Judge hears arguments over Minneapolis policing proposal language

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Judge hears arguments over Minneapolis policing proposal language: [Lawyers made impassioned but conflicting pleas Monday morning]( in a case that is raising concerns about whether a ballot measure determining the future of the Minneapolis Police Department could be kicked off the November ballot. The arguments, made during an hourlong virtual hearing before Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson, came four days before early voting is set to begin in what many expect will be a historic election. Ballots are already being printed. Early voting is set to begin Friday. Anderson was just 35 when Gov. Tim Pawlenty, for whom her husband was a top trusted aide, appointed her to the bench in 2010. Now [Anderson is handling one of the most significant cases in the state](, with implications for public safety not just in Minnesota but across the United States — the highest-profile case of her judicial career. - Minneapolis on pace for its most violent year in a generation: After decades of declining violent crime, Minneapolis recorded 84 murders last year, up from about 48 in 2019, and a toll not seen since a dark chapter known as the "Murderapolis" years. [The 67 murders so far in 2021 are on pace to surpass that.]( Four of those killings took place this week in a span of 29 hours, among them one with a 12-year-old victim. At least five kids 10 years old or younger have been caught in the crossfire this year, leading to news reports featuring images of picture-day smiles over descriptions of children on life support or inside tiny coffins. The murder count represents only a small fraction of gun crimes. "Black children in Minnesota continue to lose their lives to gun violence. That's not a Black community problem. It's a Minnesota problem," [writes Myron Medcalf.]( - Calls for playground safety in Edina after young girl dies in park: Disability advocates [believe the 2-year-old's death was a tragic case of elopement]( at an inclusive but unfenced playground not far from bodies of water. - Minnesota pandemic tax refunds start arriving Monday: Tax refunds are starting to go out Monday for [Minnesotans who collected unemployment insurance or businesses that received federal loans]( during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 540,000 Minnesotans are eligible for a refund through the tax cuts, which were passed by lawmakers in the state's budget agreement. - Workers left in lurch after Twin Cities produce firm folds under new owner: H. Brooks and Co., the 116-year-old fruit and vegetable distributor in New Brighton, fired its workers and ceased operations earlier this summer, just weeks after its sister company — St. Paul-based J&J Distributing — went belly up. Now [former H. Brooks employees say their employer stole money from them](, including wages, health care premiums and contributions to their retirement accounts. - Metro Transit issues no tickets, but plenty of warnings to riders not wearing masks: Transit police conducted more than 11,500 fare compliance checks on buses and light-rail trains during August. In conjunction with the fare checks, [officers issued 437 warnings to passengers who failed to comply with the mask mandate]( and distributed 368 face coverings. No citations have been issued yet this year, Metro Transit spokeswoman Laura Baenen said. - One driver killed, another jailed in 3-vehicle crash in Maple Grove: [A three-vehicle crash over the weekend]( in Maple Grove left one person dead, another critically injured and one of the drivers in jail, authorities said. - Woman charged with fatally stabbing her boyfriend in the back as she chased him on St. Paul street: Witnesses told police [they saw the woman chasing after the man]( in the middle of traffic and nearly being run over. - Former St. Cloud-area supper club, strip joint a total loss after fire: A vacant building along U.S. Hwy. 10 that formerly housed a supper club and strip joint [burned down Sunday in what officials are calling a suspicious fire.]( WATCH THIS Video of cat rescued after fall from stadium balcony is the most tense thing you'll watch today: This easily could have ended in tragedy, but fortunately [the feline was saved by heroic, terrified onlookers.]( (Warning: you may want to turn the volume down, as it is loud.) Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Why "Shang-Chi" matters to my Asian American boys: With the new Marvel movie, there is hope that we are turning a corner in how Asian American men are seen in film and beyond, [writes Laura Yuen.]( - One of the Twin Cities' most exciting chef duos began with a friendship: In the kitchen of a seafood restaurant in Portland, [two early-career chefs converged at the right time](, leading, a decade later, to the formation of one of the Twin Cities' most exciting food partnerships. - Artful $1.125M Minneapolis home offers breathtaking downtown views: This Lowry Hill home built by Garth Rockcastle in the mid-1990s [features design elements by notable artists.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - Vikings' third-and-long situations marked historic failure in loss to Bengals: Pro Football Reference started compiling play-by-play data more than a quarter-century ago. The Vikings had [never faced as many dismal third-down situations as they did Sunday.]( - After blowout loss, Packers do even more sould-searching than Vikings: The Vikings' penalty-fueled 27-24 overtime loss at Cincinnati was frustrating, but [it wasn't even close to the level of what the Packers achieved against New Orleans.]( - Twins face rookie pitcher they traded to Yankees as a teenager: After he was called up this season, Luis Gil became the first starter in MLB history to begin with three scoreless starts. [He didn't give up a run in his first 15.2 innings.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK A roadrunner stopped at the border wall in the Arizona desert. A photographer snapped an award-winning image. "Alejandro Prieto has spent nearly 16 months camped out near the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, where he has documented the barricade's effect on bobcats, jaguars, sheep and other animals. He was driving on the U.S. side of the border wall near Naco, Ariz., about two years ago when a roadrunner darted out of the vegetation. Prieto, a wildlife photographer from Guadalajara, Mexico, grabbed his camera as the speedy bird stopped in the middle of a gravel road. ... One of those photos — which he named 'Blocked.' — received the top prize this month in the annual Bird Photographer of the Year awards, a global competition celebrating avian beauty," [the Washington Post's Gina Harkins reports.]( TRIVIA WINNER Congratulations to Alan Ducommun! Alan was randomly selected from among the many readers who correctly answered that Virginia is the U.S. state whose capital city, Richmond, saw the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee last week. He wins a $15 gift card. Be sure to read Talkers on Friday for another trivia question! FROM THE ARCHIVES Sept. 13, 2016: A sand tiger shark was on display in an aquarium at Sea Life in the Mall of America in Bloomington. 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