Aug. 14, 2020
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across much of Minnesota. Pay close attention for any alerts in your area as severe weather moves across the state this evening. There's already been several reports of tornadoes in southwestern and central Minnesota and several other areas are in thunderstorm warnings. Keep up with the latest on our severe weather live blog and find more analysis on the Updraft weather blog. 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.
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