Your guide to Minnesotans at the Olympics 🥇

Plus: Security for Trump rally in St. Cloud [Plus: Security for Trump rally in St. Cloud] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! If you're torn between seeing "Deadpool and Wolverine" or "Twisters" this weekend, I say choose both 🌪️ On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [4th of July was a COVID-19 spreader in Minnesota, though illnesses far below pandemic peaks]( - [Minnesota State Fair will prohibit nursing dairy cows at Miracle of Birth over bird flu risk]( - [X's AI chatbot 'Grok' spread misinformation about Minnesota's ballots. Does the tech giant care?]( - [DOJ and Precision Lens settle kickback case for $12M, far cry from original jury finding of $487M]( - [At Minnesota-based Nature Memories, those experiencing memory loss 'reclaim some joy'](   USA! USA! USA! USA! Abbie Parr/Associated Press The Paris Olympics kicked off this week and our ace Sports and digital design desks have got the best and most in-depth guide to help you follow Minnesotans in this year's games. How does Sunisa "Suni" Lee plan to take home her first gold medal in the balance beam? How will the Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards fare on the hardwood? Will Regan Smith take home a medal in the backstroke? We can't tell you how any of those events will turn out. (Our crystal ball broke earlier this week.) But we can provide you with all the background you need on athletes with ties to the North Star State in Paris. Although several team events began earlier this week, the opening ceremony is today, and it'll look markedly different than those of years past. It won't take place in a stadium, for starters. Instead, we'll be treated to a parade of athletes floating on boats down the Seine. Here's when you can expect to catch Minnesota athletes over the weekend and early next week: Lee will compete in the women's gymnastics qualification round Sunday. Edwards will also hit the court for the first time Sunday. If she qualifies, Smith will compete in the 100 backstroke finals Tuesday. For all of our 2024 Paris Olympics coverage, check out the wealth of links below. Related coverage - [Get to know every Minnesotan athlete at this year's Olympics]( - [Your guide to what to watch at this year's games]( - [Minnesota’s Regan Smith and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown have dominated the backstroke events in recent years. Who will come out on top in Paris?]( - [Olympics are a whole new level for rising Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards]( - [Suni Lee wants balance beam gold. These elements could get her there]( - [We traced Minnesota-born Olympians over the last century]( - [Now Team USA’s head coach, Cheryl Reeve takes on the burden of winning women’s basketball gold](     GOING OUT - [The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week]( - [An evening at the Long Drive-In, one of the last drive-in theaters in Minnesota]( What's happening this weekend 🗞️ Lots of great live music acts to catch this weekend, from Vanessa Carlton playing a free show in Rochester to one of your friendly neighborhood newsletter writer's favorite bands, Foo Fighters, taking over Target Field. Jon Bream and Chris Riemenschneider list [this weekend's top concerts here](. 🗞️ The Twins travel to Detroit to take on the Tigers today, tomorrow and Sunday. Our sports desk has [everything you need to know about the series 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. Security 'top priority' for Saturday's Trump rally in St. Cloud Law enforcement officials in St. Cloud say security is their top concern in preparation for a planned rally and visit from former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. It's been nearly two weeks since a gunman fired at Trump and the former president came away from the assassination attempt with a bloody ear. Jenny Berg has the story about the [preparations local officials are making for Saturday's rally in St. Cloud](. Evan Vucci/Associated Press MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Brooks: After insulting Jennifer Aniston and 'childless cat ladies' everywhere, JD Vance heads to Minnesota]( - [Minneapolis clears several South Side homeless encampments]( - [Nearly 12,000 acres restored to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; more could be on way]( CURIOUS MINNESOTA Star Tribune file photo A little over a century ago, one of the Twin Cities' coziest neighborhood pubs served its libations much more discreetly, the bartender and his business hidden behind a wall so that it looked like a barbershop from the outside. The Chatterbox Pub, which now offers patrons the opportunity to fire up a Nintendo Entertainment System during their boozy outing, was once a speakeasy. And this week's edition of the Star Tribune's reader-powered reporting project seeks to answer the question: What were some of the most notorious speakeasies in the state during the prohibition era? You'll have to read intern Grace Noble's [Curious Minnesota dispatch to find out](. IN OTHER NEWS - [In first full year of 24/7 service, Minneapolis behavioral crisis team responds to more than 10,000 calls]( - MinnPost - [Twin Cities hip-hop artists Carnage, FPA drop a beat at Orchestra Hall]( - Sahan Journal - [Let's find three nice things to say about the Dylan biopic's new trailer]( - Racket - [Women's sports bars are on a winning streak]( - The 19th     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE dr-meow-kitty via Reddit Some distinctly Minnesotan corners of Reddit have practically turned into Tim Walz fan sites lately as the governor's national profile rises amid the veepstakes he's so keen to downplay at every opportunity. This one, from user dr-meow-kitty, is just the latest plea from some folks on the social network begging the two-term DFL governor to stick around. Walz, for his part, seems demure in every interview where he's asked whether he wants to run alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in the No. 2 spot on the Democratic presidential ticket. Does he really feel so-so about the prospect? Or does he want the VP slot so badly that he refuses to get his hopes up because nothing good ever happens to him and it can't possibly hurt that badly if he acts like he won't get it, anyway? I ... may be projecting with that second one. (I'm still a little salty that the wandmaker at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter chose some 10-year-old for the wand demonstration over me, a mature fan with disposable income.) 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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