Celebration on the court; chaos at the Capitol

Are all Minnesota malls dead? [Are all Minnesota malls dead?] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! I was jolted awake by the loudest thunderclap I've ever heard last night 🌩️ Here's the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Minnesota Legislature approves minimum pay for Uber and Lyft drivers in final hours of session]( - [No one likes shopping for home or auto insurance. Here are tips to make saving less onerous]( - [PWHL Minnesota falls to Boston 4-3 in opener of Walter Cup finals]( - [Equal rights, abortion protections move closer to landing on the 2026 statewide ballot]( - [What did — and did not — pass in the Minnesota Legislature's chaotic final day of session]( Wolves win: They did it. They really did it. Photos by Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune Welp, those Nuggets sure got roasted. The Timberwolves are heading to the Western Conference finals for the first time in two decades after a stunning comeback in Denver on Sunday. The Wolves beat the Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 to take the series. They were down by 20 early in the third quarter. Sunday's victory means the Wolves will take on the Dallas Mavericks in another best-of-seven series that, thankfully, will air exclusively on one network and save many of us the headache of gaming out whether we want to burn another free trial to Fubo or Sling TV. [image] It's a lot to process, which is why we can forgive Charles Barkley for forgetting that he's definitely been to Minnesota at least once in the last 20 years. (The Star Tribune archives tell us he was at here in 2019 to cover the NCAA men's basketball Final Four for CBS.) Our indefatigable sports desk has everything you need to know about last night's game at the links below. Related coverage - [Timberwolves stun Nuggets in Game 7 with history-making comeback in second half]( - [Dear ANT: Tell Sir Charles what's up with Minneapolis' dining scene]( - [Timberwolves vs. Mavericks: What to know about in the NBA Western Conference finals]( - [Souhan: Karl-Anthony Towns shreds Nuggets, holds Timberwolves together on a magical night]( - [Ten clutch points: Takeaways from Timberwolves' record-setting comeback victory over the NBA champions]( [READ MORE](     more from the star tribune - [Lileks: Malls are in trouble in Minnesota and beyond. Will your mall close or evolve?]( - [Joanne Von Blon, who fueled Minnesota's arts scene, dies at 100]( - [In 'Telephone of the Tree,' a mysterious phone helps neighbors send their cares into the universe]( A chaotic final day at the Capitol Minnesota lawmakers raced to wrap up their business ahead of a midnight deadline Sunday, which culminated in chaos for both chambers of the Legislature as DFL leaders pushed through a mammoth 1,400-page bill against Republican objections. The legislation holds several Democratic priorities that lawmakers stuffed into one giant package. Republicans in both chambers roared their objections as the votes came through. Ryan Faircloth, Josie Albertson-Grove and Rochelle Olson have the full story [here](. (Our reporters were fueled by the following Capitol bureau snacks: Dots pretzels, peanut M&Ms and dried fruit.) Photo by Shari Gross/Star Tribune IN OTHER NEWS - [What’s the barrier to entry in Minnesota for alternative rideshare companies?]( - MinnPost - [Timberwolves Superfan Jiggly Boy: ‘It’s OK to Just Go Nuts with Your Joy for These Guys’]( - Racket - [Trolls in the northern Minnesota woods with a message]( - MPR on this day in 1999 Lynden Steele A short time ago in a mall not terribly far away, Star Wars fans flocked to the cinema to catch the first theatrical entry in the Skywalker saga in 16 years. (Remember when we had to wait decades for new Star Wars stuff?) This photo anchored the B section of the May 20, 1999, edition of the Star Tribune. In it, Elizabeth Sloan of St. Paul dressed up as Queen Amidala has just greeted fans waiting to watch the first screening of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" at the Mall of America. Our critic at the time, Jeff Strickler, wrote that the film was "dazzling to look at" but that "the plotting is episodic and bland." I recently asked Jeff if he's revisited the film since its release — he hasn't. Probably the right choice.     the minnesota goodbye Listen, as someone who paginated and laid out his high school newspaper, I can appreciate a clean and simple design. And this illustration of last night's Timberwolves game is as simple — and cute — as it gets. Side note: The first time I went to a Portland Trailblazers game, the team played Denver and ran a promotion where they gave ticketholders free Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's if they scored 100 points or more. My girlfriend at the time thought it was a cute nod to the fact that the Blazers were playing the Nuggets that night. Nope — just regular ol' serendipity! 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.