It’s been a mix of heavy rain and drought across Minnesota this spring. Our forecast looks spectacular as we move toward the weekend. Bright sun, blue skies, mild temperatures, and low humidity. But all weather is local, as northern and western Minnesota is in a moderate drought while southern Minnesota has seen several inches of rainfall.

'We need to help them': Asian Americans demand justice for George Floyd. Standing in front of protesters at a Hmong for Black Lives rally, Youa Vang had a simple request from her Asian American community — demand justice for George Floyd. Vang can empathize: She lost her son when he was shot and killed by an officer in 2006. 

COVID-19 in Minnesota today: 1,249 deaths; hospitalizations dip. State health officials say 13 more Minnesotans have died from COVID-19, putting the total to 1,249 since the pandemic began. However, the daily counts of people hospitalized or needing intensive care continues to show a recent trend of plateauing. The Health Department on Thursday reported 411 people currently hospitalized, down 16 from Monday.

New Jersey now requires comprehensive climate change education — what about Minnesota? This month, New Jersey announced it's the first state to include climate change education in its K-12 teaching standards. It will require teachers across grade levels and disciplines to include lessons on the topic. On this week’s Climate Cast, we hear where Minnesota’s education standards are on climate change.

Bubbles and empty seats: Pro sports forge ahead with comebacks despite the pandemic. This week, men's professional golf returns, without spectators, with a tournament at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. It's the first PGA Tour event since mid-March. Major League Soccer has announced its plan for a return early next month. The NBA is full steam ahead for a July 31 restart.

-- Matt Mikus | MPR News