MPR News PM Update
June 29, 2020

Storms + heatwave this week. It looks like this week’s forecast is a summary of “that summer weather you want to avoid.” Hot and stormy days continue until later this week, with highs near the 90s tomorrow across Minnesota. Highest heat indices may reach 97 degrees in southern Minnesota in the afternoon. There’s a chance of rain and thunderstorms after midnight.


"I'm not here to burn down the police; I'm here to correct what's wrong and get us on the right path.” Meet Wess Philome, who’s fighting for racial justice in Fargo. An avid photographer, Philome brought his camera and stayed at the front of the throng of several thousand people in the Fargo-Moorhead area as they marched for miles through the streets in the days following the killing of George Floyd.

Philome, who is from Little Haiti in Miami and a son of Haitian immigrants, is fighting for change in the Fargo Police Department, urging the city to address what he believes is the department’s systemic bias against people of color. All this week, we’re talking to some of the people behind rallies, marches and demonstrations happening beyond the Twin Cities metro area. See and hear all of the conversations here.

Mask vs. no mask = public health vs. freedom? Mandatory mask debate heats up in Minnesota’s Med City. Minneapolis and St. Paul require people to wear masks at indoor facilities. In Duluth, local officials are hoping to normalize the practice instead of enforcing it. Masks are not mandated in Minnesota’s Med City, Rochester, and some say not mandating masks in the community at large sends the wrong signal to people coming to the city for treatment. 

COVID-19 in Minnesota today: New daily case count trends upward again; recent clusters at bars, Faribault prison drive the increase. After the new COVID-19 clusters linked to bars in Mankato and Minneapolis were reported last week, young adults in their 20s now make up the largest age group of cases. Another surge comes from an outbreak at the Faribault state prison, which has recorded 206 positive tests and two deaths among inmates since its first case on June 3. 

ICYMI: Minneapolis cops will no longer be able to see bodycam footage before writing reports in critical incidents. That move, Chief Medaria Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey announced over the weekend, is intended to “assist officers by providing a record independent from their perceptions and recollections” in incidents involving the use of force. Previously, officers could review body camera footage while writing their reports.

Jiwon Choi, MPR News | @ChoiGEE1

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Judge warns of possible move of trial in Floyd killing
The Hennepin County judge overseeing the trial of four former police officers charged in the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd admonished attorneys and elected officials not to make public comments about the merits of the case, saying they endanger the defendants’ right to a fair trial and could lead to a change in venue.

Charges: 2nd-degree murder count for Chauvin; 3 other ex-cops charged
Full coverage:  The killing of George Floyd
 
Minnesota reaches 'moonshot' 20K daily test capacity goal
Positive cases continue to increase, according to numbers released Monday, though the number of patients hospitalized and in the ICU declined. Gov. Tim Walz also announced that the state now has the capacity to test 20,000 Minnesotans for COVID-19 in a single day.
 
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In Rochester, a debate over mandatory masks in Med City
In southeastern Minnesota, there’s mounting pressure on local officials to require masks inside local businesses and other facilities in the city of Rochester. Some calls are coming from health care providers who say Med City isn’t living up to its reputation without such a mandate.

Yes, wearing masks helps: Here's why
As economy continues to reopen: Duluth moves to 'normalize' masks
Q&A:  Are face mask requirements legal?
Justice Department issues warning: About fake mask exemption cards
 
Pandemic forces Minnesota summer festivals to cancel — or go virtual
Summer festivals are a long, colorful tradition in Minnesota. But concerns about the spread of COVID-19 have forced organizers of most festivals to cancel this summer’s events — or find creative ways to adapt.

County fairsOrganizers : across Minnesota face tough decisions
No Great Minnesota Get-Together this year:  State Fair canceled
 
How do you talk to kids about racism? Two Black Minnesota teachers share how they do it
For Qorsho Hassan and Monet Barnes, two Black educators who are part of an overwhelmingly white teaching force in Minnesota, teaching kids about racism is a priority. Here’s their advice.

MPR News with Angela Davis: Having 'the talk' with kids about race
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Call to Mind:  Dr. Anne Hallward on talking to your kids about race
 

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