Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint special counsel in Hunter Biden probe

Plus: The 5 best things our food writers ate this week ͏ ͏ If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint special counsel in Hunter Biden probe: Garland announced Friday he is appointing a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the financial and business dealings of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election. [Read more.]( - Hildie Edwards becomes Minnesota's foremost trans youth advocate: From speaking at the State Capitol to performing at the Pride Festival, the 13-year-old is telling her story amid a national furor over transgender rights. [Read more.]( - Blue Line light-rail route would avoid Lyndale, Broadway in north Minneapolis: The recommended route is far from final, but it constitutes a significant victory for groups who strongly opposed earlier plans that had light-rail tracks aligned with Lyndale and Broadway — a route critics said would depress property values, split a predominantly Black neighborhood in two and wreak havoc on W. Broadway small businesses. [Read more.]( - Attorney, advocates for trooper who shot Ricky Cobb decry state officials' meetings with his family: Attorneys for the State Trooper who shot and killed Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop last week lashed out at Gov. Tim Walz and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty for meeting with Cobb's family, a decision they claim undermines the due process rights of their client during an ongoing investigation. [Read more](. - Edina residents question city's move to stop killing invasive weed in Lake Cornelia: Curly-leafed pondweed — with leaves like lasagna noodles — along with sometimes-toxic blue-green algae and a stubborn population of nonnative goldfish, are the visible problems that have contributed to Lake Cornelia's listing as an impaired water by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. [Read more.]( WATCH THIS Before and after satellite images show extent of wildfire's destruction of Lahaina, Hawaii: At least 55 people are dead as wildfires tear across Maui and destroyed much of Lahaina, the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and a popular tourist destination. [See the video.]( *** Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. *** TRENDING The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From ice cream and pancakes to loaded tacos, here's a rundown of the greatest hits from their dining diaries over the past seven days. [Read more.]( SPORTS BLINK 5 takeaways from the Vikings' preseason loss to Seattle: The Vikings' first layer of depth looked good in building a 10-0 lead Thursday, particularly running back Ty Chandler. But the bottom part of the roster didn't fare as well. [Read more.]( *** Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. *** WORTH A CLICK Italian man crushed to death by thousands of wheels of Parmesan cheese: "Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, was buried when a shelf broke in his warehouse in the Lombardy region on Sunday, firefighter Antonion Dusi told AFP. The collapse created a domino effect bringing down thousands of wheels, which weigh about 40kg (84lbs) each. It took 12 hours to find Mr Chiapparini's body, Mr Dusi said," the BBC reports. [Read more.]( 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. 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 health insurance company this week settled a lawsuit over an Omaha-based lab company's alleged "profiteering" with COVID-19 tests? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Aug. 11, 2017: People wait to be counted as they set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing conical party hats — 481 total — during Mall of America's 25th birthday celebration in Bloomington. (Photo: Courtney Pedroza/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 © 2023 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](