Nancy Yang
@nyang.bsky.social
Senior editor for audience engagement at @startribune.com. Nap advocate. Send me your k-drama recs. Always looking for spicy food. She/her.
Can't eat lettuce or jalapeños this summer, apparently.
Minnesota salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos served at Chipotle, other restaurants
Interviews of sickened individuals and genomic tests identified jalapenos from Chipotle and other fast-food Mexican restaurants as the source of the foodborne outbreak.
startribune.com
For decades, Democratic organizers in Minnesota have searched for a way to turn moments of outrage into lasting political engagement. Many believe Operation Metro Surge did just that.
Volunteer network born during immigration crackdown becomes Democratic organizing force
Minnesotans who organized bus stop escorts and grocery deliveries during the immigration crackdown are now becoming party delegates, campaign volunteers and even candidates for office.
startribune.com
From the sky, Minnesota Star Tribune photojournalist Anthony Soufflé documents how the Boundary Waters wildfires have scarred the forest as parts of the wilderness reopen. See additional photos: bit.ly/3Tw1x5v
I got so many calls and texts about this, I'm glad they're going to stop spamming us now
Xcel pauses alerts about reducing energy usage after customer backlash
The utility declared five Energy Action Days in July and has sent texts, emails and automated calls asking customers to conserve energy.
startribune.com
A dry spring and worsening drought have cut Twin Cities mosquito populations to less than half their 10-year average.
You’re not imagining it. There are fewer mosquitoes in Minnesota this summer.
Many mosquito species breed in the floodwaters left behind by early summer storms.
bit.ly
The City of St. Paul has hired an outside law firm to investigate sexual harassment allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her, including claims that she directed inappropriate sexual comments toward Police Chief Axel Henry and other city employees.
St. Paul investigates sexual harassment allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her involving police chief, officers
The city hired an outside law firm for the probe after Chief Axel Henry filed a formal complaint alleging inappropriate conduct toward city employees.
bit.ly
About 10% of that lost sleep—roughly 5 hours—can be pinned to human-driven climate change.
Hot nights are costing you up to 56 hours of sleep per year, study finds
A new study finds that hotter nights caused by human-driven climate change are eating away at hours of sleep every year.
npr.org
So the "‘armpit’ of highway/freeway traffic" in the Twin Cities won't ever get fixed.
The ‘notorious’ I-394 and I-94 bottleneck will never be rebuilt. Here’s why.
There’s not enough space to expand the metro’s most notorious traffic pinch point.
startribune.com
John Wilson expects to donate another $5 million or more for the effort.
Businessman donates $29 million to help Minnesotans pay rent after ICE surge
Biotech entrepreneur John Wilson has donated to community groups, churches and the city of Minneapolis to help families affected by Operation Metro Surge.
startribune.com
Now some of those woods off the Echo Trail near Ely are burning, raising the question of whether any of the forest fires blazing in Northeast Minnesota could have been blunted by allowing the previously approved plan to move forward.
Report: DOGE delayed fire-prevention plan for Echo Trail near Ely
Washington Post reporting supports the allegations of a former Forest Service ranger now running for the Legislature.
bit.ly
Luis Ottley’s resignation comes a month after the Star Tribune revealed several controversies that have occurred under his watch, including the administration’s suppression of a student newspaper and the expulsion of a ninth-grade student whose father sharply criticized Ottley.
St. Paul Academy leader resigns amid controversies
Luis Ottley will step down as head of school later this month. He has touted accomplishments since taking over in 2022, but some parents were upset at how he handled a string of controversies.
startribune.com
Were the past six months a feel-good story? It depends on who you ask.
The Post Modern Times took prices off the menu. Neighbors say they paid a price.
The Minneapolis restaurant set out to feed anyone who was hungry. Now it’s searching for a way to balance that mission with the concerns of the neighborhood.
startribune.com
Shiloh Hendrix, 37, was fined $1,000 by District Court Judge Christa M. Daily. She also received a stayed 90-day jail sentence and was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
Woman who hurled racial slurs at boy found guilty in Rochester trial
The former Rochester woman was fined $1,000 and sentenced to community service in a case that went viral nationally.
startribune.com
A federal judge sentenced Vance Boelter to two life prison sentences plus 40 years for the assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
Live: Judge gives Vance Boelter two life sentences plus 40 years for lawmaker attacks
Hortman family members and the Hoffmans gathered at the hearing, where lawmakers delivered emotional remarks.
startribune.com
Every day we stray further from god's light
Jennifer Brooks@stribrooks.bsky.social · 2w agoGood morning to everyone but the inventors of ranch dressing-flavored cream ale.
“Now, some of the worst-case scenarios election officials are preparing for involve the Trump administration.”
Feds leave Minnesota to fend for itself on election security
Secretary of State Steve Simon says classified briefings, intelligence sharing and joint election-security planning have vanished as the Justice Department presses Minnesota over its voter rolls.
startribune.com
Officer Joseph Klimmek showed no remorse, according to the disciplinary report. He stated that he didn’t believe liking the comment was inappropriate or would reflect negatively on the department. He also claimed he was unaware of “any racial connotations” associated with the phrasing of the post.
Minneapolis officer fired for liking post that called for lynching of Black suspect
Officer Joseph Klimmek previously received social media training following inflammatory Facebook comments about violent crime. The Minneapolis police union is contesting his dismissal.
startribune.com
The decision not to detain and deport the man, an outcome that has become increasingly rare since President Trump began his second term, directly contradicts the Trump administration’s rhetoric justifying Operation Metro Surge.
ICE says it’s after the ‘Worst of the Worst,’ but didn’t detain this sex offender
Federal immigration officials decided that a Minnesota parolee facing deportation should instead be subject to remote monitoring - after he was diagnosed with cancer.
startribune.com
One veteran nurse only lasted three months, complaining of 12-hour shifts without breaks and a lack of security backup when patients threatened violence.
Workers raise alarm about conditions inside new St. Paul psychiatric hospital
Complaints from caregivers and patients’ families echo concerns that nearly derailed Acadia and Fairview’s plan to build the for-profit Minnesota hospital.
startribune.com
The lawsuit asks a federal court to force the MN Department of Children, Youth, and Families to turn over 5 years’ worth of data tied to SNAP benefits after Minnesota and other states have refused to share participants’ personal data with the federal government.
Justice Department sues Minnesota over refusal to turn over SNAP data
The federal government says it’s seeking the data from Minnesota and three other states to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the nutrition assistance program.
startribune.com
The Supreme Court upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people. The DOJ has sued Minnesota over its policies allowing transgender athletes to participate in sports according to their gender identity.
Supreme Court upholds state laws banning transgender girls and women from school athletic teams
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people.
startribune.com
In November, over the objections of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, a judge gave Alexsia Miller custody of Eliyah while she continued addiction treatment. Two months later, Eliyah was found dead in her mother’s apartment.
Officials tried to protect a baby girl born at risk in Minnesota. Three months later, she was dead.
Questions remain over how Hennepin County allowed the mother to retain custody after several people involved in the case raised alarms.
startribune.com
When the city’s director of Community Planning and Economic Development walked through Heritage Park, he wore a mask and gloves because of mold, fecal matter and needles in some units. “Why am I walking around with a mask on, and people are coming home to it?” he asked himself.
North Minneapolis renters stuck in squalid homes once heralded as the future of public housing
At Heritage Park, broken furnaces and pipes, pests and mold have driven half the tenants out.
startribune.com
Major celebrity in town for the Special Olympics! This is like when Beacon was in town during the U.S. Gymnastics Trials and I stalked him every day
Golden retriever Champ is winning the hearts of athletes at Special Olympics USA Games
An affectionate dog is fast becoming one of the most popular attractions at the Special Olympics in Minnesota.
startribune.com
Management says they won’t replace us with AI. But “we’re gonna need that in writing,” says reporter and ProPublica podcast host Jessica Lussenhop. Here’s how you can support our fight:
ProPublica Guild@propublicaguild.org · last mo.“I have heard from our managers at ProPublica that they don’t intend to replace us with AI. And that’s great. But we’re gonna need that in writing.” This is why we’re fighting for protections against artificial intelligence:
Davis Moturi alleges that the Hanes violated state law by never informing him and his wife of the repeated harassment they also suffered from John Sawchak prior to selling the house in 2023.
Minneapolis man shot by neighbor sues home’s previous owner for not disclosing threats
Davis Moturi made repeated calls to police to report his neighbor before John Sawchak shot him in the neck. He claims the people who sold him the home failed to disclose Sawchak’s behavior.
startribune.com
We thought it would be fun and interesting to ask about the new state flag in the Minnesota Poll and 😬
The new Minnesota state flag is deeply unpopular
The flag has become a lightning rod for Minnesota Republicans. But they’re not alone — just a third of likely voters say they like the new banner.
startribune.com
