Stay home for the holidays or get tested twice, CDC urges

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Stay home for the holidays or get tested twice, CDC urges: Health officials on Wednesday [urged Americans to stay home over the upcoming holiday season]( and consider getting tested for coronavirus before and after if they do decide to travel. The Minnesota Department of Health [reported 77 more COVID-19 deaths Wednesday](, including two people in their 30s and one person in the 40s age range. We are [tracking the spread of the virus in Minnesota here.]( - "Staggering" surge in violent carjackings continues across Minneapolis: Over the past two months, Minneapolis police have [logged more than 125 carjackings in the city](, a troubling surge that authorities had largely linked to small groups of marauding teens. But an increasing number of adults have been arrested in recent weeks for the same crime. - Home COVID-19 care easing pressure on Minnesota hospitals: Hennepin Healthcare COVID-19 Home Monitoring started in May, but has grown this fall amid a pandemic surge that is filling hospital beds. The state’s COVID-19 Response Capacity dashboard on Tuesday showed that a record 37% of 1,075 patients in Minnesota hospital ICU beds had COVID-19. Hospital leaders believe [home monitoring programs have helped keep some pressure off](. Among 1,700 COVID-19 patients in the Hennepin program, only 10% went to ERs during their monitoring and 5% needed inpatient hospital admissions. - St. Paul police officer fired over shooting of unarmed man: St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell has fired the officer who [shot and wounded an unarmed Black man]( who was wanted in connection with a kidnapping and assault Saturday night. Court documents reveal new details about [what happened in the hours before the shooting.]( - Georgia elections official warns "somebody is going to get killed": A top Georgia elections official on Tuesday lashed out angrily at the rhetoric surrounding the election and the threats of violence that have resulted, specifically [calling on President Donald Trump to rein in his supporters.]( Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon warned one of his predecessors this week to [stop spreading misinformation about the 2020 elections](, blistering claims that fraud swung the outcome as "foolish and irresponsible." - Trump has discussed pardons for three of his children, Giuliaani: President Trump has discussed with advisers [whether to grant preemptive pardons to his children](, to his son-in-law and to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and talked with Giuliani about pardoning him as recently as last week, according to two people briefed on the matter. The Justice Department is [investigating whether there was a secret scheme]( to lobby White House officials for a pardon as well as a related plot to offer a hefty political contribution in exchange for clemency, according to a court document unsealed Tuesday. - Minnesota restaurants push to-go cocktails for COVID-19 relief: Minnesota bars and restaurants, looking for ways to survive this winter as the pandemic drags on, are looking to Gov. Tim Walz and state legislators for [an OK to sell premade cocktails.]( - Cargill argues before Supreme Court in child slave labor case: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared reluctant to strip away the ability of victims of overseas human rights abuses to sue U.S. corporations, but also expressed skepticism about [a 15-year-old case brought against Cargill and Nestlé.]( - Charges dropped against man, three women charged in Forest Lake rape: Charges have been dropped against a 40-year-old man accused of raping a woman in his Forest Lake townhouse a year ago as [three other women helped restrain her](. - Rochester superintendent apologizes after plagiarizing letter to school staff: The superintendent of Rochester Public Schools has apologized after sending a Thanksgiving message to his staff that included passages [plagiarized from multiple sources.](  Watch this Someone made Minneapolis' CC Club out of Legos: With the exception of Homer Simpson sitting at the bar, [this model is shockingly lifelike.](  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Local alternatives to Amazon abound for safe, convenient holiday shopping: From online holiday markets to virtual personal shoppers, [here's how to shop locally for gifts this year.]( - Hold Steady teases new album ahead of "Massive" virtual marathon: New York’s most Minnesotan rock band had the unforeseeable foresight to record a new album before the pandemic — and even to [include a nod to Eddie Van Halen on it.]( - With restaurants on pause, Minneapolis' Hewing Hotel will deliver a 7-course dinner via room service: One hotel has found [a creative way to keep its kitchen up and running]( during the latest pandemic-fueled pause on on-site dining in Minnesota.  Sports roundup - Thielen cleared to return from COVID list: Adam Thielen’s isolation lasted 10 days, as [the Vikings receiver was cleared to return]( Wednesday from the team’s COVID list following a positive test result Nov. 23. - North Dakota hockey players explain why they plan to kneel during anthem today: Two UND players — Jasper Weatherby and Jacob Bernard-Docker — say they are planning to [kneel during the playing of the national anthem]( as a means of protesting racial injustice. - Ron Lindner, who founded a fishing empire, dies at 86: He started a fishing tackle business more than 60 years ago in his parents’ basement and went on to cement the “Lindy” brand as [a pillar in the North American fishing industry.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Worth a click Is COVID-19 influencing online scented candle reviews? After someone tweeted about "angry ladies" complaining on Yankee Candle's website about candles without any smell, a researcher from Bryn Mawr College decided to test the hypothesis that people have been leaving negative online reviews about scented candles while they were unknowingly infected with COVID-19. She found the proportion of reviews containing terms like "no smell" or "no scent" skyrocketed this year, [the Washington Post's Christopher Ingraham reports](.  From the archives Dec. 2, 1949: After placing a crown of candles on her head, Minnesota Gov. Luther W. Youngdahl congratulated Corine Nehrman, 17, the Upper Midwest's Lucia, during a ceremony at Central High School in Minneapolis. One of five regional Lucias, Nehrman would travel to Sweden to take part in Lucia Day festivities. 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