Minneapolis City Attorney defends timing of Floyd lawsuit settlement, says it reflected need to act fast

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[Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minneapolis City Attorney defends timing of Floyd lawsuit settlement, says it reflected need to act fast: Minneapolis agreed to the $27 million settlement in the lawsuit over George Floyd's death at the same time as a jury was being selected for the first ex-officer because there was no guarantee the offer would still be available in the future, [City Attorney Jim Rowader said during a news conference Thursday morning.]( A 10th juror was added Thursday afternoon for [the murder trial of fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin](, one day after two jurors were removed in the wake of new revelations and high-volume publicity about a case being watched around the world. - Fears of racist violence grow for Minnesota's Asian Americans: Tuesday's deadlyshootings in the Atlanta area, where a white gunman killed eight people — six of them women of Asian descent — have [heightened concerns across Minnesota about the increase in violence]( against Asian Americans, especially women, since the start of the pandemic. In Austin, Minn., an Asian American family found the words "China virus" burned into their lawn. In Bloomington, a woman walking on a trail was attacked after racial slurs were hurled at her. And in Shakopee, a couple were followed out of a store by a man who shoved the husband and yelled that they should "take the coronavirus and leave." - Few houses, eager buyers fuel "insane" rising prices in Twin Cities: The imbalance between buyers and sellers has been triggering bidding wars and jacking up prices for the past several months, and now it's stifling sales. Pending sales, a reflection of how many deals were signed last month, was flat compared with the same time last year, but the most in 16 years. With houses selling in near-record time, [the median price of all closings last month increased more than 11% to $314,000.]( - Minneapolis police vow to restore safety at George Floyd Square: The Minneapolis police chief vowed Wednesday to [restore safety in and around the closed-off intersection]( where protesters gather to memorialize George Floyd's death. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo gave no timeline for the changes, though he said federal agents will help fight crime and monitor the area at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, which has fallen under increased gun violence. - COVID-19 exposure puts Walz in quarantine: Gov. Tim Walz is [postponing his State of the State address and submitting to quarantine]( through March 25 following a positive COVID-19 test of a staff member. The quarantine is a conservative precaution after Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm were in the same location as the infected individual during a news conference on Monday. [Minnesota has reached two very different milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic](, reporting on Thursday that more than 500,000 people have suffered known infections and more than 2 million doses of vaccine have been administered. - Minnesota extends lifeline to foster youth hit by pandemic: Each year, roughly 600 to 800 youth in Minnesota are required to leave foster care because they become too old — a transition known as "aging out" of care. In response to federal legislation, Gov. Tim Walz's administration earlier this month imposed a moratorium on youth being discharged from foster care through September, while allowing those who aged out during the pandemic to return to care. The state is directing all counties and Indian tribes to quickly identify these youth and [encourage them to remain in care so they have access to benefits.]( - Third proposal would put elected commission in charge of Minneapolis police: Local advocates for police accountability want Minneapolis voters to [create a new civilian commission to oversee police](, removing power from the mayor and City Council. - IRS will delay tax filing deadline until May 17: The IRS announced the decision Wednesday and said it would provide further guidance in the coming days. [The move provides more breathing room for taxpayers]( and the IRS alike to cope with changes brought on by the pandemic. - Supporting cryptocurrency, Emmer carves niche with congressional high-tech crowd: The Minnesota Republican says he wants to wake colleagues to the prospect of folks buying and selling — even giving to political campaigns — with [intangible money backed by the full faith and credit of the cyberworld.]( - White Earth Reservation, Shooting Star Casino raise minimum wage to $16 an hour: The new starting wage, which includes hourly wages and tips, [takes effect later this month](. It is a considerable boost for the casino's tipped employees, who previously started around $8 an hour, as well as non-tipped employees for whom the entry-level wages were around $10 to $11 an hour. WATCH THIS Man serenades opossum with sea shanty while feeding it jelly: [OK, so he's just singing along to someone else's video of a jelly-eating opossum.]( But it's still pretty good. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Twin Cities distiller Tattersall to expand in Wisconsin: Citing Minnesota's "restrictive liquor laws,"Tattersall Distilling announced Thursday that [it will open a destination distillery and a second production facility]( this fall, in River Falls, Wis.. - Once viewed as potential super-spreaders, Minnesota choirs re emerging again: Now that spring is here, the pandemic's end seems increasingly near and [several choirs are re-emerging to perform online concerts.]( - The 10 best things our critics are watching this week: From Marvel's new series to dinner with Andrew Zimmern, [here's what we're tuning into right now.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - Ex-Viking Longwell tackles team's kicking problems: The former Vikings kicker, who made 86% of his field goals in six seasons from 2006-11, [helps explain why the Vikings have lacked stability at the position]( in recent years and gives insights into how they can fix that problem. - Eight Minnesotans to watch in the NCAA men's basketball tournament: As the talent continues to grow in youth and prep basketball across Minnesota, [so to does the state's imprint on the NCAA tournaments.]( - Former Hopkins basketball star Bueckers leads AP All-America team: Paige Bueckers came to Connecticut with a lot of hype surrounding her. The freshman guard has lived up to it so far, delivering record-breaking performances and [earning a spot on the Associated Press women's basketball All-American team]( Wednesday. She's only the third freshman to make the AP team, joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and UConn's Maya Moore. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The wolf that is repopulating California: "Nearly a century after the last wolf was eradicated in the state, a lone female arrived and established a pack. Not everyone is cheering," [writes Richard Grant for Smithsonian magazine.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES March 18, 1968: Embattled President Lyndon B. Johnson brought a serious message, mixed with humor, to the National Farmers Union convention in Minneapolis. Less than two weeks later, Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election amid growing opposition to the war in Vietnam and civil unrest domestically. 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