Walz reacts to Taylor Swift’s endorsement 🐈

Plus: Craving Ted Lasso’s cookies? We have the recipe [Plus: Craving Ted Lasso’s cookies? We have the recipe] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Flags are at half-staff in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Hook, line & swindle: Woman accused of stealing, reselling $40K in outdoor gear, guns from outfitter]( - [Downtown St. Paul property owners OK expansion of privately funded safety services]( - [Minneapolis neighbors attacked family homeless shelter residents, agency says]( - [Essentia Health to drop from Medicare Advantage networks at UnitedHealthcare, Humana]( - [Suspect held after man shot and killed outside St. Paul strip mall](   Minnesota man pleased by Swift endorsement as a 'fellow cat owner' Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press Minnesota didn't garner much more than a passing mention during last night's presidential debate, aside from the common assertions that Minneapolis somehow burned to the ground. (I just looked outside and, yep, it's still out there!) But the North Star State was the talk of the town — or the digital town square — after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the event. The pop superstar gave the vice president props for choosing Tim Walz as her running mate, saying the Minnesota governor has been "standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades." She signed the statement "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." Walz seemingly found out about the endorsement as he sat for an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, who read Swift's statement live on-air. “I am incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift,” Walz said. “I say that also as a cat owner, a fellow cat owner ... That was eloquent. And it was clear. And that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up.” You can read more about Walz's reaction to the endorsement, plus a few debate takeaways, at the links below. Related coverage - [Gov. Tim Walz reacts to ‘fellow cat owner’ Taylor Swift’s endorsement]( - [Harris presses a more forceful case against Trump than Biden did on abortion, economy and democracy]( - [Key takeaways from a debate that featured tense clashes and closed with a Taylor Swift endorsement]( [Read More](     GOING OUT - [The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts to see in Twin Cities this week]( - [Wilco books another rare three-night stand in St. Paul, this one even more special]( - [Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis will headline Winstock 2025](   [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.   Want to know how to make Ted Lasso's cookies? What about Sydney's potato chip omelette? I have a confession. As my friends will tell you, I'm incredibly obnoxious when it comes to breakfast. Gotta have it every day. And I pester anyone who dares skip the most important meal of the day. But today? I ... skipped breakfast. Now I'm craving the potato chip omelette Sydney makes for Natalie in the penultimate episode of the second season of "The Bear." Good thing we have the recipe, plus the instructions for several other movie and TV-inspired treats. Neal Justin and Nicole Hvidsten [have them all here](, from Ted Lasso's cookies to the strange Santa burger from "Gilmore Girls." Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an omelette to make. Chuck Hodes/FX MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Ramstad: Financial aid crisis ends, but shrinking market looms for Minnesota colleges]( - [Twins top Angels 10-5 to halt four-game skid]( //t.e2ma.net/click/3lkgy4c/3hp1m0/npgjf5sb - [Lynx top Dream 76-64 after another second-half surge]( INTRODUCING: FOOTBALL ACROSS MINNESOTA Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune You know the big yellow slide at the Minnesota State Fair? That’s what football season is for Chip Scoggins: A giant, four-month-long yellow slide. On Labor Day weekend, he hops on his piece of burlap, puts his hands in the air and laugh-screams up and down the bumps all the way to January. Fortunately for the rest of us, he puts his hands down long enough to write up some of the best football stories we read each fall. Several of Chip’s most memorable stories in the months ahead will land in a weekly column called “Football Across Minnesota.” We started “FAM” four years ago with the idea that it covers the most compelling football topics in the state, from preps to pros. Many weeks, it delivers a story that you haven’t heard before, a testament to Chip’s work ethic and love of the game. (He loves a good idea or tip, too, so email him anytime at anthony.scoggins@startribune.com.) And starting next week, you can find a snippet of that column right here in Essential Minnesota on Tuesday mornings. (We were a day late getting this one out the door.) [In this season’s debut column](, Chip writes about a couple of sparks at St. Paul Johnson: a boost in participation after an exciting opener, and a spark named Justice Moody, who lit up the scoreboard and said “I’m not ashamed of telling people where I play. We need people to put on for the city and St. Paul public schools.” Chip also features a sweet story from Duluth, where the Bulldogs’ kicker recently donated bone marrow to help a young boy. And, yes, there’s Vikings and Gophers analysis, too. This is what you can expect: both depth and breadth, storytelling and analysis, and a whole lot of passion from the author. Let the ride down the big yellow slide begin! -Chris Carr, editor IN OTHER NEWS - [10 fun, overly ambitious ideas that might actually save downtown St. Paul]( - Racket - [GOP House candidate apologizes after implying Democrats are leading U.S. toward another Holocaust]( - Minnesota Reformer - [‘Kids deserve better’: Minnesota agencies struggle to diversify pool of foster parents]( - Sahan Journal     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Paul Klauda/The Minneapolis Star Tribune An unexpected guest paid a visit to the Midtown Greenway on Tuesday. Minnesota Star Tribune editor Paul Klauda got an up-close view of a red-tailed hawk that perched on the greenway's fence for about 20 minutes, despite the hustle and bustle of the busy recreation trail. The bird's unusual activity led a couple of concerned passersby to enlist the help of the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center to check on the bird, which eventually flew up into a nearby tree. After a bit of wrangling, a Raptor Center volunteer was able to secure the bird, which may have been suffering from West Nile virus or starvation, and bring it back to the center for testing and aid. -David Taintor Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor     [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Subscribe]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( [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. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.