3M groundwater contamination trial halted before it even begins

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - 3M groundwater contamination trial halted before it even begins: Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and 3M Company are expected to make an announcement Tuesday afternoon on what was scheduled to be [the opening day of a long-awaited trial]( over the decades-long contamination of groundwater in Washington County. - Advocates turn to Legislature for changes to gun laws: The Florida school shooting that killed 17 students and teachers last week has galvanized gun-control groups. Second Amendment advocates, meanwhile, want lawmakers to reconsider gun-rights bills that fell by the wayside last year. But with an abbreviated legislative session and the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton at odds over gun policy, legislators and advocates said the enthusiasm [might not translate to much action this year.]( As Minnesota lawmakers kick off a short, and likely contentious, legislative session, [here are some of the issues in play.]( - GOP donors pledge support for Pawlenty in private meeting: Pawlenty fans see the former governor as the best chance for Republicans to take back the office from the DFL, in a race shaping up as [the most significant and wide open in years.]( - State reports sharp drop in backlog of elder abuse complaints: Under pressure from legislators and families of elder abuse victims, state health officials have made [dramatic gains in reducing a huge backlog of unresolved complaints]( of maltreatment in Minnesota senior care facilities. State investigators found [neglect in the deaths of two residents]( who suffered falls at the same Northfield nursing home five months apart. - Mayo Clinic's CEO to retire at end of year: Dr. John Noseworthy, the veteran chief executive at the Mayo Clinic, is retiring at the end of 2018, [the Rochester-based health system announced Tuesday.]( - Special counsel files new charge in Russia probe: A charging document filed in federal court in Washington [accuses attorney Alex van der Zwaan of lying to investigators]( about his interactions with Rick Gates, a longtime business associate of President Donald Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort. Both Gates and Manafort were indicted last year on charges of conspiracy to launder money and acting as unregistered foreign agents. The law firm where van der Zwaan used to work [says it fired him last year]( and has been cooperating with authorities. - Bloody red shrimp found in Lake Superior: A solitary bloody red shrimp was found in the Twin Ports Harbor, raising fears that the light-hating, zooplankton-eating invasive critters [have found their way to Lake Superior.]( - Trump moves to relax rules on cheaper health insurance: The Trump administration took another swipe at the health care law Tuesday, proposing new rules that would make it much easier for consumers to buy less expensive health insurance policies that [do not comply with coverage requirements of the law.]( Nearly 116,000 Minnesotans [lost health insurance over the past two years](, marking an abrupt turnaround in health coverage gains that began after enactment of the Affordable Care Act. - Preventive treatment for peanut allergies succeeds in study: The first treatment to help prevent serious allergic reactions to peanuts may be on the way. A company said Tuesday that its [daily capsules of peanut flour helped children tolerate nuts]( in a major study. - American Indian women in Minneapolis disproportionately stopped by police: American Indian women in Minneapolis were stopped, searched and arrested [at higher rates last year than any other demographic group](, including black men, according to a new study from St. Catherine University. And while, citywide, a majority of police stops were for traffic violations, American Indians were mostly stopped on the basis of being "suspicious persons," the report found.  Watch this A simple trick for defrosting your windshield: This would have come in handy this morning, but appropriately named meteorologist Ken Weathers [shares his homemade trick for effortlessly defrosting a car windshield]( and explains the science behind it.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Edina man goes on a "Jeopardy!" tear: Rob Worman appears yet again Tuesday on the long-running game show after blowing away the competition during Monday’s airing, when he reaped his best one-day take yet of $37,999. That brought his [grand total over four days to $92,298.]( - Minnesota Opera takes daring turn for 2018-19 season: A baseball scandal, singing soldiers, a horse that eats a hat. [These are a few of the surprising ingredients]( for Minnesota Opera’s daring 2018-19 season, announced Tuesday. - Hi-Lo Diner wants you to pick winning Girl Scout troop in cookie competition: To get the cookies for its line of limited-edition desserts, Hi-Lo needed to find a Girl Scout troop to buy them from. This year, the diner put out a request on its Facebook page asking troops to make the case for why they should be chosen for the sales. The troop that submits to best “ask” gets the cookie sales. [That's where you come in.](  Sports roundup - Vikings must make a decision on Keenum as franchise tag window opens: Starting Tuesday, NFL teams have a two-week window to prevent one of their pending free agents from hitting the open market with a one-year contract. The Vikings’ front office has recently been proactive in re-signing coveted players the summer before they reach this point. But they’re now in uncharted waters with perhaps [the most unique quarterback situation in the NFL.]( - Gophers unveil new football uniforms for 2018: [The team unveiled the new uniforms at 6 a.m. Tuesday]( with former Gophers Dom Barber, Marqueis Gray and Maxx Williams donning the Nike threads. Coach P.J. Fleck's "Row the Boat" mantra is prominent in the uniforms' design. - Louisville forced to vacate 2013 men's basketball championship: Louisville must [vacate its 2013 men's basketball title]( following an NCAA appeals panel's decision to uphold sanctions against the men's program in the sex scandal case. The Cardinals will have to vacate 123 victories including the championship, and return some $600,000 in conference revenue from the 2012-15 NCAA Tournaments.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “You just don’t know what kind of goofball you’re going to be.” -- [Rob Worman](, of Edina, on why he was more nervous for the airing of his first "Jeopardy!" appearance than he was for the taping.  Worth a click With 10 million acres in Patagonia, a national park system is born: The New York Times reports that two Americans snapped up enormous swaths of land in Chile, which they donated to a new conservation area that will be [three times the size of Yosemite and Yellowstone combined](. Don't miss the amazing photography in this story.  From the archives Feb. 20, 1943: Major W. L. Harding administers the oath of enlistment to 16 women who are the first from Minneapolis and St. Paul to be sworn in to the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve. 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