Good morning, and welcome to Monday, with a week to go until the legislative session begins
The federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd's constitutional rights is set to begin today in St. Paul.MPR's Jon Collins reports former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng are charged by federal prosecutors with failing to provide medical care to George Floyd as their former colleague Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Floyd died at the scene.Thao and Kueng are additionally charged for failing to intervene with Chauvin's treatment of Floyd. A jury of 18, including six alternates, was seated in just one day of jury selection on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson is expecting to swear them in this morning.
And some context from the New York Times:The case is an extraordinarily rare example of federal civil rights charges being filed against rank-and-file officers for not stopping the actions of a superior officer. Several experts say its outcome could have a greater impact on policing than even Mr. Chauvin's convictions. That is because the case is about a far more common aspect of police culture than Mr. Chauvin's brutality: officers who do not intervene in the conduct of fellow officers.
Democrats could face a tough election year, and Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District race might be a bellwether.The Star Tribune reports: "The Second Congressional District is a district that literally resembles that of the nation," said Tyler Kistner. The Republican, who narrowly lost to Democrat Angie Craig in 2020 and is seeking to unseat her again, added that "you're hearing people frustrated. Mostly frustrated about inflation and the economy, as well as crime and safety and security amongst the streets." Craig acknowledged to the paper that it will be a tough race, as the party that holds the White House usually faces an uphill battle. She also said Democrats need to move on from the fight over the Build Back Better bill that is stuck in the Senate. People grew "really sick and tired of seeing Democrats fight among themselves," she said. "Where is the package of bills that will help us address our supply-chain issues?" Craig said. "I promised my constituents that I'd speak out when I didn't agree with my own party. And right now, I don't think we're as focused on ending the COVID-19 pandemic and the issues associated with it as we should be." She also criticized the Biden administration's COVID response, saying it "was caught flat-footed on being prepared for the next variant. I don't want to see that happen again."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Gov. Mark Dayton are working with some nonprofits to help Afghan refugees coming to Minnesota.FOX 9 reports: Alight, a global humanitarian organization, has been leading the welcoming of Afghan families since the Taliban takeover. In partnership with a veteran-led disaster response organization called Team Rubicon, Alight has been providing ready-to-live-in homes and the items for families to make it feel like a home. The organizations are encouraging people to help by providing financial support, volunteering or donating items of need. They are looking to establish and furnish 250 homes across the Twin Cities in the coming weeks.
Thousands of people marched in Washington D.C. and in St. Paul over the weekend to mark the 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. NPR reports this year, there's a growing sentiment among the protesters that it could be the last march before Roe v.Wade is overturned. "We are hoping and praying that this year, 2022, will bring us historic change for life," March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said. "Roe is not settled law," she said to cheers from the crowd. A large group also gathered at the Minnesota Capitol on Saturday. I stand with all of you in defense of life," 7th District U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told them. "The pro-life movement includes moms and dads, nurses and doctors, students and teachers, and people from all walks of life. We are all here to be a voice for the voiceless." Polling consistently shows that a majority of Americans support the right to an abortion. A recent poll from CNN, conducted from Jan. 13-18, says that 69 percent of Americans do not want to see Roe v. Wade completely overturned. And if Roe were overturned by the Supreme Court, 59 percent would like to see abortion protections passed on a state level.
Minnesota and some other states have yet to settle on plans, but so far Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief over redistricting.The Associated Press reports: For Democrats, the worst case scenario of losing well over a dozen seats in the U.S. House appears unlikely to happen. After some aggressive map drawing of their own in states with Democratic legislatures, some Democrats predict the typical congressional district will shift from leaning to the right of the national vote to matching it, ending a distortion that gave the GOP a built-in advantage over the past five House elections. | 
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