Over 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are under air quality alerts as smoke from the Canadian wildfires sweep across the U.S. border Tuesday, prompting beach closures, warnings about reduced visibility and calls to stay indoors.Canada is seeing its worst fire season on record with hundreds of wildfires raging across the country – more than 200 of them burning "out of control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The wildfires have led to the highest emissions on record for the country, according to a Tuesday report from Copernicus.Video above: The kind of air conditioner filter you need to filter smoke from your homeAs smoke crosses into the U.S., air quality alerts have been issued for the entire states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Delaware and Maryland as well are portions of Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia, according to the National Weather Service. Residents are being advised to stay indoors with their air conditioning running or wear N95 masks if they have to be outside.Chicago had the worst air quality in the world Tuesday evening, according to IQAir. The city's Air Quality Index measured at 193 – a high reading designated as "unhealthy."The city has asked all residents – especially those with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people and young children – to avoid outdoor activities and protect themselves from exposure. Chicago Public Schools and camps are also moving activities indoors, city officials said in a news release.Video below: Homemade air purifier can protect against wildfire smoke inside at homeAbout 11 miles away, Evanston, Illinois, is closing all swimming beaches and canceling a concert Tuesday due to the poor air quality, the city said on Facebook, asking residents to limit outdoor exposure through Wednesday. Across the state line in Michigan, the Mackinac Bridge stood covered with smoke Tuesday. Drivers were asked to drive slow and with caution due to the reduced visibility on the bridge. Detroit, Michigan, had the second worst air quality in the world Tuesday evening, with an "unhealthy" Air Quality Index is at 174, according to IQAir.High levels of fine particulate in the air in Michigan could become unhealthy or hazardous for all residents at some points – not just sensitive groups, the state's health department warned. "The most protective option when air is unhealthy for you is to stay indoors with air conditioning, reduce strenuous activities and limit outdoor activities. If you have to be outside, N95 masks offer enhanced protection when used according to product instructions," the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.Indianapolis drivers were also warned about reduced visibility, with the National Weather Service saying to "be prepared for haze that could suddenly reduce visibilities" in some areas Tuesday and Wednesday.Video below: Canada's provinces, territories sign on to national climate adaptation strategyNew York is also expected to see unhealthy levels of smoke return Wednesday and Thursday to some areas – about three weeks after New York City topped the list of the world's worst air pollution as smoke from the Canadian wildfires wafted south, turning skies orange. "New Yorkers should be prepared for elevated levels of fine particulate pollution caused by smoke on Wednesday and Thursday," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "Current projections show the highest concentrations of smoke will slowly push east across the eastern half of New York State during the day Thursday, extending across much of the state."In Ohio, a spokesperson for the Cleveland's mayor's office said "what happened in NY a few weeks ago and Chicago today may happen here in Cleveland tomorrow."The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency issued an air quality advisory, forecasting fine particulate levels in the "Unhealthy" Air Quality Index range.Wildfire smoke carries particulate matter, or PM2.5 – a tiny but dangerous pollutant that, when inhaled, can travel deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The particulate matter has been linked to a number of health problems including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory illnesses.

SANDSTONE, Minn. (AP) — Four lion cubs that were orphaned during the war in Ukraine have arrived safely at a Minnesota animal sanctuary that has pledged to provide them a permanent home.

A male cub named Taras and three females named Stefania, Lesya and Prada, who are all between four and five months old, spent the last three weeks at the Poznan Zoo in Poland. Their arrival Tuesday marked the final step in an arduous journey after they lived through sporadic bombings and drone attacks in Ukraine, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of several groups working to rescue animals from the war.

"These cubs have endured more in their short lives than any animal should," Meredith Whitney, wildlife rescue program manager at the fund, said in a statement. "They were born at breeding facilities in Ukraine during the war and then orphaned at a few weeks old."

Their new home is The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Minneapolis. They were put on a plane that was returning to the U.S. from Poland. It landed Tuesday in Minneapolis, from where sanctuary staffers brought them to the facility where they were assessed by a veterinarian and given a warm place to rest. The flight was funded in part by the New York-based Andrew Sabin Family Foundation.

Dr. Andrew Kushnir, an American veterinarian with the fund who accompanied the cubs on their flight, cared for the cubs in Ukraine and Poland. Despite drone attacks and airstrikes, he prepared their specialized formula every three hours, the fund said. On nights when the power went out, he used his arms and legs to warm their milk bottles.

The cubs came from two litters, Whitney said. Three were rescued from Odesa, she said, while Prada, the oldest, was born at a breeder in Kyiv. The rescuers don't know what became of the mothers, she added.

The nonprofit Wildcat Sanctuary shelters nearly 130 lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards and other wildcats, many of which were rescued from the trade in exotic pets, including the four cubs. To assure peace and tranquility for the cats, it does not put them on public display, but lets them roam fenced enclosures amid the woods of Minnesota. The sanctuary does offer virtual tours via its website and Facebook page.

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (Video above: WCCO via CNN) —

A pitbull survived being thrown from a moving car during a high-speed wrong-way chase in Minnesota and now, as he recovers, he's being called a walking miracle.

Sgt. Dan Young of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department told WCCO the chase involved multiple car-jackings and weapons.

Eventually, deputies were pursuing a stolen truck that was speeding the wrong way down an interstate.

That's when they noticed "a small, white dog had been thrown from the vehicle being pursued," Young said.

Deputies went back and searched for the puppy after the chase ended with a few arrests. However, the dog was nowhere to be found as evening temperatures dipped well below zero.

Using drones, the deputies tried the next day again and found the pitbull wagging his tail in a snow bank.

"He was happy-go-lucky. We even got him up in the van and he was licking us. Very, very happy. We gave him a piece of pizza," Young said.

Deputies named the dog Tahoe after the Chevrolet Tahoes they drive. Tahoe had a broken leg and some lacerations from the incident, but he's now recovering at the home of a county employee and a fundraiser created for his vet bills has collected more than $20,000.

Because Tahoe was found without a collar, tags or a chip, officers are trying to find his owner or a new home. Tahoe is believed to be about one year old.

"We'll do our best to get him to a nice, loving family where he can live out the rest of his days in luxury. Because he's earned it. It's a feel-good happy ending in a world where we don't get those a lot," Young said.

RICHFIELD, Minn — Two suspects were arrested and a handgun was recovered following a shooting outside a school in Richfield, Minnesota, authorities said.

The shooting left a student dead and another critically injured.

Police chief Jay Henthorne called the incident a “tragic day in the city of Richfield.”

Police officers found the two students with injuries outside the school Tuesday afternoon.

Special agents from the ATF and FBI also responded to the scene.

Both students taken to a hospital and one of them died after arriving.

Nearby schools immediately went into lockdown.

The lockdowns were lifted after police initially searched the area and did not find the suspects.

The suspects were found after police acted on search warrants at two different addresses, authorities said.

Health officials in Minnesota say they have identified the state's first case of the omicron variant.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Health said the person tested positive for the variant after returning from New York City.

"This news is concerning, but it is not a surprise," Governor Tim Walz said in a news release. "We know that this virus is highly infectious and moves quickly throughout the world. Minnesotans know what to do to keep each other safe now — get the vaccine, get tested, wear a mask indoors, and get a booster. Together, we can fight this virus and help keep Minnesotans safe.”

Health officials said the person is an adult male who lives in Hennepin County and is vaccinated.

They said the man began developing mild symptoms on Nov. 22 and tested for COVID-19 on Nov. 24.

The man told officials he traveled to NYC to attend the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits Center from Nov. 19-21.

"We still have more to learn about Omicron, but the most important thing we can do right now is to use the tools we have available to make it as hard as possible for this virus to spread,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “In addition to vaccination and boosters, we can slow the spread of this variant and all COVID-19 variants by using the tried-and-true prevention methods of wearing masks, staying home when sick, and getting tested when appropriate.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Thursday that they are aware of the Minnesota case and state health officials have begun contact tracing, Scripps' New York station WKBW reported.

Gov. Hochul added that they do not have any confirmed cases in New York State at this time.

This is now the second omicron variant case to be reported in the United States.

On Wednesday, a person in California was identified as the first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the nation.

A Minnesota man has been charged with hacking into computer systems used by Major League Baseball and trying to extort the league for $150,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York said Thursday.

In emails with an MLB executive, Joshua Streit, 30, threatened to publicize the vulnerability that he used to access the league's website for streaming live games before asking for $150,000 for finding the technology flaw, according to charging documents.

Streit allegedly renewed his extortion attempt in September, at a time of heightened scrutiny for the MLB as it was preparing for the playoffs. The news comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

A Twitter account listed in the criminal complaint as belonging to Streit did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. James Becker, an attorney listed for Streit in court records, did not respond to requests for comment.

The charges against Streit, who is also known as Josh Brody, include wire fraud, illegally hacking into a computer for the purposes of fraud and "sending interstate threats with the intent to extort." The maximum sentence for each individual charge ranges from two to 20 years in prison.

Streit is accused of illegally streaming copyrighted live games from the MLB, National Basketball Association, National Football League and the National Hockey League. To do that, prosecutors allege, Streit used stolen login credentials to access the sports' websites and stream live games to his own website for profit.

One of the sports leagues lost almost $3 million because of Streit's actions, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a press release.

A LinkedIn profile listed in the complaint as belonging to Streit describes him as a software engineer living in the Minneapolis area.

During an initial court appearance Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, a judge ordered "temporary detention" for Streit pending a Nov. 1 hearing, according to court documents.

A spokesperson for the MLB declined to comment. Neil Boland, the league's chief information security officer, did not respond to requests for comment.

The MLB is no stranger to cybersecurity-related scandals.

Christopher Correa, the former director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison in 2016 for hacking into the Houston Astros' scouting records.

Major sports franchises had to invest in greater cybersecurity protections in recent years as cybercriminals have looked to extort sports teams as they do other big corporations.

Manchester United, one of the wealthiest soccer clubs in the world, blamed "organized cybercriminals" last year for a breach that hampered the club's computer systems for days.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people has gained more attention in recent years, but many who have lost their own say it’s not enough. A new state office that's the first of its kind in the country is working to change that.

Janice Hannigan, Roma L. Jim and Mary Johnson are just a few of the missing Indigenous people in the U.S.

Nicole Matthews, the executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, says most people don't know about the missing Indigenous people.

“Why hasn’t Sheila St. Claire from Duluth, who’s been missing for six years, why isn’t her story isn’t out there? Why don’t we know her name? How come we don’t know about Jojo Boswell, who's been missing for decades, and was 19 when she went missing," Matthews said.

Advocates say a lack of communication, combined with jurisdictional issues between state, local, federal and tribal law enforcement, makes it difficult to start the investigative process.

“Our relationship to the federal government is much different than other racial and ethnic groups. This is our land, everybody that is in this country is standing on Indian land," Matthews said. “So if a non-Native person comes onto our land and rapes a Native woman, our tribes have no recourse. So, if the states or the feds who do have jurisdiction in those cases decline prosecution, that person walks.”

It’s why Matthews was the Vice-Chair of the Missing and Murdered Women’s Task Force in Minnesota and that has led to the country's first State Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.

Sen. Mary Kunesh spearheaded this effort in the Minnesota Senate.

“I’m still floored that we were able to do this good legislative in kind of a short amount of time," Kunesh said. “They were able to use funding’s through the governor’s office to initially create this but it will also be supported through public safety dollars.”

The office now has permanent funding, which means it’s not going anywhere. One of their main efforts is building a data base that will track those names and cases.

“We need to be able to have that liaison there that’s going to be able to go walk between and work between all these different agencies," Kunesh said.

Having no database has made gathering information tough. However, the task force was able to pinpoint some jarring statistics.

“In our task force work, we learned in a ten-year period, in any given month, there were anywhere from 27 to 54 Native women that were missing," Matthews said. “Native women represent about 1% here in Minnesota, but we represent about 8 or 9% of the murdered women in Minnesota. So that is a huge disproportionate impact on our communities.”

Marisa Cummings, the CEO of the Minnesota Women’s Resource Center says there is distrust in government from some tribal members, especially women. 

“I’m thinking about the lack of trust our people have with systems in this country. Systems that have been designed to exterminate us," Cummings said.

Now there is an opportunity to create trust through this office and its partnerships.

“I think the office can be a starting point if the office is staffed with native women that the community trusts," Cummings said. “All of these implicit biases, manifest in ways of oppression. So a lot of times our families, when they go to report someone missing, they are not believed, a lot of times a woman reporting a sexual assault, they are not believed, or deaths are considered explosion. She got really drunk and she just died somewhere and not acknowledging the psychical violence she experienced that left her in a field in the freezing cold.”

These women say Gabby Petito's case is not only a reminder of why this office is so crucial in Minnesota, but also how it can be adopted in every other state.

“The response that Gabby Petitio received is the response that all of us deserve," Matthews said.

“But I think we’re entering a time now where we’re demanding that there is some accountability and some equity in the way that these systems work in our country. Systems that we designed to eliminate us as the original people of this land," Cummings said.

“Minnesota has obviously made this a priority and recognizes this is an investment in our communities now but like we say in the Native communities, investment in the next seven generations to come," Kunesh said.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court has reversed the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an Australian woman in 2017.

Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Justine Ruszczyk.

But he appealed the murder conviction, saying the charge was meant for cases in which a defendant's actions are directed at more than one person.

The court's ruling Wednesday could give Derek Chauvin grounds to appeal his third-degree murder conviction in George Floyd's death, but that would have a little tangible impact since Chauvin was also convicted of the more serious count of second-degree murder.

According to the Associated Press, with his murder conviction overturned, his case will now go back to the district court where he was face sentencing for manslaughter.

Noor has already served 28 months and if he's sentenced in the manslaughter case, he could possibly be eligible for supervised release by the end of this year, the AP reported.

Ruszczyk had called 911 to report a possible assault in progress in an alley behind her Minneapolis home.

During his testimony, Noor said he feared for his partner's life as Ruszczyk approached their squad car in the dark, empty alley before shooting her in the abdomen.

Ruszczyk died a month before her wedding after just relocating to Minnesota from Australia.

BUFFALO, Minn. —

A 67-year-old man unhappy with the health care he'd received opened fire at a clinic Tuesday, killing one person and wounding four others, and bomb technicians were investigating a suspicious device left there and others at a motel where he was staying, authorities said.

All five victims were rushed to the hospital, and a hospital spokeswoman confirmed the one death Tuesday night. Three remained in stable but critical condition and a fourth had been discharged.

The attack happened Tuesday morning at an Allina clinic in Buffalo, a community of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis. Authorities said Gregory Paul Ulrich, of Buffalo, opened fire at the facility and was arrested before noon.

Though police said it was too early to tell if Ulrich had targeted a specific doctor, court records show he at one point had been ordered to have no contact with a man whose name matches that of a doctor at the clinic.

As authorities searched the clinic for more victims, they found the suspicious device and evacuated the building, Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer said.

It was not immediately clear whether that device exploded, but TV footage showed several shattered plate-glass windows at the clinic. Deringer said suspicious devices were also found at a local Super 8 motel where Ulrich had been staying, and there were at least two shattered windows there as well.

Hennepin County Medical Center spokeswoman Christine Hill said Tuesday night that a person brought to the hospital after being shot at the Buffalo clinic had died. Hill said she could not release any other details.

Police Chief Pat Budke became emotional and had to pause during a news conference as he told reporters “our heart breaks as a community." While an exact motive wasn't immediately known, Budke said Ulrich has had a long history of conflict with health care clinics in the area.

“All I can say is, it’s a history that spans several years and there’s certainly a history of him being unhappy with health care ... with the health care that he’d received,” Budke said.

Budke said Ulrich's history led investigators to believe he was targeting the clinic or someone inside but that it was too early in the investigation to know if it was a specific doctor. He said the shooting did not appear to be a case of domestic terrorism.

“None of the information that we have from our past contact with him would indicate that he was unhappy with, or would direct his anger at, anyone other than people within the facilities where he had been treated or where they had attempted to give treatment,” Budke said.

Deringer said Ulrich was well known to law enforcement before the attack, and there were calls for service dating back to 2003.

Court records for Ulrich list a handful of arrests and convictions for drunken driving and possession of small amounts of marijuana from 2004 through 2015, mostly in Wright County, including two convictions for gross misdemeanor drunken driving that resulted in short jail sentences. A 2018 charge of violating a harassment restraining order was dismissed last April when the prosecutor said Ulrich was “found mentally incompetent to proceed.”

An order issued in 2018 and 2019 in the harassment case showed Ulrich was to have no contact with a man. The order didn't identify that man beyond giving his name, but the name appeared to match that of a doctor listed on the clinic's staff list.

It was not known if that doctor was among Ulrich’s victims. A phone call placed to the doctor's home listing went unanswered Tuesday.

A court services agent who conducted a pre-sentence investigation wrote in a June 2019 filing that he had just learned that Ulrich had applied to police for a “permit to purchase” — apparently meaning a permit to buy a gun — but had not yet been approved. The agent said he “highly recommended” that Ulrich “not be allowed to have use of or possession of any dangerous weapons or firearms as a condition of his probation.”

Ulrich also had raised concerns for a local church. According to an August 2019 update on the website of Zion Lutheran Church, the church obtained a no trespassing order for Ulrich after the pastor received a disturbing letter. Church staff were given a picture of Ulrich and told to call 911 if he appeared on any of Zion’s properties.

The FBI sent its bomb technicians to the scene, and the Minneapolis Police Department sent its bomb squad. Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' enforcement group and special agents from the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also responded.

The clinic is set off at the edge of Buffalo near an old red barn with flaking paint. Dozens of emergency vehicles and law enforcement officers carrying guns were on the scene, setting up a perimeter. TV footage showed little activity at the clinic itself.

Hours after the attack, law enforcement cordoned off a small mobile home park near the city’s Pulaski Lake, about a mile from the clinic, and searched a mobile home where Ulrich had lived. Officers went in and out of the home wearing rubber gloves. Several neighbors who declined to give their names described Ulrich as argumentative and said they tried to avoid him.

Tom Potter, a 43-year-old who lives in the neighborhood, said Ulrich was nice to Potter’s kids yet described him as “an odd guy.”

“He’d get into fights with neighbors, accuse them of stealing stuff,” Potter said.

He said Ulrich spent a lot of time on a bench by the lake, listening to a radio, fishing and “always drinking.”

Another neighbor, Walter Rohde, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he was shocked to hear Ulrich was suspected of shooting people. He said Ulrich helped him build a shed over the summer and would often come over to sit at his fire ring in the evenings to chat.

“I just knew him as a kindly old man,” Rohde said.

Rohde said Ulrich was unemployed, living on disability.

Most doctors listed on the clinic’s website are family practitioners. It wasn’t immediately clear if the clinic gives COVID-19 vaccinations. Allina’s website says it gives the shots to staff and older patients at only three sites throughout its extensive system.

___

Ehlke reported from Milwaukee. Associated Press writers Tim Sullivan, in Buffalo, and Amy Forliti and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.

___

Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

LAKEVILLE, Minn. (Video: KARE via CNN) —

Many people opt to stay indoors when temperatures dip below freezing.

Not Jessica Montenegro.

She found a way to make her Lakeville, Minnesota, neighborhood a little brighter.

"We've been loving the negative weather," Montenegro told KARE.

That's because all the snow and ice inspired her to create a colorful igloo with her sons.

Montenegro used food coloring to create ice blocks in cake pans, along with mortar made from slush.

When the igloo is complete, her sons want to eat pizza inside.

"We're going to have the pizza delivery guy deliver it to the igloo," Montenegro said.

Winter doesn't seem to be the only season Montenegro shows off her creativity.

In her neighborhood, her detailed driveway chalk murals "make the neighborhood a nice place to be," neighbor Dale Arlt told KARE.

Montenegro chose to find the positives of subzero temperatures with her newest project.

"It's cold, but at least we have the sun," she said. "I think it's going to be really cool."

MINNEAPOLIS (Video: WCCO via CNN) —

Just as weddings were beginning to see a bit of normalcy, the delta variant has couples considering changes to their plans.

Allie Messimer and Kevin Field have decided to require COVID-19 vaccines for the 100 guests who attend their upcoming ceremony in Minnesota.

Messimer told WCCO that this isn't the first time her wedding was altered by the pandemic. She and Field were supposed to get married in fall of 2020.

"We were ready to go and then pulled the plug in late July and early August," she said.

Now, a year after her wedding was supposed to take place, Messimer is planning another change.

"I really want to ensure that our wedding is fun but also safe," she said.

The couple's wedding website now notifies guests that COVID-19 vaccination will be required to attend.

Messimer believes most friends and family already have their shots.

"We knew that kind of going into the requirement," Messimer said. "There might be a few ancillary people that we might have to have some tough conversations with, but we're willing to do it."

Rachelle Mazumdar, the owner of Style Architects Weddings, said she's seeing more couples make the same decision. She also said churches have started requiring masks again.

Mazumdar said wedding vendors are "scrambling" in the midst of what she calls a snowball effect on the entire industry that will take years to return to normal. Many of her 2022 wedding dates are already booked.

"Before, you used to be able to plan a wedding, you know, 6 to 12 months out. And now it feels like it's turning into an 18 to 24 months planning cycle."

Step into Nicole Jennings' book club today and you will hear conversations she wasn’t having with her neighbors a year ago.

Her book club was born in the months after the death of George Floyd.

The discussion is often about issues at the core of what took place less than 10 miles from where they live in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina.

“The fact that I am a person of color, so for me to talk about life is not difficult, but for someone else to talk about my life and my experiences and to understand them from my point of view, it takes a lot,” Jennings said. “It takes someone who would want to listen and want to learn and not to feel as though anyone is pointing the finger, but my reality is my reality.”

For eight years, Jennings has lived in a neighborhood that is mostly white.

“I know that as an African American, I can count on one hand the number of people who look like me in the neighborhood,” she said. “Unless you get out of your bubble and your comfort zone, you’ll never recognize what you’re impacting and also what is impacting you.”

Like many suburbs across America, Edina is evolving.

“For our own community, which is predominantly white, getting more diverse every year, embracing that diversity, making sure everyone is welcome everyone is included,” said Edina Mayor Jim Hovland.

Mayor Hovland says his city has taken steps over the years to become more inclusive, including hiring a race and equity coordinator.

“That’s kind of the pathway we’re on, the trajectory for our community is gaining a better understanding of what these issues have historically been for people who are different from us, who have faced more impediments in life, things that we just took for granted,” the Mayor Hovland said.

High school senior Shreya Konkimalla has taken an active role in Edina when it comes to social justice.

“Usually in Edina, I think, we usually try to stray away from the hard conversations about race, diversity, and inclusion in order to avoid conflict,” Konkimalla said.

She’s building a virtual art gallery titled “From Struggling to Healing.”

“I think it’s something we can all come together with and all appreciate together, and I think from that, we have the ability to understand other people and where they are coming from,” the senior said.

It’s hard to know what progress looks like for an issue so deep and so personal.

“There is no yardstick for progress when you think about the centuries of acts that have not been discussed,” Jennings said.

Jennings says book club conversations with her neighbors have grown over the months to be authentic.

“We can take what we’re reading and look around us in the world,” book club member Kathy Ganley said.

“It’s the fact that we listen, and by doing so, we learn from each other,” another member Andrea Kmetz-Sheehy stated.

As we close in on a year since many parts of America started having uncomfortable conversations, Jennings says it’s important the discussions don’t go quiet.

“Ahmaud Arbery, that was before. Then, right after, that was Breonna Taylor, and right after that, it was sequential again. You don’t recognize it until it got in your backyard. That was frustrating. That was frustrating," Jennings said. "It was that concept. It wasn’t the, ‘Let’s talk about it’ moment. No, I’m eager to do that actually. I welcome it."

MINNEAPOLIS —

Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin faces sentencing Friday in the death of George Floyd, with a judge weighing a prison term experts say could be as much as 30 years.

Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd's neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as the Black man said he couldn't breathe. It was an act captured on bystander video, which prompted protests around the world.

Before the sentencing hearing Friday, Judge Peter Cahill denied Chauvin's request for a new trial, saying defense attorney Eric Nelson has not shown that the court abused its discretion or that there was any prosecutorial misconduct that would have deprived Chauvin of his right to a fair trial. Nelson argued that intense publicity around Floyd’s death tainted the jury pool and that the trial should have been moved away from Minneapolis.

Here's what to watch for in a hearing that could run as long as two hours:

What's possible?

Under Minnesota statutes, Chauvin will be sentenced only on the most serious charge of second-degree murder. That's because all of the charges against him stem from one act, with one victim.

The max for that charge is 40 years, but legal experts have said there's no way he'll get that much. Case law dictates the practical maximum Chauvin could face is 30 years — double what the high end of state sentencing guidelines suggest. Anything above that risks being overturned on appeal.

Of course, Cahill could sentence Chauvin to much less. Prosecutors have asked for 30 years, while Nelson is seeking probation.

Mark Osler, a professor at University of St. Thomas School of Law, said both sides have staked out extreme positions, and the "gulf is huge between them. I don't think that either side is going to end up getting what they want."

What's realistic?

Minnesota has sentencing guidelines that were created to establish consistent sentences that don't consider factors such as race or gender. For second-degree unintentional murder, the guideline range for someone with no criminal record goes from 10 years and eight months to up to 15 years. The presumptive sentence is in the middle, at 12 1/2 years.

Cahill last month agreed with prosecutors that aggravating factors in Floyd's death warrant going higher than the guidelines. The judge found that Chauvin abused his position of authority, treated Floyd with particular cruelty, and that the crime was seen by several children. He also wrote that Chauvin knew the restraint of Floyd was dangerous.

"The prolonged use of this technique was particularly egregious in that George Floyd made it clear he was unable to breathe and expressed the view that he was dying as a result of the officers' restraint," Cahill wrote last month.

Osler said Cahill's finding of aggravating factors showed his willingness to go above the guidelines. But he said those guidelines still function like a tether, and the further Cahill moves from the guidelines, the more the tether stretches. He said a 20 or 25-year sentence is more likely than 30.

Joe Friedberg, a Minneapolis defense attorney who has been watching the case, agreed. He cited a U.S. Supreme Court case, Koon v. United States, in which the court said a judge could consider that a former police officer would likely spend much of his sentence in isolation for his own safety. Cahill might take the harder time into consideration to give Chauvin a little less, Friedberg said.

What's happened before?

Minnesota sentencing data for the five years through 2019 show that of 112 people sentenced for the same conviction as Chauvin, only two got maximum 40-year sentences. Both cases involved children who died due to abuse; both defendants had prior criminal records and struck plea deals.

The longest sentence during that time period for someone with no criminal history like Chauvin was 36 years, in another case involving the death of a child due to abuse. The sentence was appealed but upheld, with an appellate court finding it "was not excessive when a 13-month-old child was beaten to death."

What's expected at the hearing?

Attorneys on both sides are expected to make brief arguments. Victims or family members of victims can also make statements about how they've been affected, but none have said publicly that they will.

Chauvin can talk if he wants, but it's not clear if he will. Experts say it could be tricky for Chauvin to talk without implicating himself in a pending federal case accusing him of violating Floyd's civil rights.

While some experts say Chauvin won't talk, Mike Brandt, another defense attorney watching the case, said he thinks Chauvin will speak, and that he can say a few words without getting himself into legal trouble. "If I was him, I think I would want to try and let people know that I'm not a monster."

Community members can submit impact statements online, and they may become part of the public record.

What will the judge consider?

Cahill will look at arguments submitted by both sides, as well as victim impact statements, community impact statements, a pre-sentence investigation into Chauvin's past, and any statement Chauvin might make.

When judges hear from defendants, they are typically looking to see if the person takes responsibility for the crime or shows remorse. Friedberg, the defense attorney, said he doubts any statement from Chauvin would affect Cahill's sentence.

"In state court sentencing in Minnesota it just doesn't seem to matter to the judges what anybody says at the time of sentencing," Friedberg said. "When they come out on the bench they will have already decided what the sentence will be."

How long will Chauvin actually serve behind bars?

No matter what sentence Chauvin gets, in Minnesota it's presumed that a defendant with good behavior will serve two-thirds in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole.

That means if Chauvin is sentenced to 30 years, he would likely serve 20 behind bars, as long as he causes no problems in prison. Once on supervised release, he could be sent back to prison if he violates conditions of his parole.

Since his April conviction, Chauvin has been held at the state's only maximum security prison, in Oak Park Heights. That's unusual — people don't typically go to a prison while waiting for sentencing — but Chauvin is there for security reasons. He has been on "administrative segregation" for his safety and has been in a 10 foot-by-10 foot cell, away from the general population. He has meals brought to his room, and is allowed out for solitary exercise for an average of one hour a day.

It wasn't immediately clear where he would serve his time after he is sentenced. The Department of Corrections will place Chauvin after Cahill's formal sentencing order commits Chauvin to its custody.

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. —

Warning: The above video may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades Monday night as a crowd gathered to protest the killing of a Black man by a police officer in a Minneapolis suburb.

Gunshots could be heard during the demonstrations, though it is unclear where they were being fired.

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Protesters were "launching bottles, fireworks, bricks and other projectiles at public safety officials," according to a tweet from Operation Safety Net (OSN), a joint effort of local entities to ensure the safety of the public during the trial of Derek Chauvin, being held about 10 miles away from the location in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

It was the second night of protests after 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed by a police officer, identified by authorities as Officer Kim Potter, during a routine traffic stop. A curfew was in effect for Brooklyn Center and police arrested those in violation who ignored dispersal orders, according to Minnesota Operation Safety Net.

By 11 p.m., most of the protesters had left the scene around the police station, according to witnesses.

The police officer who fatally shot Wright during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb apparently intended to fire a Taser, not a handgun, as the man struggled with police, the city's police chief said Monday.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described the shooting death Sunday of 20-year-old Daunte Wright as "an accidental discharge." It happened as police were trying to arrest Wright on an outstanding warrant. The shooting sparked violent protests in a metropolitan area already on edge because of the trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd's death.

"I'll Tase you! I'll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!" the officer is heard shouting on her body cam footage released at a news conference. She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.

After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away, and the officer is heard saying, "Holy (expletive)! I shot him."

President Joe Biden urged calm on Monday, following a night where officers in riot gear clashed with demonstrators. The president said he watched the body camera footage.

"We do know that the anger, pain and trauma amidst the Black community is real," Biden said from the Oval Office. But, he added, that "does not justify violence and looting."

The governor instituted another dusk-to-dawn curfew, and law enforcement agencies stepped up their presence across the Minneapolis area. The number of Minnesota National Guard troops was expected to more than double to over 1,000 by Monday night.

While dozens of officers in riot gear and troops guarded the Brooklyn Center police station, more than 100 protesters chanted Wright's name and hoisted signs that read "Why did Daunte die?" and "Don't shoot." Some passing cars flew Black Lives Matter flags out of their windows and honked in support.

Organizers from the Movement for Black Lives, a national coalition of more than 150 Black-led political and advocacy groups, pointed to Wright's killing as yet another reason why cities must take up proposals for defunding an "irreparably broken, racist system."

Wright "should not have had his life ripped from him last night. The fact that police killed him just miles from where they murdered George Floyd last year is a slap in the face to an entire community who continues to grieve," said Karissa Lewis, the coalition's national field director.

Gannon said at a news conference that the officer made a mistake, and he released the body camera footage less than 24 hours after the shooting.

The footage showed three officers around a stopped car, which authorities said was pulled over because it had expired registration tags. When another officer attempts to handcuff Wright, a second officer tells Wright he's being arrested on a warrant. That's when the struggle begins, followed by the shooting. Then the car travels several blocks before striking another vehicle.

"As I watch the video and listen to the officer's command, it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Gannon said. "This appears to me from what I viewed and the officer's reaction in distress immediately after that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright."

A female passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the crash, authorities said. Katie Wright said that passenger was her son's girlfriend.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was investigating.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said any decision on charges against the officer will be made by the Washington County attorney under an agreement adopted last year by several county prosecutors aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest. Freeman has been frequently criticized by activists in Minneapolis over his charging decisions involving deadly use of force by police.

Gannon would not name the officer or provide any other details about her, including her race, other than describing her as "very senior." He would not say whether she would be fired following the investigation.

"I think we can watch the video and ascertain whether she will be returning," the chief said.

Court records show Wright was being sought after failing to appear in court on charges that he fled from officers and possessed a gun without a permit during an encounter with Minneapolis police in June. In that case, a statement of probable cause said police got a call about a man waving a gun who was later identified as Wright."

Wright's mother, Katie Wright, said her son called her as he was getting pulled over.

"All he did was have air fresheners in the car, and they told him to get out of the car," Wright said. During the call, she said she heard scuffling and then someone saying "Daunte, don't run" before the call ended. When she called back, her son's girlfriend answered and said he had been shot.

Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott called the shooting "deeply tragic."

"We're going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole," he said.

Elliott later announced that the city council had voted to give his office "command authority" over the police department.

This "will streamline things and establish a chain of command and leadership," he wrote on Twitter. He also said the city manager had been fired, and that the deputy city manager would be taking over his roles.

According to the city's charter, the city manager has control of the police department. Now-former City Manager Curt Boganey, speaking earlier Monday to reporters, said the officer who shot Wright would get "due process."

Wright's family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the Floyd family in its $27 million settlement with the city of Minneapolis.

"This level of lethal force was entirely preventable and inhumane," Crump said in a statement. "What will it take for law enforcement to stop killing people of color?"

Speaking before the unrest Sunday night, Wright's mother urged protesters in Brooklyn Center, a city of about 30,000 people on the northwest border of Minneapolis, to stay peaceful and focused on the loss of her son.

Biden referred to her comments on Monday, saying "we should listen to Daunte's mom calling for peace and calm." The president said he had not yet called the family but that his prayers were with them.

Shortly after the shooting, demonstrators began to gather, with some jumping atop police cars. Marchers also descended on the Brooklyn Center Police Department, where rocks and other objects were thrown at officers. About 20 businesses were broken into at the city's Shingle Creek shopping center, authorities said.

To guard against more unrest, authorities accelerated security measures planned for when the Floyd case goes to the jury. Gov. Tim Walz warned anyone who chooses to "exploit these tragedies" with violence "can rest assured that the largest police presence in Minnesota history" will be prepared to arrest law breakers.

At least a half-dozen businesses began boarding up their windows along Minneapolis' Lake Street, the scene of some of the most intense violence after Floyd's death. National Guard vehicles were deployed to a few major intersections, and a handful of soldiers in camouflage, some carrying assault-style weapons, could also be seen. Several professional sports teams in Minneapolis called off games because of safety concerns.

The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd's death, continued Monday. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck. Prosecutors say Floyd was pinned for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. The judge in that case refused Monday to sequester the jury after a defense attorney argued that the panel could be influenced by the prospect of what might happen as a result of their verdict.

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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis, Aaron Morrison in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jonathan Lemire in Washington contributed to this report.

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Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.