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Part 1 of 5: Minneapolis made little progress on homeless encampments in 2022. Why? 

View in Browser | Listen Good morning, Wednesday brings the final month of meteorological winter. We're now two-thirds of the way through winter in Minnesota. Get the latest on Updraft. 🎧 Movie awards season is in full swing. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News' Cube Critics will talk about the movies you need to see and the ones they think you can skip. Find the full MPR News line up here. Minneapolis made little progress on homeless encampments in 2022. Why? Eager to improve the city's response to encampments, new City Council members have been gridlocked, in part due to Mayor Jacob Frey's recent expansion of power. Instead of creating a formal policy, the city is sending more police officers and establishing perimeters while closing camps.  This is part one of a five-part series from MPR News examining how the city of Minneapolis approached homeless encampments in 2022 by MPR News digital reporter Grace Birnstengel. Listen on Morning Edition to hear her talk about her reporting. In a Minneapolis salon for natural hair, women wonder if CROWN Act will help As a licensed hairdresser with over 25 years of experience working with natural hair, Kemi Lawani, owner of Bonita's Extensions and Braids, said the beauty industry should take more responsibility in destigmatizing natural hairstyles and increasing education on healthier methods to treat hair types of African Americans. The Minnesota Senate last week passed a bill that bans discrimination against a person based on their natural hair texture and hair style. Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign the bill. What else we're watching: Snow Sisters: Team Kwe, the only all-women Indigenous snow sculpture team in the U.S. On a freezing January weekend, an all-woman Indigenous snow carving team makes its mark in a psychically demanding art form. MN bill aims to create legal refuge for trans youth seeking gender-affirming care. It comes as several states around the country, and those surrounding Minnesota, have passed or are hearing bills that would limit or ban gender-affirming care for trans youth. Winter Fun: Ice climbing on the North Shore. As part of MPR News' Winter Play series, reporter Dan Kraker tried ice climbing for the first time on a cliff north of Two Harbors, an experience he found challenging, rewarding, and — when it was over, at least — fun. 'It Hurts' so good: Bad Bad Hats release 10th anniversary edition of first EP. Bad Bad Hats are not shy to embrace the nostalgia of their early recordings. So much so that the "It Hurts (10th Anniversary Edition)" EP includes demo tracks laced with kazoos, happy-go-lucky whistling, never-heard-before verses and ultra-scratchy guitar tracks. — Sam Stroozas, MPR News Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe today! SPONSOR   Connect With Us MPRnews.org MPRnews on iOS MPRnews on Android Podcasts from MPR News Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe today. Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe You received this email because you subscribed or it was sent to you by a friend. This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101