How a restaurant revolution elevated the Twin Cities food scene

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers Top stories - How a restaurant revolution elevated the Twin Cities food scene: For what feels like forever, Twin Citians have boasted — with justification — about the region’s quality of life. The envied parks. The internationally influential arts institutions. The Fortune 500-heavy business climate. The healthy, well-educated and civically engaged populace. To this we can finally add another bragging point: a dynamic and diverse food scene. The evolution of the Twin Cities’ dining landscape is nothing short of revolutionary. [But it didn’t happen overnight.]( - HCMC ends deal with Taser manufacturer after conflict-of-interest concerns: An emergency doctor at Hennepin Healthcare will [no longer be permitted to work as the medical director]( for a popular stun-gun manufacturer, following outrage from elected officials and community members who called the relationship a conflict of interest. - Trustees approve 3% tuition increase for Minnesota state colleges, universities: On Wednesday, the Minnesota State system’s board of trustees [backed a $2.1 billion budget for the system](, which over the past decade has lost almost a fifth of its enrollment. Another projected dip in enrollment this fall will likely mean less revenue from tuition despite the new higher rates. - Iran shoots down U.S. drone amid tensions over nuclear deal: Iran's Revolutionary Guard [shot down a U.S. surveillance drone]( on Thursday amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the collapsing nuclear deal with world powers, American and Iranian officials said, though they disputed the circumstances of the incident. - U.S. House holds raucous hearing on reparations for slavery: The debate over reparations for descendants of slaves [catapulted from the campaign trail to Congress]( on Wednesday with an impassioned plea from actor Danny Glover and others for lawmakers to address compensation for America's blighted heritage of racism and Jim Crow laws. - Inside the backlash against Somali refugees in St. Cloud: The New York Times has [an excellent piece about the anti-Islam backlash]( to refugee resettlement in St. Cloud, in which many of the people quoted are extraordinarily candid about their views. It's worth reading to the end. - Supreme Court upholds cross on public land in Maryland: A World War I memorial in the shape of a 40-foot-tall cross [can continue to stand on public land]( in Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in an important decision about the use of religious symbols in American life. - Man killed in crash while riding scooter was 88-year-old from St. Louis Park: The scooter operator who died in a crash in St. Louis Park has been [identified as an 88-year-old man]( whose family’s retail operations were well known in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. - Embattled Cheers bar could face eviction before it even opens over unpaid rent: The owners of the building at 1933 Lyndale Av. S. in Minneapolis, the space formerly occupied by Rudolph’s Bar-B-Que, [are seeking to evict Cheers]( over two months in unpaid rent and fees totaling $21,625, according to court documents.  Watch this Minnesota man goes full Wisconsin after bare-handing home run ball without spilling his beer: And by "full Wisconsin," we of course mean [he immediately chugged the beer.](  Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](.  Trending - Prince's Caribbean estate finally sells for $10.8 million: [The property in the Turks and Caicos]( includes a six-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot house on 6 acres set on a peninsula. There’s also a tennis court, a marina, two private beaches, a gatehouse and multiple cabanas. - After years of losses, Minneapolis MayDay parade had record-breaking year: This year’s MayDay Parade [made money for the first time]( its organizers can remember. - When death calls, this Twin Cities mortician for hire goes to work: The sensitive, sometimes grueling job of removing people from their place of death can generally be done only by licensed funeral directors, also called morticians, under state law. Faced with rising deaths and a shortage of funeral directors, funeral homes are [increasingly leaning on morticians-for-hire]( to remove remains while the city sleeps.  Sports roundup - So-called pitching crisis in Twins bullpen is greatly exaggerated: Sorry to disappoint the Twins' budget-blasters, but there is no pitching crisis here as long as reasonable health continues. With Taylor Rogers leading the way, the relief staff is at least capable, [writes Patrick Reusse.]( - Vikings set new rules for access and autographs at training camp: Ahead of their second training camp at their practice facility in Eagan, [the Vikings announced several changes]( in how the sessions will be run in July and August. - Hazeltine National is a top test for LPGA's best this week: The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship that begins Thursday brings back Hazeltine National’s traditional hole routing and once again rewards accuracy on [a course that can stretch to 6,800 yards](.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](.  Quote of the day “These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way. These people are very visible.” -- [Kim Crockett](, the vice president and general counsel for conservative Minnesota think tank Center of the American Experiment, on Somali refugees.  Worth a click Married to debt: "Demand among Americans, who are already holding record levels of debt, for help financing weddings are giving rise to an industry of personal loans marketed specifically to brides and grooms ... Demand for wedding loans has quadrupled in the past year, he said, making it the company’s fastest-growing line of business. Couples borrow, on average, $16,000 and typically pay it off within three years. Interest rates range from about 7 percent to 18 percent, making it a cheaper option than many credit cards," [the Washington Post reports.](  From the archives June 20, 1983: Dr. William Lazareth of Geneva, Switzerland, spoke to an estimated 4,500 Lutherans who were gathered in the Minneapolis Auditorium for the start of the Festival of Worship and Witness. (Photo: David Brewster/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 © 2019 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](