In the Know: April 13, 2020

Days to the November Election:  204

Agriculture
World’s biggest pork processor closing South Dakota plant where 238 employees have coronavirus, The Week
Minnesota farmers to feel fallout from closure of major pork processing plant, MPR
Dumped Milk, Smashed Eggs, Plowed Vegetables: Food Waste of the Pandemic, New York Times
750 organizations call on USDA to provide direct aid to farmers, AgDaily

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Attorney General Ellison sues second landlord accused of trying to cut off tenant’s water, Pioneer Press

Donald Trump
Trump Makes First Public Rebuke of Fauci With #FireFauci Retweet, Daily Beast
Trump’s tariffs on China could cost the US in its fight against the coronavirus, CNBC
Trump Just Told Governors to Get Their Acts Together on COVID-19. Pot, Meet Kettle., Mother Jones
What Dr. Fauci has coming, Axios
White House advisor to 60 Minutes: Show me your pandemic story, CBS News
Trump Spends Easter Asking Confidants: ‘What Do You Think of Fauci?’, Daily Beast

Economy
IRS says first wave of coronavirus stimulus payments have been deposited, CBS News
Researcher says if U.S. reopens May 1, there would ‘very clearly’ be a coronavirus rebound, The Week
White House still has no road map for restarting the economy, Politico
Fed’s Neel Kashkari says coronavirus economic recovery ‘could be a long, hard road’, CNBC
Trump says he’ll reopen the economy “based on a lot of facts and a lot of instincts”, Vox

Education
How Colleges Are Grading Students During Coronavirus, NPR
More Than 400 Failing Colleges Will Get $315 Million In COVID-19 Relief, Forbes

Environment
Duluth moves to protect riverfront land with new natural area, Duluth News Tribune
How To Compost At Home, NPR
EPA sidesteps public comment, allows cancer-linked pesticide, Associated Press
Oil Nations, Prodded by Trump, Reach Deal to Slash Production, New York Times

Governor Tim Walz
Gov. Tim Walz and the coronavirus: The former football coach and Master Sergeant faces his biggest battle, Pioneer Press
Coronavirus In Minnesota: Restaurants, Lawmakers Pressing Gov. Walz To Allow Alcohol-To-Go, WCCO
Top Minnesota GOP lawmaker opposes Gov. Tim Walz’s extended stay-at-home order on coronavirus Walz said decision to stay the course until May 4 is based on data and expert advice. Star Tribune

Health
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Cases spike over the weekend, MPR
U.S. Reports Highest Daily Death Toll Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, NPR
COVID-19 Patients Given Unproven Drug In Texas Nursing Home In ‘Disconcerting’ Move, NPR
U.S. Has Most Coronavirus Deaths In The World, NPR

Immigration
An immigrant community faces a ‘catastrophic’ pandemic without help, Washington Post
Immigrant detention numbers decline as COVID-19 spikes and controversial border policies take hold, ABC News

Labor
John Oliver Appalled by Amazon and Jeff Bezos’ ‘Racist’ Smears Against Black Worker, Daily Beast
Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia faces blowback as he curtails scope of worker relief in unemployment crisis, Washington Post
New York revamps overwhelmed unemployment system, ABC
Coronavirus Finds Fuel in a World of Migrants, New York Times
Elizabeth Warren urges Congress to enact more protections for ‘essential’ workers, Washington Post

Minnesota News
Spotty internet access is leaving many rural Minnesotans behind, Star Tribune
Social distancing creates unique challenges for Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ recovery community,MinnPost
‘Stressed to the max’: State relief coming for Minnesota military veterans hard hit by virus, Star Tribune
Local government goes virtual during pandemic, MPR
Production cut at Rosemount refinery; $1 gasoline prices in some places, Star Tribune

Representative Ilhan Omar (CD5)
Coronavirus relief for workers, Post Office boosted by Rep. Omar, MSNBC

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar, Grassley urge DOJ to prevent price gouging, Brainerd Dispatch

Representative Angie Craig (CD2)
Craig to hold virtual town hall, Hometown Source
Craig proposes new block grant program to help small towns, Fairbault Times
Skipped by federal stimulus payments: dependents over the age of 16, MinnPost

Secretary of State Steve Simon
COVID-19 pandemic replaces foreign hacking as top Minnesota election fear, Star Tribune

Senator Tina Smith
Klobuchar, Smith Announce $306 Million For Public Transit Infrastructure Funding In Minnesota, WCCO

Supreme Court of the US
Will the Supreme Court let conservatives use the pandemic to trample abortion rights?Washington Post
The 115-year-old Supreme Court opinion that could determine rights during a pandemic, CNN

U.S. News
Spikes in demand from coronavirus patients are creating shortages of asthma drugs and sedatives for ventilator patients, Washington Post
States still baffled over how to get coronavirus supplies from Trump, Politico
How a Premier U.S. Drug Company Became a Virus ‘Super Spreader’, NY Times
Study: Nearly a third of Americans believe a conspiracy theory about the origins of the coronavirus, Vox
Coronavirus: Fauci says US ‘could have saved lives’ with earlier action, BBC

World News
U.S. GOT MORE CONFIRMED “INDEX CASES” OF CORONAVIRUS FROM EUROPE THAN FROM CHINA, The Intercept
Bolsonaro dragging Brazil towards coronavirus calamity, experts fear, The Guardian
As virus deaths rise, Sweden sticks to ‘low-scale’ lockdown, Associated Press
Beijing faces a diplomatic crisis after reports of mistreatment of Africans in China causes outrage, CNN
Health or wealth? Nations pressured to loosen virus rules, Associated Press

Upcoming DFL Events

With the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, we suggest you check with the hosting organization to see if meetings, etc. are being held.

All DFL conventions will now be held virtually. If you were elected as a Delegate or Alternate at Caucuses, you will be hearing from your district with specifics.  If you don’t, please check with the hosting organization.

• Today through May 4 — Minnesota Stay at Home Order
• Today through 13 —  Passover
• April 13
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact the Chair for more information
• April 15 — Tax Day
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meting, contact the Chair for more information
• April 17, 5:00 PM — Deadline for DFL local units to provide a roster to delegates/alternates and ballot content
• April 18
• April 20, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for more information on how the meeting will be held
• April 22 — Earth Day
• April 23 through May 23 — Ramadan
• April 23 — Deadline for DFL local units to certify their ballot in writing to DFL Staff
• April 24 — Arbor Day
• April 25 – May 4 — DFL Virtual Convention Balloting Window
• May 5 — Cinco de Mayo
  • 7:00  to 8:30 PM — SD40 DFL Central Committee Meeting, location to be determined
• May 6
  • 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Kennedy High School, Room C102, 9701 Nicollet Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD33 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Ridgedale Library, Room 172, 12601 Ridgedale Dr, Minnetonka, MN 55305
• May 7, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 DFL Central Committee Meeting, St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd, St. Louis Park, MN 55416
• May 9, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM — CD3 DFL Convention, Park Center High School, Performing  Arts Center, 7300 Brooklyn Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55344.
• May 10 — Mother’s Day
• May 11 — deadline for certification of DFL local unit balloting results
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Council Chamber, Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Central Committee Meeting, 7001 Cahill Rd, Suite 21, Edina, MN
• May  14
  • 7:00  to 9:00 PM —  SD36 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Riverwind Community Center, 2701 Northdale Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433.
  • 7:oo to 9:00  PM — SD48 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Glen Lake Community Center, 14350 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345
• May 30 -30 — State DFL Convention, Rochester, MN, more information as it becomes available.