Two State Patrol Squad Cars Crashed Into, Teachers Strike Looms in Anoka Hennepin District, Minnesotans Protest ICE Actions in 24-Hour Vigil

This extra enforcement is super important because the mission is clear. We want people to be able to drive safely on the road and not have this fear of being involved in a crash or being killed because of someone's poor decisions to drink and drive. For those traveling over the holidays, Lee says don't speed, buckle up, avoid distractions, and never drive impaired. Now to number three. Another update on Minnesota's continued efforts to curb fraud. WCCO's Amy Coney Barrett-Leon has a report. In September, Governor Walls issued an executive order to establish the Office of Inspector General Coordinating Council. Today, leaders gave an update on the role of that organization. The superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Drew Evans, chairs the group. He made it clear the council is not an oversight body. Rather, they track statewide numbers and working to build and implement a statewide toolkit for agencies to stop fraud from happening. Members of the council include some of the state's largest agencies as well as as those that deliver the most money to residents. Chair Evans says one goal is transparency. Minnesotans deserve to understand when their programs are impacted. You know, that's something that I think a lot of organizations are dealing with just today. Chair Evans added fraud cases go beyond state programs. They've also seen issues in industries like banking and insurance as well. Number four, a group of Minnesotans are speaking out against immigration enforcement and what they call growing civil rights concerns. Protesters want immigrant families who may be fearful right now to know they are not alone. As of this recording, protesters outside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis are in the middle of a 24-hour vigil. People have been keeping candles lit since late Sunday afternoon. The event is called Lights On and it's happening on the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year. Protester Lex Martin says they are holding this peaceful vigil burning candles in front of the courthouse as a symbol of due process and accountability. In a month where so many faith traditions have celebrations and specifically celebrations of light in darkness, candles are a big part of that. They're often a symbol of light, of hope, of peace. And so we wanted to bring that symbolism into the night. Meanwhile, two federal immigration enforcement agents were hurt in an ICE arrest yesterday. During that arrest, one agent fired his weapon twice. However, no one was hit and the suspect is now in ICE custody pending charges. Those are the four things to know today. Now let's check in on our forecast. I'm meteorologist Joseph Dames on this Monday and check out these temperatures. Upper 30s, some 40s in the forecast today. And some of you up north, right around freezing as well. High temperatures, about 30 degrees coming out of Grand Rapids. Should be dry for your Monday and just about dry for most of the holiday week. But you could get more updates on that at CBS News, Minnesota. And now here's more to know.

Today, a man is recovering after police say he pointed a gun at them, which police tell us prompted them to shoot back. It all happened around three yesterday afternoon on I-94. Police say General Motors notified them of a stolen vehicle in Minneapolis heading to St. Paul. GM then slowed down the car remotely so that officers could make an arrest. Police say once fully stopped, a man and woman jumped out and ran, and that is when police say the man pointed a gun at them, leading them to fire, hitting him in the leg. The officers involved are now on critical incident leave, which is standard. The BCA is leading the investigation. Now to another shooting. We're working to learn more about the potential suspect in a shooting that left three people heard on a Metro Transit bus. It happened on Friday. According to Metro Transit Police, the suspect got off the bus before shooting into it. Police say those shots were fired at 36th in Penn in North Minneapolis. The bus driver kept driving until they knew it was safe to stop, stopping at 43rd. According to the Metro Transit Police Chief, cameras on the bus caught images of what happened, but authorities have yet to release them. Officials also don't know what led up to the shooting. Two of the victims are expected to survive while the third is in critical but stable condition. Today, local officials and members of the firefighting community will gather to celebrate the passage of the honoring our fallen Heroes Act. The legislation was introduced in honor of St. Paul Fire Captain Michael Pider. He died of an aggressive form of leukemia. The bill expands federal money available to the families of firefighters and first responders who died or became disabled due to service-related cancers. Similar support exists for physical injuries or mental health conditions. We'll have more coverage of the celebration tonight on WCCO TV. Airport leaders say they are seeing a 4% year-over-year increase in checkpoint screenings this time of year. Starting last Friday and heading through January 5th, MSP says 763,000 people are expected to pass through their checkpoints. Officials anticipate this Friday and Sunday to be the busiest days. They still advise arriving two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international departures. The top three domestic destinations this holiday season are Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, according to AAA booking data. The top three international spots are Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico and Putakana in the Dominican Republic. Do you have your ticket? A life-changing amount of money is on the line tonight. Another big powerball drawing happens tonight, and the jackpot has grown to $1.6 billion. That is the fifth largest U.S. jackpot in the history of the game. The drawing will be held just before 10 tonight.

All right, let's get to sports off the heels of the Vikings win over the Giants. The big news is about another J.J. McCarthy injury. He left the game at the half with a hand issue. It is the fourth injury of his short career. White night for other sports teams, the wild and wolves are both off. Both teams are back in action, though, tomorrow night. It's time to take a breath with your daily bright spot. All right, if you're looking for excuses to indulge in some sweets this holiday season, listen up. Today is National Cookie Exchange Day. It is a festive tradition for friends and families to get together and swap cookies and recipes. Usually each person in a group bakes their own version of the goodies and then everyone exchanges the cookies to try different varieties. So here's a little piece of history to snack on. According to cookie-exchange.com, the first documented cookie exchange took place in the 1930s. And thank goodness. I'm Amelia Santinello, and this has been Four Things to Know. Thanks for joining me today. We're here with the news you need every weekday afternoon by 3 o'clock. Listen to Four Things to Know, a WCCO Daily News podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

That refresh you've been putting off until the right deal came along? It's here. Wayfair's Black Friday and July sale is happening now so you can finally get the style you've been waiting for for less. Get up to 80% off area rugs and up to 60% off outdoor and bedroom furniture. Shop Wayfair's huge selection of styles and find the piece to fit your style, budget, and space. Plus, free shipping. Black Friday and July ends July 27th. Shop today at Wayfair.com. Every style, every home.