Good morning and welcome to the middle of the week. Here's your Digest.
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Gov. Tim Walz is eyeing a "refined" stay-at-home order to continue. What that means, we don't know for sure. But details could come Wednesday. For now, the governor has said it will “continue to do a lot of the things we’re doing, but I think our plan will be much more refined. I think that’s what a lot of Minnesotans are asking for.”
The Legislature has passed a new workers' comp bill, without resolving its cost. Tim Pugmire reports: "Under the change, coronavirus exposure would be presumed to have occurred on the job, and workers would no longer need to prove the circumstances in order to make a claim. They would, however, need to provide a positive test result or a doctor’s note. 'These are the people that take care of us, and we need to take care of them,' said Sen. Jeff Howe, R-Rockville."
President Trump has issued a disaster declaration for Minnesota. The AP reports: "Walz wants to use the money for crisis counseling, supplemental nutrition programs, medical assistance, funeral aid and other needs."
The president is still defending his handling of the coronavirus. That's despite reporting showing the Pentagon knew of the risk back in 2017. NPR writes : "President Trump acknowledged that he only learned recently about a warning earlier this year from a top adviser about the risks of the coronavirus — but he defended his actions on Tuesday at a news conference. 'I couldn't have done it any better,' Trump said about his and the administration's handling of the pandemic."
What have you learned from the pandemic? The coronavirus continues altering our lives. What would you do the same or differently in your home, community or work next time a pandemic like this hits? Tell us here.
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