Children’s Minnesota hospital says it will pause some gender health services for minors following federal actions on health care.

The hospital network said in a statement Tuesday that there has been an increase of federal actions “directed at pediatric health systems” such as Children’s, which provides gender-specific care through its Gender Health Care Program.

Among the recent federal actions was a U.S. Health and Human Services declaration in December that called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. The declaration also warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide those types of care.

A coalition of states including Minnesota has sued Health and Human Services over the declaration.

Children’s said it will pause prescribing puberty-suppressing medications and hormones to patients under 18 beginning Feb. 27.

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Still, the hospital said its Gender Health Program will not fully close: Mental health, supportive care, medical treatment and non-medical treatment services will continue to be provided to patients and their families.

“Children’s Minnesota remains committed to advocating for the dignity and well-being of the patients and families who trust us with their care,” Children’s stated. “We have contacted our patient families directly to help them navigate any impacts to their care.”

The statement continued that the decision was not one the hospital wanted to make but instead one that had to be made to protect the hospital and its providers. “We stand firmly behind the fact that gender affirming care is evidence-based, safe and lifesaving for transgender and gender diverse youth,” Children’s stated.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as TikTok: chicken nuggets lovingly topped with a dab of caviar.

McDonald’s is embracing the trend this Valentine’s Day with a limited-time McNugget Caviar kit. The free kit, which will be available on McNuggetCaviar.com on Feb. 10, pairs a one-ounce tin of Paramount’s Siberian sturgeon caviar with a $25 McDonald’s gift card to buy McNuggets. McDonald’s is even throwing in some crème fraiche and a caviar spoon.

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Valentine’s Day is big business for U.S. restaurants. It’s the second-most popular holiday for dining out after Mother’s Day, according to the National Restaurant Association. McDonald’s is one of several fast-food chains hoping to win a share of that traffic.

For the 35th year in a row, White Castle is transforming its restaurants into Love Castles, with hostess seating, tableside service and Valentine’s Day décor. White Castle said some of the 300 participating restaurants are already booked for the night.

Nugget lovers can get their orders in a heart-shaped tray from Chick-fil-a. Papa Johns and Pizza Hut offer heart-shaped pizzas, while Auntie Anne’s has a heart-shaped soft pretzel. Even 7-Eleven is getting in on the action, offering heart-shaped donuts and $14 off delivery orders.

McDonald’s said it got the idea for caviar McNuggets from fans, who have been rhapsodizing about the high-low pairing for years on social media. Celebrity chef David Chang has posted many times about his love for caviar on fried chicken and Popeyes biscuits. In 2024, the pop star Rihanna downed caviar and chicken nuggets in a TikTok video.

McDonald’s wouldn’t say how many kits it will distribute, but said supplies are limited. That’s no surprise: A one-ounce tin of Siberian sturgeon caviar costs $85 on Paramount’s website, or about the cost of 166 Chicken McNuggets.

The organizer of an annual north metro contest was faced with a riddle this year: Keep the name, or come up with something new?

The name? The White Bear Lake Ice-Out Contest.

After a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions this winter, Alan Haskins, the contest’s founder, started having second thoughts.

“I kept seeing images of ‘ICE Out’ signs at protests, and I thought about using something else, but there was no logical next alternative,” Haskins said. “‘Frozen water out’ doesn’t really work.’”

Haskins, the owner of Nimble Impressions, a marketing agency in White Bear Lake, decided to stick with the original name for the contest, which also includes Bald Eagle Lake. The contest is open now and runs until the ice comes off both lakes.

“I am certainly sensitive and compassionate about the impact the presence of ICE has had on our amazing state,” Haskins said. “I am trying to view the terminology cross-over as a purely unfortunate occurrence.”

He’s betting people will disregard the coincidence.

“I think it is reasonable to believe that people can understand the difference between the upcoming melting ice on our 10,000-plus lakes and everything else that is happening,” Haskins said. “Our contest has always been free of politics and will remain that way forever.”

Started during pandemic

The Ice-Out Contest is one of the country’s largest, according to Haskins, who created the contest in 2020 as a way to help local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prize pool in 2025 was more than $3,500, and this year’s is tracking to be even bigger, he said.

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Rules are simple: one entry per person. Entries must include prediction of ice-out date(s) for one or both lakes. There is no fee to enter. The deadline to submit entries will be determined later, Haskins said.

Winners will be declared after the White Bear Lake Conservation District makes the ice-out official. Conservation district officials are responsible for declaring an ice-out on White Bear Lake, Haskins said, while he handles declaring ice-out on Bald Eagle Lake.

The earliest ice-out date officially recorded for White Bear Lake was March 8, 2024; the latest was May 4 in both 2018 and 1950. For Bald Eagle Lake, the earliest ice-out date recorded was March 8, 2024; the latest was May 2, 2018.

Haskins said Bald Eagle Lake had 22 inches of ice when he measured it on Sunday.

“There’s plenty of ice out there that has to melt,” he said, “so it’s not going to go quick.”

To enter, go to rallywba.com.