Good morning, The weather this week has been relatively mild and quiet, and today's no exception. It'll cloudy today with highs near 30 across Minnesota. There may be areas of freezing fog in parts of the state Thursday morning. Get the latest on the Updraft blog. We just witnessed one of the darkest days in America's history. One person was shot and killed by Capitol Police; three people died in medical emergencies; guns were fired; tear gas filled the Rotunda, all as pro-Trump insurrectionists breached the U.S. Capitol as Congress convened to confirm Joe Biden's win in the president election. Two weeks away from being inaugurated, Biden said American democracy was “under unprecedented assault,” a sentiment echoed by many in Congress, including some Republicans. The mayhem at the Capitol was followed by protests, some violent and some peaceful, across the nation, including Minnesota. Hundreds of Trump supporters rallied in front of the governor's residence and the state Capitol in St. Paul Wednesday, but the protest remained mostly peaceful. The president "should for once in his life stand up and be the leader this democracy deserves,” Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum denounces the Capitol attack and urged Trump to take action, which he didn't deliver. McCollum was joined by fellow Democratic lawmakers from Minnesota in Congress, including Rep. Dean Phillips, who was heard yelling at Republicans as the House went into recession amid the violence, "This is because of you!" Later, Phillips said on MPR News that on the House floor, he "expressed what I think so many in our country are feeling." After the mob was cleared out the U.S. Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' victory early on Thursday. It marked the end of a long day and night marked by chaos and violence in Washington, in which extremists emboldened by Trump sought to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of modern American history by staging a violent insurrection inside the U.S. Capitol.
"To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win," Vice President Mike Pence said, once lawmakers reconvened after many spent hours in lockdown. "Violence never wins. Freedom wins, and this is still the people's house."
Biden and Harris finished with 306 electoral votes, while Trump and Pence had 232. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Read what members of Minnesota's congressional delegation have said about the insurrection at the Capitol. Congress reconvened hours after the riot, voted to reject objections to Biden's victory in Arizona. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to reject the Arizona objection, while opposition to certifying Biden's win remained high in the House. Among the 121 representatives voted in favor of the objection were Minnesota U.S. Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Jim Hagedorn, both Republicans. On Pennsylvania's election results in Pennsylvania, the Senate quickly voted to dismiss the objection; The house was debating it as of early Thursday morning. -- NEEDS AN UPDATE. Restaurants and bars may resume serving patrons indoors starting Monday. Gov. Tim Walz's new order, announced yesterday, allows establishments to operate at 50 percent capacity, with no more than six people to a table or parties of two at the bar. Movie theaters, museums and other entertainment venues can also reopen after being closed since mid-November. Here's what you need to know about Minnesota's new COVID-19 rules. Minnesota is still experiencing a high rate of COVID-19 infection, while Walz says it is less serious than around Thanksgiving. Minnesota’s health officials reported 67 new deaths and 2,346 new cases Wednesday. Wednesday's data showed a nearly 10 percent positivity rate for new tests; officials say that a drop in test demand may be a factor in the numbers going forward.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics:5,461 deaths (18 newly reported)425,261 positive cases (1,612 newly reported), 406,667 off isolation (96 percent)5.7 million tests, 3 million people tested (about 61 percent of the population)5.9 percent seven-day positive test rate (officials find 5 percent concerning)How are you processing the violence in D.C. that unfolded yesterday? As many of us watched the breaking news unfold , we want to know: How are you talking to your family and friends about what you’re seeing? Join host Angela Davis at 11 a.m. for a conversation on processing the events that unfolded Wednesday. Call 651-227-6000 during the live show or tweet @AngelaDavisMPR. 🎧 Tune in to stay informed and connected. Here's what's coming up on MPR News today. — Jiwon Choi, MPR News | 