Daily Digest: Divisions apparent as Trump era begins

Good morning and happy Monday. Gov. Mark Dayton gives his State of the State speech tonight at the Capitol. We'll broadcast it at 7 p.m., and I hope you can tune in. In the meantime let's tale a look at the Digest.

1. The first days of Donald Trump's presidency drew protesters to the Minnesota Capitol for one of the largest demonstrations in state history. Nearly 100,000 people marched in opposition to Trump on Saturday. It was part of an international day of women's marches that saw millions turn out. Just 24 hours later, up to 5,000 people with opposing views stood in the same spot at the Minnesota Capitol for an annual rally to express opposition to abortion. (MPR News)

2. A coalition of metro counties that raises $120 million per year for transit may soon disband in order to gain independence from the Legislature and the ability to raise more local tax money. The Counties Transit Improvement Board needs a 10 percent legislative match to go forward with projects including the proposed Gold Line from downtown St. Paul to Woodbury, and the the Bottineau Line from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park. Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties have imposed a quarter-cent sales tax and a $20 motor vehicle sales tax to pay for transit. Carver and Scott counties are non-voting members of the board. (Pioneer Press)

3. As a response to groups of people who closed down major highways in recent months to protest the deaths of young black men who were killed by police officers, some Republican state lawmakers want to crack down on protests. Republican-backed bills would make it easier for prosecutors to charge people for blocking highways with a gross misdemeanor and up to a year in jail, while also allowing local police departments to sue convicted protesters for the costs associated with demonstrations. “At some point, the rule of law has to matter,” said Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River. “I think it’s time to show there is accountability.” (AP via WCCO TV)

4. The counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer used "alternative facts" in a statement to the media on Saturday about the size of the crowd that gathered for the inauguration on Friday. Her use of the term blew up on the social media, because several of the things Spicer and the president said about the crowd were wrong. (New York Times)

5. On Sunday, Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to visit the White House in early February. Trump also announced that he's set up meetings with the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and said the talks would involve renegotiating NAFTA along with immigration and border security. Trump had no plans to sign any executive orders on Sunday. But his chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said on "Fox News Sunday" the president would spend his first full week in office undoing some of his predecessor's agenda and planned to sign executive orders on immigration and trade. (AP)

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