Judge disqualifies Hennepin County Attorney's Office from George Floyd case

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Judge disqualifies Hennepin County Attorney's Office from George Floyd case: The judge overseeing the criminal case of four former Minneapolis Police officers charged in the May 25 killing of George Floyd has [disqualified Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and his staff]( from working on the case, calling their work "sloppy."" Outside the hearing, highly organized, peaceful protesters took over the block in front of the heavily fortified Family Justice Center Friday morning. - Trump, Biden will both appear in Minnesota next Friday: President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden [will converge on Minnesota next Friday]( in separate campaign stops marking the start of early voting in a state that could be critical in the November election. - State health officials hope to avoid "twindemic" of COVID and flu: Amid fears that emergency rooms and intensive care units would be stretched to capacity, as both diseases can cause respiratory complications such as pneumonia, health officials are doubling down on efforts to [get more Minnesotans vaccinated for influenza.]( Thirteen more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19 and more than 480 new cases were confirmed throughout the state, [the Minnesota Department of Health reported Friday](. The number of daily U.S. deaths from the coronavirus is declining again after peaking in early August, but scientists warn that [a new bout with the disease this fall could claim more lives](. The arrival of cooler weather and the likelihood of more indoor gatherings will add to the importance of everyday safety precautions, experts say. - American Public Media fires its only Black classical host: Garrett McQueen, heard on Classical MPR, [broke station rules by playing music off the station's official list](, which he said "wasn't moving forward to my speed." - Minneapolis council members object to relocating Third Precinct station to warehouse: A proposal that would relocate the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct to a rented building has run into trouble with the City Council, whose members are [reluctant to create a new police station]( while the department remains largely unchanged since the killing of George Floyd. - Wildfires spread in Oregon as 500,000 flee: Deadly wildfires in heavily populated northwest Oregon were growing, with [hundreds of thousands of people told to flee]( encroaching flames while residents to the south tearfully assessed their losses. - U.S. marks 9/11 anniversary at tributes shadowed by virus: Americans commemorated 9/11 on Friday as a new national crisis — the coronavirus pandemic — [reconfigured anniversary ceremonies]( and a presidential campaign carved a path through the observances. - Ely resort owners charged with illegal gathering and sale of prized bait fish: Three family members who run a northern Minnesota resort have been [charged with violating the Lacey Act](, a federal law banning illegal traffic in wildlife, by allegedly using nets and other methods to harvest ciscoes, a prized bait fish. - Why do coyotes howl when trains go by? Stanley Gehrt, an Ohio researcher who has extensively studied urban coyotes, said it helps to understand [why they vocalize at all.](  Watch this Astronaut demonstrates how hard it is to move around in zero gravity without anything to grab onto: [You just kind of float in place.](  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest finally crowns a female winner: The Acme’s Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest boasts a diverse list of past champions. But it appears that the annual competition for amateur comics had never crowned a female champ. That changed Wednesday when [Lisa Evanson took home the $1,000 cash prize]( and the chance to embark on a professional stand-up career with an injection of confidence. - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From ravioli to blondies, [here’s a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. - New St. Paul restaurant changes its name after criticism about "cultural exploitation": Elotes was slated to open yesterday as the new anchor restaurant inside St. Paul’s Keg & Case Market. Instead, [Woodfired Cantina is opening today](.  Sports roundup - Facing $75M deficit, three U sports pay the price: Three men's teams — track and field, tennis and gymnastics — [will be terminated after this season]( in response to the financial strain caused by COVID-19 and gender equity issues. - Vikings-Packers season opener kicks off without crowd, tailgating parties: It may be one of the most spirited of NFL rivalries, but the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers border battle Sunday [will be remarkably subdued regardless of the action]( on U.S. Bank Stadium’s disinfected turf. - End racism? Messaging from NFL, booing from fans shows the challenge. The NFL should get some credit for the steps it has taken, but Thursday should remind us — as so much does these days — of [how far we have left to go](, writes Michael Rand.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Worth a click How a massive bomb came together in Beirut's port: "Fifteen tons of fireworks. Jugs of kerosene and acid. Thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate. A system of corruption and bribes let the perfect bomb sit for years," [the New York Times reports.](  Talkers trivia Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question 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 Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: A Minnesota man was rescued after being pinned under what for four days? Good luck!  From the archives Sept. 11, 1982: An estimated 50,000, including royalty from five Nordic nations, attended the kickoff of the nine-month-long Scandinavia Today festival at the Metrodome. The program included a performance by the Royal Danish Ballet. (Photo: Tom Sweeney/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 © 2020 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](