Gov. Walz sidesteps veepstakes speculation 👀

Plus: A guide to Lake Waconia's best eateries [Plus: A guide to Lake Waconia's best eateries] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Scroll to the end for a very funny TV mix-up 🥴 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Trump, Vance will make first joint Minnesota appearance Saturday night in St. Cloud]( - [Man pleads guilty to bribing a Feeding Our Future juror with $120,000 cash]( - [Minnesota Police Association files ethics complaint against Hennepin County Attorney in trooper case]( - [Hamline University reaches settlement with instructor who showed images of Prophet Muhammad in class]( - [Pedestrian river bridge connecting North Side, northeast Minneapolis draws excitement](   Gov. Tim Walz has the most Minnesotan response to all the vice presidential speculation Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune If you haven't heard, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is in the running for the Democratic vice presidential nomination. The state's chief executive has been dogged by questions over whether he'd accept the nod since President Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the top of the ticket. And on Monday, Walz summed up his feelings about the speculation in the most Minnesotan way possible. "If that's the direction she goes, I guess that's fine," he told MPR's Cathy Wurzer. Walz has continued to shrug off direct questions about his ambitions for the office, telling PBS NewsHour's Amna Nawaz last night that he's focused on helping Harris take the Oval Office. “I’m just here for whatever it takes to be part of that," Walz said. Word is the Harris campaign is also vetting governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. (But Whitmer recently told a reporter she will not leave Michigan.) Walz, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, was one of the president's most prominent surrogates on the campaign trail and he quickly pivoted to backing Harris as she began to gather delegates. Harris' position at the top of the Democratic ticket has become more solid throughout the week as various outlets report she's secured the support of more than half the delegates necessary to win the nomination. Keep an eye on StarTribune.com as we follow the veepstakes and learn whether Walz joins Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale as the third Minnesotan on a presidential ticket. Related coverage - [Is Kamala Harris vetting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for vice president? He's not saying]( - [With Biden out of presidential race, big-name Minnesota Democrats move to Kamala Harris]( - [Minnesota delegates, voters shift concerns about Israel, Gaza from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris]( - [Trump, GOP weaponize Minnesota Freedom Fund in attacks on Kamala Harris](     GOING OUT - [The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Minneapolis craft beer pioneers Fulton and Finnegans joining forces]( - [Review: Artistry’s ‘Newsies’ thrills as it leaps off the stage in Bloomington]( Happening today 🗞️ The Hennepin County Board is scheduled to meet and discuss whether it wants to take land via eminent domain and build a new ramp to HCMC. The existing ramp is scheduled for demolition to make way for an in-patient tower. Chris Magan is covering the meeting. 🗞️ Rep. Nolan West, R-Blaine, will host a news conference to offer legislative solutions to the day-care abuse his daughter and several other children experienced. Shocking video shows two Blaine day-care workers violently slamming and flipping babies. Intern Anna Colletto is covering the event. Paul Walsh has [the story about the abuse](. 🗞️ Aquatennial starts today. The four-day celebration kicks off with the Torchlight Parade on Nicollet Mall at 7:30 p.m. Tim Harlow has [all of the details about the Minneapolis festival here](. [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. Take a trip to Lake Waconia and visit these enticing eateries Sure, wood-fired pizza is cool, but have you ever tried eating one with a view of Lake Waconia in the background? Sharyn Jackson took one for the team recently and assumed the terrible, horrible burden of traversing the west metro suburbs to find the best eateries in the area. None of us are jealous at all. I'm certainly not aching to get my hands on the mahi tacos at Lola's Lakehouse. No siree, Bob. Jackson has the ultimate guide on [where to eat and drink near Lake Waconia here](. Read it and admit it, like I just did — you are, indeed, incredibly jealous. Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Delta CEO tells travels that airline mess should be resolved by Thursday]( - Vikings training camp competitions: Is the starting QB job up for grabs?]( - [Essentia clinic, hospital providers vote to unionize across northeast Minnesota]( Days of Aquatennial past Neal McGahee/Star Tribune What do astronauts, college football coaches and professional hockey players have in common? Why, they've all been appointed grand marshals of the Torchlight Parade that kicks off Minneapolis' Aquatennial. Back in 1983, then-Sen. John Glenn of Ohio — also known as the second man to walk on the moon's surface — landed in Minneapolis to take on this solemn duty. Glenn was in the midst of a bid to become the Democratic nominee for the 1984 presidential election at the time, which ultimately went to former U.S. senator and Vice President Walter Mondale. Quite bold of Glenn to take on the man in his home state. IN OTHER NEWS - [How three Twin Cities colleges and universities are prioritizing the mental health of their student-athletes]( - MinnPost - [Is burning wood or trash ‘carbon free’? The utilities want you to think so]( - Minnesota Reformer - [Developers claim AI can help combat loneliness, but critics say it can’t be trusted -](PBS NewsHour (Thanks, I hate it)     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Andrew Wagner via Twittter Whoops — looks like someone over at MSNBC needs to get their politicos straight. Yesterday afternoon, the network gave its viewers a peek at the four men — and one woman — whom Vice President Kamala Harris is considering as a running mate as she comes closer to becoming the official Democratic nominee for president. There was just one problem, if you can spot it. See it yet? How about now? Yup. That's not Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the bottom right. Nope, instead MSNBC accidentally placed a portrait of Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida where our Diet Mountain Dew-chugging head of state belongs. Andrew Wagner, executive director of the Minnesota House GOP spotted the error. About an hour later, Waltz — note the T in the last name — responded with: "Wrong picture, @MSNBC. Regardless, I decline!" Correction: Our main story yesterday incorrectly identified the restaurant among the condemned buildings in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis. The restaurant was Jewel of India. 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? 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