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| |  | Polling place at Bryant Square Park in south Minneapolis. (Tiffany Bui / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| | We May Have a Female Governor Yet | Primaries are usually considered sleepier, low-turnout affairs. But yesterday’s election was jolted by a number of crucial statewide races that could tip the scales of power. Voters were clearly invested, as Minnesotans cast early ballots in record-breaking numbers. The results tell us Democrats are leaning into the party’s progressive wing and Republicans may be apathetic toward party (and presidential) endorsements. [Associated Press] | | - Women-led state: In a historic turn, both contenders for governor are women. Sen. Amy Klobuchar sailed to victory on the Democrat's side. House Speaker Lisa Demuth won the Republican primary, and is also the first Black woman to be nominated from a major party in the state. Klobuchar beat progressive upstart Kobey Lane by a landslide; the Associated Press called her victory less than thirty minutes after polls closed. Demuth triumphed over opponents endorsed by the party and President Trump himself.
- U.S. Senate: Fighting to fill Sen. Tina Smith’s seat will be Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan vs. former sports reporter Michele Tafoya. Flanagan won despite opponent Rep. Angie Craig outspending her by a magnitude of four to one. If elected, she would be the first Native American woman in the U.S. Senate. Like Demuth, Tafoya was victorious over her party-backed opponent Adam Schwarze.
- Hennepin County Attorney: This nonpartisan race narrows to two. Rep. Cedrick Frazier will face former Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. Voters will decide if they want Frazier to carry Mary Moriarty’s torch of progressive criminal justice or Folk’s generally more traditional emphasis on public safety.
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Lawsuit update: In 2022, a Minneapolis teachers’ strike ended partly due to a contract agreement that protects teachers of color from disproportionately being laid off during staffwide cuts. The Department of Justice sued Minneapolis Public Schools over the agreement, but a judge has dismissed the case because the DOJ did not include the teacher’s union as a defendant. However, the judge said he had “grave doubts” about the legality of the provision. [Sahan Journal] | | Pressing stop: West St. Paul is taking down its Flock cameras and ending its trial with the license plate reader company. The city is one of many responding to public backlash against this surveillance that has been linked to federal immigration enforcement. Columbia Heights’ City Council voted to end its Flock contract, and cameras in many cities have been cut down or damaged. [Pioneer Press] | | Queue cutdown: If you’ve ever gone to the bathroom during an Orpheum Theatre show, you may have experienced a line so long a staff member had to show you where it ends. Hennepin Arts is spending $6 million to renovate the theater, expanding its footprint to the building next door and doubling the number of street-level bathrooms to 22 stalls. [Star Tribune] | |  | Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings works around Kayla McBride #21 of the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on August 9, 2026. (Matt Krohn / Getty Images) |
| Hometown hero: After playing the Lynx on Sunday, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers returned to her hometown of St. Louis Park to unveil a revamped city basketball court in partnership with Gatorade. Bueckers and the drink company donated $45,000 to the city to refurbish Blackstone Park, her childhood stomping grounds. “All you need is a ball and basket,” Bueckers said to reporters. “You just need your local park.” [KSTP / CTPost] | | Great news for local news: Q Magazine wants to fill the void that Lavender Magazine left behind. The LGBTQ+ focused publication will launch in October, helmed by former Lavender editor Andy Lien. The staff of five will also expand into video, event calendars, and a digital version of the magazine you can flip through. Interesting quote from Barry Leavitt, Q’s vice president of sales and events: “There are people we found that are older who want nothing but digital, and there are people who are younger who want to hold something tangible in their hands.” [Star Tribune] | | Tune in: Radio legend Mary Lucia is DJing Radio K Mondays from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., per an inside source (our host, Sean McPherson). If you’re a fan of the Looch, turn up that radio. |
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| | Wednesday, Aug. 12 | | | Thursday, Aug. 13 | | | |
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The upcoming movie “Wicker” features a lonely fisherwoman who commissions a basketweaver to make her a husband made of – you guessed it – wicker. Here’s your local angle. | |  | (Credit: Ali Hormann via Threads) |
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