>> Medica Closes Buildings Out of Caution for Employees
(Minnetonka, Minn) – Following the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, another Minnesota-based health insurer is taking precautions. Medica issued a statement today saying, “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” The statement added that Medica is keeping the safety of its employees as its top priority. Medica’s headquarters is in Minnetonka. The company website also lists a fulfillment center in Plymouth and regional offices in Duluth, Madison, Fargo, and Omaha.
>>Minnesota was Once Home to the Military Intelligence Service Language School
(Little Falls, MN) — Discover the story of a secret language school in Minnesota during World War II. The Minnesota Historical Society will host two presentations tomorrow in honor of Pearl Harbor Day. During the war, the U.S. military trained second-generation Japanese Americans as linguists and intelligence officers while many of their families were interned. The Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) started in San Francisco but moved to Minnesota after President Roosevelt’s Executive Order. Program Facilitator Jacob Noll says Governor Harold Stassen hosted it first in Savage, then at Fort Snelling as it expanded. More than 6,000 soldiers attended, and after completing a six to nine-month course, the linguists were deployed to the Pacific front. They are credited with shortening the war in the East by two years, saving nearly a million lives and billions of dollars. It wasn’t until the 1970s, when World War II military intelligence documents were declassified that their story became public. The programs(10:30 a.m./1:30 p.m.) will take place at Historic Fort Snelling, which served as the home of the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS).
>>Rembering the Late Zawch Sobiech
(Bloomington, MN) — A few thousand people will sing “Clouds” by the late Zach Sobiech (SOH’-bee-ack) of Stillwater tonight (Friday, 6 pm) at the Mall of America. Seventeen-year-old Sobiech (SOH’-bee-ack) recorded “Clouds” in 2013 as he was dying of cancer. Fifth-grade students from across Minnesota will be part of the 12th annual “Clouds” Choir for a Cause, which has raised millions of dollars for the fight against childhood cancer.
>>New State Renters Tax Credit
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesotans will be eligible for A new renter’s tax credit in 2025. Department of Revenue Assistant Commissioner Sarah Bronson says it will simplify the process and get the credit to Minnesotans quicker. She says renters who used to file a separate return used to file for the renter’s credit on the property tax refund return. Renters will only have to file one form this year, and they’ll get their refund when they get their regular tax refund. More info is available on the Department of Revenue’s website.
>>Timothée Chalamet in Minneapolis for 1st Screening of Bob Dylan Biopic
(Minneapolis, MN) — A-list actor Timothée Chalamet spent Thursday night in downtown Minneapolis for the first screening of “A Complete Unknown.” Coming out Christmas Day, the biopic is about Hibbing-born musician Bob Dylan, whom Chalamet plays. The screening was available at the Main Cinema for local VIPs, musicians, and University of Minnesota students.
>>St. Cloud State Hosting Concordia-St. Paul in NCAA D-II Volleyball Tourney
(St. Cloud, MN) — St. Cloud State University is playing conference rival Concordia-St. Paul tonight (Fri) in the second round of the N-C-A-A Division II volleyball tournament. The top-seeded Huskies are hosting the number four Golden Bears in the Central Region. S-C-S-U has beaten Concordia in three matches this season. On Saturday, the winner advances to the Central Region Final, or Sweet 16.
