Tunnel explorer dies in St. Paul after being washed into Mississippi River during storm

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Tunnel explorer dies in St. Paul after being washed into Mississippi River during storm: One man among a group exploring tunnels in St. Paul drowned early Sunday morning after being [washed into the Mississippi River during a thunderstorm](, authorities said. - Battle over future of policing opens money spigot in Minneapolis races: Money is pouring into Minneapolis elections at a blistering pace as residents of the city brace to vote on the future of its Police Department and as the issue takes on growing significance in national politics. With two months left until the first municipal election since George Floyd's death, political committees on both sides of the issue already have [surpassed fundraising totals set in the last election cycle.]( - Breakthrough COVID-19 cases accelerate in Minnesota: Minnesota identified another 2,895 coronavirus infections among fully vaccinated people over the past week, according to new state data reported Monday, raising the total identified breakthrough infections in the state to 12,559. [Breakthrough infections have now been identified in 0.42% of the more than 3 million fully vaccinated Minnesotans]( — an increase from early July when they were only found in 0.11% of fully vaccinated individuals. State health officials said some increase was expected as Minnesota's vaccination rate has increased, but that the shots continue to provide strong protection against severe cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalizations and deaths. - Teen shot dead in what police say was road rage killing: Police worked through the night in hopes of finding [the shooter who killed someone in a vehicle]( during a suspected road rage incident in St. Paul. - U.S. military flies out evacuees in waning hours of withdrawal from Afghanistan: America's 20-year war in Afghanistan entered its final hours Monday with [the last Americans seeking to be evacuated]( and the U.S. military preparing to end its airlift and depart the Taliban-controlled capital. [Rocket fire apparently targeting Kabul's international airport struck a nearby neighborhood]( on Monday. The Islamic State group claimed the attack, and there were no immediate reports of casualties. The rockets did not halt the steady stream of U.S. military C-17 cargo jets taking off and landing at the airport. - Hurricane Ida traps residents, leaves power grid in shambles in Louisiana: Rescuers set out in hundreds of boats and helicopters to reach people trapped by floodwaters and utility crews mobilized Monday after [a furious Hurricane Ida swamped the Louisiana coast and made a shambles of the electrical grid]( in New Orleans and beyond in the sweltering, late-summer heat. One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi with torrential rain and shrieking winds, its danger far from over. - Weekend storms bring much-needed rain but leave a trail of damage in Minnesota: Weekend storms brought much-needed rain across parts of Minnesota, pushing this month into the Top 10 highest rainfalls on record for August — but they caused some destruction, including [damage to a Duluth church steeple that was struck by lightning.]( - Mayo study finds antibody treatment can help COVID-19 patients: A subset of COVID-19 patients who received infusions of laboratory-made antibodies ran a lower risk of requiring hospital care for their illnesses, [according to a Mayo Clinic study released Monday.]( The report in the journal Lancet EClinical Medicine suggests that certain monoclonal antibody treatments can help patients with mild to moderate symptoms who are at high-risk of serious COVID-19 illness due to other health conditions. - Wisconsin governor calls $680K for election probe "outrageous": Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Monday that [it was "outrageous" that Republicans planned to spend $680,000]( on an investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin, accusing Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of "drinking the Kool-Aid" after meeting with former President Donald Trump. WATCH THIS Video footage of a dock at Port Fourchon, La., shows intensity of Hurricane Ida's winds: Jeremy DiBenedetto [posted this video taken as Ida made landfall Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane](, leading him to wonder if his nearby building was still standing. (Warning: turn your sound down because it is loud.) Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Kosher dining from Twin Cities star chef coming soon to St. Louis Park: Growing up in Montreal, Stewart Woodman thought of the thin, honey-sweetened and seeded Montreal bagel as the epitome of Jewish food. That, and the smoked meat with yellow mustard from Schwartz's deli. Now as the executive chef of Shiloh, a forthcoming makeover of the kosher Prime Deli in St. Louis Park, [Woodman is digging deeper into Jewish cuisine.]( He's looking through a historic lens that dates back to some of the earliest arrivals of Jews in North America in the 17th century, and considering what they might have been eating. - Italian-style Lake of the Isles home hits market for $4.5M: On a rare double lot, the traditional home boasts [a pool, pool house and century-old vines.]( - Kacey Musgraves announces "Star Crossed" tour kickoff in St. Paul: The country-pop singer will [start her 15-city trek behind her new album "Star Crossed" on Jan. 19]( at Xcel Energy Center. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Kellen Mond, high-end players and other thoughts from Vikings GM Spielman: Rick Spielman spent the entire third quarter on the Vikings' TV/radio broadcast during Friday's final preseason game, and [his comments could provide a window into the roster.]( - U appears to be top choice for Osseo's Ola-Joseph: If Joshua Ola-Joseph commits to the Gophers on Monday night, [he'll be the third Minnesotan in the Class of 2022]( to say that he'll play for new men's basketball coach Ben Johnson. - Twins can't afford "rebuild" if they want to avoid being a punching bag: The problem is that the Twins rarely rebuild quickly. They fall off a cliff, then spend years looking for an extension ladder. There's a better path for them to take, [writes Jim Souhan.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK An unvaccinated elementary school teacher took off her mask for storytime. Within days, half her class was positive for the delta variant. "The Marin County, Calif., elementary school had been conscientious about following covid-19 protocols. Masks wererequiredindoors, desks were spaced six feet apart, and the students kept socially distant. But the delta variant found an opening anyway," [the Washington Post's Ariana Eunjung Cha reports.]( TRIVIA WINNER Congratulations to Chris Fullerton! Chris was randomly selected from among the many, many readers who correctly answered that America's tallest man, who died last week, was a longtime resident of Rochester, Minn. Chris wins a $15 gift card. Be sure to read Talkers on Friday for another trivia question! FROM THE ARCHIVES Aug. 30, 2017: Isaac Yang of Blaine fished for catfish at the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. (Photo: Jerry Holt/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.](