Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Thursday!

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

WEATHER

🥶 It’s still very cold Thursday but we have light winds under 10 mph and some sunshine to make it a bit better than the past 24 hours.

🌨️ This weekend, temperatures will return to the 30s in southern Minnesota. Some sloppy snow or mixed wintry precipitation looks likely on Saturday.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Cannabis agency drops plans for licensing fast track, early 2025 retail launch in Minnesota grows doubtful

Minnesota’s nascent marijuana market is likely to take longer to launch — both getting plants into the ground and products into approved stores — as state regulators announced revamped plans for granting licenses.

Appetites investigates: Was Chicago Mix actually invented in Minnesota?

It’s called Chicago Mix. That curious mixture of savory and sweet popcorn, the candy-coated mixed with the cheesy. Once you start in on Chicago Mix, it’s tough to stop. Despite the regional name, there are claims that Chicago Mix originated here in the capital city of St. Paul.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🕯️ ‘A steadfast presence:’ Minneapolis community mourns the passing of AIM leader Frank Paro. Paro was a member of AIM for several decades and a part of the generation of leaders and activists that founded the American Indian Movement in Minneapolis in the late 1960s.

🏥 University of Minnesota announces plans to restructure M Health System under new leadership. The U has long wanted to reacquire assets from Fairview Health Services, including the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Cunningham said the reorganization is “independent of our decisions and negotiations with Fairview.”

💵 St. Paul City Council passes property tax increase, makes cuts to mayor's spending plan. The council approved a property tax levy increase of nearly 6 percent at its meeting Wednesday evening. The increase was less than Mayor Melvin Carter wanted.

💰 Minneapolis City Council adopts $1.88B budget for 2025. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he will veto the 2025 budget approved by the city council and that he will approve the property tax levy, an increase of just under 7 percent.

🔥 Fire at Minneapolis encampment spreads to nearby home. Authorities did not report any injuries, but said eight people were displaced from the home that caught fire. Fire officials did not say how many people were displaced from the encampment.

🐈 Two people charged with animal abuse after dozens of cats, dogs seized in Beltrami County. Authorities said 64 dogs and cats were removed from the property last week and brought to Animal Humane Society in the Twin Cities. But deputies had counted well over 200 animals on previous visits — and the criminal complaints note that numerous bones and bone fragments were found last week in an ash pile on the property.

🚗 Driver who crashed into Park Tavern pleads not guilty. Steven Bailey, 56, is accused of driving into the outdoor patio at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park in September. Authorities say his blood alcohol level was measured at four times the legal limit.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 'This is a big pivot:' Future cannabis business owners share disappointment with new licensing process. To keep things on track to launch the market early next year, the state is now putting all applicants in one pool. That means social equity applicants who were approved, won’t get the head start they were promised.

🎧 The final Art Hounds of 2024 looks at children’s books and the art of recovery. Art Hounds recommend the Twin Ports exhibit “Loaded” by Duluth artists Rob Quisling and Jonathan Thunder and “Journey to Joy: Rise, Relevance, Representation in Children’s Picture Books.”

🎧 Local TikToker says she would lose majority of her business if app was banned. Around 70,000 businesses in Minnesota use TikTok for promotional purposes. One of those small business owners is Jen Shaffer. She runs a genealogy business from her home in New Brighton and relies exclusively on connecting to clients using TikTok.

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

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