About Donald Trump's visit to St. Cloud

Plus: New (Pokémon) champ in the making 🏅 [Plus: New (Pokémon) champ in the making 🏅] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! I spent the morning watching Olympic skateboarding. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to practice my kickflip 🛹 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [More time = more money: Whether on your own or through employer, save for retirement now]( - [A year since emergency SNAP benefits expired, thousands of Minnesotans struggle with grocery bills]( - [For two weeks, Bemidji became the world unicycle capital]( - [University of Minnesota documents stunning impact of poverty on cell function, transplants]( - [3 killed overnight in Minneapolis, police seek other agencies' help](   Everything you need to know about the Trump-Vance rally in St. Cloud Doug Mills/New York Times It's been a little more than a week since former President Donald Trump recruited Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate. And the two chose St. Cloud as the venue for their first joint rally, where thousands of supporters packed Herb Brooks National Hockey Center as hundreds more gathered outside to watch on an enormous screen. Trump and Vance predicted war and chaos under four more years of Democratic leadership in the White House, pledged "overfunding the police" and railed against illegal immigration during the Minnesota campaign stop. Republicans are bullish about their odds of winning Minnesota's 10 electoral votes for the first time since 1972 after President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance in mid-June. And on Sunday, Vance visited Park Diner in Waite Park to further shore up support, chatting with Minnesota voters the day after the rally. The campaign stop came amid a surge in energy among Democrats as Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris surfaced as the presumptive nominee for the party's presidential ticket. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and a handful of other elected Democrats have made the rounds on TV as they angle for the vice presidential nod. Catch up on all that and more with the links below: Related coverage - [At central Minnesota diner, JD Vance says the state is 'ready to turn red']( - [Donald Trump, JD Vance go after Harris for capacity crowd at first joint rally in Minnesota]( - [Republicans put Joe Teirab on their national Young Guns list after Tayler Rahm suspends his campaign]( - ['These are weird people': Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz goes viral as he stumps for Kamala Harris](     GOING OUT - [Ooh la la: Where to find local French fare as the Olympics get underway in Paris]( - [PinKU returns as an omakase counter at Eat Street Crossing]( What's happening today 🗞️ The U.S. national women's basketball team takes to the court against Japan at 1:45 p.m. Read up on [Lynx and Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve](, courtesy of Kent Youngblood. 🗞️ Gophers football begins training camp today. And sports reporter Randy Johnson has [five questions about this season's prospects](. He wants to be the very best, like no one ever was Elliot McPike took 40th place at the Pokémon World Championships in London two years ago. Now, the 12-year-old from Rochester has his sights set on a top-32 finish as he prepares to compete with some of the best players in the world. McPike, who is autistic, also says the video games help him express himself in a healthy way. Trey Mewes has the [heartwarming story about Minnesota's young Pokémon champion here](. Ayrton Breckenridge/Star Tribune [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 - [St. Paul deepens cultural curriculum offerings with plans for Afrocentric school]( - [New child safety seat law goes into effect Thursday. Here's what you need to know.]( - [New 924 area codes to roll out soon across southern Minnesota]( Minnesota medal watch 👀 So far, only one Olympian with Minnesota ties has won a medal in Paris. 🥈 Former Gophers diver Sarah Bacon took silver in the synchronized springboard event on Saturday. None of the medal events scheduled today feature anyone we're rooting for but Suni Lee and Regan Smith will compete Tuesday. (Smith will participate in qualifying events today.) IT'S TIMES LIKE THESE YOU LEARN TO ROCK AGAIN Powell Krueger/Star Tribune Hello, I've waited here for you! Foo Fighters knocked it out of the park at Target Field last night, turning in a "thrilling and exhaustive performance," per music writer Chris Riemenschneider. Is someone getting the best of you on camera? Because photog Jeff Wheeler did a phenomenal job capturing the evening, as evidenced by the frame above. I've got another confession, my friend: "In Your Honor" may be the best Foo Fighters album of all time. "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace" is also really high up there. (Even though it's not quite like the others.) IN OTHER NEWS - [Ramsey County is billing people who call the crisis hotline for help]( - Fox 9 - [A treasure hunt to make Minnesota property maps more accurate]( - MPR News - [A Navy Vet and a Chef Revived the Neighborhood Corner Store with Nice Time Market + More]( - Racket     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Clutch Points via X You'll want to click through to the video above on this one. Could you take on an Olympic table tennis player? Anthony Edwards seems to think he can. The Timberwolves standout, who along with Team USA routed the Serbian national team 110-84 on Sunday, was seen arguing he could score at least one point against a member of the table tennis team as Steph Curry egged him on. "I don't believe it. I'm not havin' it," Edwards says of the prospect of a shutout. Oh, my sweet summer child. 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.