The Senate approved a measure earlier today that would let Democrats muscle President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan through the chamber without Republican support.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote. The budget now returns to the House, where it will have to be approved again due to the changes made by the Senate.

By moving on a fast track, the goal for Democrats is to have COVID relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires.

Minnesota prosecutors on Thursday asked a judge to reinstate a third-degree murder count against the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, saying an appellate court decision from earlier this week sets legal precedent that shows the count is appropriate.

Derek Chauvin faces trial in March on one count of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter.

Last October, Judge Peter Cahill dismissed a third-degree murder charge, saying that in order to prove that count, prosecutors would have to show Chauvin’s intentional conduct was “eminently dangerous to others” and not specifically directed at Floyd.

But on Monday, a three-judge panel from the state Court of Appeals came to a different conclusion when it upheld the third-degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis officer Mohamed Noor, who is serving a 12 1/2-year sentence for the 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an unarmed Australian woman who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault. In the Noor decision, the panel ruled that a third-degree murder conviction can be sustained even if the action that caused a death was directed at one person.

Prosecutors said the appeals court has “clarified the law” and rejected the reasoning Cahill used when he dismissed the third-degree murder count against Chauvin.

The NCAA announced Thursday that Division III winter championships have been canceled for the 2020-2021 academic year “due to low participation numbers among member schools.”

This announcement impacts basketball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, and hockey. Wrestling, a sport not sponsored by St. Thomas or the MIAC, is also affected.

The decision was based on the results of a form sent to Division III athletic directors Jan. 19, and was completed by 98% of member schools. Those results determined that participation numbers in all Division III winter sports “are well below the established threshold to provide a national championship experience.”

Hope Hansen can be reached at hope.hansen@stthomas.edu.