 | Evan Frost | MPR News
June 30, 2020
A statewide mask mandate is 'on the table,' Walz says | |
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Good morning. It’s Tuesday and there’s a lot to dig into in this update. First, a forecast.
Sunny and hot, plus possible storms in the north. Twin Cities highs around 90 with even hotter heat indices, plus a slight chance of showers and storms after midnight. Statewide, highs from 85 to 90 except by Lake Superior, where highs will be in the lower 80s. More on Updraft | Forecast
A statewide mask mandate could be in our future. Gov. Tim Walz said yesterday that such a move is “on the table.” He says it’d help businesses that’re struggling to enforce their own mask rules, plus the clear public health benefits of widespread mask-wearing. “The argument is this: If you are for the economy opening up and for the state to take away some of the limitations on your businesses, the surest way to do that is to wear a mask,” the governor said.
Minnesota now has capacity for 20,000 daily COVID-19 tests. That was the goal Walz set back in April. Despite the governor’s announcement yesterday that the state had such capacity, the highest daily test total has been around 17,000. But, as Walz said, the development helps Minnesota understand how prevalent the virus is, which is the only method of controlling it until there’s a vaccine.
Here are the latest coronavirus statistics:
- 35,861 cases confirmed (315 new) via 592,955 tests
- 1,435 deaths (10 new)
- 4,031 cases requiring hospitalization
- 278 people remain hospitalized; 140 in intensive care
- 31,225 patients no longer needing isolation
What happened at Minneapolis’ 3rd Precinct could mark the beginning of a shift in American policing. Our colleagues down the hall at APM Reports dug into what happened the night Minneapolis city leaders abandoned a police station before demonstrators burnt it down. But before that fateful night, some say police abandoned the neighborhood to protect their station. And at previous protests, which were peaceful, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, escalating the situation. Read this story to understand the context for what happened before and after, and what it means for the future of police.
The trial of those charged in George Floyd’s killing may be moved. The Hennepin County judge overseeing the trial admonished attorneys and elected officials, telling them not to make public comments about the case’s merits because they endanger the former cops’ right to a fair trial.
“I tell people all the time that I'm not going to sit down and shut up just so that you feel comfortable.”That’s from Seraphia Gravelle of Keewatin, a small town on Minnesota’s Iron Range. When Minneapolis police killed George Floyd last month, she had an awful thought: “Is my son's name going to be behind a hashtag one day?" Gravelle’s youngest child, 10-year-old Graceson, is Black. Her other kids are biracial. Nearly 95 percent of Keewatin, however, is white. So, Gravelle began speaking out, organizing a series of marches in her region of northeastern Minnesota “And I'm not going to stop until my brown kids are [as] safe as your white ones.” | Voices of Minnesota: Calls for change across the state
How do you talk to kids about racism? Their desire to learn is a good starting place, said Qorsho Hassan, a fifth-grade teacher who is Somali. “If you’re not having those conversations, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable they might be, I think that that in itself is a grave injustice. I think that that will perpetuate white supremacy and the same system that murdered George Floyd,” Hassan said. She and co-teacher Monet Barnes gave their advice for how they talk race with kids.
— Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson |
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