Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Monday — the first day of a short workweek.

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

WEATHER

🌧️ Eastern Minnesota will see scattered rain and snow showers through the morning hours Monday with snow showers continuing much of the day in northeast Minnesota where a winter weather advisory remains until 9 a.m. Monday.

🥶 Temperatures will fall throughout the day, from the 30s in southeast Minnesota Monday morning into the 20s by evening with teens west. Windchills will be in the teens in eastern Minnesota and single digits in western Minnesota.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Minneapolis council member who beat rare cancer fights to protect others from harmful pollutants

Late last month, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for the closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, or HERC, in downtown Minneapolis. For one council member — LaTrisha Vetaw — that vote was personal. In 2006, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Her physicians said the cancer was probably connected to her exposure to pollution.

Documentary: Connecting with my Ojibwe heritage by learning to harvest wild rice

Boozhoo. I’m Leah Lemm, citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. I’m the senior editor of the Native News initiative at MPR News. I’m excited to share our new film, “Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice.” The film follows my journey as I connect with the harvest and with community members who took time to teach me about many aspects of wild rice.

Old machines, new traditions fuel Rollag’s ‘Ladies of Steam’

In the heyday of steam, engine operators were mostly men, and today the hobby is still male dominated. But that’s changing, in part because of the work by Nicole Wallace and other women through the organization Ladies of Steam created nearly 10 years ago.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🗳️ In deep blue Minneapolis, many Somali voters withheld support for Harris. According to state elections data, support for Vice President Kamala Harris in parts of Minneapolis with concentrations of East African immigrants and Somali voters was weaker than in the city as a whole.

💵 Applicants sue Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management over disqualification. Several prospective marijuana business owners who were barred from participating in a license lottery are suing Minnesota cannabis regulators.

🎨 Vacant no more: Artists, creatives move into empty storefronts for new Minneapolis initiative. The city of Minneapolis announced the first awardees of its Vibrant Storefronts Initiative. The city’s pilot program subsidizes the rent of formerly vacant storefronts downtown for artists and arts organizations.

🏠 Republican who lost Minnesota House race sues claiming DFL winner lives outside district. Another legal challenge looms in the form of a residency dispute brought by a GOP candidate who says the DFL victor doesn’t live in the district he’d represent.

🧑‍⚖️ Defendants in human smuggling case convicted on all counts. After three days of testimony, it took jurors about an hour Friday to convict two men, Harshkumar Patel and Steve Shand, on all counts related to human smuggling at the Federal Courthouse in Fergus Falls.

📖 ‘Meant to be’: Four years later, Black Garnet Books owner is selling, to a friend. When Dionne Sims first came up with the idea for Black Garnet Books, she understood it wouldn’t always be hers, but that didn’t matter — she wanted to create a long-lasting resource for the community.

📝 College leaders optimistic as new FAFSA form debuts early. Students hoping to attend college or trade school starting in fall 2025 can now submit applications for financial help. College Possible is offering individualized help with the FAFSA to all Minnesotans.

🧪 Research finds insecticide common in shallow ground water across Minnesota. Numerous studies have found the chemicals harm bees and other pollinators. Research has shown plants absorb only a small percentage of the chemical. The remaining insecticide moves through the soil with water.

🏈 Sam Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT, Vikings beat Bears 30-27 after blowing late lead. The Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 on Sunday after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.

⚽ LA Galaxy beat Minnesota United 6-2, advance to conference finals. The Galaxy beat Minnesota to advance to the Western Conference finals. The Galaxy, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, will play host to the fourth-seeded Seattle Sounders for the conference title on Saturday.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 Performance Today host Fred Child on taking the ‘stuffiness’ out of classical music. For many people, Fred Child is the voice of classical music. Since 2000, he has hosted APM’s Performance Today, the most-listened-to classical music show in the country. Last month, Fred announced he will step down in October 2025 after 25 years with the program. MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with Child as he heads into his final season about the beauty and breadth of classical music.

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