Minnesota lawmakers strike deal on $216M COVID-19 relief package

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minnesota lawmakers strike deal on $216M COVID-19 relief package: Minnesota lawmakers [expect to pass a $216 million COVID-19 relief package]( that includes direct grants for businesses and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for those who could hit their cap after the holidays. - First shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Minnesota: Minnesota's first shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine [arrived Monday at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center](. Other Minnesota hospital systems expected their initial shipments in the next day or two. - 200 businesses say they'll reopen this week, defying Walz's shutdown order: More than 200 Minnesota business owners [have committed to reopening this week](, according to a group calledReOpen Minnesota. The group has announced a plan for business owners to reopen starting on Wednesday, according to the group's Facebook page. The governor's four-week executive order is set to expire on Friday. - Electors meet today to formally choose Biden as next president: With heightened security in place in some states, Democratic electors in the key battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania [gave President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their votes]( Monday in low-key proceedings. Nevada's electors met via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic. One by one, Minnesota's 10 electors stood in the state House Chambers on Monday and [announced their votes for Biden as well.]( - Minnesota's TCF will merge with Ohio bank: TCF Financial, Minnesota's third-largest bank, is being swept up in another merger — [and this time will lose its name](. - Twin Cities man among far-right Proud Boys stabbed in D.C.: [Vandals tore down a Black Lives Matter banner and sign from two historic Black churches]( in downtown Washington and set the banner ablaze as nighttime clashes Saturday between pro-Donald Trump supporters and counterdemonstrators erupted into violence and arrests, Police on Sunday said they were investigating the incidents at the Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan A.M.E. Church as potential hate crimes, which one religious leader likened to a cross burning. District of Columbia police said that [Corey O. Nielsen, 39, of Robbinsdale, was taken to a nearby hospital]( after being wounded Saturday near Harry's Bar, which the Washington Post described as gathering spot for the Proud Boys, a far-right group known for street fighting and directed by Trump during the campaign to "stand back and stand by." - How a Minnesota nursing home became the epicenter of one of the nation's deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks: As COVID-19 raced across the U.S., elderly residents in long-term care faced the gravest peril. But little was done, and the virus savaged care centers plagued for years by poor infection control and lax oversight. One of the biggest outbreaks in the nation overtook North Ridge Health and Rehab in New Hope. [Its story is a window into a national tragedy]( that has killed more than 2,800 senior-care residents in Minnesota. - Minnesota sticks with its school plan as pressure to reopen grows: [Minnesota is staying the course]( with its guidelines for school opening and closing decisions during the pandemic, even as political pressure to reopen schools intensifies and some large districts elsewhere in the U.S. make plans to return students to classrooms. - U.S. agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign: U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers on Monday after authorities learned that [the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked]( in a global cyber-espionage campaign tied to a foreign government. - McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis names new leader: The McKnight Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Minnesota, has named a new leader. Tonya Allen, 48, the CEO of the Skillman Foundation in Detroit, [will start the top job March 1](, McKnight announced on Monday. WATCH THIS Dog rescued after disappearing in huge wave of sea foam: The foam was [churned up by large storms]( that battered Australia's Gold Coast. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - From Lake Street to Lake Elmo, big red K shines brightly again: The big red K from atop the doomed Lake Street Kmart shone brightly Sunday as a holiday ornament for the first time in the backyard of a Twin Cities family's home. Jason Pieper, who purchased the 9-foot-tall consonant at auction, [planted it outside his Lake Elmo home]( in time for it to be dusted with a light snow. - How to cope with changes to your holiday tradition: This year, as many of our traditional holiday rituals shrink or go virtual, they'll likely lose the splendor and frisson that a large family gathering can bring. But that's no reason to pull the plug on the holidays. Instead, we should try to continue our rituals in modified fashion this year, experts say, because [even a lackluster substitute can boost the psyche.]( - Spy-turned-novelist John le Carre dies at 89: John le Carre, the spy-turned-novelist whose [elegant and intricate narratives defined the Cold War espionage thriller]( and brought acclaim to a genre critics had once ignored, has died. He was 89. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Failure to protect Cousins forced Vikings to turn to kicker Bailey: The kicks Dan Bailey missed on Sunday in Tampa cost the Vikings 10 points in a game they lost by 12, making the[struggling veteran the chief topic of conversation](after a 26-14 loss that could deliver a crucial blow to the team's playoff hopes. But the reason Bailey was attempting field goals at all was because a Vikings offense that moved the ball effectively against the Buccaneers' strong defense [couldn't finish drives with touchdowns.]( - Gophers men's hockey ranked No. 1 for first time since 2014: The Gophers, who began the season ranked No. 14, [vaulted to the top spot]( after sweeping then-No. 5 Michigan 3-1 and 4-0 on Tuesday and Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Mich. - Cleveland's baseball team drops nickname: There is no sliding scale when it comes to racism, and other offensive nicknames persist in sports. [But the Cleveland and Washington changes are a big thing.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK She stalked her daughter's killers across Mexico, one by one: "Armed with a handgun, a fake ID card and disguises, Miriam Rodríguez was a one-woman detective squad, defying a system where criminal impunity often prevails," [reports Azam Ahmed of the New York Times.]( TRIVIA WINNER Congratulations to Donald Deach! Donald was randomly selected from among the many readers who correctly answered that a high school in Mendota Heights will no longer bear the name of Minnesota's first governor, Henry Sibley. He wins a $15 gift card. FROM THE ARCHIVES Dec. 14, 2016: Rich McDeid, right, and his son Mason take in a performance by alternative rock band Local H, opening for Helmet, at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis. To celebrate his 21st birthday, Mason, who has cerebral palsy, and his dad were on a quest to see 500 live bands in 2016. (Photo: Leila Navidi/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.](