Good morning, Minnesota. Happy Wednesday!

Here's the latest news from across the state to start your day.

WEATHER

☀️ High pressure is bringing back sunshine and cleaner air, but an air quality alert remains for much of the state through midday Wednesday.

🌧️ There will be some isolated or spotty showers in northern Minnesota Wednesday and Thursday.

🌡️ Temperatures will remain seasonable, mostly in the 70s for highs for the rest of the week into the weekend.

Get the latest weather news on Updraft.

Trump food aid cuts eliminate key income source from some smaller Minnesota farms

The Trump administration slashed funding for a program that helps feed school children and the food insecure this spring, and it’s affecting not only those in need but also those who grow that food, leaving some farmers without a critical source of income.

Minnesota lawmakers back K-12 education spending plan amid worries over future cuts

The deal raises per-pupil funding in line with inflation but slashes special education transportation spending and teacher pipeline programs. It also gives schools flexibility around the state tradition of starting the academic year after Labor Day.

Massive Duluth hilltop housing project in doubt after developer fails to meet deadlines

A planned $500 million housing development perched on the hilltop overlooking Duluth broke ground in December, but now its future is in doubt after the the city says the developer has breached its contract.

NEWS ROUNDUP

🚓 Federal law enforcement presence draws protests in south Minneapolis. Officials from the FBI, ATF and Department of Homeland Security gathered with tactical vehicles. Agents carried out a simultaneous search at the restaurant’s location on 78th Street in Bloomington.

💨 Smoke storm: Highest smoke level ever recorded for Minnesota. The air quality index in Grand Portage at the state’s northeastern tip hit 800 at 2 a.m. Tuesday. That breaks the previous smoke-induced record of 692 in St. Cloud on July 29, 2021.

🚨 Man fatally shot during attempted arrest in central Minnesota; BCA investigating. The man who was being arrested, following a reported domestic assault in Paynesville, died in the shooting. A woman who was able to leave the home said she had been assaulted by a man — reportedly armed — who remained inside.

🏒 Minnesota Frost's Pannek and Zumwinkle up for grabs for PWHL league draft. The Frost announced Tuesday which players it will protect in an upcoming expansion draft. Kendall Coyne Schofield, Taylor Heise and Lee Stecklein will stay with the Frost as part of the team's protected player list.

💜 Vikings’ Purple People Eater Jim Marshall, the ‘all-time iron man,’ dies at 87. The Vikings announced Marshall’s death on behalf of his wife, Susan. The native of Kentucky, who played at Ohio State and was drafted in 1960 by the Cleveland Browns, played 19 of his 20 seasons in the NFL with Minnesota.

😷 Wildfire smoke in Minnesota: How to best protect your health and your home. Canada’s wildfire season is back, and another air quality alert is in effect for Minnesota. Here’s what to know as smoky skies become more of a pattern than a novelty.

💵 Trump asks Congress to wipe out funding for public broadcasting. President Trump took yet another step Tuesday to place NPR and PBS at the center of his broader clash with major cultural institutions, formally asking Congress to take back $1.1 billion for all public broadcasters for the next two years.

MUST LISTEN

🎧 Make a game plan for your summer garden. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what grows well in our region, how to time plantings, how to fix common garden problems and how to keep your soil — and your plants — in good shape all summer long.

🎧 Red panda brothers make their debut at the Minnesota Zoo. It’s been four years since the Minnesota Zoo has hosted red pandas. They’re joining a new exhibit focused on the forests of China.

🎧 Listen to today's headlines on our Minnesota Today podcast.