Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Friday!

Here's the latest news from across the state to start your day. ☕

WEATHER

☀️ Friday will offer some relief of the harsh cold, with temperatures moderating into the 20s — close to the seasonal average of 23 degrees.

⛄ The weekend brings similar temperature numbers. Much of northern Minnesota will see 1 to 2 inches of snow through Saturday.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Celebration and criticism follow Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier’s prison sentence commutation

The 11th hour clemency of Leonard Peltier has touched off a wave of joy, but it also brings pain to those who believe he should remain in prison for murder. Indigenous people who had followed Peltier’s case for years, had a range of reactions to Biden’s decision.

Minnesota justices set to settle questions of control in ‘dysfunctional’ House

After listening to GOP and DFL lawyers argue it out Thursday, the Minnesota Supreme Court could soon rule in a pair of cases that may shift the current power structure in the state House of Representatives.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🏒 ‘Motherpuckers’ teach women’s hockey with joy and inclusion, and a little irreverence. A thriving beginner women’s hockey team in Duluth called the “Motherpuckers” teaches the game in a supportive, welcoming and low-pressure environment.

🎮 St. Paul arts organization builds virtual Winter Carnival ice castles in Minecraft. Community arts organization 825 Arts in St. Paul will host an ice castle contest online through the video game Minecraft on Saturday, partnering with a local historian to share history and creativity of ice sculptures at the Winter Carnival.

🚧 Walz proposes $887 million bonding bill for infrastructure projects, not worried about Capitol impasse. At the Rapidan event Blue Earth County Commissioner Kevin Paap said the funding from the bonding bill is needed to help restore some of the normalcy in residents’ lives who rely on the roads and bridges to commute and transport agricultural goods through the region.

🔋 Proposed high-voltage powerline gets state regulators’ approval. The first segment would run about 140 miles from near Grand Rapids runs through Itasca, Aitkin, Crow Wing, Morrison and Benton counties to a substation near St. Cloud.

🍕 Where’s the best pizza in the Twin Cities? A local Facebook group can help you find it. Minnesota hasn’t always been known for its pizza — but that’s been changing over the years. These days, you certainly don’t have to look far to find a good slice, just check out this Facebook group.

🍁 Critical DMs: Staging hockey at Theater in the Round. Critical DMs are lightly edited Slack conversations by members of the MPR News arts team about Minnesota art and culture. This week, arts editor Max Sparber and arts reporter Jacob Aloi discuss a play about Canadian women’s hockey.

🧖‍♀️ Cold hands, warm hearts: Great Northern heats up Minnesota winters. The 10-day festival involves Minnesota-based and non-local artists. Nordstrum said that 82 Minnesota artists, speakers, chefs and other creative talent will be featured in the 2025 festival.

⛪ Bishop Mariann Budde, former Minnesota bishop, tells NPR 'I won't apologize' for sermon addressing Trump. "I don't hate the president, and I pray for him," Budde said. "I don't feel there's a need to apologize for a request for mercy."

🎸 Looking forward, looking back: The Current celebrates 20 years. “The core focus of The Current hasn’t changed in 20 years,” said David Safar, The Current’s managing director. “It’s always been about community. It’s always been about music discovery. It’s always been about reflecting this place — the Twin Cities and the region of Greater Minnesota — and the music that makes up our identity.”

🏛️ St. Paul City Council approves charter change to allow administrative fines. The ability to impose fines provides a needed middle ground, advocates said. The council voted unanimously to amend the city charter to allow administrative fines.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 Mapping Prejudice Project granted access to Stearns County property records. Stearns County commissioners voted earlier this week to approve a memorandum of understanding with the University of Minnesota Libraries so they could comb for racial covenants — clauses in property deeds that barred specific ethnic groups from owning homes or land.

🎧 Top Minnesota attorney: Birthright citizenship suit against Trump just the beginning. Last summer, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told The New York Times he’d been preparing for a Trump White House since early 2023. Ellison spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about his strategy and how it has changed since Trump’s first term.

🎧 Talking Sense: How does news media contribute to political polarization? MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with guests about how some news platforms make political polarization worse and what news outlets can do to address it.

🎧 Listen to today's headlines on our Minnesota Today podcast.

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