In our newsletter in December, we featured seven dogs, 19 cats, two rabbits and one sparrow.

To see more pet photos from our readers, check out our November slideshow.

To sign up for the Morning Report newsletter, which is sent by email daily, follow the prompts at twincities.com/newsletters.

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Sookie

“Sookie, Karen and Patrick’s rescue dog. approved of the festive holiday tree,” Geri writes. “Sookie politely declines to take any ornament as a personal toy. Probably because there’s not a ball, her favorite toy to play with is not easily accessible.”

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Gracie

“This is Gracie, adopted two years ago from Feline Rescue,” Liz writes. “She is 11 now, and wants to wish everyone a merry Christmas.”

Monday, Dec. 29

Virgil and friend.

“We live on the North Shore and this December winter has arrived with a vengeance,” Lisa writes. “Here’s Virgil pouting because I wouldn’t take him out in sub-zero temperatures with the crazy wind howling to walk on glare ice last week. I call this his Mom-you’re-such-a-wimp face.”

Friday, Dec. 26

Merry Christms, Lulu and Tommy!

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lulu and Tommy!”

Thursday, Dec. 25

Fluff!

“Fluff has accomplished her mission and is so proud,” writes Sarah of St. Paul.

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Nixie

“Here’s a picture of Nixie, all comfy in her little bed near a seasonal throw on the back of the couch,” Jeanne writes. “She agrees that this is as close she will get to dashing through the snow with a one-horse open sleigh.”

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Tucker

“Good morning!!” Jeanette writes. “Here is the newest edition to our family, his name is Tucker. Our daughter adopted him after their dog Gunnar passed away suddenly. Tucker and his siblings were called the Brady bunch. He has brought healing from Gunnar’s passing and great joy to his family. They aren’t sure what his mix is, but he has endless energy and boundless love.”

Monday, Dec. 22

Missy

“We read that you are running low on submissions so here is one of our favorites of Missy,” write Diane and Jim of New Brighton. “She’s an old girl now at 18 but still active and fun. But slowing down. Here she is sitting on the glass topped table in our sun room. She loves watching the backyard critters around our pond and waterfalls so she spends much time there. Merrry Christmas and a great New Year too!”

Friday, Dec. 19

Brian, a Morning Report reader, sent us this holiday photo of Hank, Mila and Bauer that was taken by their mom, Jamie, and featured in our newsletter on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Courtesy of Jamie)

“These three are ready for Christmas!” Brian writes. “Hank is the 2-year-old Labradoodle on the left, Bauer is the 11-month-old Bernadoodle on the right and Mila is the 11-year-old Lab front and center!! Our three boys are grown and out of the house so the puppies replaced them to keep the chaos in the house.”

Thursday, Dec. 18

Trixie’s tree.

“As you can see, Trixie is very merry about her new Christmas tree!” Amanda writes. “Happy holidays to you!”

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Zelda, Loki and Cheddar

“We lost the second of our beloved duo Jingles and Bells before Thanksgiving last year,” Tom writes. “Decided we couldn’t have Xmas without a kitty … and went to adopt two but ended up with three! Cheddar just wouldn’t let us leave without him. With Zelda and Loki beside him, they bring so much joy and laughter to the house. Along with the occasional knocked-over plant!”

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Nina

“Sweet little Nina loves it when we put the Christmas tree up,” Carrie writes. “It’s her favorite place to hang out during the season. Plus, she loves to drink water from the tree stand!”

Monday, Dec. 15

Frank SinatraA

“This is Frank (Sinatra), who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month after 19-1/2 years with me. He was a talker and an excellent listener (okay, he was deaf his last few years, but he at least SEEMED to listen) and in his last two years as my only cat, he became a lap cat when he didn’t have to fight for space! He was a very good boy and a wonderful companion, and I miss him.”

Friday, Dec. 12

Merry Christmas, Fanny Farmer!

“Fanny Farmer is a big help getting the Christmas decorations set up,” Kiki writes. “And sometimes she rearranges them more to her liking.”

Thursday, Dec. 11

Milo

“This is Milo, a 1-1/2-year-old Russian Blue rescue cat from Tennessee,” write Karen and David. “He was gifted to our son, Michael, and daughter in law, Taylor. Milo is getting used to his new surroundings. He certainly is a handsome little guy. He looks pretty relaxed in this photo.”

Wednesday, Dec. 10

Twiggy

“This is our daughter’s Greyhound, Twiggy, doing her version of the downward dog with the chickens observing,” Kristin Kissell writes. “She was rescued from the racing life in Texas and has her racing number tattooed in her ear. She’s the best dog, never barks or begs, is a joy to watch run, loves walks and sleeping. After being a working dog for so many years, she now gets to live her best life.”

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Catherine Johnson captured this photo of a sparrow flying over St. Paul.

Catherine Johnson captured this photo of a sparrow over Harriet Island Regional Park and the Mississippi River in St. Paul on Friday.

Monday, Dec. 8

Earl

“After our beloved 16-year-old cat Frances succumbed to kidney failure at the end of September, we were so bereft!” Carol writes. “A week later, we visited Prairie’s Edge Humane Society in Northfield and came home with Earl, who is a young love bug with charm and humor all his own.”

Friday, Dec. 5

Franklin was featured in our Morning Report newsletter on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Sue and Bruce)

“Christmas with Franklin,” Sue and Bruce write.

Looks fun!

Thursday, Dec. 4

From left: Puca, Mochaccino, Jello and Princess (on her throne!).

“Our four cats, with three of them honoring the queen of the house,” Dave writes. “From left: Puca, Mochaccino, Jello and Princess (on her throne!).”

Wednesday, Dec. 3

Jazzie and Ringo

Amy, a foster parent for No Kitten Left Behind, updated the Morning Report to tell us that Jazzie and Ringo, two young cats we featured earlier, are still waiting for homes.

“Jazzie and Ringo arrived at my home as tiny babies from a cat colony,” Amy wrote in this update for our readers. “They’ve grown into gorgeous, 1-year-old tabbies who add love and laughter to our lives. Ringo is a total snuggle-bug and Jazzie, more cautious, is a little scientist who studies the world around her. They are well-behaved but we also have a blast every evening when it’s time for the thundering zoomies.

“These sweet kitties are waiting for their own forever home.”

Get more info at the nonprofit’s Petfinder page.

Tuesday, Dec. 2

Misu and Miyagi

“Misu and Miyagi are brothers who like to spy on the neighbors and then gossip and create drama!” writes Jimmy of St. Paul.

Monday, Dec. 1 (Memorial Monday)

Boo

“Here are some photos of our beloved goof-ball, Boo, who passed away Dec. 14, 2024,” Jane writes. “Even people who professed to dislike cats loved Boo. Thank you, Boo, for 16 amazing years of goofy antics!”

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By GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s administration has told states that it is restricting some social safety net funds that cover services including child care subsidies and cash assistance and job training for poor families with children.

The administration says the moves are designed to root out fraud as a result of reported problems, but five Democratic-led states are a special focus of its attention, and some of their leaders say children are being harmed for political reasons.

Those five states challenged the freeze in court Thursday, calling it an unconstitutional abuse of power and a “shoot first ask questions later” approach that ignores established government procedures.

Here’s a rundown of where the federal government says money is being withheld and what’s known about the impact.

The administration says it is holding up funds while inspecting fraud allegations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday that it has frozen money for California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York in the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant.

Children watch television at ABC Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)

Letters to the states say that the government “has reason to believe” each state “is illicitly providing illegal aliens” with benefits. They do not spell out reasons for the suspicions — or say why other states did not receive similar notices.

The administration told states to provide the names, social security numbers and other personally identifying details of the programs’ beneficiaries since at least 2022, plus information about subcontractors and program providers dating back to 2019. For the child care program, the government is requesting attendance records but without personal information for the children or their families.

The Trump administration has pushed to collect and use similar information on beneficiaries of other government programs.

The states say in their lawsuit that they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year for the programs. They ‘re asking a court to order an end to the freeze, saying it has created immediate budget uncertainty.

New York officials say the money supports homeless shelters, adoption, child welfare investigations and other services — and the losses could create a budget hole of hundreds of millions this month.

“The Trump administration is notorious for making up a narrative which is false,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday. “And this is one of those narratives that’s false. There is no evidence of fraud here in the State of New York. In fact, this is just making kids political pawns again.”

Ruth Friedman, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation who oversaw child care programs for President Joe Biden’s administration, said on a call with reporters Wednesday that some of the information could be a challenge to assemble because the federal government does not now require it.

Every state has at least some new hurdles to access child care money

The 45 other states also face a new requirement: To get distributions of their allotted child care funds through an online system, they must first verify enrollment and attendance at child care centers and submit “a strong justification for the use of funds that aligns with” the purpose of the program.

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The administration told the states that it is “implementing strategies and program controls to identify fraud and ensure program integrity.” Similar “defend the spend” policies apply to some other federal money as a result of changes made last year by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. It was briefly required for the daycare dollars last year, but the government reversed course.

Friedman said it’s not clear exactly how much evidence the administration wants states to enter to receive funds.

Elliot Haspel, a senior fellow at Capita, a think tank that focuses on family issues, told reporters that even if states eventually get the money, delays could result in layoffs or closures at child care centers — and that would hurt families that pay the full cost for care as well as those who receive subsidies.

“You can create chaos very quickly,” he said, “and the harm may roll on the longer it happens.”

Minnesota has been told to provide information more urgently

Focus intensified around the federal government’s child care subsidy program after a pro-Trump influencer posted a video last month claiming that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud.

Conservative news and commentary outlets had already been amplifying earlier social service fraud allegations that involved Somali defendants. Seventy-eight people have been charged since 2022 — and 57 convicted — after federal prosecutors said the nonprofit group Feed Our Future stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnesota officials told child care providers that their federal childcare money is on hold, and that the administration told them to hand over records on child care providers, state oversight efforts and program finances by Friday.

In Tuesday’s letter notifying Minnesota that the social service block grants will be on hold, the administration asserted: “Your office has not demonstrated that the state has effective mechanisms in place to prevent fraud.”

Gov. Tim Walz has defended his state’s response and said his state is taking aggressive action to prevent further fraud.

This week, Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee and high-profile Trump critic, ended his campaign for a third term, saying he could not both serve as governor and run a campaign amid the partisan attacks over the claims.

Associated Press journalists Anthony Izaguirre, Steve Karnowski, Trân Nguyễn, John O’Connor and Colleen Slevin contributed to this article.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon cafe that takes orders in sign language has become a cherished space for the Deaf community, providing a unique gathering place as well as employment for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

American Sign Language, or ASL, is the primary language at Woodstock Cafe in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Non-ASL speakers can use a microphone that transcribes their order onto a screen.

People have moved from across the country to work at the cafe because it can be hard for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to find jobs, Andre Gray, who helped open the cafe, told the news outlet in sign language.

“So the cafe becomes their stable place. It’s their rock,” he said.

The cafe — owned by CymaSpace, a nonprofit that makes art accessible to the Deaf community — also hosts weekly ASL meetups and game nights. Sign Squad on Tuesdays is a popular event, drawing people like Zach Salisbury, who was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes gradual loss of hearing and sight and uses a cochlear implant, and Amy Wachspress, who started learning sign language nine years ago as she lost her hearing.

The hearing spectrum among attendees is diverse, with deaf people signing with students taking introductory sign language classes and hard of hearing people reading lips and communicating with spoken word and hand signals.

“What I just love about it is that there’s so many different people that come,” said Wachspress, who classifies herself as hard of hearing and primarily reads lips to communicate. “It’s so eclectic … just many different kinds of people from all different backgrounds. And the one thing we have in common is that we sign.”

Wachspress loves to tell the story about a deaf toddler born to hearing parents who wanted him to be immersed in Deaf culture. When they brought him to the cafe, he was thrilled to see other people sign.

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“He was just so beside himself excited when he realized that you could communicate with people using sign,” she said. “We were all so touched. … That’s the kind of thing that happens here at the cafe.”

Gray, who helped open the cafe, said there were plans to acquire adjacent vacant buildings for a Deaf Equity Center but that much of the funding was cut following the change of presidential administration. However, CymaSpace hopes to find funding from private organizations and a future crowdsourcing campaign.

“It gives power to the community as opposed to a fear of signing. We, as a community, are so proud of who we are,” he said.

(Ben Sargent)

To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star State section. Find Observer political reporting here.

The post Loon Star State: That Dog Hunts appeared first on The Texas Observer.