A guide to Minnesota's July 4th celebrations, from virtual to socially distanced

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - A guide to Minnesota's July 4th celebrations, from virtual to socially distanced: Amid the pandemic, many Independence Day events across the state are [getting smaller, going virtual or going on hiatus](. - Daily COVID-19 cases in U.S. at all-time high: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. climbed to an all-time high of [more than 50,000 per day on Thursday](, with the infection curve rising in 40 out of 50 states in a reversal that has largely spared only the Northeast. In yet another alarming indicator, 36 states are seeing a rise in the percentage of tests that are coming back positive for the virus. [Minnesota added 500 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19]( to its statewide tally on Thursday, as state officials remain on alert for the rise in new cases seen in other parts of the country. Meanwhile, 13 new deaths were attributed to the illness on Thursday, the largest single-day total since June 19. - Walz is urged to mandate face masks across Minnesota: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is being urged to [require residents of the state to wear masks]( when out in public, as COVID-19 cases hit record highs nationally and health officials worry infections may regain dangerous momentum here. - Families face terror after gunfire is sprayed in Minneapolis park: Police Chief Medaria Arradondo praises the coaches and parents "who risked their own lives to shield and protect the children" after [shots rang out during a youth football practice]( last week. - Some Minneapolis Black leaders speak out against City Council's moves to defund police: While the movement to defund the police has been driven by Black activists, [others say that city politicians rushed the process]( and failed to include a police chief who has the backing of many Black residents. - Riot-damaged University Av. in St. Paul hopes to come back stronger: There’s hope that this moment will be a turning point for the area, which survived the construction of Interstate 94 and the Green Line only to be hit by a pandemic and violent unrest. But there’s also anxiety that [the gentrification and displacement residents have long feared]( will arrive in a way they never expected — that speculators will descend on vacant buildings and empty lots and erase the diversity that’s been their strength. [At the Minnesota Senate’s first oversight hearing]( into the unrest that followed George Floyd’s May 25 killing by a Minneapolis police officer, business owners and employees detailed destruction sustained amid the chaos. - HealthPartners closing 7 clinics with COVID-19 changes: HealthPartners is [permanently closing seven clinics]( plus a drug and alcohol treatment program as health system officials say COVID-19 has accelerated a shift of patients from brick-and-mortar medical offices to online health care. HealthPartners is [eliminating about 200 jobs at clinics in Sartell and Minneapolis](, according to state notices issued Thursday. - Protesters shut down I-94 in St. Paul over killing of singer in Ethiopia: Protesters apparently outraged by the killing of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular singer in Ethiopia, [stopped traffic on Interstate 94 in St. Paul]( during Wednesday evening’s rush hour. - Organizers cancel 2020 Aquatennial celebration: Aquatennial organizers, citing the absence of that celebratory feeling due to COVID-19 and the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, announced Thursday that [this year's activities scheduled for later this month in Minneapolis are canceled](. -   Watch this Mahtomedi squirrels turn anti-squirrel bird feeder into an amusement ride: In the war of wits between man and squirrel, [score another victory for the squirrels](.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - After 60 years, Minneapolis' Fuji Ya closes permanently: First opened in 1968 in a riverfront location, the popular sushi spot later moved to Lyn-Lake, [where it has been a mainstay since 2000.]( - iHeartMedia launches Black news station BIN 93.3: Minneapolis/St. Paul is [one of 21 markets around the country to get a BIN](, described as “the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage with a Black voice and perspective,” according to a press release from iHeartMedia. - 10 easy-drinking Minnesota beers for summertime: With nowhere else to go, we’ve been handed the opportunity to strengthen the bonds of family and friendship with small backyard gatherings — appropriately distanced, of course. [And for that we’ll need beer.](  Sports roundup - Man whose cause was embraced by Maya Moore released from Missouri prison: Jonathan Irons, whose bid for freedom from a 50-year prison sentence was embraced and pushed by WNBA star Maya Moore, [walked out of a Missouri penitentiary Wednesday](, nearly four months after a judge overturned his conviction on charges of burglary and assault. - Run at hitting .400 seems possible in 60-game major league season: As players return to baseball stadiums around the country to train for a coronavirus-shortened season, there is chatter about [the conditions being right for someone batting .400.]( - NFL expected to cut preseason in half: One of the Vikings' preseason games [would need to be moved to U.S. Bank Stadium]( in order for them to get a home game.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Worth a click What I saw when I came eye to eye with a whale: "Sperm whales are extra­ordinarily intelligent animals with deep family traditions and the ability to communicate across oceans with sonic clicks. But when Rowan Jacobsen had a close encounter with one in the Caribbean, [he saw a creature far stranger than he'd ever imagined,]( Outside magazine reports.  From the archives July 2, 1954: Minnesota State Patrol Officer Dale Gaffin operated a radar recorder to register the speed of a passing car on Wayzata Blvd., while his partner, Jerry Lutz, radioed the speed, license number and description of the vehicle to a squad car stationed several blocks away. The pair were one of two new units using the electronic technology to catch speeders. 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