They heard George Floyd call out to his mother. Now these black women are running for office in Minnesota.

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - They heard George Floyd call out to his mother. Now these black women are running for office in Minnesota. They’re scientists, lawyers, business owners, real estate agents and former employees of corporate America who have been organizing in their communities for years. They’re all women, and most are mothers of black children. Only a few had planned to run for office this year before Floyd cried out to his mother and took his last breath. [Now they’re on the ballot](, saying they’re answering his call. - Minnesota meeting 3 of 5 COVID-19 "dial back" targets: [Diagnostic testing has surged since the start of May]( above the state target of 50 tests per 10,000 people over seven days to 138 tests per 10,000 people, according to updates published Tuesday morning on the state’s COVID-19 dial back dashboard. The latest testing data also showed a positivity rate of less than 4%. Health officials see those two statistics working together — with total testing volume ensuring adequate surveillance, and a low positivity rate suggesting a slower spread of the virus. - Cross-border stats complicate Minnesota's COVID response: While both neighbor states show declining growth in COVID-19 cases and deaths, Minnesota has reported 1,304 deaths so far in the pandemic compared with Wisconsin’s 694. And [Wisconsin achieved its progress]( despite being more populous and having its stay-at-home order lifted prematurely on May 13 via a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling. - Following historic unrest, police data show a quieter Minneapolis: Even as the city reopens after months of pandemic-related shutdowns, police reports have [fallen below typical levels.]( - DFL proposes $300M for riot-damaged businesses in Minneapolis, St. Paul: [Prospects for a quick infusion of state aid remain uncertain]( during a legislative session that could adjourn as early as Friday. - Robbinsdale schools urged to shore up finances, practices: [A probe into the governance and financial practices]( of Robbinsdale Area Schools found areas to improve but no evidence of wrongdoing by district officials, State Auditor Julie Blaha said Monday. - Americans are unhappiest they've been in 50 years, poll finds: It's been a rough year for the American psyche. Folks in the U.S. are more unhappy today than they've been in nearly 50 years. [This bold — yet unsurprising — conclusion]( comes from the COVID Response Tracking Study, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. - Body found in Prior Lake after four-hour search: Scott County authorities say they were alerted about 7:20 a.m. Monday to [someone who failed to return home the previous night]( from fishing and boating. - Target, U.S. Bank recognize Juneteenth as a holiday: Minneapolis-based companies Target Corp. and U.S. Bank [have moved to establish Juneteenth](, the June 19 celebration of the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery, as official company holidays as more businesses continue to adjust their internal policies in the wake of widespread protests on racial equity. - FCC calls hours-long T-mobile service outage "unacceptable": T-Mobile, one of the country's three largest cellphone service providers, said [it had a “voice and text wireless issue"]( that began around noon EDT Monday. The company said at 1 a.m. Tuesday that all problems should be resolved.  Watch this Fox News gets trolled into reporting Monty Python quote: While reporting on infighting among protesters in Seattle, this Fox News anchor [read a social media post on the air]( featuring lines culled from [the anarcho-syndicalist commune scene]( in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Minnesota State Fair food vendors are setting up in parking lots this summer. Here's how to find them. The Great Minnesota Get-Together (and many county fairs) were canceled for 2020 because of the concern that large gatherings could spread COVID-19. But that hasn’t stopped fair food vendors from [turning on the fryers.]( - Summer camp up in the air for many Minnesota families: Many camp organizers and parents are [still gauging the safety of this mainstay of Minnesota summers.]( - Now you can give the gift of a singing telegram from a Broadway star: As stages around the world have gone dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a New York City arts nonprofit has launched a program to generate some income for out-of-work artists. Now you can [book a Broadway performer or an opera singer to make a cameo appearance]( at your next virtual happy hour with a personalized online performance.  Sports roundup - After the NFL wasted his prime, will anyone sign Colin Kaepernick? It is right and proper to be suspicious of Roger Goodell suddenly dipping his toes in The Resistance — wondering if he is doing so sincerely or merely following a shift in public opinion, [writes Michael Rand.]( - Former Austin star Both Gach leaving Utah for U: [The rising junior is returning home]( after playing two seasons for Utah and will seek a waiver to be eligible for 2020-21 with the Gophers. - This year's All-Metro Sports Award winners: The third time was not the charm for the Star Tribune All-Metro Sports Awards banquet. After two years of hosting the event to recognize the best of the metro area’s high school athletes, we planned to do it again this week at Allianz Field. [Then the coronavirus pandemic changed almost everything.](  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Worth a click The people who live alone in ghost towns: There are thousands of abandoned hamlets in the U.S. Some people still live and vacation in them. [Maybe you want to, too?](  From the archives June 16, 1984: Vikings punter Greg Coleman led the crown in warm-ups at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis before the fifth annual Parent-Child Fun Run. (Photo: Donald Black/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [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 © 2020 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](