judge Cahill is also considering if the defense may present evidence concerning a 2019 arrest of George Floyd.

In COVID-19 news, Minnesota's daily vaccinations fell below 10,000 for the first time in nearly a month in the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health. At 7,400 doses it's the lowest daily point for shots since mid-February.

Deaths remain notably low. With two more additional deaths in the latest data, the state has reported its lowest 4-day toll since before Labor Day.

You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News

Eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, food plant workers have mixed feelings about them

Almost a year after COVID-19 surged through Minnesota’s food processing workforce, plant employees are now on the priority list for vaccination. One group is trying to find out why people may hesitate.

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Biden showcases COVID aid to small businesses

President Joe Biden turned up at a minority-owned flooring business in suburban Philadelphia on Tuesday to highlight how his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package can help small businesses, stressing along the way that the massive bill passed without any help from Republican lawmakers.

Across the internet, a game of Whac-A-Mole is underway to root out extremism

As big tech companies "deplatform" domestic extremists, the far-right is innovating around this clampdown by embracing and in some instances creating novel technologies, experts say.

Minnesota Orchestra will begin welcoming back audiences in late June

The Minnesota Orchestra will begin welcoming live audiences back into concerts in late June, but only in limited numbers. The orchestra's concerts have been broadcast and streamed live in recent months without any audience in the hall due to the pandemic.

Lawmakers fear turning 144 cities into 'micropolitan' areas

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators and congressmen is urging the federal government not to approve recommendations to remove 144 cities from the designation of metropolitan statistical areas. Reclassifying them as “micropolitan” would put key federal funding at risk, they said.

How a building block of life got created in a flash

Lightning strikes may have supplied a key ingredient that allowed life to emerge on the early Earth, according to a new study of "fossilized" lightning.

As precious metals prices soar, Minnesota becomes hot spot for catalytic converter thefts

There's something more valuable than gold attached to the bottom of your car — and it's sparking a crime wave in Minnesota and across the country. Catalytic converters contain trace amounts of precious metals, including rhodium, which in early March peaked at nearly $30,000 per ounce.

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