George Floyd’s death was the breaking point for some Minneapolis civic leaders, who now say the only way to fix the city’s embattled police department is to take it apart. But it’s not clear how they would do that, and groups that have spent years shining a light on police brutality aren’t even sure it's the answer.“We're dismantling our Police Department,” City Council member Jeremiah Ellison tweeted on Sunday, the same day he and a the force to cheering protesters at a Minneapolis park. "And we won’t be silent. We’ll be loud. We’ll fight. We’ll win.”Gov. Tim Walz said Monday that he...…George Floyd’s death was the breaking point for some Minneapolis civic leaders, who now say the only way to fix the city’s embattled police department is to take it apart. But it’s not clear how they would do that, and groups that have spent years shining a light on police brutality aren’t even sure it's the answer.“We're dismantling our Police Department,” City Council member Jeremiah Ellison tweeted on Sunday, the same day he and a the force to cheering protesters at a Minneapolis park. "And we won’t be silent. We’ll be loud. We’ll fight. We’ll win.”Gov. Tim Walz said Monday that he...WW…

Protests turned violent Tuesday night in Minneapolis as anger over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody, spilled out onto city streets. Several hundred protesters gathered in the street where Floyd died, chanting and carrying banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “hands up, don’t shoot.” Protesters eventually marched about 2 1/2 miles to the 3rd Precinct police headquarters, with some protesters damaging windows and and spraying graffiti on the building. A line of police in riot gear eventually confronted the protesters, firing tear gas.The chaos...…Protests turned violent Tuesday night in Minneapolis as anger over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody, spilled out onto city streets. Several hundred protesters gathered in the street where Floyd died, chanting and carrying banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “hands up, don’t shoot.” Protesters eventually marched about 2 1/2 miles to the 3rd Precinct police headquarters, with some protesters damaging windows and and spraying graffiti on the building. A line of police in riot gear eventually confronted the protesters, firing tear gas.The chaos...WW…

University of Minnesota experts said Thursday that with $20 million in state funding they could soon begin testing up to 10,000 people per day for the coronavirus and another 10,000 per day for the presence of antibodies that indicate they have recovered from COVID-19.That could provide a huge boost to Minnesota’s efforts to slowly reopen the economy. Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that Minnesota would need a drastic increase in COVID-19 testing in the next three weeks in order to begin safely restarting business sectors.Researchers , along with the legislative funding request.University...…University of Minnesota experts said Thursday that with $20 million in state funding they could soon begin testing up to 10,000 people per day for the coronavirus and another 10,000 per day for the presence of antibodies that indicate they have recovered from COVID-19.That could provide a huge boost to Minnesota’s efforts to slowly reopen the economy. Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that Minnesota would need a drastic increase in COVID-19 testing in the next three weeks in order to begin safely restarting business sectors.Researchers , along with the legislative funding request.University...WW…

Police are investigating another shooting near the homeless encampment in Powderhorn Park. It came just hours after theMinneapolis Park and Recreation Board because of crime and disorder.Neighbors said the shooting happened just before 11 a.m. on 14th Avenue South, on the east edge of the park. They said a car had stopped in the street and drawn a large crowd, when someone in the crowd pulled a gun and shot the driver.Police said the victim had been taken to a nearby hospital with what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries. An investigation has begun, but no arrests had...…Police are investigating another shooting near the homeless encampment in Powderhorn Park. It came just hours after theMinneapolis Park and Recreation Board because of crime and disorder.Neighbors said the shooting happened just before 11 a.m. on 14th Avenue South, on the east edge of the park. They said a car had stopped in the street and drawn a large crowd, when someone in the crowd pulled a gun and shot the driver.Police said the victim had been taken to a nearby hospital with what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries. An investigation has begun, but no arrests had...WW…

The state Department of Agriculture is about packets of seeds arriving unsolicited in their mailboxes.The agency says it has been getting reports of packages of small seeds that appear to have been sent from China. Similar reports have surfaced in Ohio, Louisiana, Utah, Virginia and Washington. some appear to come from Uzbekistan and some are reaching people who have previously placed online orders for jewelry making supplies.Officials are warning recipients not to plant the seeds and introduce potentially invasive plants to the state. The Agriculture Department isn’t sure what plants the...…The state Department of Agriculture is about packets of seeds arriving unsolicited in their mailboxes.The agency says it has been getting reports of packages of small seeds that appear to have been sent from China. Similar reports have surfaced in Ohio, Louisiana, Utah, Virginia and Washington. some appear to come from Uzbekistan and some are reaching people who have previously placed online orders for jewelry making supplies.Officials are warning recipients not to plant the seeds and introduce potentially invasive plants to the state. The Agriculture Department isn’t sure what plants the...WW…

Police deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades Sunday night to clear protesters who gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department in the wake of the fatal police shooting of a 20-year-old man earlier in the day.Some protesters calling for justice for Daunte Wright lobbed projectiles at officers in riot gear in front of the building, and a crowd of several hundred people remained at the scene after police deployed the munitions just before 10 p.m. Law enforcement ringing the building continued to sporadically fire munitions for more than an hour. Wright, who was identified by...…Police deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades Sunday night to clear protesters who gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department in the wake of the fatal police shooting of a 20-year-old man earlier in the day.Some protesters calling for justice for Daunte Wright lobbed projectiles at officers in riot gear in front of the building, and a crowd of several hundred people remained at the scene after police deployed the munitions just before 10 p.m. Law enforcement ringing the building continued to sporadically fire munitions for more than an hour. Wright, who was identified by...WW…

With cheers, applause and a bit of relief, Thera Witte, a 37-year-old front-line nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center rolled up her sleeve Tuesday to take one of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the Twin Cities.“I was just happy to do my part, and lead the charge in getting the vaccine,” said Witte, a nurse in the center’s COVID-19 clinic, as she recounted the scene for reporters.“Honest, it didn’t feel like it would ever come,” Witte added, noting that she and her co-workers have been battling the coronavirus for nearly a year. Shots are heading into lots of arms now at the...…With cheers, applause and a bit of relief, Thera Witte, a 37-year-old front-line nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center rolled up her sleeve Tuesday to take one of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the Twin Cities.“I was just happy to do my part, and lead the charge in getting the vaccine,” said Witte, a nurse in the center’s COVID-19 clinic, as she recounted the scene for reporters.“Honest, it didn’t feel like it would ever come,” Witte added, noting that she and her co-workers have been battling the coronavirus for nearly a year. Shots are heading into lots of arms now at the...WW…

Even as crews are only starting to dig their way under the Crosstown Highway to build a tunnel for Southwest Light Rail trains, transit planners already have more than five other major transit lines in the pipeline that are expected to cost about $700 million.They’re bus rapid transit lines, like the A Line buses that run from Minneapolis to Rosedale and that connects the Brooklyn Center Transit Center with downtown Minneapolis.Metro Transit is already quite a way further down the alphabet — on lines F, G and H, says Katie Roth, assistant director of bus rapid transit for the agency....…Even as crews are only starting to dig their way under the Crosstown Highway to build a tunnel for Southwest Light Rail trains, transit planners already have more than five other major transit lines in the pipeline that are expected to cost about $700 million.They’re bus rapid transit lines, like the A Line buses that run from Minneapolis to Rosedale and that connects the Brooklyn Center Transit Center with downtown Minneapolis.Metro Transit is already quite a way further down the alphabet — on lines F, G and H, says Katie Roth, assistant director of bus rapid transit for the agency....WW…

Thousands of people have been gathering at the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis during a rare drawdown of the pool just below St. Anthony Falls.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released water from above one of its Minneapolis dams to inspect the structures and locks nearby. Although the locks are not in service, engineers want to examine the infrastructure usually underwater.The river has dropped about a dozen feet, leaving a large part of the bottom of the river exposed near Father Hennepin Bluff Park and below the Stone Arch Bridge. Thousands of visitors have been climbing...…Thousands of people have been gathering at the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis during a rare drawdown of the pool just below St. Anthony Falls.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released water from above one of its Minneapolis dams to inspect the structures and locks nearby. Although the locks are not in service, engineers want to examine the infrastructure usually underwater.The river has dropped about a dozen feet, leaving a large part of the bottom of the river exposed near Father Hennepin Bluff Park and below the Stone Arch Bridge. Thousands of visitors have been climbing...WW…

The Minnesota Vikings are halting practice and other team activities after tests confirmed COVID-19 among several players on the Tennessee Titans, the team the Vikings played Sunday in Minneapolis.The that tests on three Titans players and five team personnel have come back positive, putting them well within the window of possible transmission during Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium.This is the first such outbreak in the NFL since the season began.Tennessee said it would conduct additional testing, contact tracing and taking other measures to track and stop the potential spread of the...…The Minnesota Vikings are halting practice and other team activities after tests confirmed COVID-19 among several players on the Tennessee Titans, the team the Vikings played Sunday in Minneapolis.The that tests on three Titans players and five team personnel have come back positive, putting them well within the window of possible transmission during Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium.This is the first such outbreak in the NFL since the season began.Tennessee said it would conduct additional testing, contact tracing and taking other measures to track and stop the potential spread of the...WW…