Feb. 22, 2021
Look for decreasing clouds Monday night, with isolated rain or snow showers north and east in the evening. Lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy. Snow up north, mainly in the afternoon. There’s a chance of rain and snow in central Minnesota, with up to three inches in places. Highs will be in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Find the latest from Updraft. Gov. Tim Walz says he wants the Legislature to pass a package of public construction projects again this year. Walz announced his latest bonding bill proposal Monday at the University of Minnesota. The DFL governor said his plan represents a $518 million investment in infrastructure projects across the state. The ask comes just months after a previous $1.9 billion bonding bill, a state record. Walz said he's telling lawmakers it's a good time to borrow and invest.
Republicans say they won’t support a bill that big.
Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.3 billion dollar federal lawsuit against Minnesota entrepreneur Mike Lindell — as well as his bedding products company, My Pillow.
Dominion said in its suit it is seeking to clear its reputation in the wake of repeated accusations it was part of a secret campaign to steal votes from Donald Trump in November. The complaint also alleges that MyPillow ran ads targeted at people who believed the conspiracy theories about the election outcome in order to profit.
In an interview with MPR News, Lindell denied profiting from his campaign, noting that multiple retailers have dropped his products and that threats against him and his family have forced him to leave Minnesota.
In COVID-19 news, deaths due to coronavirus fell to their lowest point in four months in data from the Minnesota Department of Health. There were 235 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals as of Sunday. Forty-eight needed intensive care, dropping below 50 for the first time since early April. Known, active cases slipped back below 7,000. The overall trend remains solid, hovering around late September levels. One newly reported death raised Minnesota’s toll to 6,433. Among those who’ve died, about 63 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems. Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination effort is struggling again for traction following a mild upswing. Officials, though, are anticipating a busy week as some 45,000 weather-delayed shots make their way into the state atop the expected 100,000 doses from the feds.
You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News | 