Minnesotans make waves as second Trump term begins

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ESSENTIAL

MINNESOTA

Good morning, Minnesota! Happy birthday to the mayor of Flavortown. May we honor him by visiting some of his favorite local eateries 🍽️ On to the news 📢

By Eder Campuzano

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

That pastor who asked Trump to 'have mercy' on LGBTQ folks and immigrants? She was once a rector in Minneapolis

Evan Vucci/The Associated Press

Minnesotans made waves both at home and in Washington, D.C., on the first full day of President Donald Trump's second term.

Mariann Budde, a former rector at St. John's Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, asked the president to "have mercy" on LGBTQ folks and immigrants during a service at the National Cathedral in Washington, where she's now a bishop. (Trump later demanded an apology from her.)

Pete Hegseth, a Forest Lake High School grad who's Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, is also going through the confirmation process after clearing the Senate Armed Services Committee. A former sister-in-law has recently accused Hegseth of abusing his second wife.

And Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined 21 others in a lawsuit against Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship.

We've got those stories for you at the links below.

GOING OUT

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What an ice climb

Depending on who you ask, climbing up an ice wall could be a magical experience that floods your brain with serotonin as you clamber up a frozen waterfall. Or, as one friend told reporter Jake Steinberg: "It sucks."

Steinberg recently made his first icy climb and shared the adventure with us. You can find the full writeup here.

Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune

WAYBACK WEDNESDAY

Mike Zerby/The Minnesota Star Tribune

What's better than a one-horse open sleigh? A two-horse open-sleigh, of course.

On this day in 1971, "vintage snowmobile" operator Richard F. Cartier of Centerville took his trusty steeds to a field near the local elementary school and asked kids to give the ride a whirl. The horses, Byrd and Belle, carted children around all afternoon at no charge.

Cartier, a line-crew foreman for Northern States Power Co., said he does it "'cause the kids like it. It's something different for them."

That prompted a first-grader to remark to Strib photographer Mike Zerby: "You mean they still have horses in this country?"

IN OTHER NEWS

Lacrosse’s Native roots come alive on a frozen Lake Harriet during Art Shanty 2025 - Sahan Journal
U of M researchers find continued loss of OB clinics in Minnesota, across the country - MinnPost
In Minneapolis, a Layer of Hygge Warmth for a Top-Notch Orchestra - The New York Times 🔑

THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE

Evan Roberts via Bluesky

There was a moment during our recent cold snap where I remarked on the fact that it was about 15 degrees below zero, and La Jefa scurried to the window to see what that looked like. Strikingly normal, it turns out.

Of course, by the time Evan Roberts shared this aerial shot of Minneapolis, temperatures had crept up to the single digits. Positively balmy compared to the two days prior. Click or tap on the image above to check out Roberts' full post on Bluesky.