Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Thursday!

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

WEATHER

😎 Temperatures will run 20 to 30 degrees above normal Thursday and Friday. Thursday's highs will reach well into the 60s to near 70 across southern Minnesota. Friday will be even warmer.

⛈️ Unusual warmth is preceding an unusually strong spring storm with impacts farther north than usual for this time of year. We could be dealing with the first threat of severe weather in southern Minnesota late Friday.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

‘Identical patients’: A Minneapolis ER doc remembers the COVID-19 surge

Dr. John Hick saw Minnesota’s busiest emergency department fill with patients, many struggled to breathe. Five years later, health care is still dealing with the pandemic’s aftermath.

COVID boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater

Before the COVID pandemic, wastewater sampling wasn't routinely done for public health purposes. But as case numbers climbed, scientists and public health officials saw the value of getting a sneak peak of where the virus was spreading, and where the next hot spot might be.

NEWS ROUNDUP

⚖️ Despite evidence, Bock denies knowledge of Feeding Our Future fraud. She said she shut down meal sites she suspected were stealing taxpayer money. She also claimed in federal court the $2,800 payments from vendors were for a policy manual. Prosecutors allege they were kickbacks.

💵 Minneapolis school district sends layoff notices to combat $75M budget deficit. Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams said the district, in addition to dealing with a budget deficit, is also concerned about federal cuts that would further impact funding.

🏫 Walz warns Department of Education cuts could put students, schools at risk. Gov. Tim Walz said cuts at the Department of Education could cause budget troubles and confusion at public schools across the state, after the department said it’s cutting half its staff.

📜 Minnesota House bill to encourage sharing of immigration data with ICE introduced. The bill aims to prevent state and local governments from limiting their employees’ ability to share immigration data, including the legal status of immigrants, with federal authorities.

💖 ‘Love is Blind’ cast reveal season 8 was gayer than you know (and more) at MPR event. For those of you who can’t get enough, we got more of the insider scoop by hosting a live event at the MPR News headquarters on Tuesday evening called “Love is Unaired.”

🏢 St. Paul officials express concern about Madison Equities treatment of Alliance Bank Center tenants. The property owner, Madison Equities, told tenants on Monday to vacate the premises immediately. It hadn’t been paying its utility bills, and e power was scheduled to shut off Wednesday.

🏛️ Supporters of a bill to protect wild rice rally at the capitol. Indigenous and environmental organizations from across Minnesota came together at the state capitol to advocate for a series of bills they say will help protect the environment.

💸 Tariffs stoke anxiety with Minnesota officials over uncertain impacts. Klobuchar said she’s concerned about the consequences the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may have on the country’s standing with international trade partners.

🏡 In Rochester, a new program helps students’ families avoid eviction. Housing in Olmsted County is hard to come by, said Mary O’Neil, associate director housing for Olmsted County. Rents often reflect wages earned by people in higher paying medical careers at Mayo Clinic.

👨‍⚖️ Judge dismisses lawsuit claiming tribal casinos in Minnesota are running illegal games. Running Aces, which operates a harness track in Columbus, claimed several Minnesota tribal gaming entities were operating card games in violation of state and federal gambling laws.

🚜 USDA cuts farm-to-school food funding in Minnesota. The funds would have reimbursed schools for locally-purchased food. It would have represented the largest amount ever invested in Minnesota farm-to-school or farm-to-food shelf funding. Observers say USDA’s decision is a significant blow.

🗳️ St. Paul seeking applicants to temporarily fill Ward 4 council seat before election. The St. Paul City Council is seeking applicants to fill the vacancy left by council member Mitra Jalali to represent Ward 4 until a special election can be held later in the year.

🖼️ A St. Paul GIANT: Gordon Parks plays a special role in the new Mia exhibition from Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz. The exhibition “GIANTS" at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is an explosion of color, texture and emotion. The show travels to Mia from the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

🏀 Gophers fire men's basketball coach Ben Johnson after four seasons with U of M. Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle announced early Thursday that he fired Ben Johnson after Minnesota lost to Northwestern in Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament opener.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 Art Hounds: Latino musicals and textile, plus Lilith Fair revisited. Art Hounds recommend “Connective Thread,” “Voces Latinas: A Broadway Musical Revue” and “The Legacy of Lilith Fair.”

🎧 Five years later, how did COVID-19 change Minnesota? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the lasting impact of COVID-19 on our bodies, our mental health, our communities and our world.

🎧 5 years after the pandemic, Jan Malcolm says we are not better prepared for the next one. Former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm led the state through the first two years of the pandemic. She frequently hosted the state’s daily COVID press conferences.

🎧 Out to Lunch: Bishop Richard Howell leads north Minneapolis with forgiveness and love. Bishop Richard Howell has been a pastor at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in north Minneapolis for more than 40 years. He spends nearly all of his time listening to and helping community members in the area. And he’s led the ministry through a difficult five years since the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd.

🎧 What’s with the turmoil in downtown St. Paul? Mayor Carter responds. B’s Barbershop, Pino’s Pizzera and other businesses were told Monday they had less than 48 hours to leave because the building would shut off its heat and lights. Carter negotiated with Xcel Energy and District Energy Tuesday to maintain service until April 1.

🎧 ‘Wicked’ costume designer reflects on formative years at the Guthrie. While still at the Guthrie, Paul Tazewell began working on Broadway. He finished his run at the Minnesota theater in 2008 with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He later won a Tony in 2016 for his costumes in “Hamilton.”

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

Talking Volumes

MPR News and the Minnesota Star Tribune are heading back to Duluth on May 1 for a special Talking Volumes with author Peter Geye and hosted by award-winning MPR News journalist Kerri Miller.

Purchase tickets