Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Monday!

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

WEATHER

☀️ The mild pattern persists this week with well-above-normal temperatures. Highs will be in the 50s Monday for much of southern Minnesota to near 40 north.

🌧️ We’ll also see some light rain showers develop in southwest and southern Minnesota as the first of a few disturbances moves through this week. There could be some snow showers northeast also.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Competitive swimmers break the ice to create inaugural swim meet at Lake Johanna

In just a few short months, organizers of an ice swimming competition pulled together an event that brought together a hundred swimmers from all over the world. They competed on Saturday in the inaugural ice swimming race on a Minnesota lake, where the water was just 36 degrees.

In window before special election, House Republicans push for votes on their agenda

After a rough session beginning, bills are reaching votes in the Minnesota Legislature though still encountering some turbulence. With a slim majority, Republicans in the Minnesota House are pushing forward bills that are likely not to pass a floor vote. They hope it will still send a political message.

This Black northern Minnesota inventor changed the world. Many Minnesotans don’t know him

Frederick McKinley Jones invented refrigerated shipping, allowing trucks and trains to move fresh and frozen food worldwide. The self-taught engineer who lived in Hallock held dozens of patents that transformed America, but it’s likely many Minnesotans don’t know him.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🐝 Beekeepers say catastrophic honeybee losses are cause for alarm. Commercial beekeepers across the country are reporting sudden deaths of honey bee colonies. One industry official called the losses unprecedented.

💼 Meet four Minnesota federal workers mourning the loss of their dream jobs. Many Minnesotans are among those facing unemployment. The state is home to more than 18,000 federal workers, with nearly 60 percent working for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

🕯️ Border patrol agent from Minnesota buried with full military honors at Fort Snelling. David Christopher “Chris” Maland, 44, was killed on Jan. 20 while working in Vermont. He pulled over a car, believing one of the two passengers had an expired visa. One of the passengers opened fire.

🛶 Nonprofit working on Mississippi River project loses federal funding. A Minnesota nonprofit that works with the National Park Service to maintain and improve the Mississippi River corridor in the Twin Cities is asking for help from the public after the Trump administration froze federal funding already allocated to the group.

💰 Cooperator, FBI agent, tell of ‘pay to play’ kickback scheme at Feeding Our Future. Qamar Hassan, who pleaded guilty in 2023, testified that she and other operators of purported meal distribution sites gave “donations” to Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock in exchange for their continued participation.

🔎 State DNR and U of M partner for elk research project beginning in March. Over the next two years, researchers intend to capture and GPS collar 25 adult cows and around 15 adult bulls per year beginning in early March. This project is only the second of its kind in Minnesota.

❤️ Mom of ‘Love is Blind’ Minneapolis season participant reveals unaired romance. Many “Love is Blind” fans are unhappy with the share of screen time dedicated to people of color in the eighth season of the reality show, which features singles from across the Twin Cities.

🧊 Ice Palace in Delano announces permanent closure. The family-run business announced in a statement that its final day will be March 2. The family cited warm weather during last year’s season as one of the reasons for the closure.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 Minnesota was repeatedly the coldest place in the U.S. in February. “I wouldn’t be surprised if, beginning this weekend, we’re going to put the subzero readings behind us for this year ,” climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley said on Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer.

🎧 Minneapolis author Curtis Sittenfeld’s new book delves into love, friendship and being wrong. Curtis Sittenfeld writes fiction based on what “fascinates and perplexes” her. Her newest collection of short stories “Show Don’t Tell” continues that theme.

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