U to pay athletes for academic achievement starting this fall

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - U to pay athletes for academic achievement starting this fall: Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle announced Friday [the University of Minnesota plans to provide financial support to athletes]( for excelling academically starting this fall. The NCAA now allows schools to give academic bonuses to athletes up to $5,980 a year in response to a federal judge mandate two years ago. - Legislators divided on how to help with rising housing costs: Democrats propose billions in housing-related spending while Republicans focus on homeownership. The divergent housing proposals are among the many examples this week of [the partisan divide over how to use the state's nearly $9.3 billion projected surplus.]( - Conservative Minnesota think tank says it's a victim of cancel culture: Center of the American Experiment says it's the victim of cancel culture after "anti-free speech bullies" protested a planned event at the Rochester Golf & Country Club, which shut down the event. [The cancellation is the focus of a lawsuit for breach of contract]( filed by the organization against the country club in Olmsted County District Court. - Russian strike kills 50 at Ukraine rail station crowded with people: [A missile hit a train station where thousands of people had flocked]( to flee in eastern Ukraine, killing 50 people Friday, Ukrainian authorities said, while warning they expect to find more evidence of war crimes in areas abandoned by Russian troops. - COVID-19 levels remain low in Minnesota, but dominated by omicron subvariant: Stable or slightly increasing levels of COVID-19 in Minnesota are [mostly driven by a fast-spreading BA.2 subvarian](t that has fueled outbreaks elsewhere in recent weeks. - Teen suspect in St. Paul sex assault of young girl arrested nearly 6 years later: A teenager accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl waiting for her school bus in St. Paul nearly six years ago [has been arrested in Illinois and charged Friday in juvenile court]( in Ramsey County. - Cheers for Jackson as Biden declares "moment of real change": President Joe Biden on Friday celebrated the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as [the first Black woman to reach the Supreme Court](, hailing "a moment of real change in American history." It was a moment 46 days — and more than two centuries — in the making. - Roseville man who shot police officer had history of severe mental illness: The Roseville man who died after a shootout with police on Tuesday [was twice committed to psychiatric treatment facilities]( for severe bipolar disorder, paranoia and delusional beliefs that made him dangerous to himself and others, according to court files. The suspect, who was shot in the groin by police and later died at Regions Hospital, also had harassed and threatened neighbors, culminating in a "violent outburst" at a Stillwater home last year, according to court records. - Ex-Goldman Sachs banker convicted in plot to loot Malaysian investment fund: A former Goldman Sachs banker was [convicted Friday of bribery and other corruption charges]( accusing him of participating in a $4.5 billion scheme to ransack the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB. WATCH THIS French soccer player Dimitri Payet drilled one of the best goals you're likely to see for a while: The corner kick bounced just once before [Payet blasted the ball through a sea of players]( into the upper corner of the net with amazing precision during a Europa Conference League game yesterday. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Why are there so many stucco homes in the Twin Cities? [The region's "love for stucco" is unique in the Midwest](, accounting for a large share of homes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. - Billboards could bring some much-needed life to downtown streets: Downtown is woefully deficient when it comes to interesting signage, and a return of the billboard, with all its garish glare, would add light and life, [writes James Lileks.]( - The 5 best things our food writers ate last week: From a "Stand with Ukraine" cookie to a fried pickle cheese curd taco, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Mankato defeats Gophers, will meet Denver for Frozen Four title: For the first time as a Division I program, [the Mavericks will play for the national championship.]( They'll face Denver, a 3-2 overtime winner over Michigan, in Saturday's 7 p.m. (Central) title game. - Urshela bats cleanup as Twins open against Cy Young winner Robbie Ray: Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are batting 1-2 against 2021 Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who pitched for Toronto last season. Gio Urshela, formerly of the Yankees, [will hit clean-up against the Mariners.]( - U men's basketball sees transfer portal as friend, not foe: Coach Ben Johnson has no players seeking to leave. [It's a dramatic change]( from the 10 players who left via the NCAA transfer portal after last season. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK 9 ways to imagine Jeff Bezos' vast wealth: A fortune of $172 billion is almost impossible to fathom. For the New York Times Magazine's Money Issue, [artist Mona Chalabi came up with some extremely original comparisons.]( 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 Rochester City Council approved a $2 million contract to fix what downtown? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES April 8, 2019: Texas Tech alum Clay Smith poses for a photo outside U.S. Bank Stadium before the NCAA championship game between the Red Raiders and Virginia in Minneapolis. (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 © 2022 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](