Stories from March 6, 2021

April in March; temps ramp up on Sunday
The 2021 snowmelt accelerates on Sunday. We have details on the warmer temps that are on tap for Sunday, plus a look at the week ahead and our next chance of rain or snow.
Europe staggers as infectious variants power coronavirus surge
Fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus are powering another uptick in infections in Europe. The surge underscores just how treacherous the virus is, and is leading to new restrictions across the continent.
For the first time in 56 years, a 'Bloody Sunday' without John Lewis
Sunday's anniversary of the day marchers were beaten by police in Selma, Ala., will honor the late civil rights icon. Some 56 years later, former state Sen. Hank Sanders says Lewis’ work isn't done.
StoryCorps: She found 'layers to forgiveness,' in befriending the man who killed her brother
Tony Hicks was 14 years old when he killed Tariq Khamisa during a robbery. At StoryCorps, Tariq's sister Tasreen tells Tony that meeting him 20 years later "made a lot of room in my heart for light to come in."
'This is the reality of Black girls': Inauguration poet says she was tailed by guard
Amanda Gorman, who became a sensation after her poem at Joe Biden's inauguration, says a security guard outside her building told her she looked "suspicious." After the encounter she wrote: “This is the reality of Black girls: One day you're called an icon, the next day, a threat.”
Pandemic inspires more than 1,200 new German words
Germans have a knack for stringing lots of words together to create new words. From Mundschutzmode to Coronamutationsgebiet, the pandemic has spawned a plethora of them.
Mild Saturday, warmer on Sunday; any snow in sight?
Temps continue to trend upward this weekend. Even warmer highs are on tap for Monday and Tuesday. We have details on all that, plus a look at our next chance of rain or snow.
Our Saturday will feel more like April than early March. Enjoy!
Senate passes $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package
An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums.
March 6 update on COVID-19 in MN: A year after 1st case, hope percolates
One year ago today, Minnesota confirmed its first COVID-19 case. After nearly 500,000 known cases and more than 6,500 deaths, Gov. Tim Walz says the state may be able to “break the back” of the pandemic in the next four weeks.
Reclaiming family and memory in 'Sparks Like Stars'
Nadia Hashimi's new novel follows an Afghan woman who escaped the murder of her family during a coup. Her comfortable life in New York City is turned upside down when a figure from the past reappears.
Timeline: COVID-19 in Minnesota
More than 807,950 cases — including reinfections — and over 8,700 deaths have been reported in Minnesota since COVID-19 was confirmed in the state. Here are key dates in the state's fight against the coronavirus.
How warm is too warm for you in March? You might find the answer to that question in just a few days. We have your forecast details for this weekend and the coming week, plus a look at the driest spots in Minnesota.