Good morning. 

Walz and other advocacy groups are calling for more gun law changes after Monday’s shooting in Cloquet. Walz told reporters at an unrelated news conference yesterday that the state needs to take additional steps to reduce gun violence, but didn’t provide details about a potential solution. “We cannot live in a world where we accept that this is just a normal occurrence, it is not,” Walz told reporters. “And if there is anything we can do to learn from this, we will." Last year, lawmakers passed laws that require universal background checks for firearm transfers and also set up a path to petition the courts to remove a person’s firearms if they are believed to pose a significant risk to themselves or others. Gun owners’ rights groups say the policies don’t get to the root of the problem.

We don’t know much about the Cloquet shooting so far. Cloquet police said a motive is still unknown in the Monday evening shooting at a Super 8 motel that left two dead, along with the suspected shooter. Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall said the shooting was “unprecedented” for the small community. Randall said they do not know yet if there is a connection between the shooter and the victims, but that both men were guests at the Super 8 and the female victim worked at the motel. 

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday rejected a former Minneapolis police officer’s request to take up his case. The AP reports that the Supreme Court rejected (without comment) ex-Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao’s appeal. Thao in 2020 held back a concerned crowd while other officers pinned down George Floyd, resulting in his death. Thao had argued that prosecutors failed to prove his actions on the day of Floyd’s death were willful. Thao is serving his 3 ½-year federal and 4 ¾-year state sentences concurrently. 

The governor is set to hype up a law change approved last year that provides free meals to Minnesota students. Per his public calendar, Walz will serve lunch to students today to highlight the higher-than-anticipated demand for the program then meet with law enforcement officials later in the day. Our colleague Elizabeth Shockman wrote about the unexpected state budget challenges that have stemmed from the meal program, along with the benefits that school leaders have reported.

Ride-hailing company Lyft says it has started paying its drivers a $5 dollar minimum rate for rides that begin or end in the Twin Cities metro. The Sahan Journal reports that the company also says it's partnering with the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association to provide support services — including language translation. The move comes as rideshare drivers prepare for a work stoppage. They’re also set to rally at the Twin Cities airport on Thursday to protest working conditions. Lyft's competitor Uber instituted a $5 minimum last year. The per-ride minimums are in line with recent recommendations from a state task force on the rideshare industry.

New Hampshire voters ghosted U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips yesterday morning. CBS News reporter Jake Rosen posted a photo of a somber looking Phillips at what was supposed to be a Government Repair Truck Coffee Conversation. “Sometimes if you build it, they don’t come,” Phillips said. Later in the day, he seemed to have better luck playing bingo in Manchester. The congressman is trying to make inroads ahead of that state’s primary election on Jan. 23. He’s also pushed back on the Democratic National Committee for calling the New Hampshire primary election “meaningless.” The state’s assistant attorney general issued a cease and desist order to the DNC this week.

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer yesterday announced bipartisan legislation that could benefit inpatient psychiatric hospitals.  If passed, the Securing Facilities for Mental Health Act would eliminate a provision in the National Housing Act, which prohibits inpatient psychiatric hospitals from applying for mortgage assistance. Why, you may ask? There’s some wording in that law which says that in order to receive mortgage assistance, a hospital must be providing more than 50 percent of patients with daily services. …. Why, again, you may ask? Emmer’s office said in a news release it’s to prevent the funding of widespread abuse experienced in the inpatient psychiatric hospital industry around the mid-1900s, but now it’s outdated and needs to be revised. The bill aims to help alleviate an inpatient bed shortage across the country and, according to Emmer’s office, it’s endorsed by the Minnesota Hospitals Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

On a lighter note to close this out, Walz traded in his license plates for new blackout plates yesterday. The new options rolled out last week and feature white lettering on a black background. And for some reason, a lot of people really want them. Walz said they evoke nostalgia for some auto enthusiasts (he got his campaign motto “One MN” on his). Department of Vehicle Services leaders said the governor wasn’t the only one to make the switch. More than 3,800 people bought the new plates during the first week they were available.

As Dana’s middle school principal used to say: Make it a great day, or not, the choice is yours. Brian will be back on the byline Thursday along with the fabulous Ellie Roth.