Hennepin County Attorney to stop prosecuting people for small amounts of marijuana

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Hennepin County Attorney to stop prosecuting people for small amounts of marijuana: Someone caught with a small amount of marijuana in Hennepin County [will no longer be prosecuted](, County Attorney Mike Freeman said Thursday. - 49 dead in shootings at New Zealand mosques: At least [49 people were killed in mass shootings]( at two mosques full of worshipers attending Friday prayers in an attack in Christchurch that was broadcast in horrifying, live video by [an immigrant-hating white nationalist]( wielding at least two rifles. One man was arrested and charged with murder, and two other armed suspects were taken into custody while police tried to determine what role they played. Members of the Bangladesh cricket team had [just arrived by bus at Masjid Al Noor mosque]( for Friday afternoon prayers when they heard gunshots. Had they arrived a few minutes earlier they would have been inside the mosque where at least 30 people were killed. The New York Times' Kevin Roose writes that this attack is "[an internet-native mass shooting](, conceived and produced entirely within the irony-soaked discourse of modern extremism." - Debate over abortion, birth control heats up at Minnesota Capitol: While a GOP-backed measure to [ban abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization]( cleared a key hurdle in the Senate, House Democrats weighed two bills aimed at increasing access to free birth control and other reproductive services. - Minneapolis police chief seeks front office reorganization: As part of the effort, Chief Medaria Arradondo would [create a stand-alone chief of staff position]( to oversee the department’s community outreach efforts and ensure officers uphold the principles of procedural justice, which emphasize respectful interactions with the public. - Senate votes against Trump border emergency: In a stunning rebuke, [a dozen defecting Republicans joined Senate Democrats]( to block the national emergency that President Donald Trump declared so he could build his border wall with Mexico. The rejection capped a week of confrontation with the White House as both parties in Congress strained to exert their power in new ways. President Donald Trump is expected to respond by [issuing the first veto of his presidency.]( - Suspected car thieves cause series of hit-and-runs in Dinkytown: Two suspected car thieves [smashed into another vehicle and a pedestrian]( in Dinkytown on Thursday afternoon, injuring three people, including a University of Minnesota student and staff member, university officials said. - DNA leads to arrest 34 years after slaying of Navy recruit from Stillwater: Detectives investigating [the 3-decade-old slaying of a Navy recruit]( used genealogical research involving DNA to track down and arrest a suspect who was a one-time Navy training classmate of the victim, authorities in Florida said Thursday. - Minnesota state troopers, passerby save woman after truck overturns into water: Allyson Andert seemed destined for death as she lay unresponsive after her truck flipped over on a north metro freeway Wednesday night and landed upside down in 2 feet of water. That’s when two state troopers and a passerby [stepped in with no time to spare]( and pulled her to safety. - Students worldwide demand climate action: From the South Pacific to the edge of the Arctic Circle, students mobilized by word of mouth and social media are skipping class to protest what they see as the failures by their governments to take tough action against global warming. Friday's rallies were [one of the biggest international climate change actions yet](, involving hundreds of thousands of students in more than 100 countries around the globe.  Watch this Bald eagle helps golfer sink a hole-in-one: [Sometimes the universe intervenes.](  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - What percentage of Minnesotans spend their entire life here? There’s no way to nail down a firm answer to this, with no data specific enough to know if people have lived their entire lives in a single area. But there is some information that [points us in the right direction.]( - Last surviving Monkees honor late bandmates at nostalgic Mystic Lake concert: The last time the surviving Monkees came to Minnesota in 2012, they arrived just eight months past the death of one of their own, Davy Jones. This time, they rolled in less than a month after losing another beloved bandmate, Peter Tork. With that kind of emotional backdrop, [all the bittersweet nostalgia and youthful innocence]( that permeated Thursday night’s nearly sold-out concert by Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith at Mystic Lake Casino hit the right notes. - How much hot dish can you scarf in 8 minutes? Minnesotans finally have a chance to put all those weeknight suppers with Grandma to the test. Major League Eating (MLE) — the group that puts on the annual July 4th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island — is coming to Minnesota this summer, and [hot dish is the name of the game.]( Reminder: Please [cast your votes for your favorite Minnesota breweries]( by 5 p.m.!  Sports roundup - Gophers are 2 wins from NCAA berth (and 1 loss from being done): With the U men's hockey team riding a five-game win streak and having triumphed in seven of their past eight games, it’s not surprising the team carries confidence into Saturday’s Big Ten semifinal at Notre Dame. In fact, one even could say [the Gophers have a swagger to them.]( - Vikings, Griffen reach last-minute deal to restructure: The Vikings will have Everson Griffen back on their roster in 2019, after the defensive end restructured his contract Thursday to [help provide the team some salary cap relief.]( - Happy 99th birthday, Sid! Sid Hartman, the dean of Twin Cities sports columnists, turns 99 years young today. In honor of this occasion, [here's his first ever bylined column]( that appeared in the Minneapolis Daily Times on Sept. 11, 1945.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “This is one of New Zealand's darkest days.” -- [New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern](, on shootings that killed at least 49 people at two mosques in Christchurch.  Worth a click Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke was part of a notorious hacker group: "While a teenager, O’Rourke acknowledged in an exclusive interview, he belonged to the oldest group of computer hackers in U.S. history. The hugely influential Cult of the Dead Cow, jokingly named after an abandoned Texas slaughterhouse, is notorious for releasing tools that allowed ordinary people to hack computers running Microsoft’s Windows. It’s also known for inventing the word 'hacktivism' to describe human-rights-driven security work. Members of the group have protected O’Rourke’s secret for decades, reluctant to compromise his political viability. Now, in a series of interviews, CDC members have acknowledged O’Rourke as one of their own," [Reuters reports.](  Talkers trivia Want to win a Star Tribune travel mug? Today is Friday, so it's time for a trivia question. The correct answer can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to [talkers@startribune.com]( by midnight on Sunday night. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive an official Star Tribune travel mug, as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: The Democratic Party picked which city to host its 2020 national convention? Good luck!  From the archives March 15, 1989: Dan Paulus and his fellow third-graders at St. Paul's Immaculate Heart of Mary School were in the now fort construction business after a snowstorm. (Photo: Rita Reed/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2019 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](