Homeless man charged in Duluth synagogue fire

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Homeless man charged in Duluth synagogue fire: The complaint says Matthew J. Amiot gave police a statement admitting to starting the fire, explaining that he tried to spit on it to put it out, but [when it would not go out he walked away.]( - St. Paul officer fatally shoots man who rammed squad car: [A police officer shot and killed a man]( who rammed his police SUV Sunday night in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood. The man got out of the vehicle and “initiated a physical confrontation,” a police statement said. During the ensuing fight, the officer shot the man, who died at the scene. It was [the 12th fatal police encounter in Minnesota]( so far in 2019, according to a Star Tribune database. - "Geography is destiny" for those living with disabilities in Minnesota: The lives of tens of thousands of Minnesota families are upended by the arbitrary and confusing way Minnesota distributes money designed to help people with severe disabilities. This coveted assistance, disbursed by counties in a form known as Medicaid “waivers,"" supplies people who have qualifying disabilities with more than $3 billion a year. But county policies are so inconsistent and capricious that some families have become nomads, pulling up roots and moving long distances [just to obtain the essential care to which they are entitled]( under state and federal law. - Trump says U.S. "locked and loaded" in response to drone attack: Tensions are flaring in the Persian Gulf after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is "locked and loaded" to respond to [a weekend drone assault on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure]( that his aides blamed on Iran. - Winnebago Industries makes $344M deal to buy luxury RV maker: Privately-held Newmar Corp. has been making luxury motor homes for more than 50 years will [help extend the range of RV options]( that Winnebago can offer consumers. - Wright County man sentenced to 28 years in prison for producing child porn: FBI agents seized from Nicholas Campbell’s home [a large volume of electronic evidence]( showing that he had produced sexually explicit images and videos depicting two children. - Two more yeas for U food Vendor is too much, students say: The University of Minnesota will consider parting ways with its Twin Cities campus dining vendor of more than two decades — including a possible switch to [preparing meals for students in-house.]( - Auto workers launch strike against GM: [A strike by over 49,000 United Auto workers]( against General Motors could have been averted had the company made its latest offer sooner, the union's top negotiator said in a letter to the company.  Watch this RIP Ric Ocasek: The Cars frontman whose deadpan vocal delivery and lanky, sunglassed look defined a rock era with numerous hits like "Just What I Needed," "Let's Go" and "You Might Think" was [found dead Sunday afternoon in his Manhattan apartment]( at the age of 75. The death comes a year after The Cars were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, followed by an announcement by model Paulina Porizkova on social media that she and Ocasek had separated after 28 years of marriage. Check out this clip of [Ocasek performing "My Best Friend's Girl"]( with the Cars at the University of Sussex in Brighton, U.K., in 1978.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Country star Jason Aldean books St. Paul gig: Two years removed from the tragic mass shooting during their festival appearance in Las Vegas, country music star Jason Aldean and his band are rolling strong again and ready to announce “We Back.” That’s the title of Aldean’s new single as well as the name of his newly announced winter and spring tour, which will [hit Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on March 14]( as well as arenas in Fargo, Des Moines, Madison, Omaha and Moline. - 16 years after his death, Mister Rogers remains a force for change, director says: Mister Rogers is back in the neighborhood, with Tom Hanks in the role. Director Marielle Heller thinks [we need the TV legend more than ever.]( - Century-old former fire station is now one-of-a-kind Minneapolis condo: The fire pole is long gone — but the renovated Minneapolis firehouse now works as [a flexible three-bedroom loft.](  Sports roundup - Is Kirk Cousins regressing or just overrated? On Sunday, quarterback Kirk Cousins was in situations where he could prompt comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Instead, he evoked memories of Christian Ponder, [writes Jim Souhan](. - Graterol impresses as a Twins reliever: The Twins don’t want to put the strain of starting on Brusdar Graterol’s 21-year-old arm this year. But the more he develops, the more tempting it will be to [convert him into a reliever](, right? - Jerry Kill to become special assistant to Virginia Tech football: Kill resigned as athletic director at Southern Illinois, one of the schools where he'd been football coach before coming to Minnesota, [to take his new position.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “You get to the point where you’re told ‘no’ so many times that you have no choice: You have to pack up and leave.” -- [Michelle Johnson](, whose family sold their house in Pine County and moved to Mora to gain access to home care and medical equipment for their young daughter, Michaela.  Worth a click A homeless musician changed my life. I wish I could do more to change his. Los Angeles Times columnist provides an update to [the ongoing story of his friendship with Nathaniel Anthony Ayers](, the talented cellist he found living on the streets (portrayed by Jamie Foxx in "The Soloist"). Lopez writes that Ayers' story is emblematic of "an epic collapse" of mental health care and "a failure of leadership."  From the archives Sept. 16, 1971: J.P. Parise seemed to be lying down on the job, but he was going through a stretching exercise at the North Stars camp in Winnipeg. (Photo: John Croft/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2019 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](