Most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin will have highs in the 40s on Friday. Expect temperatures a few degrees warmer for the weekend. Get the latest weather news on Updraft.
Coming up on Morning Edition: Muslim families in Minnesota can now use donor breast milk without breaking with religious tradition. That’s after an Islamic decree — known as a Fatwa — was signed on by local faith leaders in collaboration with Minnesota health systems. The fatwa will encourage Muslim families to use donor breast milk for their vulnerable babies in intensive care and is the first of its kind in the United States. MPR News early childhood reporter Kyra Miles brings us the story.
Coming up at 11 a.m.: In his new book titled "under Alien Skies," Philip Plait — aka the Bad Astronomer — takes space fans on a vivid tour of the cosmos, with stops on planets, moons, stars and even black holes. (Spoiler: That last one doesn’t end well.) He talks with Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas.
Minnesota’s Christmas tree farms are busier than ever getting ready to sell their harvest to the public. The demand for live trees remains strong despite much of the state suffering repeated droughts during the last several years.
Trees take two to four years to recover from droughts. Luigi Romolo, state climatologist with the Minnesota DNR, said it’s unclear why droughts are developing more often and more severely. He also said that a slow spring melt in March and April will be needed in order to recharge soils for planting season.
Crews this week demolished the former Kmart building on Lake Street in Minneapolis over the course of several days.
The site has long been slated for demolition and redevelopment, but that timeline was accelerated in the wake of a fire that damaged the vacant building last month. The fire department investigated, but could not determine the cause of the fire.
What else we're watching:
Minneapolis mayor, council meet in special session over plan for police incentives. The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey are headed for a showdown Friday afternoon at a special meeting to consider more than $15 million in bonuses for Minneapolis police officers and recruits. Wayne Ducheneaux II is stepping down from Native Governance Center. Here's a look at his legacy. He was the Native-led organization’s first executive director and helped to grow its work from a single program to many — all of which serve tribes and their needs.
