Charges to be dismissed against trucker who drove into George Floyd protest on I-35W bridge

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Charges to be dismissed against trucker who drove into George Floyd protest on I-35W bridge: The Otsego truck driver who drove into a massive protest on the Interstate 35W bridge last summer in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder [will see the two criminal charges against him dropped]( if he remains law-abiding for the next year. - Body parts found in northeast Minneapolis prompt homicide investigation: Police are investigating as a homicide [the discovery of body parts Thursday near the Mississippi River]( in Minneapolis. A passerby called 911 to report the discovery shortly before 9:30 a.m. in the 300 block of NE. Main Street, not far from the river, said police spokesman John Elder. Later, police recovered more remains nearby at University Avenue and NE. 3rd Street. - As Minnesota rivers run lower, drought worries rise: Changing river vistas are yet another indicator of the [moderate to severe drought conditions that now covermore than 60% of the state](, the result of unusually early hot weather and a dearth of rain. - Low vaccine rates in some Minnesota counties raise COVID-19 variant concerns: Among the 10 counties with COVID-19 rates of 5 per 10,000 people or higher in the week ending June 5, none had vaccination rates that were above the state average — underscoring Gov. Tim Walz's concern that [some regions could be breeding grounds for more infectious variants]( of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. - Minneapolis City Council members say Mayor Frey bypassed them to award $359K security contract to Agape Movement: [A group of City Council members clashed Thursday with Mayor Jacob Frey]( for giving a community group $359,000 to prevent violence and help reopen George Floyd Square, the semi-autonomous zone at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. - Minneapolis DFL fails to endorse in mayor's race: The Minneapolis DFL failed to endorse any candidate for mayor, [leaving a wide open election this fall.](After six rounds of ranked-choice balloting, Sheila Nezhad finished first with 53% of delegate votes, but failed to secure the 60% needed for endorsement. Frey, the incumbent, had led the pack early, but finished second behind Nezhad with 40% of the votes in the final round of balloting. - GOP seeks new health care target after Obamacare survives: The Supreme Court's [latest rejection of a Republican effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act]( signals anew that the GOP must look beyond repealing the law if it wants to hone the nation's health care problems into a winning political issue. - Lawsuit alleges Twin Cities man was fired for refusing to be fingerprinted due to Christian faith: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has [filed a lawsuit against a Minnesota employer]( on behalf of a Twin Cities man who was fired for refusing the company's requirement to be fingerprinted, citing religious grounds. - U.S. Bank branches to close for Juneteenth, other Minnesota-based companies make it a work holiday: As part of diversity and inclusion efforts, many corporations [have either made the day a holiday or a volunteer day]( and also have scheduled educational programming around it. - Who dug the sandstone caves along St. Paul's riverfront?[The city's extensive underground spaces]( have been home to sand mines, mushroom farms and even nightclubs. WATCH THIS Take an exclusive tour of the newly renovated Dayton's on Nicollet Mall: It's been three years in the making, but we got an early look at how the former Macy's in downtown Minneapolis has [transformed into Dayton's Project office tower.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - 10 Father's Day specials from Twin Cities restaurants to help treat dad: There might not be fancy brunches and bouquets of flowers, but we shouldn't let Father's Day pass without a fuss. [Here are some local restaurants that are happy to help.]( - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From spicy raw tuna pizza to wild rice pancakes, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits from their dining diaries]( over the past seven days. - Looking to enjoy music outdoors? Check out these 8 amphitheaters. A new outdoor venue near St. Cloud and others around Minnesota and Wisconsin [are poised to be hot spots this summer.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - The curious case of Byron Buxton's lingering injury: The Twins brought him on a road trip to Seattle, but he never played. [Now it sounds like he's more likely to play in St. Paul than Texas.]( - Bears and Vikings will be forever linked by Darrisaw and Fields: Decisions during the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft [could define the Vikings and Bears for the next several years](, for better or worse. - How to outfit your camping trip on a budget: For some people, [the challenge of looking for bargains is part of the fun.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK One woman's decades-long fight to make Juneteenth a U.S. holiday: National Public Radio's Vanessa Romo reports that 94-year-old Opal Lee — known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" — [played a pivotal role in the movement to make June 19 a federal holiday]( commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. TALKERS TRIVIA Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to talkers@startribune.com by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: The city manager of which Twin Cities metro-area municipality resigned after a council member called for an investigation into the city's finances? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES June 18, 2014: After heavy rains pushed Minnehaha Creek over its banks, workers brought in extra pumps and sandbags to keep floodwaters away from Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. (Photo: Glen Stubbe/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.](