Sitting on billions in reserve, Catholic dioceses received $1.5B in taxpayer aid meant for small businesses

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Sitting on billions in reserve, Catholic dioceses received $1.5B in taxpayer aid meant for small businesses: As the pandemic began to unfold, [scores of Catholic dioceses across the U.S. received at least $1.5 billion in taxpayer-backed aid]( through the Paycheck Protection Program while sitting on well over $10 billion in cash, short-term investments or other available funds, an Associated Press investigation has found. And despite the broad economic downturn, these assets have grown in many dioceses. - Minnesota epidemiologist Osterholm urges delaying second vaccine dose to get more vaccinated: Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm said Wednesday that he will ask federal health officials to re-examine COVID-19 vaccine data with an eye toward [delaying the second dose so more people can quickly receive first shots](. Osterholm, speaking before a Minnesota House health committee, said immunity protection improves with many other vaccines when doses are spaced out by months. - UnitedHealth makes sudden CEO change: [David Wichmann is stepping down as chief executive of UnitedHealth Group](, the nation's largest health insurer and Minnesota's largest company. Andrew Witty, the head of the company's Optum subsidiary, has been named his successor. The change was announced Thursday morning. - Golden Valley, Edina, St. Louis Park looking to decrease speed limits:[Some inner-ring west metro suburbs are weighing lower speed limits]( to improve street safety for cyclists and pedestrians, following similar changes made by Minneapolis and St. Paul last spring. - Judge approves Derek Chauvin's divorce under secret terms: [A Washington County judge approved the divorce of Derek and Kellie Chauvin]( this week under secret terms due to the heavy redaction of court documents. The proceeding came under scrutiny after Kellie Chauvin filed for divorce two days after her husband was charged with killing George Floyd on May 25, sparking speculation that it was a move to protect assets from possible civil litigation. - Klobuchar pushes overhaul of antitrust laws: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota [introduced an overhaul of the nation's antitrust laws]( Thursday. Her bill would change the way big corporations can merge to dominate markets and how big companies swallow up small companies or use their size to force them out of business. - National money flowing into fight over future of Minneapolis Police Department: In mid-November, the Open Society Policy Center based in Washington, D.C., [donated $500,000 to a new political committee](, Vote Yes For Minneapolis, that wants to eliminate the city's requirement to have a Police Department. The donation, first reported by the newsletter MPLS take and the Minnesota Reformer, was included in a campaign finance report filed late last month. - Biden to freeze withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany: President Joe Biden will [freeze Donald Trump's planned withdrawal of some U.S. troops]( stationed in Germany, the White House said Thursday. The White House also said the U.S. would end support for Saudi Arabia's military in the long-running war in Yemen in hopes of stopping one of world's worst humanitarian crises. - House GOP faces difficult vote over Greene: House Republicans will be forced to go on the record, [defending or rebuking Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene](, who has drawn bipartisan condemnation over her embrace of far-right conspiracy theories, racist comments, as well as her past endorsement of violence against Democrats. - Pandemic leads to another record-setting deficit for Minnesota Orchestra: For the second year in a row, [the Minnesota Orchestra has posted a record-breaking deficit](. Its operating loss of $11.7 million is the largest in its history,topping last year's $8.8 million. COVID is one cause. The financial results for fiscal year 2020, which ended Aug. 31, capture the first few months of the pandemic, which shuttered theaters and concert halls across the country. WATCH THIS British motorist discovers flooded road is deeper than it seemed: Regular reminder that [attempting to drive across a large amount of standing water in a roadway]( is not a great idea. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Twin Cities museums and attractions to visit now or very soon: The pandemic has caused the lights to been dimmed for months at many of the state's cultural and historical attractions. But since early January, when the Gov. Tim Walz loosened COVID restrictions, [some venues have reopened or are in the process of doing so.]( - Super Bowl ad featuring Twin Cities chefs is a call to save independent restaurants: Top Twin Cities chefs star in an ad for Cointreau that is slated to appear in some markets Sunday during the Super Bowl, and [it promises to be a tear-jerker.]( - Prince's longtime pet dove Divinity dies at 28: Prince told us about what it sounds like when doves cry, now [the Purple World is mourning the death of one of his beloved doves]( at Paisley Park. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Offseason patience serves Twins well as frozen roster quickly heats up: After nearly three months with a roster seemingly frozen by the Minnesota frost, Derek Falvey and the Twins sprung into action as January came to a close, and in just 12 days revamped their defense, buttressed the pitching staff, and performed an encore of the most successful free agent signing in team history. [Patience seems to pay off, again.]( - 20 years later, let's revisit that 41-donut Vikings loss: The 2000 Vikings almost certainly [should never have been in the position they were in on Jan. 14, 2001]( — favored to beat the Giants, even though New York was the home team, in the NFC title game. - Ex-Gophers Winfield, Johnson on a Super surreal journey: It's no wonder former Gophers and current Buccaneers rookies Tyler Johnson and Antoine Winfield Jr. set the unofficial Super Bowl video news conference tag-team record for [combined number of times two guys have said, "Man, it'scrazy."]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK Have you cleaned the inside of your windshield lately? Sometimes the things that make it hard to see are coming from the inside. [Lifehacker shares tips for cleaning the greasiest of windshields.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES Feb. 4, 2020: Downtown St. Paul is seen from under the Wabasha Street Bridge on Raspberry Island. (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 © 2021 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](