Record-setting tornado touches down in Zimmerman

To view this email as a web page, [click here]( [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Record-setting tornado touches down in Zimmerman: A tornado that damaged homes and downed trees near Zimmerman was one for the weather record books as [the earliest twister recorded in Minnesota](. Another survey team was inspecting damage in Clarks Grove about 15 miles north of Albert Lea in southern Minnesota where a second twister was believed to have caused extensive damage Monday evening. - Was the state to blame for White Bear Lake's decline? A trial that is expected to last three weeks stems from [a descent of the lake’s water levels over the past decade]( that had property owners stitching their docks together to extend them hundreds of feet out into the water so they could use their boats. - House Republicans release bill to replace Obamacare: House Republicans on Monday released their long-awaited plan for unraveling former President Barack Obama's health care law, a package that would scale back the government's role in helping people afford coverage and [likely leave more Americans uninsured.]( The bill would cut more than 20 taxes enacted under the Affordable Care Act, with [about 90 percent of the savings going to the top 1 percent of earners](, according to the Tax Policy Center. This includes [a tax cut for health insurance company executives]( making more than $500,000. Here's an overview of [how the GOP bill would change the existing law.]( GOP leaders have not said how they intend to pay for the bill, but they have scheduled votes on the new package [before receiving the Congressional Budget Office's analysis]( of what it will cost or how many people it will insure. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price praised the bill Tuesday, even as [surging conservative opposition complicated party leaders' drive]( to sell the proposal to rank-and-file lawmakers and the public. - WikiLeaks releases what it says are CIA hacking secrets: WikiLeaks on Tuesday released thousands of documents that it said described [sophisticated software tools used by the CIA to break into smartphones](, computers and even Internet-connected televisions. If the documents are authentic, as appeared likely at first review, the release would be the latest coup for the anti-secrecy organization and a serious blow to the CIA, which maintains its own hacking capabilities to be used for espionage. - Trump blames Obama for Guantánamo "re-engagers" mostly released by Bush: President Trump broke his White House silence on the topic of Guantánamo Bay on Tuesday, incorrectly blaming President Obama for [the release of more than 100 captives who U.S. intelligence agencies consider recidivists](. The president failed to note that 113 of the 122 men he described as “vicious prisoners” were released by the George W. Bush administration. - Consume less bacon and soda, more nuts: Gorging on bacon, skimping on nuts? These are among food habits that [new research links with deaths from heart disease, strokes and diabetes](. Overeating or not eating enough of the 10 foods and nutrients contributes to nearly half of U.S. deaths from these causes, the study suggests. - Ben Carson compares slaves to immigrants: The HUD secretary set off an uproar yesterday when he told a room packed with hundreds of federal workers that the Africans captured, sold and transported to America against their will [had the same hopes and dreams as early immigrants.]( - Former St. Jude Medical exec admits to stealing from company: Former St. Jude Medical executive Bryan C. Szweda admitted Tuesday to [stealing more than $35,000 from his employer](, under a plea deal that will likely keep the former vice president out of jail on felony theft charges. - Female Marines detail harassment in wake of nude photo scandal: Marine officials on Sunday said the branch was looking into a number of Marines, as well as current and former service members, [who shared naked and compromising photos of their female colleagues]( on social media through a shared drive on a Facebook group called Marines United. - Debate over "livability crimes" heats up on E. Lake Street: Seven business improvement groups across the city want Hennepin County Chief Judge Ivy Bernhardson to sign off on [police arrests for drinking in public and loitering with an open bottle]( — violations that currently only merit a ticket. But the request is stirring fierce opposition from advocates for the homeless and the Hennepin County Public Defender’s office, who say that it will only result in more arrests of the poor, homeless and people of color — increasing a disparity that already exists in the criminal justice system. Watch this Elusive whale captured on video for first time ever: Beaked whales — a family of 22 cetacean species characterized by dolphin-like noses and missile-shaped bodies — are some of the most elusive animals on Earth. They dive deeper and longer than any other marine mammal and spend an estimated 92 percent of their lives far beneath the ocean surface. One species, the True’s beaked whale, is so rare that [only a handful of people have ever seen it alive.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to talkers@startribune.com. Trending - Wayzata restaurant Bellecour nearly booked for first two months: Twin Cities food deity Gavin Kaysen’s new French restaurant in Wayzata is nearly booked for its first two months, just 24 hours after it began taking reservations. [The restaurant opens March 15.]( - George Michael died of natural causes, coroner says: The pop singer died of natural causes as the result of heart disease and a fatty liver, [a British coroner said Tuesday](. - The pros and cons of tankless water heaters: Reuben Saltzman, aka the Home Inspector, is back with [what you need to know before you replace your old water heater](. - Casey Anthony says "I sleep pretty good" nine years after acquittal: Casey Anthony knows that much of the world believes she killed her 2-year-old daughter, despite her acquittal. But nearly nine years later, she insists [she doesn't know how the last hours of Caylee's life unfolded.]( How do you feel about restaurants that don't take reservations? Reporter Sharyn Jackson wants to hear from you for a story. Email her at sjackson@startribune.com. Sports roundup - Pitino names Big Ten Coach of the Year: After orchestrating the biggest one-year turnaround of any Division I men’s basketball program this year, the Gophers’ Richard Pitino was [named Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the media and coaches](. Pitino, 34, is the youngest to win conference Coach of the Year honors since the award’s inaugural season in 1974. - "Condensation crisis" at Target Center leaves Wolves fans on thin ice: The National College Hockey Conference took partial blame for [Monday night’s cancelled Timberwolves game at Target Center](. - Free agency may be unkind to Adrian Peterson: With NFL free agency unofficially set to begin today, giving Adrian Peterson a chance to choose his team for 2017 and beyond, he might have more boxes he would like to check [than serious suitors for his services](. - Gophers, Fleck get off to elite start for spring football: The Gophers open spring practice Tuesday, and an inside glimpse at their preparation last month [gave no hints that the turbocharged coach even sleeps](. Quote of the day “Imagine, these are animals the size of elephants that we just can’t find. They’re a mystery.” -- [Aguilar de Soto](, a marine biologist with the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, on the first video ever captured of True's beaked whales. Worth a click How Nixon ushered in a "golden age" of good design to the federal government: While anyone who visits a federal website these days might snicker at the idea that the government does design well, Fast Company explains how President Richard Nixon's expansion of funding for the arts helped [introduce good design to the government in the 1970s.]( From the archives March 7, 1992: Minnesota coach Clem Haskins hangs his head in frustration during the final minutes of the Gophers' game against Purdue at Williams Arena. The Boilermakers won 68-58. (Photo: Richard Sennott/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]( [twitter]( [google+]( [pinterest]( [instagram]( [tumblr]( [Sign up for more newsletters]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2017 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](