TOP STORIES
  1. Latest forecasts show up to 7" tonight, more than a foot the next two days: Gov. Tim Walz issued an emergency executive order to activate the National Guard on Tuesday, as authorities urged Minnesotans to take seriously warnings about the historic snowstorm expected to hit the state. Read more.
  2. Minnesota House votes to ban conversion therapy for minors: Mental health providers in Minnesota would be prohibited from performing conversion therapy on minors and vulnerable adults under the bill passed late Monday night. Read more.
  3. Medtronic executive says 'significant cost reductions' are underway: The company disclosed the cost reductions during a conference call with stock analysts to discuss the company's third quarter fiscal results which showed the company's net profit was down 17.3% compared with the same period a year ago. Read more.
  4. Tribes get exclusive rights to sports gambling in DFL bill: Key Democrats introduced their bill to legalize sports gambling in Minnesota on Tuesday, giving exclusive rights to the state's American Indian tribes, keeping both professional sports teams and the state's two racetracks out of the action. Read more.
  5. Minneapolis opens free covered parking spaces as cities brace for storms: Many of 1600 spots are open now, and vehicles can remain there until Feb. 28 — an extraordinary measure that underscores officials' concern the storm will stress the city's snow-clearing apparatus. Here's what's open. Read more.
WATCH THIS

Meet Bobi, newly crowned the world's oldest dog: When Bobi, a Portuguese guard dog, celebrated his 30th birthday last year, he officially beat an almost century-old record held by an Australian cattle-dog who lived until 29 years and 5 months. But the old pup still has a spring in his step. Watch the video.

*** Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to talkers@startribune.com. ***

TRENDING

The Roald Dahl problem: Star Tribune senior book editor Laurie Hertzel talks about recent efforts to rewrite Roald Dahl classics to remove words and phrases that might offend readers. Read more.

SPORTS BLINK

How Vikings players use multiple sports to power their football success: There is a long lineage of Vikings players who grew up as multisport athletes and remain outspoken about how the skills they honed in other sports made them better football players. Of the 71 players on the Vikings' current roster, 62 competed in at least two high school sports. Read more.

*** Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign up for Talkers here. ***

WORTH A CLICK

Immunocompromised Minnesotans struggle with mental toll of isolation three years into pandemic: While death tolls have dropped, COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death and a looming presence in the lives of high-risk and immunocompromised people, many of whom are still taking drastic measures to avoid infection. Those precautions have taken a mental and emotional toll on these Minnesotans, our friends at the Minnesota Reformer report. Read more.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Feb. 21, 2016: Fans waited for the puck to drop when the Wild met the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Stadium Series outdoor game at TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank Stadium). (Photo: Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune)