MPR News PM Update
 
Good morning,

A strong storm poised to track directly over Minnesota Wednesday brings high winds, record temperatures and a rare December risk for severe weather. The highest threat for severe storms favors the late afternoon and evening hours as the system blows warmer, unstable air with temperatures in the 60s into southern Minnesota. Be prepared for power outages. Find the latest via Updraft.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listens as guilty verdicts are read in his murder trial in April. Screenshot of Court TV video
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in federal court with violating George Floyd’s civil rights is expected to change his not guilty plea this morning to guilty.

Chauvin was already convicted of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s killing in state court in April. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors allege that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes in Minneapolis in May 2020, killing him, violating his civil rights.

Chauvin and three other former officers who were at the scene previously pleaded not guilty in September to the federal charges. Their federal trial is set to start next month.

 [Continue reading]
 
What else we're watching
🎧Join at noon today: A conversation on BIPOC businesses' inclusion in the Minnesota economy. As part of our ongoing In Focus series, Angela Davis hosts a conversation with business leaders and entrepreneurs working toward lasting change in the state's economy. They’ll share their first-hand experiences and offer ideas on how Minnesotans can take action to effect a more inclusive local economy. Sign up here for the virtual event. 

St. Paul and Ramsey County are putting $75 million toward affordable housing. The local governments are plunging tens of millions of federal Rescue Plan dollars into affordable housing for a group hurt by Minnesota’s continuing shortage of the sought-after homes. Residents who make 30 percent of the area median income, or about $31,500 a year for a family of four would be eligible for the housing options.

It's clear that the number of carjackings in the Twin Cities sharply increased recently. What's not clear is: Why? According to the Star Tribune, carjackings in Minneapolis went up 537 percent from 2019 to 2020. While the wave of the crime has hit the Twin Cities and many other parts of the country, no one is entirely sure why. Criminologists say there’s a lack of historical data on the subject, and few have yet to look closely at recent data.
– Jiwon Choi, MPR News
SPONSOR

 
 
 

Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe

You received this email because you subscribed or it was sent to you by a friend.

This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio
480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101