Good morning, Minnesota. Happy snowy Thursday!

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

WEATHER

❄️ Snow will continue much of Thursday with the heaviest of it falling during the morning hours. Lighter snow will taper off by evening into the early overnight Thursday night.

🥶 Friday and Saturday will both be chilly but also with some sunshine. Highs will be mostly in the teens.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Schools closed or delayed, driving difficult across Minnesota as snow continues to fall

Steady snow started falling overnight across a wide swath of Minnesota, causing difficult driving conditions for the Thursday morning commute and prompting many schools to cancel or delay the start of classes.

After losing VP bid, Walz searches for role in pushing back against Trump

With Republican pickups both nationally and in his home state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is searching for the right balance when preparing to push back against GOP priorities, while also showing that he’s willing to work with them on issues important to middle class voters.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🎸 Minnesota native Slim Dunlap of The Replacements dies at age 73. Dunlap joined the band in 1987, replacing its original lead guitarist Bob Stinson and earning him the moniker "the replacement Replacement." Dunlap would go on to record the 1989 album “Don't Tell A Soul” and their 1990 album “All Shook Down.”

🏫 St. Paul schools set to pick next superintendent. After more than six months of searching, St. Paul school board members are expected to announce the district’s next superintendent Thursday night. The three finalists all have experience running school systems and all are women of color.

🚨 Police arrest suspected driver in Minneapolis car crash that killed two. A 38-year-old woman has been arrested in connection to a car crash that killed two people and injured three others Monday morning in Minneapolis.

🧑‍⚖️ Man pleads guilty to stalking UConn basketball star and Minnesota native Paige Bueckers. Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, who had an engagement ring and lingerie with him when he was first arrested in August, received a one-year suspended sentence and three years’ probation on Wednesday.

🎨 The M’s New Wing and exhibition glow after $14M renovation and expansion. Newly commissioned Native works and a broad range of historic and contemporary art are displayed together in the expanded New Wing.

📝 Report: Minnesota gun deaths declined in 2023. The report relies on data from state death certificates and found 530 people died from gun-related incidents in 2023. In 2022, that number was 569 and 570 in the previous year.

😷 The CDC has confirmed the first severe case of bird flu in a human in the U.S. California's Governor has declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of bird flu among dairy cattle. And a person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a case of bird flu that's been linked to wild birds and poultry.

📦 About 10,000 Amazon workers authorize plan to strike Thursday. Workers authorized a strike as they seek better pay, safer conditions and longer breaks. Workers in New York City, Atlanta, California and Illinois are joining the picket line. Warehouse workers and drivers at other facilities are prepared to strike, as well.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 A Bar of Their Own sports bar owner reflects on a remarkable year in women’s sports. The year 2024 was defined by many things. Among them? A remarkable, unprecedented year for women’s sports. Jillian Hiscock has dedicated her career to shining the spotlight on women’s sports. She made history this year when she opened Minnesota’s first ever women’s sports bar.

🎧 What's in a baby name? A name consultant shares her take on the top Minnesota names. M Health Fairview announced its list of top baby names of 2024. Boy names Theodore, Oliver and Henry have had lasting appeal, taking turns in the top three spots on Fairview’s annual list since 2021. For girls’ names, Olivia, Emma and Evelyn dethroned the perennial frontrunner, Charlotte.

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

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