Chao Xiong and Paul Walsh write for the Star Tribune: “The attorney for fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin asked a judge Monday to postpone and move his murder trial to another city, saying Friday’s highly publicized $27 million settlement between the city of Minneapolis and George Floyd’s family unfairly taints prospective jurors and violates his client’s constitutional right to a fair trial. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill did not immediately rule on the motions …. The City Council signed off on the settlement as proceedings moved along Friday and announced it at a widely publicized and livestreamed news conference alongside Floyd’s family members and legal team.”
In the Pioneer Press, Nick Woltman writes: “Police in Coon Rapids on Monday afternoon shot an armed 26-year-old man who was described by a 911 caller as suicidal, officials say. After being initially treated at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, the man was transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, according to a news release issued by the Coon Rapids Police Department. Although his condition was described as stable in the news release, Coon Rapids Police Chief Brad Wise said during an evening news conference that he did not know whether the man was still alive. ‘Our sincere hope is that this man experiencing a mental health crisis recovers,’ Wise said. ‘Clearly he was in distress. Clearly it’s a really unfortunate situation. I want all citizens to know that our officers respect the sanctity of life. They were desperate to avoid this particular encounter.’”
ESPN reports: “Minnesota fired Richard Pitino on Monday after the men’s basketball coach compiled a 54-96 regular-season record over eight years in the Big Ten and had only three conference finishes higher than 10th place. The Golden Gophers went 14-15 this season, dropping 11 of their last 14 games. They were 0-10 on the road, one of only three major conference teams in the country without a road win. Athletic director Mark Coyle was scheduled to address reporters on Tuesday morning. He called Pitino ‘a tremendous person and coach’ in a statement distributed by the university.”
Also in the Star Tribune, Ryan Faircloth reports: “The number of women serving on the University of Minnesota’s 12-member governing board increased from three to five after state lawmakers elected new regents on Monday. The House and Senate elected Ruth Johnson, James Farnsworth, Kodi Verhalen and Doug Huebsch during a joint meeting. The four new regents will serve six-year terms and be tasked with approving major policies such as tuition increases and an annual budget of about $4 billion. … The Legislature elects new members to the U’s Board of Regents every two years. The unpaid board is made up of one member from each of the state’s eight congressional districts and four selected at-large.”
The AP reports: “Wisconsin therapists, counselors and social workers could continue to attempt to change the sexual orientation of gay or transgender people under a bill Republican legislators are poised to take up Tuesday. The bill would block a proposed state Department of Safety and Professional Standards rule prohibiting so-called conversion therapy. … LGBTQ advocates maintain conversion therapy is confusing and harmful, especially to children who are struggling with their sexuality. A 1993 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation can provoke guilt and anxiety with little chance of success. At least 20 states have adopted laws or regulations banning such therapy on minors, according to Human Rights Campaign.”
A KSTP-TV story says, “The Minnesota State Patrol reports more than 200 crashes occurred during the day Monday. Between 8 a.m. at 9:30 p.m., a total of 264 crashes occurred, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Over 251 vehicles also spun out or went off the road. Thirteen jackknifed semis were also reported.”
Also from the PiPress’ Woltman: “Ramsey County prosecutors plan to retry a second-degree murder case against a Carver County man who shot and killed another motorist last May after the two were involved in a fender-bender in St. Paul. Anthony James Trifiletti, 25, fatally shot 39-year-old Douglas Cornelius Lewis on May 1, 2020. Trifiletti was charged with murder in Lewis’ death, but a hung jury forced a Ramsey County judge to declare a mistrial in the case earlier this month. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi’s office announced Monday that it intended to retry the case.”
Mark Zdechlik of MPR says, “The pandemic has inspired a surge of interest in outdoor recreation. Some in the industry predict lasting interest in being outside, long after the pandemic and its demand for social distancing have passed. ‘People definitely are looking to get out and about and spend time in their safe groups whether it’s individually or with their own family,’ said Brad Eller, the guest services supervisor for Washington County’s park system. Eller says even though the parks waived entrance fees for a couple of months, revenue from those fees last year was up dramatically. And as the cross-county ski season wraps up, he’s expecting another busy spring, summer and fall.”
In the New York Times, Coral Davenport writes: “Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico made history on Monday when the Senate confirmed her as President Biden’s secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency. Ms. Haaland in 2018 became one of the first two Native American women elected to the House. But her new position is particularly redolent of history because the department she now leads has spent much of its history abusing or neglecting America’s Indigenous people.”
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