The WNBA becomes the first U.S. pro sports league to host events at the Obama Presidential Center as All-Star Weekend returns to Chicago. Sports columnist Charles Hallman and broadcaster Cindy Brunson break down a surprising first half of the season.
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Posted inOpinion
Freedom Is an Act: A Reflection on America at 250 Years
The Supreme Court’s ruling on Temporary Protected Status isn’t just about immigration, writes Dr. Sharon M. Holder in this op-ed. It’s a moral test of who America chooses to protect as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
Posted inLocal & State
State cannabis board brings record relief directly to the community
Three years after cannabis legalization, Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board is bringing its work directly to communities, reviewing roughly 98,000 felony cases without requiring residents to hire an attorney. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full story.
Posted inEvents
Free health screenings and family activities featured at upcoming Minneapolis cancer expo
The Colors of Cancer, Health & Wellness Expo offers free cancer and health screenings for the community July 25 at the University of Minnesota. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inOpinion
S.4390 is a direct attack on women-owned businesses, Black women will pay the highest price
WORDPRESS EXCERPT
A bill in Congress would eliminate the Women-Owned Small Business federal contracting program, a move MaKee Company CEO R. Lynn Pingol warns could strip $540 billion in revenue nationally and $2.2 billion from the Twin Cities alone.
Posted inEvents
Midwest Black Book Fair comes to North Minneapolis
The 2026 Midwest Black Book Fair honors Black storytelling and resistance for Black August, featuring author panels, publishing workshops and raffles at UROC in North Minneapolis. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the full lineup.
Posted inEvents
Brooklyn Center fundraiser event supports 30K-Square-Foot event space
McNeal Management is celebrating the land launch of a new 30,000-square-foot business and event center for Black entrepreneurs in Brooklyn Center with a free outdoor celebration. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inBest of Black Businesses
Best of Black Business 2026: Meet the 50 Finalists
Voting is open for the Second Annual Best of Black Business Awards. Meet the 50 finalists across five categories, from soul food kitchens to design studios, representing the best in Black-owned business across Minnesota.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota DNR announces state park License plate design contest
The Minnesota DNR is inviting creatives to design the state’s next park license plate, themed around the North Shore and Lake Superior agate. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry breaks down how to enter.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota Conviction Review Unit closure leaves some incarcerated individuals and families in limbo
Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit has abruptly closed after losing federal funding, leaving hundreds of applicants like Adrian Riley without a path to review their cases. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the story.
Posted inLocal & State
Opportunity Crossing opens on site of Wells Fargo branch burned in 2020 uprising
Opportunity Crossing, a new 110-unit affordable housing development, opened on the site of a Wells Fargo branch burned during the George Floyd uprising. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the story behind the project.
Posted inLocal & State
Ramsey County sues federal government over stonewalled Thao investigation
Ramsey County officials sued the Department of Homeland Security July 15, accusing the agency of withholding evidence needed to investigate the detention of a St. Paul man during Operation Metro Surge. Editor Jasmine McBride breaks down the case.
Posted inWhat's Hot
What’s Hot: Twin Cities Weekend Events, July 17-19
From a BIPOC treats walk to Rondo Days, here’s what’s happening across the Twin Cities July 17-19.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Renee Brown’s WNBA legacy runs deeper than she’ll admit
Renee Brown helped build the WNBA from day one but rarely gets credit for it. At the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, sports columnist Charles Hallman caught up with her, and with founding president Val Ackerman, on the league’s 30-year legacy.
Posted inJobs & Notices
JOB ALERT: Minnesota State Fair looking to hire about 3,000 employees this year
The Minnesota State Fair is hiring about 3,000 employees for the 2026 fair and hosting a job fair July 22 for on-the-spot interviews. No resume needed.
Posted inBooks
Shannon Gibney breaks taboo with new children’s book on infant loss
Local author Shannon Gibney’s new children’s book, “Where Is My Sister?,” tackles a subject rarely addressed in kids’ literature: how young children process infant loss. Contributing writer Ella Stern has the story behind the book.
Sponsored
On University Avenue, Barbershops and Salons Are Building More Than Businesses
From braiding studios to a youth barber training program, University Avenue’s beauty and grooming businesses are building more than haircuts. This piece, sponsored by Neighborhood Development Center, spotlights the owners behind the corridor’s Hidden GEMS.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Nurses and Doctors Demand Binding Protections Before Sutter Health Acquires Allina
Allina Health workers are demanding legally binding protections before Sutter Health’s proposed acquisition closes, after California union members warned Minnesota nurses about understaffing and broken commitments at Sutter facilities.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Black players carry the Twins system into the All-Star break
From an injured Futures Game selection to a Twins pitcher’s back-to-back strikeout gems, sports columnist Charles Hallman rounds up four storylines from Black baseball players in and around the Twins organization.
Posted inLocal & State
For this foundation CEO, leadership starts with “clarity is kind”
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation President and CEO Chanda Smith Baker is opening up about leadership beyond the resume in her new series, “Power of Possible: Leadership Edition.” Contributing writer Destiny Kromah has the story.