Walz to announce vaccine incentives today

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Walz to announce vaccine incentives today: Gov. Tim Walz is scheduled Thursday to [announce incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations in Minnesota]( — where 61% of people 12 and older have received at least first doses but the pace of shots has slowed. The next 100,000 people to seek new vaccinations starting Memorial Day weekend will be eligible to select free passes to Minnesota attractions, sports, fairs and state parks or free fishing licenses. Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory? [Yes, with some exceptions.]( - Many Minnesotans choose to stay masked after mandate's end: Two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionannouncedthat fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or social distancing and Gov. Tim Walz ended Minnesota's mask mandate, [many parents remain reluctant to let their unvaccinated children go mask-free]( for fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19. - Biden to propose $6 trillion budget to boost middle class and infrastructure: [President Joe Biden will propose a $6 trillion budget]( Friday that would take the United States to its highest sustained levels of federal spending since World War II, while running deficits above $1.3 trillion throughout the next decade. The growth is driven by Biden's two-part agenda to upgrade the nation's infrastructure and substantially expand the social safety net, contained in his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan, along with other planned increases in discretionary spending. - Republicans set to block Jan. 6 commission, stoking Senate filibuster fight: Senate Republicans are ready to deploy the filibuster to [block a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection](, shattering chances for a bipartisan probe of the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol and reviving pressure to do away with the procedural tactic that critics say has lost its purpose. The vote Thursday would be the first successful use of a filibuster in the Biden presidency to halt Senate legislative action. - San Jose gunman had talked of workplace attacks previously: An employee who gunned down nine people at a California rail yard and then killed himself as law enforcement rushed in had [talked about killing people at work more than a decade ago](, his ex-wife said. The attacker was identified as 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, according to two law enforcement officials who were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. - Woodbury woman with history of mental illness charged with attacking her children: A Woodbury woman with a long history of mental illness was [charged Thursday with attempted murder and assault]( in connection with her attacking her 6-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter during a late-night tirade in the street outside their home. - Woman fatally struck in yard after driver sped through no-passing zone in Mounds View, charges say: Donald J. Harris, 62, of Coon Rapids, kept driving with his windshield shattered until he crashed his SUV into a ditch a few miles away Tuesday afternoon. He was [charged Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court with two counts of criminal homicide]( in connection with the hit-and-run that killed 82-year-old Mary J. Preciado. - Minneapolis slides, St. Paul rises in urban park rankings: Minneapolis, a perennial contender for the nation's best urban park system, [lost its crown to Washington D.C. and fell to no. 3]( in the Trust for Public Land's2021 ParkScore Index. St. Paul, which ranked third last year, rose to second. WATCH THIS Lady Gaga joins Lisa Kudrow for performance of "Smelly Cat": [An unexpected moment from the "Friends" Reunion episode.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Minneapolis teachare makes it to finals in "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions: Sam Kavanaugh, a Minneapolis-based substitute teacher, [will compete in the finals of the annual Tournament of Champions]( on "Jeopardy!" The two-day contest airs 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday on KARE, Ch 11. - The 10 best things our critics are watching this week: From the "Friends" reunion to pop superstar Pink, [here's what we're tuning into.]( - Usher in grilling season with this easy and impressive meal: Grilling over the holiday weekend often involves burgers or hot dogs, and while those are solid options, [surviving another Minnesota winter calls for something special](. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Wolves' minority owner files lawsuit against Glen Taylor alleging breach of contract in sale: The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Minnesota by Meyer Orbach, [also said there was no stipulation in the proposed $1.5 billion sale]( of the franchises to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez that would keep the team in Minnesota. - Big-boy hockey gives Wild momentum going into Game 7: If you ever want to see what a team that doesn't want its season to end looks like, [just watch a replay of the Wild's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights](, writes Chip Scoggins. You think Minnesota sports fans have a fatal sense of impending doom? Vegas fans can [match them when it comes to that kind of gloom.]( - Depth, recruiting fuel Gophers football optimism: P.J. Fleck's team won 11 games in 2019 but had momentum derailed by the pandemic. [Now the Gophers are trying to pick up where they left off.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The dark side of home renovation shows: "These shows are often described as harmless fluff, soothing and diverting entertainment free of all the prickly politics of the world outside. But, as happens with all growing phenomena eventually, home-design programming has taken on an actual weight, moving through the world with real consequence," [writes Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES May 27, 2017: Seventy-five years after Glaydon I.C. Iverson was killed aboard the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, his remains were identified and returned home to Emmons, Minn. A funeral ceremony was held before Iverson was laid to rest alongside his family. (Photo: Aaron Lavinsky/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. 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