Legendary Minnesota prep football coach draws criticism for comments about school's Diversity Club

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Legendary Minnesota prep football coach draws criticism for comments about school's Diversity Club: As coach of the high school football team with the longest active winning streak in the nation, Carl Fruechte has been revered in his southeast Minnesota community of Caledonia. But [aletter to the editorthat he wrote in the local newspaper]( recently has some alumni and community members questioning whether Fruechte, who also coaches track, is fostering a welcoming atmosphere for all the students he leads. - "I'm no hero, I'm just a grandmother," says woman credited in boy's rescue: After an Amber Alert flashed across her phone, the avid birder used her binoculars to [identify a stolen Jeep Cherokee with a 1-year-old boy in the back seat.]( - Trump's lawyers blast impeachment trial as "political theater": In a brief filed on the eve of the impeachment trial, lawyers for the former president [leveled a wide-ranging attack on the case](, foreshadowing the claims they intend to present when arguments begin Tuesday on the same Senate floor that was invaded by rioters on Jan. 6. - Western Wisconsin prosecutor accused of recording sexual encounters with defendants: Burnett County Assistant District Attorney Daniel P. Steffen, 50, of Osceola, Wis., secretly recorded sexual encounters with two women while leading them to believe he could help them with their pending criminal cases, [according to charges.]( - Cold won't stop school on first day back for Minneapolis students: Frigid weather won't keep the youngest learners out of Minneapolis classrooms on Monday. Minneapolis Public Schools announced Sunday that [pre-K and kindergarten students will return for in-classroom learning as planned.]( Students haven't been in classrooms since last spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced them into distance learning. - Minnesota rises to 12th in vaccine administration among states: [Minnesota has risen from 45th to 12th among U.S. states]( in its rate of COVID-19 vaccine administration and reported on Monday that more than 10% of its population has received at least a first dose. The at times hectic increase in vaccination opportunities has caused some frustrations, though, because limited quantities of doses have been prioritized for some needy groups but not others. Vaccine providers have also had to adapt to changing methods of vaccine distribution. - New variants raise worry about COVID-19 reinfections: Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 [may not protect against getting infected again]( with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests. - Minnesota food shelves end 2020 with record visitors: [Minnesotans visited food shelves across the state 3.8 million times in 2020]( — more than any other year on record — amid the unprecedented combined crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn and civil unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul. - Rochester's DMC rises, even as pandemic reshapes the future: Steps away from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the steel framework of [a new $45 million structure bearing big ambitions has taken shape in recent months]( — rising in determined fashion despite the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. - Texas congressman Ron Wright dies after contracting COVID-19: Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, who had battled health challenges over the past year including lung cancer treatment, [has died more than two weeks after contracting COVID-19](, his office said Monday. He was 67. WATCH THIS Rehabilitated sea lion pups released back into the Pacific: [Some headed straight for the ocean](, but a few of them needed a bit of coaxing. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Super Bowl ads went for light humor. Not all succeeded. The mood on the field was tense during the Super Bowl as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trounced the Kansas City Chiefs. Off the field, brands sought to relieve the tension of the game — and the year — with [lighthearted commercials stuffed with celebrities and nostalgic characters.]( - Warm up with these 10 winter soup recipes from the Star Tribune archives: Cold snaps mean soup kettles are out in full force, and we have [delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes that will suit all kinds of appetites.]( - Join our Embrace Winter Challenge! For the next 30 days, we'll spend 30 minutes a day outside to reduce stress, improve our immune systems and [see Minnesota's "other" season in a whole new light.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - Mahomes still has Brady as the measuring stick for greatness: After Tom Brady [guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 victory]( over Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Mahomes' chances of catching Brady in the argument-ending category of Super Bowl victories became as remote as Bill Belichick throwing a parade for his former quarterback, [writes Jim Souhan.]( Something you might not have seen last night: Original Timberwolves play-by-play voice Kevin Harlans gave fans listening to the game on the radio [this account of the fan who ran on the field]( during the second half of the game. - Guerin believes Wild's season will be delayed longer than four games: The Wild's season remains in limbo as the team deals with a COVID-19 outbreak, and General Manager Bill Guerin [expects more players to be sidelined.]( - The youngest Wolves have been the best Wolves, which is not entirely good: The heartbeat of a young team has been its young core, which is promising for the future — [but troubling in the present.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The joy of growing mushrooms at home: "In our ruined global moment, watching something busily transform trash into fleshy, sculptural fruit is a comfort," [writes Zoë Schlanger for the New York Times.]( TRIVIA WINNER Congratulations to Greg Hughes! Greg was randomly selected from among the many readers who correctly answered that Amazon is the company that unveiled plans for a helix-shaped headquarters in Arlington, Va. He wins a $15 gift card. Be sure to read Talkers on Friday for another trivia question! FROM THE ARCHIVES Feb. 8, 2017: Students from Sejong Academy got a crash course on how a bill becomes a law from Minnesota Rep. Rod Hamilton during Asian Pacific Islander Day at the Capitol in St. Paul. More than 350 students from Twin Cities schools visited the Minnesota Capitol for the event. 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