Minnesota couple turns shipping containers into stylish cabins, saunas, treehouses and more

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minnesota couple turns shipping containers into stylish cabins, saunas, treehouses and more: In an era of Airbnbs and the tiny house movement, shipping containers are plentiful, can be recycled and upcycled, and [check boxes for sustainability, affordability and strength.]( - In unusual move, Minnesota regulators slash CenterPoint's rate request: Citing rising energy costs, Minnesota utility regulators Thursday [slashed CenterPoint Energy's proposed interim rate increase]( and also ordered the company to give its customers more time to pay special charges stemming from last winter's mega-storm. - Jury seated in Kim Potter's manslaughter trial: Attorneys are [scheduled to make their opening statements on Wednesday](. The jury is considerably less diverse than the one that convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. - After charter change, Minneapolis Mayor Frey gains unprecedented power in City Hall: After more than a century, [the power balance in Minneapolis officially shifted Friday away from the City Council]( and Mayor Jacob Frey now runs City Hall. voters in November approved a charter amendment that put the mayor in charge of day-to-day operations of most city departments and restricted the council's role to legislative duties, such as writing ordinances and vetting city budgets. To mark the first day of the new government structure, the mayor met with the city's department heads to set a new tone and make it clear that a "strong mayor" system had gone into effect in Minneapolis. - Suspect's parents charged in Michigan school shooting: A prosecutor in Michigan [filed involuntary manslaughter charges Friday against the parents of a boy]( who is accused of killing four students at Oxford High School, after saying earlier that their actions went "far beyond negligence." Jennifer and James Crumbley were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Ethan Crumbley, 15, has been charged as an adult with two dozen crimes, including murder, attempted murder and terrorism, for the shooting. - U business school dean apologizes for "insensitive" pandemic remarks: When staff of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management raised concerns about the surging delta variant at a September meeting, [Dean Sri Zaheer told them to "chill out and get over it"]( because people die every day from other causes. The exchange highlighted the difference in how some U administrators and employees view their third pandemic semester. - New ethics report on mail controversy focuses on Hagedorn staffer: [A newly released ethics report raises concerns about the role of John Sample](, a part-time staffer for Minnesota GOP U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, in questionable spending on taxpayer-funded constituent mail.Hagedorn's congressional office spent large amounts of money ontwo companies, one linked to Sample and the other to the brother of Hagedorn's chief of staff at the time. - Crowne Plaza in downtown Minneapolis sold, will become boutique hotel after renovation: The former Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis [will become a Hotel Indigo boutique hotel]( after a $25 million renovation. - Minnesota State Patrol to begin wearing body cameras: A group of 40 Minnesota State Troopers [will begin wearing body cameras as soon as next week]( with the entire force using them by June 2022. WATCH THIS Here's a fox enjoying being tickled: [Dixie the fox lives at Save A Fox Rescue in Lakeville.]( Please do not try to tickle any wild foxes. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - It's holiday party season, but Minnesota's events scene is coming back in scattershot style: Large corporate events are still off. But small- to mid-sized gatherings are happening, [often with hybrid options.]( - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From double-cut Duroc pork chops to a sweet potato latte, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. - What was the first movie filmed in Minnesota?[It is possible that no living person has seen it.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - These are the three most likely Gophers bowl destinations: Minnesota finished the season on the upswing, but its postseason fate will largely be determined by [how other Big Ten selections shake out.]( - Fleck plans to bring back Ciarrocca as Gophers' offensive coordinator: [Kirk Ciarrocca had good success as Fleck's offensive coordinator]( before leaving for Penn State. He was let go after one year in that job and was at West Virginia this season. - Minnesota high school coaches thrilled by addition of shot clock for 2023-24 season: MSHSL board President Tom Jerome of Roseau said about 75 percent of schools favor the change, and [it is even more popular among coaches.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The abortion I didn't have: "I never thought about ending my pregnancy. Instead, at 19, I erased the future I had imagined for myself," [writes Merritt Tierce in a deeply personal and nuanced essay for the New York Times Magazine.]( 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 Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: The popular Festival of Sail featuring tall-masted ships will be held in which Minnesota city next summer? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Dec. 3, 2019: Deonte Haynes, a helicopter mechanic in the Army National Guard, hugged his three youngest children at MSP Airport, where he was leaving to return to Fort Hood inTexas before deploying to the Middle East. He had come come for a few days of Thanksgiving. 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