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¬ 2019 LOCAL NEWS PULITZER FINALIST THE CORONAVIRUS’ TOLL HAVE YOU HEARD? TOP NEWS MINNESOTA BUSINESS 72,848,608 cases worldwide 1,621,429 deaths worldwide 16,569,913 cases in the U.S. 301,006 deaths in the U.S. 384,164 cases in Minn. 4,483 deaths in Minn. Floating iceberg the size of Delaware: Scientists assess risks after it broke away from Antarctica ice shelf in 2017. A2 Biden fights for Georgia: He tells voters that control of Congress is crucial. A3 Buttigieg nominated: Ex- rival is pick for secretary of transportation. A3 Capitol fence: The state’s security teams want to keep barrier up for now. B1 ‘Wild ice’: Cold and sparse snow make unusually good frozen lakes Up North. B1 Retirement at Tennant: CEO Killingstad will hand over control in March. D1 Postal service is over- whelmed: Pandemic tests holiday mail deliveries. D3 Numbers as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday • Sources: Johns Hopkins University (worldwide), New York Times (U.S.), Minnesota Department of Health (Minnesota) STAR TRIBUNE Minneapolis, St. Paul MN Volume XXXIX • No. 256 Dec. 16, 2020 More of what matters to Minnesota. All day. Every day. ONLINE: startribune.com • TIPS: 612-673-4414 • COMMENTS: 612-673-4000 SUBSCRIPTIONS: Call 612-673-4343 or go to startribune.com/subscribe As immunizations begin, 2nd vaccine near approval By MATTHEW PERRONE, LAURAN NEERGAARD and DAVID PORTER Associated Press WASHINGTON – Hundreds more hospitals around the country began dispensing COVID-19 shots to their work- ers in a rapid expansion of the U.S. vaccination drive Tues- day, while a second vaccine moved to the cusp of govern- ment authorization. A day after the rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech’s corona- virus shots, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said its preliminary analy- sis confirmed the effective- ness and safety of the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. A panel of outside experts is expected to recommend the formula on Thursday, with the FDA’s green light coming soon thereafter. The Moderna vaccine uses the same technology as Pfizer- BioNTech’s and showed simi- larly strong protection against COVID-19 but is easier to han- dle because it does not need to be kept in the deep freeze Vaccinations poised to turn tide APRIL EILERS • Minneapolis VA Registered nurse Thera Witte was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday at the Minneapolis VA hospital. By JEREMY OLSON [email protected] Minnesota’s first COVID- 19 vaccinations at two federal hospitals are being celebrated as turning points against a pan- demic that has caused at least 384,000 infections and 4,483 deaths in the state. Leaders at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center gathered with Gov. Tim Walz on Tues- day morning to watch the vac- cination of nurse Thera Witte. She was the first of roughly 90 vaccinations at the hospital. “The battle against the virus continues to wage, but this is at least a starting point on the road back,” said Kurt Thielen, incident commander for the Minneapolis VA’s COVID-19 response. Thousands of doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Minnesota, with the Minneapolis VA and Cass Lake Indian Health Services (IHS) receiving shipments Monday. The northern Minnesota IHS hospital wasted little time, holding a tribal cere- mony Monday afternoon and vaccinating five tribal elders Hospital staff, tribal elders receive first shots in Minn. First round will go to businesses hurt most by state-mandated closures. By BRIANA BIERSCHBACH [email protected] Minnesota’s divided Leg- islature this week managed something that its national counterpart in Washington, D.C., has yet to do: strike a deal to send relief to businesses and workers hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now comes the hard part. As soon as Gov. Tim Walz signs the bill, state and local officials must identify and dole out hundreds of millions of dollars to thousands of busi- nesses across the state. They need to extend unemploy- ment insurance to more than 100,000 Minnesotans whose benefits are set to expire after the holidays. And they need to do it as quickly as possible. To accomplish that, officials are taking ideas from other states and the federal govern- ment to set up their own system to automatically send a quick burst of relief to businesses that qualify, followed by a sec- ond round of locally directed aid that aims to fill in the gaps. “The first round of checks prioritizes speed over perfec- tion,” said Ben Wogsland of Hospitality Minnesota, the restaurant and lodging trade group that worked with law- makers to craft the final deal. “We agreed with the legisla- tors that were helping design this that you can’t let the per- fect be the enemy of the good.” Under the relief package, up to $88 million will be dis- tributed by the state Depart- ment of Revenue, which will use tax records to identify bars, State to distribute pandemic aid fast “It shows what this board can do; it can bring justice and mercy.” Walz and Ellison voted to release Burrell Myon Burrell, with lawyer Perry Moriearty, right, left Stillwater prison Tuesday evening after the state Board of Pardons voted to release him. the Black community who said too many Black people have been wrongly imprisoned. It stoked a commitment to fight for others whose cases didn’t become a presidential candi- date’s talking point and, subsequently, a media sensation. “It’s a new day in America,” said Jaylani Hussein, execu- tive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The people will no longer be silent about injustice.” “I can’t express my gratitude for all my supporters,” Burrell said to the crowd. “We’re fighting for justice. There’s too much injustice going on.” An SUV whisked him away into the night as the crowd, including his son, continued to cheer in the street. “This was the best feeling I ever had,” said 19-year-old After 18 years, ‘Myon’s free!’ Story by CHAO XIONG and LIZ SAWYER • Photo by JEFF WHEELER • Star Tribune staff Pardons board acts to release Burrell, who says he did not kill girl, 11 Myon Burrell stepped out of the Stillwater prison a free man Tuesday after spending 18 years behind bars for a crime he says he never committed, rousing dozens of supporters in the frigid evening into cheers and applause. Cloaked in a traditional white Islamic garment signify- ing rebirth, Burrell raised his right fist in the air as he stood on the prison’s front steps. “Myon’s free! Myon’s free!” the crowd cheered about 6:45 p.m. as drum beats filled the air. The Minnesota Board of Pardons voted Tuesday after- noon to immediately release Burrell from a life prison sentence in the 2002 fatal shooting of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards, who was killed when a stray bullet penetrated her Minneapolis home. The moment was a sign of hope and justice for many in See MODERNA on A5 Ø Try this at home: First over-the-counter test approved. A4 Making progress Congress strives to clinch long-delayed aid package. A4 See RELIEF on A5 Ø See VACCINE on A5 Ø 30° 24° Snow drought could stretch to January. B6 Activate your digital access at startribune.com/welcome Unlimited access for subscribers who get home delivery more than one day a week See BURRELL on A6 Ø WEDNESDAY December 16, 2020
