April 1, 2021
Tonight will be mostly clear, with lows in the upper 20s to mid-30s. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s, except in the 40s near Lake Superior. Find the latest on Updraft. First responders testified today that they thought George Floyd was already dead when they reached him last Memorial Day. Hennepin County paramedic Derek Smith says he believes police officers should've done chest compression on Floyd. Under cross examination, defense attorney Eric Nelson asked Smith if the officers were qualified. Smith's partner also testified that he found Floyd unresponsive. Floyd's cause of death is a contested issue at trial. The prosecution is trying to prove Chauvin's actions are what killed Floyd. The defense is arguing Floyd's underlying medical conditions and drug use played a role. Minnesota's newly confirmed daily COVID-19 cases topped 2,000 today -- the first time since mid-January. The percent of positive cases rose above 5 percent for four straight days for the first time since Dec. 17. State Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann estimates that as many as 50 to 60 percent of the new cases are due to the U.K. variant. She says that puts Minnesota in a precarious position. "We aren't out of the woods. Not all of our vulnerable populations have been fully vaccinated," Ehresmann said, "so it's important that we're balancing the joy of the success the joy of spring with the fact that we still have variants circulating. It's kind of a razor's edge right now in terms of where we're at. She says that people need to keep up with safety protocols including mask wearing and social distancing. The state also reported 12 deaths today for the second day in a row. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get the up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson | MPR News | 