>>Snowfall Totals from Winter Storm in Northern Minnesota
(Duluth, MN) — The snowfall totals are starting to come into the National Weather Service Office in Duluth. Hovland tops the list with 13.5 inches; 12.6 inches in Grand Marais; 11 inches near Fond Du Lac in St. Louis County; Moose Lake and the Duluth area received more than eight, seven inches in International Falls and Two Harbors; six-and-a-half in Hibbing; six inches near Bovey in Itasca County, Cloquet, and Aitkin; and three inches near Brainerd. Another snowstorm is expected Saturday into Sunday in central and southern Minnesota.
>>Minnesota officials, Trump Administration Appear in Federal Court Over Medicaid Funding
(St.Paul, MN) — Minnesota officials told a federal court Thursday that the Trump administration is targeting the state with what they called a “campaign of retaliation,” accusing federal leaders of threatening to cut off Medicaid funding over disputed fraud claims. In a hearing before Judge Eric Tostrud in St. Paul, the state asked for an emergency order to stop the federal government from pulling reimbursements. Attorneys for the administration pushed back, arguing the fraud concerns are serious and widespread. The judge pressed both sides but did not issue an immediate ruling.
>>Minnesota Veteran Homelessness Reaches Historic Low
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) announced today that the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in Minnesota has dropped to 150, the lowest level ever recorded. This milestone marks a 25% decrease from last year and a 41% decrease over the past two years. MDVA began formally tracking Veteran homelessness in 2015.
>>Stauber Introduces “Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act”
(Washington, D.C.) — Republican Representative Pete Stauber has introduced the Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act, targeting fraud within Minnesota’s childcare assistance programs. The bill increases penalties for childcare providers who defraud the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. Stauber’s office claims the bill is a direct response to “shocking revelations of widespread fraud” in Minnesota’s childcare system, which they allege was primarily perpetrated by Somali fraudsters. The Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota (CAIR-MN), the state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, calls the bill’s name and framing discriminatory and deeply irresponsible.
>>Faribault Man Charged in School Bus Gun Incident
(Faribault, MN) — A Faribault man is facing felony charges after allegedly pointing a rifle at a school bus last week. Prosecutors say 38-year-old Alex Wolters is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence. The bus was transporting nine students at the time. Wolters is being held in the Rice County Jail on $100,000 conditional bail.
>>Office of Cannabis Management Listening Session Cancelled in Duluth
(Duluth, MN) — The Office of Cannabis Management’s public listening session today (Fri 3pm) in Duluth is cancelled due to the snowstorm. Lake Superior Community College closed following eight-plus inches of snow overnight. Officials say they plan to reschedule a listening event in Duluth. They were also going to visit Legacy Cannabis in Duluth, the first dispensary in Minnesota to sell recreational marijuana.
>>Minnesota Hunters Donate Record Amount of Venison
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota hunters donated nearly 14,000 pounds of venison to food shelves and feeding programs last year, a jump of more than 50 percent from 2024. State officials say the Hunter Harvested Venison Donation Program processed 403 donated deer in 2025, the highest total in a decade. They credit strong participation during the regular hunting season and in special late-December hunts for the boost. The program, created in 2007, reimburses licensed processors and follows strict food-safety standards. Officials say the donated venison provides an important protein source for Minnesotans facing food insecurity.
