Olympian Jessie Diggins says she was nearly killed by road-raging driver while training near Afton

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - Olympian Jessie Diggins says she was nearly killed by road-raging driver while training near Afton: Olympic champion skier Jessie Diggins said she and a friend were [nearly run over and harassed by an angry motorist while roller-skiing]( over the weekend a few miles from her home in Afton. - Minnesota regulators warn of deceptive Medicare marketing: State officials are warning Medicare beneficiaries not to be fooled by deceptive advertising and sales offers during the current shopping season for health plans. One of the big concerns is that beneficiaries recognize what information is coming from Medicare or a legitimate insurance company or agent, vs. information that might be from “a scam artist trying to steal your money,” [the state Department of Commerce said in a news release Tuesday](. - New Minnesota drivers may face delays getting license: Some people applying for a new driver's license in Minnesota are experiencing monthslong delays. Department of Public Safety spokesman Bruce Gordon said [fall is one of the busiest times of the year]( for new drivers to take their road tests as they apply for their first license. - Stauber's St. Louis County e-mails show political maneuvering: Pete Stauber once used his St. Louis County e-mail to seek damaging information about U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan's voting history and forwarded negative information about another potential opponent to a Republican operative in Washington, [according to e-mails released Tuesday by the county](. After arguing for months that the e-mails were private, St. Louis County was forced to release them after Judge Stoney Hiljus ordered the county to do so. The e-mails do not contain the kind of bombshell many Democrats hoped for, and in one of them Stauber tells a recipient to use his private e-mail address to communicate instead of his county address. - Hennepin County Commissioner criticizes hospital for lack of transparency on ketamine research: Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat [voiced frustration Tuesday with Hennepin Healthcare’s top leadership]( for a lack of transparency about their handling of the hospital’s now-halted ketamine research. At a County Board meeting, Opat said he found out that inspectors for the Food and Drug Administration had visited the hospital eight times in August when a county lawyer notified him the Star Tribune was preparing to publish a story about the reports this week. - Where Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson stand on abortion, guns and immigration: Issues like taxes, health care, education and roads are at the top of the to-do list for Minnesota’s next governor. But whoever wins the race between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican Jeff Johnson is also likely to face tough decisions on [other contentious social issues.]( Read more about the candidates for major state and federal offices in [our election guide.]( Republicans enter next week's midterm election with advantages in Minnesota's legislative chambers. But historical patterns — and a Star Tribune analysis — suggest defending those majorities may prove difficult, particularly in the Minnesota House of Representatives. [Here's what to watch for in the state's legislative races](. MinnPost has [a nice roundup of ballot questions around the state.]( - Bloomington says plans for $250 million Mall of America waterpark pose no risk to taxpayers: The city of Bloomington thinks it can build what could be [the continent’s largest indoor water park]( next to the Mall of America, while protecting local taxpayers if it’s a financial flop. - Klobuchar spreads money around to other Democrats: Even as she runs for a third term this year in Minnesota, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been [spreading donations to Democratic candidates, parties and political action committees]( around the country. - Conspiracy theorists take a swing at Mueller, miss spectacularly: It's unclear what a pair of somewhat well-known internet conspiracy theorists thought was going to happen as a result of their [bizarre apparent plot to smear special counsel Robert Mueller]( with allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, but it is quite a yarn and the FBI is now investigating. - Thousands of American Indian voters in North Dakota getting free IDs: Efforts by American Indian tribes in North Dakota to [provide free identification to thousands of members]( in advance of Tuesday's election are cutting into the number of Native Americans who could potentially be turned away at the polls for lack of a proper ID under recently tightened state rules.  Hey, look at this A majestic mandarin duck mysteriously appears in Central Park: [And what a duck it is!](  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Too much Halloween candy? Here's how to donate it. The average American trick-or-treater fills a pillowcase with 3,500 to 7,000 calories worth of candy on Halloween night. For those who’d like to share the boo-unty, [local charities and clinics collect candy]( for military members and veterans through donations, buybacks and swaps. - Kanye West says he's distancing himself from politics: The past several months have been quite the wild ride in the land of Kanye West news. His comments about slavery being a choice, calls to abolish the 13th Amendment and outspoken admiration for President Donald Trump, much to the chagrin of many of his fans, all came to a head with his bizarre, televised Oval Office meeting with the president earlier this month. Now, [West is apparently cutting off all political ties](. In tweets posted Tuesday, he seemingly attempted to retreat from many of the claims, statements, social media snippets and interviews that have characterized his public persona in recent months. - Futuristic earth-sheltered home in River Falls is a blast from the 1970s: Five skylights and three wood-burning fireplaces brighten [the house built into a hill in western Wisconsin.](  Sports roundup - Is Kirk Cousins really an "$84 million flop"? If the argument is about whether Kirk Cousins is worth $84 million guaranteed, [the answer is far more nuanced than yes or no.]( - Twins fire five coaches as Baldelli takes the helm: After hiring Rocco Baldelli as manager Thursday, the Twins went right to work on shaping their coaching staff for 2019. [The restructuring will be major.]( - East Ridge player goes to court to fight suspension after penalty: A lawyer for an East Ridge football player is taking the unusual step of going to court Wednesday to do what football fans do practically any time a ref throws a flag: Argue the call. But Minneapolis lawyer James T. Smith says the case of Marco Cavallaro [goes beyond what took place on the field.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in.” -- [Rapper Kanye West](, distancing himself from his very recent political positions.  Worth a click The time a New York State court ruled a house was officially haunted: "This New York Supreme Court case’s real name is Stambovsky v. Ackley, but its nickname, 'the Ghostbusters ruling,' is way catchier—and way more descriptive. Not to mention accurate, as the most famous part of the decision contains the phrase 'as a matter of law, the house is haunted,'" [Gizmodo reported in this post from 2016.](  From the archives Oct. 31, 1989: Ron and Diana Axdahl stand among 1,170 jack-o’-lanterns in the front yard of their Stillwater home. The pumpkins were grown by Ron’s brother Larry and carved by volunteers. The Axdahl family said they’ve been building Halloween displays for 10 years, but this was their biggest effort to date. The main problem this time was finding enough candles. All 1,170 jack-o'-lanterns were trucked back to the farm to become compost the next day. (Photo: Brian Peterson/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.](