Everything you need to know about last night's debate 🇺🇸

Plus: The latest on flooding in Minnesota [Plus: The latest on flooding in Minnesota] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! I'm off next week, so to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite colleagues: Zoë will be your pilot Monday 👩🏾 ✈️ On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Everything you need to know to cast your ballot in Minnesota’s August primary election]( - [Tarantula-tossing Hennepin County Board candidates responds to allegations she worked as an escort]( - [The ultimate guide to the best beaches in the Twin Cities and beyond]( - [She worked in advertising her entire life. After cancer she decided to chase her lifelong dream: restoring century-old homes.]( - [Minnesota Zoo welcomes birth of two endangered tiger cubs (Video)](   A president and a former president walk into a bar — er, onto a debate stage Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press America had itself a good ol' fashioned presidential debate last night. Well, it was a little different. The Commission on Presidential Debates, for the first time in decades, did not have a hand in organizing the event. There was no studio audience. And the debate happened much earlier in the campaign cycle than usual — neither candidate has officially won his party's nomination yet. Instead, CNN hosted President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for a 90-minute battle of wits. The event felt like a throwback to 2020. The lack of attendees and live reactions was reminiscent of the days when late night hosts, from John Oliver to Seth Meyers, performed their monologues in empty studios amid the height of the pandemic. Even the two guys at the podiums were the same. The eerily quiet debate made for an uncomfortable viewing experience, particularly as CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash stood by silently when a candidate's response contained an obvious falsehood. Good thing we've got a slew of fact-checks, analysis and columnist Jennifer Brooks' witty take on last night's event to start your morning. Related coverage - [A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but sparks Democratic anxiety about his candidacy]( - [FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate]( - [Brooks: A horror show of a debate — and what's that you say about Minneapolis, Donald Trump?](     GOING OUT - [6 cool things in music this week, including Los Lobos, Jamecia Bennett and Trip Shakespeare documentary]( - [The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week]( Nevertheless, the floodwaters persisted The Minnesota River is spilling over, forcing Valleyfair to shut down three rides and cancel its Fourth of July fireworks show. The Mississippi is expected to rise another foot in St. Paul before it crests tomorrow. And there's more rain in the forecast today and early next week. Tim Harlow has [the latest on flooding in Minnesota here](. Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Debate over trash collection is causing a big stink in Anoka as haulers sue]( - [Investigation underway after officer fatally shoots woman in North Branch, Minn.]( - [Nineteen rural Minnesota hospitals band together to survive and thrive]( CURIOUS MINNESOTA Iron Range Research Center This week's edition of the Star Tribune's reader-powered reporting project seeks to answer the question: If the Iron Range was mined by an army of workers that spoke different languages, how did they all communicate? The short answer is: they all quickly learned words and phrases that helped them get the job done, like "drill" and "distance." Reporter Christa Lawler has the longer explanation, which you can [read in this week's Curious Minnesota](. IN OTHER NEWS - [Hmong Freedom Festival expected to draw thousands to St. Paul’s Como Park]( - Sahan Journal - [Minneapolis native hopes to burnish an accomplished legacy at the Paris Paralympic Games]( - MinnPost - [How a northern Minnesota town became known as the 'Home of Bigfoot']( - WCCO     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Eder Campuzano/Star Tribune I was going about my business the other day when I came upon this decal on the rear windshield of a sensible sedan parked near Capella Tower, where the Star Tribune has its offices. And this bit of censorship had me thinking of the night Anthony Edwards gave Minnesota a new catchphrase full of sass, class and a bit of crass. Remember how a bunch of public agencies self-censored their own attempts at co-opting Edwards' rallying cry of "bring ya ass"? We even had to discuss the phrase in our newsroom as it brought into conflict two of our journalistic standards. If a person is quoted on our website and in the newspaper, we publish it verbatim. But we also don't post profanity. The resulting conversations led to a compromise. We quote Edwards verbatim in stories — and newsletter blurbs — where it's essential context for readers. But we only use it once. And we don't use it in headlines. Now if only corporations and public agencies could wriggle out of their own sheepishness — or at the very least place replace the vowel with an asterisk when they censor. "Bring ya a**" looks so weird. Have a great weekend and holiday, everyone! (And keep sending Zoë your book recommendations.) Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. 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