Top Walz aide blasts Senate GOP leader as "shockingly absent" from COVID-19 meetings

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Top Walz aide blasts Senate GOP leader as "shockingly absent" from COVID-19 meetings: Gov. Tim Walz’s chief of staff [blasted Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka’s absence]( in coronavirus-related meetings Wednesday evening as tensions escalate between the two parties over the state’s pandemic response. - Cop gives #MplsRiot2020 commemorative coin to lawmaker after police ride-along: Police spokesman John Elder said his department is [trying to determine who produced the coin](, adding that he is certain that neither his department nor the Minneapolis Police Federation are behind it. Elder said the department is also looking into whether the inclusion of a group photo of several officers violates any trademark laws. - 1,047 new COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths reported in Minnesota ahead of holiday weekend: [Seven COVID-19 deaths and 1,047 infections with the coronavirus]( that causes the infectious disease were reported by Minnesota health authorities on Thursday — ahead of a holiday weekend that could exacerbate the pandemic. Gov. Tim Walz scheduled a news conference Thursday afternoon at which he is expected to ask Minnesotans to remain vigilant in their social distancing and mask-wearing — echoing messages earlier in the week from Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House COVID-19 task force and state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. - Part of historic building collapses after SUV plows into downtown Red Wing restaurant: Social media posts show [a gaping hole in the building]( containing Liberty's Restaurant and Lounge, and bricks and debris scattered on the ground near the intersection of 3rd and Plum streets. - Medtronic restructuring to cut costs by more than $400M: In response to a query from the Star Tribune, Medtronic acknowledged that [the restructuring would entail job cuts](, and that affected employees are being notified. The company declined to release any job-cut numbers or locations. - Minnesota and the CDC have orders that stop evictions. Here's how they work. Tenants, landlords and homeowners alike have reached out to the Star Tribune with questions about how the eviction moratorium works and what rights people have amid the pandemic. [Here are answers to some of those questions.]( - Spike in virus cases keeps Minnesota families out of senior homes: The visitor restrictions are now entering their sixth month, and many residents and their relatives [are reaching the breaking point](. With no end in sight, many families said they are debating whether to move their loved ones out altogether and care for them at home, where they can recover from their prolonged isolation and have more regular interactions. - A new $300 federal jobless benefit? Not likely for some. The Trump administration rolled out the new $300-a-week benefit, using money from a $44 billion disaster relief fund, after Congress and the White House failed to agree to extend the $600 payment. Yet because of [a raft of restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles](, more than 1 million of the unemployed won't receive that $300 check, and their financial struggles will deepen. - Co-founder of dance sensations Buckets and Tap Shoes survives traumatic bike crash: Rick Ausland, co-founder of the popular Twin Cities dance troupe Buckets and Tap Shoes, [suffered a life-threatening bike accident]( that left him with a traumatic brain injury. But the 42-year-old dancer, percussionist, DJ and jack-of-many-trades is recovering after four days in intensive care.  Watch this Have you ever seen someone play an edible synthesizer? Break out your glowsticks and [watch this one-man band drop some beats]( using an electronic drum kit and a synth made out of fruit.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Learn to bake cookies with Minnesota State Fair icon Sweet Martha: No, she won't share the secret recipe, but she does have tips and tricks for [making warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.]( The Star Tribune's Virtual State Fair Mini-Grandstand concert series continues today with [a set from St. Louis Park native and multi-Grammy winning singer/songwriter Dan Wilson](, who has a forthcoming album with his old band, Semisonic. And don't forget to [cast your vote in the fourth and final round]( of our Amateur Talent Contest. - Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's AppleHouse is now open: [The AppleHouse has opened for the season](, selling University of Minnesota-bred apples (Zestar!, SweeTango and First Kiss, among others), along with no-name apples harvested from the school’s agricultural research efforts. Other items include apple pie, apple crisp and caramel apples, and pumpkins will be available later in the season. - Hesitant to pay more than $30 to watch "Mulan"? It's worth it. Warrior Hua Mulan doesn’t flinch when it comes to scrambling up walls, dodging arrows and crossing swords with foreign invaders. But she may sweat a bit when it comes to her most formidable foe: a steep price to see her in action. No need to worry: [This live-action adaptation of "Mulan" defies gravity]( — and expectations.  Sports roundup - In post-Blyleven TV era, it's time for Justin Morneau to shine: In reality, the Twins’ TV transition away from analyst Bert Blyleven started a long time before Wednesday, when a rather abrupt-seeming announcement in the afternoon signaled that Blyleven was about to work his final game after a quarter-century with the team. Morneau was already inching toward the role as primary analyst. But it also felt like as long as Blyleven was still doing games, his presence — and rightfully so — [was going to loom large]( even if his role was largely reduced. - A Vikings' 53-man projection before Saturday's roster deadline: With the roster at 75 players, the Vikings’ front office needs to clear 22 additional spots; 16 players can return to an expanded practice squad for this season. [We take a crack at projecting who will make the cut.]( - New Gophers center Liam Robbins will "try to do it all": The 7-foot junior and Drake transfer [wants to expand his game in Richard Pitino's system.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Worth a click What it took to free a whale entangled in 4,000 pounds of fishing gear: "The influx of whales to cleaner waters off New York City has meant that the number of them injured or killed there is on the rise," [the New York Times reports.](  From the archives Sept. 3, 1985: A helicopter owned by three Twin Cities hospitals made an emergency landing on 12th Street next to St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center shortly after taking off. The pilot, who was alone in the craft, was uninjured. Steve Durst, director of the helicopter service, said that one of the helicopter's two engines may have exploded and that the craft's landing gear was slightly damaged in the landing. Federal officials planned an investigation. 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