A new billionaire enters the fight for the Timberwolves 🐺

Plus: What's next for Minnesota's "Bachelorette" [Plus: What's next for Minnesota's ] 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 inspired me to inflate the basketball I keep in the trunk of my 2002 Toyota Corolla 🏀 On to the news 📢 But first: A new Star Tribune/KARE11/MPR News poll will measure how Minnesotans feel about the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump's conviction, Israel's war with Hamas and other issues. Look for stories on the results starting Monday. [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [How police critics on the Minneapolis City Council responded to an officer's killing]( - [It's National Doughnut Day. We found the best deals in Minnesota]( - [Anti-establishment conservatives are gaining power in the Minnesota GOP]( - [Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe opens Minnesota's third marijuana dispensary]( - [Could a system designed by high school students reduce school shootings?](   Michelle Young, Minnesota's 'Bachelorette,' left the classroom to help kids in other ways Renée Jones Schneider/Star Tribune What does life look like after you've spent two seasons as a fixture on one of America's most-watched reality TV franchises? For "The Bachelorette" star Michelle Young, it looked like a chance to shape young minds as a teacher. And like many educators, she struggled with intense burnout. So she left the classroom. While many dating show contestants leverage massive social media followings to launch lucrative ventures, Young turned her focus to an afterschool program she founded, a nonprofit called Homework and Hoops and a new foundation that supports students and teachers. "I was figuring out a way I could create, honestly, an even bigger impact," Young said. But the road there wasn't easy. Reporter Jenna Ross has the [full story about Young's life after "The Bachelorette" here](.     GOING OUT - [6 cool things in music this week include Deadhead Bill Walton, Madeleine Peyroux and history of Flyt Tyme]( - ["Reservation Dogs" director: "I can feel the change in Native communities"]( - [Review: "John Skeeky" gets an antic, broad update by Theater Latté Da]( A new billionaire joins the Timberwolves' ownership fight There's a new challenger in the fight for ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has entered the fray and joined the ownership group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, Jeff Day and Chris Hine report. Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, is expected to enter forced arbitration with Rodriguez and Lore soon. Day and Hine have the [full story of Bloomberg's involvement here](. Calla Kessler/The New York Times [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Lileks: The Postal Service has released a study on dog bites, and Minneapolis doesn't come off very well]( - [Red Nation College opens in Minneapolis, offering higher education and cultural connection]( Curious Minnesota Cheryl A Meyer/Star Tribune Today's edition of the Star Tribune's reader-powered reporting project seeks to answer the question: Why did Minnesota erase much of its German culture? The Land of 10,000 Lakes is stereotypically more "uff da" than "oom-pah," even though many more Minnesotans report having German ancestry than Scandinavian. Greta Kaul [explores how and why Minnesota began downplaying its German heritage here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [Whittier Alliance proposes 53 affordable homes on vacant Nicollet Ave. lot]( - Southwest Voices - [Working remotely is best at a hotel]( - Washington Post     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune Tell me if you've heard this one before. An intense storm downs a tree in a man's yard and, taking the act of God as a sign the lumber is destined for greatness, he fashions it into a beloved local icon. It's not just the plot of one of the greatest "Simpsons" episodes of all time — season three's "Homer at the Bat," if you're curious — it's also how the giant pencil on Lake of the Isles Parkway came to be. The sculpture will celebrate its second birthday with a public "sharpening" next Saturday at 1 p.m. Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter Patrick Condon, 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.