Gov. Tim Walz this weekend asked lawmakers to approve spending to pay for other police from other states to come to Minneapolis and assist in responding to potential protests or unrest in the wake of the killing Daunte Wright and the upcoming verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. The Republican-controlled Senate swiftly put the $9 million in extra funding on its agenda and passed it this afternoon, 48-19. But passage in the DFL-controlled House may be less automatic, with many Democrats already uneasy about the police response to the past week's protests. House Speaker Melissa Hortman said she would work to "provide emergency funding that is needed to ensure public safety," but expressed concern about potential violations of the rights of peaceful protesters and media members. [ Read more from Brian Bakst]
Federal judge Wilhelmina Wright issued a temporary restraining order Friday, ordering Minnesota police officers to refrain from targeting journalists during protests for a 14-day period. The order, issued over the objection of Attorney General Keith Ellison , came in response to a lawsuit from an independent journalist documenting a range of law enforcement actions, including pepper-spraying clearly identifying journalists, shooting rubber bullets and similar projectiles at them, and trying to force reporters to vacate protest sites. [Read the order]
President Joe Biden's administration is contemplating addressing the nation after the Chauvin verdict comes down, especially if he is acquitted. The Justice Department is also sending "specially trained community facilitators from its civil rights division" to Minneapolis. [Read more from The Associated Press' Jonathan Lemire and Michael Balsamo]
Minnesota's tax receipts keep coming in dramatically above projections — as much as 20 percent more in recent months. This could have an impact on budget negotiations over the next month. [Read more from MinnPost's Peter Callaghan]
Minnesota-based pillow manufacturer MyPillow has counter-sued Dominion Voting Systems in an escalating legal dispute over MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's outspoken claims of 2020 election fraud. Dominion's original defamation lawsuit asked for $1.3 billion, alleging that Lindell's claims about their voting machines had caused material harm. Now MyPillow's countersuit says Dominion's lawsuit has hurt its own business. [Read more from the Star Tribune's Kristen Leigh Painter]
Something completely different: The original "Star Wars" movie ended up changing cinematic history, but when George Lucas screened his rough cut for a group of filmmaker friends, it went over like a lead balloon. The version millions of people loved in theaters was salvaged from this rough cut by the film's editors, who rearranged scenes to eliminate bloat and, crucially, transform the movie's beginning and end into the taught, tense filmmaking that took the world by storm. [ Watch "How Star Wars Was Saved in the Edit"]
Listen: The late Guinean musician Momo Wandel Soumah's soulful voice and wailing saxophone make "Félenko Yéfé" a compelling blend of Guinean musical traditions and American jazz and blues. [Listen]
