Appeals court refuses to stop construction of Line 3 oil pipeline

Welcome to Wednesday, Minnesota!

Today is likely the last quiet weather day of the week. Lows this morning are in the teens and low 20s, and a few areas of fog expected. Highs today will be near 30. A wintry mix starts to spread across the state by Wednesday evening and then overnight, which may bring less than an inch to several inches of snow across the state by Thursday. Then a polar vortex is targeting Minnesota next toward the weekend. Get the latest on the Updraft.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied a request to pause construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline until lawsuits challenging the project are heard.

Enbridge Energy began work on the $2.6 billion Line 3 project across northern Minnesota in December. Opponents of the project, led by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said in their petition that construction would destroy land that is protected by treaty agreements and would violate cultural and religious rights. While the Appeals Court yesterday denied a request by the two tribes to shut down the construction, the court isn't expected to issue a final order on their legal challenges until June, by which point the project is expected to be largely finished.
Tuesday's vaccination number seems to have hit a speed bump. Officials are pleading with Minnesotans: 'Everyone is going to have to be patient.'

The Health Department yesterday reported fewer than 6,400 vaccinations, following three days where daily vaccinations averaged close to 40,000. While Tuesday’s number may turn out to be anomaly, the data underscored the growing urgency being felt to get shots into arms. More than 447,000 Minnesotans received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest available data from the state department. “We are getting Minnesotans vaccinated safely and quickly as supplies come to us, [but] we just don’t have enough vaccine and everyone is going to have to be patient," state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann told reporters Tuesday.

Here are Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 statistics:

An offer to ship you a vaccine or put you on a priority list, asking your credit card number? Don't buy the vaccine scam, state officials warn.

Officials affirm that providers will never ask vaccine recipients for credit card, bank account or Social Security information. Offers to ship vaccine are fake, as are calls, emails or texts claiming to represent Medicare looking to make appointments. The COVID-19 vaccine is free, and isn't being sold by any legitimate providers.

Two of Minnesota’s biggest food companies are pushing the farmers they work with to grow crops in a more environmentally friendly way.

Cargill and General Mills are offering incentives to farmers who adopt the principles of regenerative agriculture. It's a set of farming practices that make growing food more environmentally friendly. And as interest grows, so does the debate over how to define and measure the new system.

Join the conversation at 11 a.m.: Do you work in the mental health care sector? How are you coping with your own stress and the high demand during the pandemic? On today's show, MPR News host Angela Davis will be joined by two therapists to talk about how their colleagues are handling burnout, stress and the weight of helping others. Call 651-227-6000 or tweet @AngelaDavisMPR during the live show to share your story with us.

🎧 Tune in to stay informed and connected. Here's what's coming up on MPR News today.

— Jiwon Choi, MPR News MPRNews.org.