We're more than halfway through the month. Here's the latest news from across the state to start your day. ☕
WEATHER
🥶 We are enduring one more freezing morning with temperatures just above the freezing point in the inner Twin Cities metro, but lows in the 20s and low 30s will be common around southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
☀️ Temperatures will begin to warm up later Wednesday. Highs will be near 60 in the Twin Cities with low to mid-60s west. Northeast Minnesota will remain in the 50s. Everyone will see lots of sunshine.
While most districts feature head-to-head battles between candidates, just a fraction are viewed as competitive. Those contests in politically purple districts have drawn the most money, time and attention from the major political parties and independent organizations that can put forward resources that can boost or oppose candidates in those races. Here’s a look at some of the races generating the most attention and campaign spending ahead of Election Day.
The North Star Promise program helps cover tuition and fees for Minnesota students with a family adjusted gross income under $80,000 who are studying at a public institution or tribal college in the state. Scholarships can be applied for studies up to a four-year degree. MPR News interviewed seven Minnesotans on how the North Star program drove their decision on where — and if — to attend college this fall.
NEWS ROUNDUP
🗳️ In close Minnesota House races, personal problems old and new can be vexing for candidates. In the final push to Election Day, political parties and outside entities with keen interest on who controls the House next year are looking for anything in a candidate’s past that could make them unpalatable to voters.
🚨 First Feeding Our Future defendant sentenced gets 12 years. A federal judge Tuesday handed a 12-year prison term to the first defendant in the Feeding Our Future case to be sentenced. Mohamed Jama Ismail, the former co-owner of Empire Cuisine & Market in Shakopee, is one of five people convicted in June of stealing tens of millions of dollars from taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs.
👮♂️ St. Paul police chief addresses violence resulting in three deaths over four days. Three people have died over the last four days in St. Paul, according to police chief Axel Henry. There are charges in two of the incidents, but Henry says they are still investigating the others.
🏒 Defending champion hockey team MN Frost will play extended season this year. The Minnesota Frost professional women’s hockey team will open the 2024-25 season at home against the New York Sirens on Dec. 1 at the Xcel Energy Center.
💰 Minnesota city says Trump campaign still owes more than $200,000 for July rally. Local officials say former President Donald Trump’s campaign still owes a central Minnesota city nearly $209,000 for services related to a July campaign rally. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the bill is for services beyond what St. Cloud normally provides.
🗣️ I don’t speak Spanish. I asked my dad, am I Latina enough? Many biracial people and children of immigrants deal with complicated feelings around cultural identity. That includes MPR News senior producer Jessica Bari, who decided it was time to talk with her father, a native of Puerto Rico.
☄️ Once in a lifetime comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS visible this week. This could be the best week for viewing a rare comet above Minnesota. Look low in the western sky after sunset. The comet won't return for 80,000 years.
🎓 Be the first: Success stories from Minnesota's trailblazers. Join MPR News and Sahan Journal on Oct. 17 for a conversation with people who are in the first in their communities. What does it take to be a trailblazer?
MUST LISTEN
🎧 Fairview’s new partner in mental health is facing investigation for holding patients against their will. Acadia Healthcare is under scrutiny after New York Times reporters discovered a pattern of holding patients against their will — even when it was not medically necessary for them to be there.
🎧 ABBA's Benny Andersson on reprise of his Minnesota-set musical 'Kristina'. In 1995, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA wrote a musical called “Kristina.” It tells the story of Swedes who found their way to Minnesota territory in the mid-18th century. VocalEssence will open its 56th season with a concert performance of “Kristina” on Oct. 26.
🎧Power Pair: Two violas, two orchestras and one marriage. Meet a power pair with a harmonious relationship. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with married couple Maiya Papach, principal violist of The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Rebecca Albers, principal violist of the Minnesota Orchestra.
