March 9, 2021

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain far south after midnight. Lows in the lower 20s to lower 30s north, to the upper 30s to upper 40s central and south. Tomorrow is going to be wet. Rain likely south with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Chance of rain and snow northern and central Minnesota. Highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s north and central, to the mid 40s to lower 50s south. Find more from Updraft.

The court seated three jurors Tuesday for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer facing charges of murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd, after questioning a half dozen prospects for the panel.

Judge Peter Cahill expects opening statements for the the trial on March 29, although it’s still unclear if proceedings will be delayed by an unresolved matter on the reinstatement of third-degree murder charges.

Earlier in the day, a motions hearing was held detailing arguments about which evidence will be allowed. Find more coverage on the trial at MPRnews.org.

As Minnesota approaches a key milestone in vaccinating the state’s 65-plus population, officials are accelerating the timelines for when many other Minnesotans can be eligible for a shot. On Tuesday, they indicated every adult Minnesotan may be shot-eligible by late April.

“Things are going in a direction that we had hoped,” a buoyant Gov. Tim Walz told reporters Tuesday. “Minnesotans are doing everything that's being asked of them, and it’s making a difference."

The state this week will hit its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of Minnesotans age 65 and older weeks ahead of schedule. That means a faster expansion of the eligibility pool.

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

Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination pace solid; eligibility expands

Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination picture continues to brighten.

Tuesday’s data showed some 20,620 new vaccinations, significantly higher than the prior Tuesday. The seven-day trend is running at nearly 42,000 shots daily, the highest it’s been since vaccinations began in late December.

Here's what's in the American Rescue Plan as it heads toward final passage

The colossal package allocates money for COVID-19 vaccines, schools, small businesses and anti-poverty programs like the child tax credit. Here are the highlights, including what the Senate changed.

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Majority of MN students now have option to attend school in person

Weeks after Gov. Tim Walz urged secondary schools to open their buildings, approximately 90 percent of Minnesota schools are offering students the option to attend some form of in-person classes. But in some areas, many students are opting for distance learning, even when they have the chance to go back in person.

States try to push out billions of emergency rental aid to families

Congress approved $25 billion in emergency rental assistance to keep people housed during the pandemic, but states are facing glitches on the federal moratorium for renters and landlords.

Health panel expands lung cancer screening for more smokers

More Americans now qualify for yearly scans to detect lung cancer, according to guidelines released Tuesday that may help more Black smokers and women get screened.

Prosecutors: Oath Keepers' founder was in direct contact with Capitol rioters

Federal prosecutors allege that the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group, Stewart Rhodes, was in direct communication — in the runup to Jan. 6 and then during the Capitol insurrection itself — with militia members who stormed the building.

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