Today is Wednesday, Dec. 17, the 351st day of 2025. There are 14 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 17, 1979, Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance broker and former Marine, was beaten by police after leading them on a chase with his motorcycle in Miami. McDuffie died four days later. (Four white police officers accused of beating McDuffie were acquitted in 2000, sparking riots in Miami that led to several deaths and millions of dollars in damages.)

Also on this date:

In 1777, France becomes one of the first nations to officially recognize the independence of the United States.

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In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted the first successful manned, powered airplane flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, using their experimental craft, the Wright Flyer.

In 1933, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 in the first NFL championship game.

In 1944, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Henry C. Pratt rescinded incarceration orders for people of Japanese ancestry during World War II; more than 110,000 people, about two-thirds of them U.S. citizens, had been forced into camps after a February 1942 executive order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Clean Air Act into law; it was the first federal legislation targeting the control of air pollution.

In 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford in Sacramento, California. (She was paroled in August 2009.)

In 1989, “The Simpsons” debuts on Fox television; it has become the longest-running animated U.S. TV series.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in separate ceremonies; NAFTA went into effect in 2004 and was replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement in 2020.

In 2014, the United States and Cuba announced they would restore diplomatic relations, which had been severed in 1961 after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution overthrew a U.S.-backed government. Full diplomatic relations resumed in 2015.

In 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, a senior Russian general, was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building in Moscow, a day after Ukraine’s security service accused him of directing the use of banned chemical weapons in Russia’s war in Ukraine. A Ukrainian official said the service carried out the attack in which Kirillov’s assistant also died.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is 95.
Actor Ernie Hudson is 80.
Political commentator Chris Matthews is 80.
Comedian-actor Eugene Levy is 79.
Actor Wes Studi is 78.
Rock singer Paul Rodgers is 76.
Actor Bill Pullman is 72.
Filmmaker Peter Farrelly is 69.
Rock musician Mike Mills (R.E.M.) is 67.
Country singer Tracy Byrd is 59.
Actor Laurie Holden is 56.
Actor Claire Forlani is 54.
Filmmaker Rian Johnson is 52.
Actor Sarah Paulson is 51.
Actor Giovanni Ribisi is 51.
Actor Milla Jovovich (YO’-vuh-vich) is 50.
Boxer Manny Pacquiao is 47.
Actor Emma Bell is 39.
Actor-singer Nat Wolff is 31.

With the Washington Capitals in town, fans who came to Grand Casino Arena hoping to see a Russian sniper illuminate the goal light absolutely got what they were expecting. Sort of.

Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin was held scoreless, but Wild veteran Vladimir Tarasenko had a pair of goals, helping Minnesota to a 5-0 win on Tuesday.

It was a Russian-dominated night for the Wild, with Kirill Kaprizov and Danila Yurov — after a pretty assist by Tarasenko — also scoring. Matt Boldy added a late shorthanded goal.

The fifth victory in a row for the Wild came due in part to a 25-save shutout performance from goalie Filip Gustavsson, and avenged a lopsided loss to the Capitals earlier in the season.

Kaprizov scored in the second period and made franchise history in the process. His 70th career power play goal moved Kaprizov ahead of Zach Parise for the most man advantage goals in franchise history.  It was also Kaprizov’s 206th career goal, which places him second on the Wild’s career list, one better than Mikko Koivu. The franchise record of 219 is held by Marian Gaborik.

Minnesota emerged from the first period with a lead after Tarasenko wired the team’s first shot on goal past the Caps’ goalie with a wrist shot from the high slot. It was Tarasenko’s fourth goal of the season and his first at home since Nov. 1.

After the Wild killed the game’s first power play, the lead nearly doubled, but Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren thwarted Marcus Foligno’s breakaway with a glove save. On the next shift, Gusvatsson did the same, making a left pad save on Connor McMichael’s breakaway attempt.

Already thin on the blue line, the Wild lost defenseman Daemon Hunt in the first after what appeared to be a knee-on-knee collision with Washington center Ethen Frank.

Minnesota finally created some breathing room on a second period power play, when a long-range shot by Quinn Hughes hit traffic in front, but Kaprizov backhanded the rebound past Lindgren for a 2-0 lead.

Matt Kiersted, playing his second game for the Wild, assisted on Boldy’s shorthanded goal. I t was Kiersted’s first point in the Minnesota uniform.

Lindgren, the former Lakeville North and St. Cloud State star, had 27 saves for Washington, which had beaten the Wild 5-1 in October at their home rink a few blocks from the White House.

The Wild have a brief break in their homestanding ways in December, paying their only visit of the season to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Columbus beat the Wild 7-4 in Minnesota’s home opener on Oct. 11.

Briefly

One of the bigger ovations of the night came during a first period media timeout when Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was shown on the arena’s video screen. Finch, 56, who has led the Wolves to the Western Conference final the past two seasons, was taking in the game from a suite. Wolves power forward Julius Randle, attending the game with his family, posted a social media video welcoming Hughes to Minnesota.

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Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary voters in St. Paul’s House District 64A on Tuesday picked Meg Luger-Nikolai as the candidate who will advance to the January special election.

Luger-Nikolai, a labor lawyer who had the DFL endorsement, had nearly 30% of the vote in a six-candidate contest, according to unofficial results late Tuesday night. Progressive organizer Dan McGrath was the runner-up, with 27% of the vote.

One Republican candidate filed to run in District 64A, ruling out the need for a primary.

Meanwhile, Shelley Buck won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor special primary for Woodbury and Maplewood’s House District 47A. Buck had about 88% of the vote in a three-way race, according to unofficial results.

No Republicans filed to run in District 47A.

Undated courtesy photo, circa December 2025, of Meg Luger-Nikolai, a Democratic candidate in the special primary election for House District 64A on Dec. 16, 2025. The election is to replace Kaohly Her, who vacated her House 64A seat after being elected mayor of St. Paul in November 2025. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Buck is the former president of the Prairie Island Tribal Council and director of a Dakota-led nonprofit organization working to restore land around St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, known as Owámniyomni in the Dakota language. She had the DFL endorsement.

Winners of Tuesday’s pair of DFL special primary elections for two vacant House seats advance to the Jan. 27 special general election. No Republican primary was required in either House district.

Prairie Island Indian Community President Shelley Buck speaks at the Treasure Island Center ribbon cutting in St. Paul on Jan. 16, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Districts 47A and 64A have been vacant since their former representatives won election to new offices in November.

Rep. Kaohly Her, DFL-St. Paul, was elected St. Paul’s next mayor, and Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, DFL-Woodbury, won a special election for Senate District 47, the seat Nicole Mitchell resigned from after her burglary conviction.

Both districts strongly favor Democratic candidates. Six DFLers sought their party’s nomination in St. Paul’s District 64A, which includes the Union Park, Macalester-Groveland and Summit-University neighborhoods.

Besides Luger-Nikolai and McGrath, 64A candidates included:

• Beth Fraser, a former Minnesota deputy secretary of state.

• Matt Hill, an aide on the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners.

• Dan McGrath, a longtime progressive organizer.

• Lois Quam, a health care executive who helped implement MinnesotaCare.

• John Zwier, an assistant state attorney general under Attorney General Keith Ellison

Luger-Nikolai will face the sole Republican candidate, business owner Dan Walsh, in January.

DFLers dominate elections in St. Paul. Her won four consecutive two-year terms with more than 80% of the vote.

Three candidates sought the DFL nomination in House District 47A, which includes parts of the city of Woodbury and southern Maplewood.

Since no Republican filed paperwork to run in the district, Tuesday’s primary likely determines the winner of the January special general election.

Buck competed with David Azcona and Juli Servatius for the DFL nod.

The House currently has 67 Republican members and 65 DFL members, though barring a significant, unprecedented upset, January’s special elections are likely to return the chamber to a 67-67 tie, which voters delivered in the 2024 election.

The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to reconvene on Feb. 17.

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Which LEGO robot kit is best?

LEGO has been making childhood toys for more than 50 years and now even offer kits that allow your child to build a robot. These sets encourage young kids to explore and get excited about STEM. LEGO robot kits are great gifts that combine fun with learning to build, code and program. They come in variations designed for every age and skill level. If you or your child wants to build a fully functional intelligent robot that walks, talks, plays games and completes many different tasks, try the LEGO Mindstorm EV3 31313 Robot Kit.

What to know before you buy a LEGO robot kit

Start by choosing one of two main types of robot kits: model robots or programmable robots.

Model robot kits

Models look like robots but are not functional.
Models are not programmable.
Some models have moving parts, but they don’t have motors or the ability to move on their own.
Model robot kits come in many popular LEGO themes, like Star Wars, Ninjago, Ideas and Creator.

Programmable robot kits

Programmable robots come with motors and sensors.
Robots can move independently and perform a variety of tasks that you program.
You program the robot you built yourself through a mobile app or a computer program for Macs or PCs.
Robot kits come in one of two LEGO themes: Mindstorms and Boost.

What to look for in a quality LEGO robot kit

Level of detail

The greater the detail involved, the more time and effort required to build the robot. Programmable robot kits will always be more detailed than model robot kits. Look for two key indicators: the number of pieces included and the suggested age range. More detailed and complicated kits will have at least 500 separate pieces. Robot kits with high levels of detail will require tools to assemble and will also be more expensive.

Power

Small programmable robot kits have one motor while larger and more detailed robot kits will have two or even three motors. High-tech add-ons like transmitters and sensors have electrical components that need more than one motor to operate properly.

Apps and controllers

LEGO’s EV3 Programming App: This app uses intuitive on-screen icons as a simple and effective way to get started programming and coding. The Help documentation explains how to connect your EV3 Brick to your computer source, navigate the programming blocks, write a basic program and run it on your EV3 Brick Controller.
LEGO’s EV3 Brick Controller: This is a brick-shaped, intelligent and programmable control center and power station for your robot. It is powered by six AA/LR6 batteries and has 10 ports to connect computers with motors, sensors and beacons to tell your robot what to do. Using LEGO software, you create, program and play with the robot you built with your own hands.

How much you can expect to spend on a LEGO robot kit

You will find simple model kits for $15-$25 and more detailed ones for $100 or more. Programmable model kits start at around $150 and increase in cost as you add pieces, motors, sensors and possibilities.

LEGO robot kit FAQ

Will my child learn to code with a LEGO robot kit?

A. Yes, on two different levels. LEGO Boost kits teach younger kids the basic rules of programming through the use of drag-and-drop icons. Those who choose LEGO Mindstorm kits learn how to code by writing their own programs using more complex processes.

Are LEGO robot kits just for kids?

A. Anyone can have fun with a LEGO robot kit. If you enjoy technology, try using a more complex model. If you’re new to coding, a simpler kit is a good start.

What’s the best LEGO robot kit to buy?

Top LEGO robot kit

LEGO Mindstorm EV3 31313 Robot Kit

What you need to know: This fully functional intelligent robot kit allows you to create five different robots that walk, talk and play games.

What you’ll love: Builders of all ages will enjoy creating and commanding their own 16- by 15- by 14-inch robot with this 601-piece kit. It includes the intelligent EV3 Brick, three motors and color, touch and infrared sensors.

What you should consider: This is a pricey robot that requires some technical and programming skills.

Worth checking out

LEGO Star Wars VIII BB-8 75187 Building Kit

What you need to know: This Star Wars droid has more than 1,100 parts and is designed for kids 10 to 16.

What you’ll love: The detailing is authentic. Turn one wheel at the side to rotate the head and another to open the access hatch and extend the welding torch. It also comes with a display stand, decorative fact plaque and mini-figure.

What you should consider: This kit is expensive for a model that can’t be programmed.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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