A guide to the 2021 Minneapolis mayor and City Council candidates

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - A guide to the 2021 Minneapolis mayor and City Council candidates: The Star Tribune asked each candidate to answer questions on public safety, budget priorities, climate change and more. [Here's what they said.]( - Walz's approval dips below 50%, Minnesota Poll finds: [Gov. Tim Walz's approval rating has fallen to 49%](, dipping 8 percentage points over the past year and foreshadowing a potentially close race for re-election next fall, according to a new Minnesota Poll. Voters in the state are [intensely divided over Joe Biden's job performance]( less than a year into the Democrat's presidency, the poll found. Slightly over half disapprove of Biden's work as president, 47% approve and 2% are not sure.Full results, the poll's methodology and a demographic breakdown of the respondents [can be found here.]( - CDC leader adds people with high-risk jobs to COVID-19 booster list: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday [endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans](, opening a major new phase in the U.S vaccination drive against COVID-19. - Virus surge forcing St. Cloud Hospital to expand ICU, delay other care: The St. Cloud area, which week after week in the spring had some of the state's lowest percentages of vaccinated residents, is [now seeing a surge in new cases]( that is forcing its primary hospital to expand its intensive care unit and delay medical care for those dealing with other illnesses or emergencies. - Contaminated drinking water found in Andover, Gem Lake: [More than 50 homes near the Twin Cities have lost their drinking water]( after dozens of wells were found to be contaminated with a powerful industrial chemical. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) found the contamination this summer while it was monitoring the groundwater near two sites with known pollution problems — the now-closed Waste Disposal Engineering (WDE) Landfill in Andover and the Water Gremlin plant near the city of Gem Lake. - Police recover U alum's stolen tailgating "Fan Van": Authorities [recovered a University of Minnesota alum's stolen tailgating "Fan Van"]( five days after someone drove off with it in Minneapolis, police said Friday. - Father, stepmom of 8-year-old Elk River girl who died in their care sentenced to 40 years: Brett J. Hallow, 31, and Sarah K. Hallow, 29, were charged in Sherburne County District Court in August 2020 [in connection with the death of Autumn Hallow]( at their home in the Depot at Elk River Station apartment complex. The couple was arrested after law enforcement went to the home after being told Autumn was partly submerged in the bathtub, charges said. - Experts warn of "potentially severe flu season" and urge getting flu shot: While pandemic measures appeared to keep the flu at bay last winter, this year experts are again concerned, especially as some countries and state authorities roll back lockdown rules. Many officials and experts are urging the public: Do not dismiss the danger of the flu, and [seek a flu vaccine.]( - Minnesota farmers lack access to federal conservation dollars: Two Minnesota nonprofit organizations say farmers are trying to set aside more land for conservation, [but federal help isn't coming as planned.]( WATCH THIS Just a herd of wild boar casually walking the streets of Rome in rush-hour traffic: [When in Rome?]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Why do military cargo planes regularly fly in pairs over the Twin Cities? The large aircraft with four propellers are [easy to distinguish from passenger air traffic.]( - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From a cheese curd burger to bacon shrimp and grits, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. - Minnesota Orchestra's Osmo Vänskä begins victory lap with an exhilarating Fifth of Beethoven: Back in 2000, Vänskä's first performance with the orchestra was a guest appearance at which the featured soloist was star violinist Joshua Bell. Conductor and soloist are back together again this week. But what put Vänskä and the orchestra firmly on the international classical music map were the symphonies of Beethoven. [And the program concludes with the most famous of the bunch, the Fifth Symphony.]( SPORTS ROUNDUP - Rosas failed for Timberwolves. What should they do next?: With ownership changing, the answer to Wolves' leadership problems, at least for now, is still in the organization. But if they want a model, they don't have to look far, [writes Jim Souhan.]( - Jalen Suggs says he would have played for Gophers, if Pitino recruited him: The former Minnehaha Academy star and current Orlando Magic guard's comments came on a recent podcast and [deal another blow to Richard Pitino's legacy of in-state recruiting.]( - 3 story lines, 2 key matchups and 1 prediction for the Gophers vs. Bowling Green: Falcons QB Matt McDonald has completed 71.4% of his passes, but [he'll be tested by a Minnesota defense that blanked Colorado last week.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK Why the cost of insuring expensive waterfront homes is about to skyrocket: "New federal flood insurance rates that better reflect the real risks of climate change are coming. For some, premiums will rise sharply," [Christopher Flavelle reports for the New York Times.]( TALKERS TRIVIA Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to talkers@startribune.com by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: Which Black filmmaker whose work ushered in the "blaxploitation" wave of the 1970s died this week at the age of 89? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Sept. 24, 2014: "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez greets fans at the Minneapolis Convention Center to judge the local "American Idol XIV" auditions. (Photo: Leila Navidi/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.](