Drug maker fires back after Roseanne Barr blames Ambien for racist tweet

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Drug maker fires back after Roseanne Barr blames Ambien for racist tweet: The maker of Ambien said Wednesday that "racism is not a known side effect" after [Roseanne Barr cited the insomnia drug in explaining the tweet]( that led ABC to cancel her show. Hours after ABC pulled the plug on "Roseanne" because of her offensive tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett — and quickly breaking a promise to stay off Twitter — the comedian was busy posting on the social media platform. - Dayton signs bonding bill, but expresses concerns: Gov. Mark Dayton [signed a nearly $1.5 billion public works bonding bill]( on Wednesday, saying the considerable needs of aging roads, bridges and other facilities around the state outweighed the “serious concerns” he has with what is in — or was left out of — the bill. - Ex-Minneapolis cop sentenced to 4 years for sexual assault: Thomas Tichich, 49, [was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison]( for sexually assaulting a 39-year-old woman on a December night in 2016 after he went off duty. - Massive Minneapolis fire ruins a low-rent haven for artists: [The fire-ravaged building at 730-740 E. Lake St.]( was the home of Robert Pirsig when he wrote “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” in the 1970s and housed arts organizations such as the In the Heart of the Beast theater. In recent years it had become a rare affordable option for artists or musicians looking for a studio — available 24 hours a day with a community of artists who supported each other, often sharing units and pooling the money for rent. - 17-year-old charged with murder in Inver Grove Heights party bus shooting: More than two months after gang-related gunfire killed a 19-year-old man outside a party bus in an Inver Grove Heights parking lot, prosecutors say they believe [a 17-year-old St. Paul youth fired the fatal shots.]( - Minnesota House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin won't seek reelection: Peppin, a Republican from Rogers, [has served in the House for 14 years](, and was majority leader for the past four years. She is taking a position director of government affairs and general counsel for the Minnesota Rural Electric Association. - Polaris enters boat industry with $805M purchase of Boat Holdings: Polaris Industries Inc. said this morning [it was buying Boat Holdings LLC](, the nation’s largest maker of pontoon boats, for $805 million in cash. - Russian journalist reported killed in Ukraine shows up at news conference: [Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko turned up at a news conference]( in the Ukrainian capital Wednesday less than 24 hours after police reported he had been shot and killed at his Kiev apartment building. The country's security services said Babchenko's death was faked to foil a plot to take his life. - Fire-damaged Minneapolis post office won't open for months, if at all: The Loring postal station in downtown Minneapolis where a small fire broke out last month will remain closed for many more months, and cleanup crews are [working to avoid it being shuttered for good](, a U.S. Postal Service official said Wednesday. - I-35W south of downtown Minneapolis closing in both directions this weekend: Well, at least the folks in the highway construction war room waited until after the heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend before [shutting down a major stretch of Twin Cities interstate]( for an entire weekend.  Watch this Flash floods turn Oman desert into a mini-sea: This drone footage shows what happens when [a cyclone dumps three years' worth of rain in a single day]( on the Arabian Peninsula. However, the shallow ocean of water didn't deter people from driving on the desert roads.  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Anatomy of a Minnesota Craigslist scam: A Bloomington woman recently found a fantastic deal on a Yamaha 23-ft. SX230 boat and trailer. Only $1,500 for both, the Craigslist offer said. [It was too good to be true.]( - Cancer group says colon screening should start at 45, not 50: The advocacy group was influenced by its study, published last year, that found [rising rates of colon cancer and deaths in people younger than 50](. Experts aren't sure why there has been a 50 percent increase in cases since 1994. - Minneapolis homeowner rips out lawn, puts in turf: Everyone else’s lawn may be a mushy yellow-brown in early spring, but [Larry Lee’s southwest Minneapolis yard is a vibrant, glorious green](. In the summer, the only dandelions are in his neighbors’ yards. His lawn is so perfectly green that people who drive by slow down to stare. Passers-by stop to touch it. A self-proclaimed hater of yard work, Lee has found the perfect solution to the rigors and expense of mowing, watering and fertilizing: artificial turf.  Sports roundup - Class of 2020's best players could face giant choice after high school: Rewriting the NBA’s age-limit rule that essentially requires players to play one season of college basketball was among the top recommendations in April from the Commission on College Basketball, headed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The proposal to end the “one-and-done” era was a conversation starter on many levels, and some high school sophomores already are talking about a possible decision to [declare for the NBA draft after graduation.]( - Dead walleyes in net on Lake Mille Lacs under investigation: The net, [which by one account had 67 dead walleyes in it](, weighing 112.4 pounds, was reported to Department of Natural Resources conservation officers by a local resident and removed from the lake May 20. - Is an NBA exec sabotaging his team via anonymous Twitter accounts? There might not be a more fascinating sports tale told this year than the one that dropped Tuesday night [about the president of the Philadelphia 76ers.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “Special apologies to my wife.” -- [Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko](, making a surprise appearance at a news conference Wednesday in Ukraine one day after his widely reported assassination in Kiev.  Worth a click Archaeologists uncover skeleton of the unluckiest man in Pompeii: Archaeologists digging in the ancient Roman city have found the skeleton of a man who appears to have survived the initial eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D., only to be killed by a giant block of stone hurled into the air by an explosive volcanic cloud that landed on his head, CNN reports. If you were on Twitter yesterday, you likely saw people making memes out of [the photo of the poor guy's remains]( sticking out from under the big rock.  From the archives May 30, 1956: Bob McGinley, at left, of Minneapolis shows off the latest modifications on the engine of his '32 Ford hot rod to Jerry Trumble, Rodger Sather and Myron Sundberg. All of the men were members of the Torquers auto club. (Photo: Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([google+]([pinterest]([instagram]([tumblr]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2018 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](