Minneapolis schools, teachers reach tentative deal to end strike

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minneapolis schools, teachers reach tentative deal to end strike: [The school district and the union both announced the news early Friday]( and the district said students would return to class Monday, pending discussions with the union. A news release from the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers said the union will hold a ratification vote this weekend on the tentative agreement. Union leaders will have a news conference at 1 p.m. Friday. [Here's what we know about the tentative deal so far.]( This article will continue to be updated as new details emerge. - Ukrainian refugees welcomed in Pelican Rapids: Residents in and around the western Minnesota city have [rolled out the red carpet for a family that fled Chernihiv](, a city close to the Russian border that faced severe damage. - COVID-19 levels low, but rising in Twin Cities wastewater: Sampling this week [found a 15% higher coronavirus load in Twin Cities wastewater](, the first increase since the peak of the omicron COVID-19 wave in mid-January. A highly infectious omicron subvariant drove the increase at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant, but plant officials stressed the latest viral levels remain low. Retrospective studies showed viral levels increased in sewage a week or two before new COVID-19 waves emerged as more diagnosed cases. - Republican attacks on Jackson renew debate over GOP and QAnon: By Wednesday, as Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared for the third day before the Senate Judiciary Committee, claims that she was lenient toward people charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse had emerged as a recurring theme in her questioning by Republicans. The line of attack has [set off a new debate over the Republican Party's stance toward the QAnon conspiracy movement.]( Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that [he plans to vote for Jackson to serve on the high court](, likely assuring the confirmation of President Joe Biden's nominee. - How the pandemic has changed Twin Cities freeway traffic: Morning and evening rush hours [still look a lot different than before the pandemic]( on the Twin Cities' major roads. - Legislature faces April 1 deadline on state's health reinsurance program: Both the GOP-led Senate and Democrats in the House have passed legislation to try to meet that deadline, worried about the possibly of premiums spiking while inflation and rising costs are already hitting Minnesota households. But [the two sides disagree on how much money to funnel toward the state's reinsurance program](, which was originally created as a temporary fix to spiking premiums. - Biden visits troops in Poland, will meet Ukrainians: President Joe Biden [visited U.S. troops stationed near Poland's border with Ukraine]( on Friday and was getting a first hand look at the growing humanitarian response to the millions of Ukrainians who are fleeing to Poland to escape Russia's assault on their homeland. - Virginia Thomas urged Trump's chief of staff to pursue efforts to overturn 2020 election, texts show: Virginia Thomas, a conservative activist married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, [repeatedly pressed White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election]( in a series of urgent text exchanges in the critical weeks after the vote, according to copies of the messages obtained by The Washington Post and CBS News. Justice Clarence Thomas [was discharged from the hospital Friday]( after a stay of nearly a week, the Supreme Court said. Thomas, 73, had entered the hospital last Friday evening after experiencing "flu-like symptoms." - Trump sues Hillary Clinton, others over 2016 election he won: Former President Donald Trump on Thursday [filed a lawsuit against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton](, the Democratic National Committee and others, alleging that they "maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative" that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential race. Trump claims that he incurred expenses of more than $24 million in defending himself against the accusations. He is seeking damages of three times that amount in the lawsuit, which comes more than five years after he defeated Clinton in the November 2016 election. - Farmer who collected $548K in false crop loss claims sentenced to 10 months' home detention, restitution: A grain farmer in northwestern Minnesota has been sentenced to home detention and ordered to repay the [more than $540,000 he received by filing false insurance claims]( that reported weather-related crop damage in recent years. Kevan J. Nelson, 69, was sentenced on Thursday in U.S. District Court in connection with his claim of corn and soybean crops being lost to excessive moisture in Becker and Clay counties. WATCH THIS California brewery patrons on patio surprised to see mountain lion run by: Officials in Irvine, Calif., captured [the 2-year-old cougar that darted through a shopping center]( and said it would be released back into the wild. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Beautiful, useless towers adorned Victorian-era Twin Cities mansions: [The mania for towers on homes reached its height in the 1880s](, when the busy Queen Anne style was in full flower. - What happened to Minneapolis' famous "Might Kimball" organ? One of the largest pipe organs ever produced in the U.S. [fell silent when the Minneapolis Auditorium was demolished]( in the 1980s. - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From raspberry pie to fusilli Negra, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Every Minnesota pro team is a contender to make playoffs — and maybe more: Are we entering an era of competence and confidence? [All six major pro teams in Minnesota are playoff-worthy](, which hasn't been the case for years. - U's latest Frozen Four quest starts against defending champ UMass: The Gophers fell one game short last season with a loss to Minnesota State in the region final and are [trying to get back to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2014.]( - Minnesota canoeists's outing on frigid Mississippi River went very wrong: Frank Bures [shares what he learned as a lesson to others.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK As "The Godfather" turns 50, a look back at how its most memorable scenes were filmed: "The Godfather" is largely filmed in a "tableau format" where static scenes are presented like paintings in a frame that characters move in and out of. Despite this traditional format, it employed many innovative techniques both in front of and within the camera, and [the true story of how it was made is full of both surprise and speculation.]( 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: Which Minnesota rock band performed on a new NBC TV competition featuring Snoop Dogg? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES March 25, 2019: Benches were partially submerged due to spring flooding at Harriet Island Regional park across from downtown St. Paul. (Photo: Carlos Gonzalez/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 © 2022 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](