Stories from April 3, 2021

Mummified parrots reveal 'sophisticated' ancient trade in South American desert
Scientists found remains of parrots in the Atacama Desert, far from the birds' home in the Amazon. The discovery allowed scientists to reconstruct ancient trading routes used to transport the birds.
Beautiful, sunny Saturday; very warm Easter Sunday
Lovely blue skies and warm temperatures blessed us on Saturday. A very warm Easter Sunday is on its way with just some decorative clouds. Periods of April showers and maybe thunderstorms are likely next week.
Georgia governor vows a fight after MLB yanks All-Star Game
News of Major League Baseball’s decision to pull this summer’s All-Star Game from Georgia over its sweeping new voting law reverberated among fans Saturday, while Gov. Brian Kemp vowed to defend the measure.
A lovely Easter weekend has arrived
Easter weekend will bring out the smiles with balmy temperatures and not much wind. Sunshine will be abundant for Saturday and then a bit of increasing clouds on Sunday. Next week looks to be fairly wet, likely with thunderstorms, and cooler.
Passenger rail backers hope Biden’s infrastructure plan could return train service to Duluth 
Backers of a long-proposed passenger rail service between Duluth and Minneapolis are giddy over the infrastructure plan President Joe Biden unveiled earlier this week. Biden is calling for an $80 billion investment in rail — including, potentially, more than $500 million in funding for the proposed Northern Lights Express project.
Balmy Easter weekend coming
Easter weekend promises to be much warmer than normal with abundant sunshine and not so much wind. Next week looks to be fairly wet with cooling temperatures.
SW Minn. wind-solar hybrid project brings renewable hope, cultural concerns
A possible hurdle, as the project aims for regulatory approval, is its proximity to the Jeffers Petroglyphs historical and cultural site in Comfrey — home to an estimated 5,000 sacred rock carvings, made over the span of 7,000 years on an outcropping of Sioux quartzite. Today, it remains an active ceremonial site for Native American prayers and ceremony.
April 3 update on COVID-19 in MN: Record number of vaccinations; case counts climbing
Minnesota reported a single-day record of 85,573 COVID-19 vaccinations in Saturday’s update. Officials, though, remain increasingly anxious as new cases and hospitalizations also climb.
In response to anti-Asian hate incidents, groups step up trainings for bystanders
A surge in anti-Asian harassment over the past year has shed light on the role of the bystander. Two groups have teamed up to offer training on tactics you can deploy if you witness harassment or an assault.
Emotion overflowed in the first week of testimony as the court saw video that showed what happened before, during and after George Floyd's death. Bystanders testified that they wanted to do more to save the Minneapolis man. And Derek Chauvin's former Minneapolis police superior said kneeling on a handcuffed, prone person does not fall within training.
Week 4 of Chauvin trial: A special edition of Minnesota Today
Wrenching testimony from bystanders interspersed with video of George Floyd’s last moments dominated the first week of testimony in the trial of Derek Chauvin. The former Minneapolis police officer’s superiors also testified that the force used seemed beyond what was necessary. This is a special edition of Minnesota Today for April 3, 2021. Hosted by Nina Moini. Music by Gary Meister.
‘The Year of the Plague’: The pandemic, through a storyteller’s eyes
Ojibwe storyteller Anne Dunn has been totally alone in a little house on the Leech Lake Reservation for more than a year, wondering — as storytellers do — how to weave the pandemic into a coherent narrative.
Former residents of troubled youth facility receive settlement money
The families of 17 kids settled their lawsuit against the owner of Mesabi Academy for $1.495 million, even as more treatment centers closed, forcing youth with mental health needs to wait months for care.