Good morning. Somehow, we choose to live in this icebox.

Vice President JD Vance was in Minnesota yesterday to say calm could come through more cooperation — a one-way invitation for state and local authorities to assist the federal government’s immigration operation. Vance said resistance from leading Minneapolis and Minnesota politicians led to the surge of agents in the state, arguing more officers were needed as protective backup for the ones already on the ground. After a private roundtable with Minnesota business leaders, state GOP lawmakers and senior ICE officials, Vance appeared at a press conference. He spoke surrounded by three visibly marked ICE vehicles and in front of a line of ICE agents with their masks off. Both were a contrast to interactions most people in the Twin Cities have had with ICE, where agents wear facemasks and do their work in unmarked vehicles. “Pretty much every jurisdiction where these guys are operating, you don't see the same level of chaos, you don't see the same level of violence, you don't see the problems that we're seeing in Minneapolis,” Vance said. “Maybe the problem is unique to Minneapolis, and we believe that it is, and it's a lack of cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal law enforcement.” He defended ICE tactics and added what he said was needed context around some headline-grabbing encounters, including one involving a 5-year-old boy who was sent to Texas with his Ecuadorian immigrant father. Vance said Minnesota could see fewer federal authorities on the streets if local leaders would lend more of a hand.

Local leaders countered the vice president’s assertions with nods of agreement that cooperation would help — although they said it is the feds that need to be better partners. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey noted that the calls for calm have been constant by him and other Minnesota politicians. “We have a huge influx of what feels like an occupation,” Frey said, adding, “This is more about, tragically, terrorizing people than it is about safety, than it is even about immigration.” Frey said he wasn’t invited to meet with Vance while he was in Minnesota; Vance said he didn’t meet with Gov. Tim Walz either. Walz responded through a social media post that he agrees with Vance that the temperature needs to be turned down, saying “Take the show of force off the streets and partner with the state on targeted enforcement of violent offenders instead of random, aggressive confrontation.”

Today, some businesses will be closed and workplaces emptier because of a so-called general strike. It’s tied to the federal immigration operation and organized by opponents of that. The bone-chilling temperatures might have already depressed foot traffic and schools around the state are closed because of the weather. In any case, it was a topic of consternation in some corners because small businesses in particular areas have seen dropoffs in customers because immigrants – those without documents and those worried about getting ensnared regardless – have been fearful of going out. More here from our Kirsti Marohn.

The state’s job picture shows growth essentially flat for the last couple of months but economic development officials consider the labor market to be solid. Those are the takeaways from the latest Department of Employment and Economic Development report on unemployment figures and job stats. Mathew Holding Eagle III reports that Minnesota’s unemployment rate now stands at 4.1 percent, an uptick from the prior level.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is on the cusp of being a full-fledged candidate for Minnesota governor. Klobuchar opened a state campaign committee yesterday , a step that allows her to raise money and build out a bid for the top office. A source close to the four-term senator says it’s not yet a declaration of candidacy but that could come soon. No other major Democrats have gotten in the race since Gov. Tim Walz announced his exit, a sign most expect Klobuchar to wage a campaign. She won’t have to leave the Senate to run, which Minnesota Republican Chair Alex Plechash used as a point of criticism. “If Amy Klobuchar wants to be governor, she should prove it by giving up her U.S. Senate seat and committing fully to the job. Leadership requires choosing. It requires guts. And right now, she’s showing neither,” Plechash wrote. Unsaid in that release is that GOP lawmakers – House Speaker Lisa Demuth and state Reps. Kristin Robbins and Peggy Bennett – are also seeking a promotion to governor at the same time they hold their seats. Many other lawmakers from both parties are looking to shift jobs, too.

The most prominent Republican in Minnesota could make another play to be a national congressional caucus chief. At least that’s how this NBC News profile of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer concludes. “We’ll see what the future holds,” Emmer tells the story’s author , Sahil Kapur. The story describes Emmer as the “gruff Republican vote counter” and main enforcer of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Readers of this newsletter will certainly recall that Emmer was up for the speakership during a phase of GOP upheaval in 2023, but bowed out and made way for Johnson. In the story, Emmer calls President Donald Trump “the Republican Party right now” and explains why few Republicans break from him. “You are not with Donald Trump necessarily because you’re best friends. You’re with Donald Trump because your constituents support what Donald Trump is trying to do.”

Former state Republican Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan, now the Nisswa mayor, has been censured by the city council. The Star Tribune’s Kim Hyatt reports that she’s also been removed from committee assignments after a vote of no confidence in her this week. The censure is symbolic but follows months of tension that includes claims of back-stabbling and allegations of assault outside the Ye Old Pickle Factory. The story notes that prosecutors twice declined to press charges against the person Carnahan accused of shoving her.

Another state legislator from southern Minnesota will depart after this year. State Sen. Gary Dahms says he’ll retire after 2026. He’s a Redwood Falls Republican who has represented part of southwest Minnesota for 16 years. Dahms has been active on issues related to agriculture and health insurance rates. He's among at least 18 lawmakers who plan to leave the Capitol. The Republican Senate caucus in southern Minnesota will lose several longtimers: Steve Drazkowski, Jeremy Miller and Bill Weber. Many other legislators are seeking other posts this year. All legislative seats are up for election in November. The turnover quotient in the Legislature is rising.