Minnesotans miss out on the American Dream 💸

Plus: It's patio season, y'all [Plus: It's patio season, y'all] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Today's main story is longer than usual, so get your coffee ready — it's worth it ☕ (And is it just me or are the birds getting louder now in the morning?) 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Walz signs bill clarifying constitutional protections for religious entities under Human Rights Act]( - [Central Minnesota school board bars tribal drum group from graduation performance]( - [Shooting involving law enforcement reported in Crookston]( - [Minnesota state trooper pleads 'innocent' on murder, manslaughter charges; trial set for September]( - [Suit: Cops peeked into Brooklyn Center home, saw doll, made up 'baby in distress' call and broke in]( - [Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail gets state support](   Upward mobility is a myth in the U.S., especially Minnesota Photo illustration by Ashley Miller/Star Tribune Go to college, they said. It'll be fun (and lucrative), they said. But does that path to economic prosperity still apply in this day and age? A team of Star Tribune reporters spent months crunching two decades' worth of data to get at the core of that question. And it turns out the American Dream is just that — a dream — for many Minnesotans. Millennial college graduates are overqualified, underpaid and saddled with student loan debt. [image] Photo by Jerry Holt/Star Tribune Women, particularly at the highest income brackets, are paid cents on the dollar for the same work as men. And both Black and Native American earners face some of the highest hurdles on the path to prosperity. Overall, Minnesotans have among the worst upward mobility in the nation. (The silver lining: They also have among the lowest downward mobility, too.) How did our journalists report this out? Reporter Emma Nelson and data editor MaryJo Webster met with folks at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in October 2023 after the agency released a trove of data related to income mobility across the U.S. “There was just so much there," Nelson said. "As far as we know, it’s the most comprehensive look at income inequality data to date." And crucially, she added, the most accurate because it's drawn from taxes filed to the IRS. The agency anonymized the data to curb any potential privacy issues. "A lot of the other kinds of income data we have is self-reported," Business team leader Megan Ryan said. “This is based off of tax data. Inherently, you can’t lie on it. Hypothetically, people could but there’s a ramification for that.” The series that Nelson and a team of reporters shepherded by Ryan and Webster produced, is the culmination of the work more than 30 newsroom staffers have put in since that October meeting at the Fed. The stories paint a stark picture of the economic realities across Minnesota. But Ryan says the team's findings give her hope. The stories identify distinct obstacles everyday Minnesotans face. And that could arm policymakers with the information they need to break them down. "I kind of find it empowering in a way," she said. "I think it shows that the work isn’t done. And as much progress as we’ve made as a country and as a state, it shows how much we have left to do.” Projects like this are powered by the reporters, editors, designers, photographers and countless others here at the Star Tribune. And it's all made possible by our subscribers, so thank you for supporting this work. (If you're not a subscriber and would like to change that, click or tap [here](.) Read all of the stories below: - [Income mobility is the American Dream. Most Minnesotans never achieve it]( - [No matter what they do, Minnesota millennials feel like they 'can't get ahead']( - [Black Minnesotans have made income gains, but wide disparities persist]( - [Income growth remains fragile for Native Americans in Minnesota]( - Asians in Minnesota are more likely to move up the income ladder than in other states]( - ['It just never gets better': The gender wage gap still plagues Minnesota, U.S.](     Today’s top event The Mary Ann Key Book Club presents: A Community Discussion of "The Sun Does Shine" with Myron Medcalf Thursday, May 16, 2024, 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis Central Library, [registration required]( It's patio season, y'all The weather's warming up and even though the forecast calls for some clouds and a shower here and there throughout the weekend, nearly every evening feels ripe for a drink or appetizer on the patio. Our Taste team rounded up their 60 favorites across the Twin Cities. Whether you're looking for a cozy getaway for two or a place to sip on something delicious and play with your pup, they've got you covered. Check it out [here](. Photo by Sharyn Jackson/Star Tribune GOING OUT - [Scene Makers Q+A: Zoo Animal's Holly Hansen is making noise again with her recording studio]( - [Hitch a ride on a birding road trip from Minnesota to Texas]( IN OTHER NEWS - [Paint it black? A beloved community mural is painted over in northeast Minneapolis]( - MPR - [Home at last, with innovative services added: Restoring Waters welcomes 60 families in St. Paul]( - Sahan Journal - [Are tacos and burritos sandwiches? A judge in Indiana ruled yes]( - Washington Post will wolves win? They did in '04 Star Tribune sports section via Newspapers.com Twenty years ago, the second round of the Western Conference playoff series saw the Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings head into Game 6 with one team vying to hold on for dear life. Sound familiar? The difference is the Wolves had the advantage back then. They play the Denver Nuggets at Target Center tonight for a do-or-die game. If the Wolves win, they force a Game 7. If they lose, the team is eliminated from the playoffs. Howl at the moon a little louder than usual tonight. For good luck. more in sports - [Souhan: Blow up Timberwolves' go-big plan if they lose to Nuggets? No, and here's why.]( - [Maddie Rooney doesn't flinch as PWHL Minnesota outlasts Toronto in two OTs in Game 4]( - [Vikings game-by-game schedule: Kirk Cousins visits U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 8]( - [Yankees' Aaron Judge gives a little extra in 4-0 defeat of Twins](     the minnesota goodbye Yesterday's scenic view of the Mississippi got me thinking: How's everyone's garden doing? As an apartment dweller, the closest I come to my own verdant escape is the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter stocked with bananas and oranges. My cats gnaw on every plant we bring home, so there's precious little space in the ol' abode to decorate with greenery. They even chew on the fake bamboo plant we got at IKEA 🤦🏽 ♂️ Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.