MPR News AM Update
 
Good morning,

Expect a mostly dry day Tuesday with cloudy skies and temperatures near normal. Snow showers will develop Tuesday night in the western part of the state with more significant, heavy snow moving in late Thursday. Get the latest on Updraft.

🎧 Coming up at 9 a.m., two guests who work at the Minnesota State Capitol join MPR News host Angela Davis to share what goes on in that mysterious building and how to follow and influence the decisions that will directly impact people around the state. 
 
People in blue walk and hold signs
Hundreds of students walk out in Twin Cities to demand investigation of Khalil Azad’s death

Hundreds of Twin Cities students walked out of school Monday, demanding an investigation into the death of Khalil Azad who was found dead days after an encounter with Robbinsdale police in 2022.

Nadia Abraham, a senior a Coon Rapids high school, said she didn’t want to be at a walkout but had decided to attend anyway. “I’m tired of being out here. I’m tired of doing the same thing over and over,” Abraham said. “Our voices are important, but it feels like we’re not being listened to.”

Last week the Robbinsdale Police Department said it would soon release body camera footage about the last known moments of Azad’s life.
A woman wipes the face of a toddler
Rural Minnesota child care shortage leaves parents with few choices

Despite years of campaigning for better child care, parents outside the Twin Cities metro area say they are left with few child care options. Businesses says they are feeling the impact too, as job applicants make choices based on care possibilities for their kids.

“I get calls like at least three [times] a week of people not being able to find day care,” Alissa Kretsch said. “Some of them are even crying because they know they’re gonna lose their job. Also, I’ve heard that there’s some businesses that haven’t come to town because of lack of day care.”
 
What else we're watching:
Minnesota House passes $1.9 billion bonding package, path forward is unclear. The Minnesota House on Monday passed a $1.9 billion capital investment package, but its path forward at the Capitol came into question after Senate Republicans said they’d block it unless Democrats also get behind tax cuts.

Eight years on, Rochester seeks to jump-start Destination Medical Center. Like most cities, Rochester’s downtown life took a hit during the pandemic. What’s different is that Rochester is in the midst of a massive and expensive 20-year transformation, with its downtown a big part of making the city more vibrant. City leaders have created a new task force to figure out what to do next, and are asking the community for help. 

Listen: Here's what a 'gender affirming care' bill would look like in Minnesota. The state Legislature is considering a bill that would make the state a “safe haven” for kids and teens seeking gender-affirming health care. What exactly does this bill do?

What SNAP recipients can expect as benefits shrink in March. Participants in the federal food program might want to reevaluate their eligibility level for SNAP — and consider other assistance programs — as a pandemic-era supplement ends this month.

The anti-drag bills sweeping the U.S. are straight from history's playbook. It turns out that even 150 years ago, legislators wanted to police gender expression in public spaces.

— Sam Stroozas, MPR News
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