Minnesota is bracing for an increase in abortion demand

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minnesota is bracing for an increase in abortion demand: Minnesota physicians and organizations that help women access abortions are [bracing for a spike in demand](, days after Texas enacted a law considered the most restrictive abortion ban since Roe v. Wade. The law prohibits abortions as early as six weeks — before some women know they're pregnant — and is already pushing people in Texas and surrounding states to seek abortions elsewhere.Meanwhile, in neighboring North Dakota, lawmakers on Thursday signaled that they plan to introduce their own version of the Texas law. - St. Paul schools to require COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing for staff: [St. Paul Public Schools will require employees to be vaccinated]( against COVID-19 or tested weekly beginning Oct. 15 under action taken by the school board Friday. The unanimous vote came amid a surge in cases caused by the more contagious delta variant. - DFL Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent stepping down: Senate DFL Minority Leader Susan Kent said Thursday that she is stepping down from her post and won't seek re-election next fall, the latest leadership shake-up in the chamber ahead of a fall special session. Kent's Woodbury seat in the Senate [will be a top target for both parties.]( - Andrew Luger in final stage of U.S. Attorney nomination process in Minnesota: [The FBI is conducting a final background check]( on former U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger to return to the job he held from 2014 to 2017, according to multiple sources, who say this is typically the final step before the White House formally announces a nomination. - University of Minnesota shotputter acquitted of sexual assault charges: A University of Minnesota student athlete [was acquitted Friday of charges that he sexually assaulted another student]( at a birthday party near campus in August 2020. Kevin Nedrick, 22, has been suspended from the track and field team since his arrest last August, when he was charged in Hennepin County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. - More than 8,000 Afghan refugees temporarily housed at Wisconsin's Fort McCoy: [More than 8,000 refugees from Afghanistan were being temporarily housed]( at Fort McCoy in western Wisconsin as of Friday and the military base has a capacity to host up to 13,000 as they are resettled across the country, a military official said Friday. - Chicago man arrested in fatal Hwy. 169 shooting in Plymouth: [A 33-year-old Chicago man has been arrested in Illinois]( in the fatal road rage shooting on Hwy. 169 in Plymouth, authorities said Thursday. - Settlement reached with west metro-based nonprofit aiding vets in alleged violation of charitable giving laws: BFW Institute of Education & Research — also known as Pain Free Patriots — was started by Becker Furniture World CEO Douglas Huseby. According to Attorney General Keith Ellison's office, Pain Free Patriots directed recipients of its grants to get help from Ultimate Wellness Center, which was also owned by Huseby — [funneling more than $2 million to his related businesses over a four-year span](. - National study that included HealthPartners backs safety of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines: A review of 6.2 million vaccine recipients in Minnesota and seven other U.S. regions [found no significantly elevated rates of conditions]( such as stroke or heart attack immediately following COVID-19 vaccination. - Are more wild animals moving into Minnesota's cities?[Drought conditions may embolden animals]( looking for food in the urban core. WATCH THIS Jaguars aren't all that different from your housecat: Mijungla, who lives at an animal refuge in Bolivia after being found in poor health in the forest, exhibits a recognizable playfulness when [her keepers taunted her with a large ball attached to a vine.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - 70-something "grandfluencers" debunk myths about aging on social media: Both aspirational and inspirational, older influencers are [turning their digital platforms into gold.]( - Questlove to appear at Paisley Park with his film "Summer of Soul": [The acclaimed music documentary will be screened Sept. 19 at Paisley Park](, and Questlove, who directed it, will not only attend but will participate in a Q&A and present a DJ set. - Minnesota's mullet man plans to make a comeback in next year's championship: The contest is over for Minnesota's mullet man, but he's keeping the hairdo. Curtis Wilson, the Austin, Minn., man who was a contestant in theUSA Mullet Championships, [ended up 11th place out of 25 finalists from across the country]( after online voting was tabulated last weekend. SPORTS ROUNDUP - What else do Gophers have at running back? They'll find out now. Regardless of how long Mohamed Ibrahim is sidelined after injuring his leg during the Gophers' loss to Ohio State on Thursday, other running backs will be asked to fill in for No. 24. It's a tall task, [writes La Velle E. Neal III.]( - NHL set to return to Winter Olympics after skipping 2018 games: [The NHL is set to return to the Olympics in Beijing]( this winter after reaching an agreement with international officials, though the league and players have the opportunity to withdraw if pandemic circumstances warrant. - Mannion's return to Vikings is a cautionary tale for Kellen Mond: For two reasons, the Vikings' decision to bring back a familiar veteran face to presumably serve as their No. 2 quarterback is [a reminder of the perils of development.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK A Kansas grandmother who died in January 2020 is now the first official U.S. COVID-19 death: "Three months ago, [Lovell 'Cookie'] Brown's doctor quietly added 'COVID 19 PNEUMONIA' as one of the causes of her death, not only amending her death record but also effectively rewriting the timeline of when the pandemic reached the United States," [the San Jose Mercury News reports.]( TALKERS TRIVIA Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to talkers@startribune.com by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Tuesday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: A convention center in which Minnesota city put out a call this week for eight Zamboni drivers needed before the start of the hockey season? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Sept. 3, 2019: Ava Lovelace, 7, of Oakdale, received an autograph from USA midfielder Julie Ertz (8) after the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team defeated Portugal 3-0 during an exhibition match at Allianz Field in St. Paul. (Photo: Leila Navidi/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 © 2021 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](