In BCA interview, former officer charged in Floyd's death says restraint was the only option the officers had. Prosecutors filed the interview as evidence in court. They argued that former Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao stood watch and prevented bystanders on the sidewalk from intervening to save Floyd's life. Thao said he responded to the scene to back up other officers in an area known to be hostile to police. He said his main job was to keep his fellow officers safe from bystanders.
Mayor Frey says Minneapolis' finances are under severe duress.As he prepares for budget cuts next year, Frey still recommends spending $2.5 million in new and ongoing funding for the Office of Violence Prevention. In his 2021 budget address today, Frey said he rejects calls to abolish the police department outright, but a city-wide hiring freeze through the end of the year presents an opportunity to change department culture. The latest on COVID-19 in Minnesota: Cases and hospitalizations are climbing. The state Department of Health reported 738 new cases and eight more deaths among Minnesotans. Hospitalizations in the state grew slightly to 313, with half of those patients in need of intensive care. Today marked the 15th consecutive day with 300 or more current hospitalizations, a pattern not seen since mid- to late June. People in their 20s remain the age group with the highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the state.
You can get more of the latest news, in less than five minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast.
As President Donald Trump competes for a Minnesota win, he and other Republicans are making crime and unrest a central focus of their campaigns. | Trump set to campaign Monday in Mankato
The U.S. Postal Service has sent letters to 46 states, warning it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted.
Minneapolis City Council Ward 6 has lacked a representative throughout the George Floyd protests and the coronavirus pandemic. After three days, election officials finally announced Jamal's win.
Via the Duluth News Tribune: When a juvenile bald eagle landed on the shores of Lake Superior across from Cascade Lodge and Restaurant in Lutsen Wednesday evening, no one knew the wild events that would occur the next morning.
