Derek Chauvin's trial starts Monday. Here's what you need to know.

Welcome to the weekend! Here are Friday's top news stories for you:

Unseasonably balmy March goes on: 50s and 60s possible this weekend. It'll be sunny with daytime highs in the upper 30s to upper 40s Friday; Saturday and Sunday will remain mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Weekend highs will be in the 40s and 50s, with a shot at lower 60s for southern Minnesota on Sunday. Get the latest on Updraft.

The murder and manslaughter trial Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's death is set to start Monday.

Buildings in downtown Minneapolis have been barricaded with concrete and razor wire; Journalists from around the world have started to descend on the Twin Cities; And potential jurors will be soon be brought into a socially distanced courtroom to decide the fate of the first officer to be tried in Floyd's killing.

The Chauvin trial, taking place in the midst of the pandemic, will be recorded and livestreamed. From where you can watch the trial and how authorities are preparing for potential civil unrest, reporter Jon Collins explains what you need to know about the trial. Read more here.

Minnesota researchers' effort to learn whether surveying sewage could help detect the prevalence of COVID-19 appears promising.

Two Minnesota researchers have collected samples of wastewater from 19 cities across the state, and preliminary data of their study show that they were able to detect evidence of SARS CoV-2 in the wastewater of a place four to 20 days before people started testing positive at local clinics, depending on the region. The researchers say their study can help health officials better prepare for outbreaks of COVID-19 or other future diseases.

At the current pace, Minnesota could move on to the next vaccination pool earlier than expected.

As Minnesota’s vaccination pace is finally accelerating, the state could hit its goal to give at least one COVID-19 shot to 70 percent of the 65 and older population by mid-March. Another bright news: the count of Minnesotans who completed their vaccination topped the total count of known COVID-19 cases in the pandemic in Thursday's data.

Here are Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 statistics:

How can the J&J COVID vaccine be effective with only one shot? Can it also offer protection against variants? Here are answers to your questions.

Clinical research found it to be 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease four weeks after vaccination, and it has demonstrated promising indications of protection against a couple of concerning variants of the coronavirus. In terms of side effects, just as with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the most common ones with the J&J vaccine are pain and redness at the site of injection, chills, headaches, nausea, body aches, fatigue and fever for a day or two. Read more FAQs about the single-shot vaccine here.

Democrats hope for the Senate approval of their $1.9 trillion COVID aid package before next week.

The Senate voted by the slimmest of margins Thursday to begin debating a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. It’s widely expected the Senate will approve the bill and the House will whisk it to President Joe Biden for his signature by mid-March, handing him a crucial early legislative victory.

Join the conversation at 11 a.m.: Has spring break given you decision fatigue? Spring break is coming up and people are deciding whether to travel or stay home as advised by health experts. This morning, host Angela Davis talks to a behavioral scientist and a mom blogger about why making plans in a pandemic is making your brain tired and hears your stories during the live show. Call 651-227-6000 during the 11 a.m. hour or tweet @AngelaDavisMPR to join the conversation.

— Jiwon Choi, MPR News | Find me on Twitter @ChoiGEE1