After yearlong hiatus, Minnesota State Fair re-opens its doors

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - After yearlong hiatus, Minnesota State Fair re-opens its doors: [The 2021 event kicked off Thursday amid COVID concerns](. Attendees will not be required to wear masks or show proof of vaccination, though organizers are urging mask use indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces. [Here's a rundown of what you need to do before attending the Fair.]( Take a look at the crowds [with our live Faircam.]( - 7 people wounded in late night shootout at Lake and Lyndale in Minneapolis: [Seven people were hit by gunfire Thursday shortly after midnight]( during a shootout at one of Minneapolis' most heavily traveled intersections, authorities said. One person was in critical condition, five were in serious condition and one was in good condition, and all were expected to survive from gunfire that erupted about 12:20 a.m. on S. Lyndale Avenue just south of W. Lake Street, police said. - Several U.S. Marines killed in Kabul airport attack: The White House hurriedly put off President Joe Biden's first in-person meeting with Israel's new prime minister Thursday and canceled a video conference with governors on incoming Afghan refugees after [more than a dozen people were killed in explosions outside the airport]( in the Afghan capital, where throngs of people are scrambling to get to planes and evacuate. A U.S. official said [several Marines were among those killed]( and a number of other American military were wounded in the attack. - Minneapolis police shredded documents in panic that followed Third Precinct burning: In the days after rioters took over Minneapolis' Third Precinct in the spring of 2020, police officers on the other side of the city believed their Second Precinct would be targeted. So the officers shredded a cache of files they believed to be inactive. They loaded the others into an unmarked car and drove to a waterworks facility to hide them until the chaos died down. This first detailed account of why officers shredded documents, from two Second Precinct officers, [appeared in court records in a Hennepin County court case]( in which the destruction of the files has become a point of contention. - U.S. could see 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths unless it changes its ways: [The U.S. is projected to see nearly 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths]( between now and Dec. 1, according to the nation's most closely watched forecasting model. But health experts say that toll could be cut in half if nearly everyone wore a mask in public spaces. In other words, what the coronavirus has in store this fall depends on human behavior. What is the future of COVID-19 and the delta variant? Reporters Jeremy Olson and Glenn Howatt join the Curious Minnesota podcast to answer reader questions about the latest phase - South Dakota AG gets fines, no jail time in death of pedestrian: South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg [pleaded no contest Thursday to a pair of misdemeanor traffic charges]( over a crash last year that killed a pedestrian, avoiding jail time despite bitter complaints from the victim's family that he was being too lightly punished for actions they called "inexcusable." - Gun rights group loses bid to allow permit carriers to bring guns to State Fair: A judge ruled Wednesday that [people with permits to carry firearms cannot bring guns into the Minnesota State Fair](, which opens Thursday. Ramsey County District Judge Laura Nelson's order noted that judicial orders are to be issued "only in clear cases, reasonably free from doubt." She questioned whether the group even had legal grounds to sue let alone whether the caucus could win after a trial. - U.S. Capitol Police officers sue Trump, allies over insurrection: U.S. Capitol Police officers who were attacked and beaten during the Capitol riot [filed a lawsuit Thursday against former President Donald Trump, his allies and members of far-right extremist groups](, accusing them of intentionally sending a violent mob on Jan. 6 to disrupt the congressional certification of the election. - Northern Minnesota's Greenwood fire raises questions about distant landowner's management: The Greenwood fire roaring through Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota has torched thousands of acres belonging to a North Carolina family trying to sell it for millions. The fire's ferocity has some [questioning whether the family did enough to prevent the woodland from becoming a tinderbox](. WATCH THIS Here is Paul Rudd's TV debut in a 1991 Super Nintendo commercial: [Incredibly, he looks about the same today.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - 15 foods that belong in the Minnesota State Fair's hall of fame: There's a reason why fairgoers go back, year after year, for the mini doughnuts, the pork chops-on-a-stick, the Pronto Pups and corn dogs, the cheese curds, the Dairy Building malts, the French fries and the chocolate chip cookies. [Here are 15 all-time classic fair foods.]( - "Wicked" TV special misses an opportunity to do a good deed: If you were wishing a new TV special might get your kids hooked on "Wicked," [you may have to wait a little longer.]( - New ballet tells a Hmong family's story of love and loss: With Suni Lee's gold-medal performance putting the Twin Cities' Hmong community in the international spotlight, [there couldn't be a better time for Ho-Shia Aaron Thao's new ballet]( to hit the Cowles Center stage. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Q&A with Mark Coyle on losing $21.5M, St. Thomas and seismic changes in college sports: In a wide-ranging interview Thursday with four members of the Star Tribune sports staff, [Coyle gave his thoughts on these and other crucial issues]( facing his department. - Sioux Falls pitching sensation tosses second no-hitter during Little League World Series: Gavin Weir, a left-handed pitcher for the Sioux Falls team in the Little League World Series, gave them reason to keep watching. [Weir pitched his second no-hitter of the World Series on](Wednesday afternoon as Sioux Falls defeated Torrance, Cal., 1-0. - Two nights in Boston show the Twins' Miguel Sano conundrum: Sano hit the longest home run in the majors on Wednesday, part of a power surge since mid-May. He also this week [passed Kirby Puckett on the team's all-time strikeout list.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK Sex-trafficked kids are crime victims. In Las Vegas, they still go to jail. "Teenagers, especially those in poverty or the foster-care system, are particularly vulnerable. Traffickers pose as trusted adults or befriend them on social media, then manipulate them to be sold for sexual abuse. Under federal law, these children are victims, not criminals. Yet every year, kids who have been sex trafficked are detained and charged with crimes," [Jessica Contreras reports for the Washington Post.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES Aug. 26, 1951: The one-year-old Seifert quadruplets attracted attention at the Minnesota State Fair. From left were Monica Mae, Michael Arthur, Martha Anna and Marie Dolores. (Photo: Marty Nordstrom/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 © 2021 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](