Canadian wildfire smoke headed for Minnesota

To view this email as a web page, [click here] [Star Tribune] Talkers Top stories - Canadian wildfire smoke headed for Minnesota: [Smoke from a massive wildfire in Alberta is at Minnesota's doorstep], meaning the sun could be a bit dimmer on Thursday. The wildfire forced [the evacuation of 80,000 from the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray], officials said. - Prince died among frantic plans for drug treatment: Prince was found dead [one day before he was scheduled to meet with a California doctor] in an attempt to kick an addiction to painkillers, an attorney with knowledge of the death investigation said Tuesday. His passing is [drawing attention to his faith as a Jehovah's Witness], with whom he knocked on doors and quietly attended services in St. Louis Park. The Current is arranging [a nationwide simulcast of a Prince song to pay tribute] to the late pop superstar at 5:07 p.m. - 7 hours and 13 days after his death. - Everything's coming up Trump: Ohio Gov. John Kasich is [expected to announce the end of his underdog White House bid] on Wednesday, a day after Donald Trump's only other rival, Ted Cruz, dropped out. With no opponents left in the race, Trump becomes the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in November — presumably Hillary Clinton. Trump said [he expects to name a vice presidential pick in July] before the Republican National Convention and Ben Carson will be part of the committee to select a running mate, the New York Times reports. - One-time mall king Aeropostale files for bankruptcy: The New York company said Wednesday that [it is closing 113 of its 739 U.S. stores and all 41 locations in Canada]. Going-out-of-business sales at those U.S. stores will begin this weekend. Its filing listed four Minnesota stores to be closed: Coon Rapids, Woodbury, Blaine and Maplewood. - New Delta CEO visits MSP: Ed Bastian, the airline's new boss, [landed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Tuesday] and is spending all day Wednesday meeting with employees, business community leaders and some of its premium customers, to reinforce the airline’s commitment to the local market and its people. - White House to create first national monument to gay rights: "President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement," [the Washington Post reports]. - Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV killed in Iraq: He was a former Phoenix high school star distance runner who was the grandson of an Arizona financier involved in the 1980s savings and loan scandal. Charlie Keating IV went on to run track at Indiana University, attend the Naval Academy and become a Navy SEAL based out of San Diego, California. Keating, 31, [died Tuesday in Iraq in an Islamic State group attack] near the city of Irbil. - Preservation Commission nixes 40-story Minneapolis condo tower: At a standing-room-only meeting, the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission on Tuesday [voted in favor of allowing a developer to demolish two buildings] but denied a request to build a 40-story condo tower across the Mississippi River from downtown. Hey, look at this Bald eagle family takes up residence in Minneapolis: In a residential neighborhood near the Mississippi River, a pair of bald eagles have built a nest in a large white pine tree, where two eaglets are safely hidden away. [Check out our photos here.] Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com]. Trending - "Captain America" is a whip-smart political allegory: The most impressive superpower on display in “Captain America: Civil War” isn’t Tony Stark flying in a tin suit or Steve Rogers throwing a hefty shield like a Frisbee. It’s the whole team’s ability to give an escapist comic book movie [an intelligent sense of connection to life in the modern world.] - The plot to save the Pioneer Press from its hedge fund owners: City Pages reports that [Pioneer Press staffers have been actively searching for and meeting with potential buyers] for their newspaper. Best line in the piece: "When the Pioneer Press moved to its new offices on St. Paul's west side, someone looked out the window and noticed that a bird had taken up residence on a ledge. A turkey vulture. The next week another showed up, then a third. Reporters named the trio 'Alden,' 'Global,' and 'Capital.'" - Whoopi, falling ratings, 'Live' — how did ABC get into its morning mess? [Blame a combination of aging hosts] (Goldberg is 60), network missteps (the Ripa drama could easily have been avoided) and relentless broadcast pressure (morning shows are one of few remaining TV programs that viewers watch live). - Why this Minnesota author can't remember her prom: Jeannine Ouellette was an unhappy teen when she attended the prom with a sweet boy while wearing a custom-made dress.[And she remembers almost nothing from the big night.] Sports roundup - Projections aren't looking good for Twins: At this pace, the Twins would finish the season 48-114. That is very, very, very unlikely to happen, but that's where they're at right now. Michael Rand [takes a close look at a number of Twins stats.] - Minnesota teams barred from national baseball tournaments in North Carolina: The Minnesota State College and Universities system (MnSCU) announced that all sports travel is nonessential, [meaning any future trips to North Carolina would be prohibited.] The NCAA Division II national baseball tournament and NJCAA Division III World Series are scheduled to be played in North Carolina this spring. - Vikings agree to terms with draft picks Morgan, Kearse: The Vikings are [continuing to hammer out deals for their draft class] in advance of this weekend’s rookie minicamp, which starts Friday. - Bud Grant is having yet another garage sale: About a decade ago, former Vikings coach Bud Grant decided to get rid of a bunch of old stuff by having a garage sale. But there's been enough to get rid of - or maybe more things were dug up - that [Grant has turned the sale into an annual event.] Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here]. Quote of the day “His beliefs were very, very strong.” -- [Larry Graham], former Sly & the Family Stone bassist, on Prince's faith as a Jehovah's Witness. Worth a click What happened to LeBron James, the activist? Eli Saslow writes in ESPN magazine that, after coming out hard against gun violence following the shooting of an infant in Cleveland, LeBron James seemed poised to take on a greater role as an activist. [But then he went silent.] From the archives May 4, 1988: A vintage World War II-era AT-6 training aircraft made a rough landing at Eden Prairie's Flying Cloud Airport when a gust of wind picked up one of its wings and sent it sashaying off the runway. Two men on board, including owner and flying instructor Dick Knisely, of Cologne, were not hurt. Knisely, who flew planes similar to the AT-6 during World War II, said he was training a student pilot when the accident occurred. 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