TGIF on this week that packed in a month (or more) of political news. Let’s get to it so you can get a step closer to a beautiful weekend.

During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Thursday, former President Donald Trump recommitted to a Sept. 10 debate. Trump’s decision to commit to a debate  hosted by ABC comes days after posting on social media that he would not appear on the network. It sets up a highly anticipated moment in an election campaign cycle that has simultaneously felt milliseconds and eons long. It will be the first time that Trump will debate Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Trump spent much of Thursday's lengthy news conference criticizing Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “Between her and him, there’s never been anything like this,” Trump said. “There’s certainly never been anybody so liberal like these two.”

Now that Walz has ascended to the national stage, details of his record and his past are getting more scrutiny. That includes a 1995 incident in which Walz was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Nebraska when he was 31 years old and working as a teacher. Our investigative team, APM Reports, reviewed the records from that incident and the case that followed. You can read more here.

Parkland shooting survivor and founder of the gun control group March for Our Lives David Hogg joined All Things Considered host Tom Crann Thursday to discuss his new big thing — getting Harris and Walz elected. Hogg told Crann that he became enthusiastic about Walz as a VP pick after learning more about his record, including his policy platform change over time on firearm restrictions. “He’s gotten the most done of almost anyone in the running for vice president,” Hogg said. He also noted that for many young voters it would be a “vibes” election. 

While it seemed like a surprise catapult onto the national scene for Walz, Democratic operatives in Minnesota spent months building the groundwork for the rapid ascent. New York Times reporter Reid Epstein had the story yesterday and spoke with Minnesota Now’s Cathy Wurzer about the effort that took place behind the scenes. He said Walz and his aides, beginning in late 2022, started building out a strategy to highlight what the DFL trifecta in St. Paul would go on to accomplish on a national scale. So yes, the photo opps of Walz getting hugged by school kids at a bill signing and a drone flying through the Capitol after the 2023 legislative session were all part of a bigger plan.

Minnesota’s block of 11 uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention are still looking for details on how the Harris-Walz ticket plans to address the conflict in the Middle East. Uncommitted delegate Asma Mohammed spoke with Cathy Wurzer yesterday on Minnesota Now and said she and other delegates want to hear more specifics from Harris and Walz about potential plans to call for an arms embargo and ceasefire in Gaza. “I think what we’ve been focusing on are, like, a lot of good vibes about this campaign, but vibes don’t save lives,” Mohammed said.

It’s been enough of a news cycle blow up that you might have forgotten that Minnesota has a primary election on Tuesday. Ellie traveled to Senate District 45 to get the scoop on the Democratic primary race there. The special election for the seat vacated by former state Sen. Kelly Morrison will decide control of the Minnesota Senate this fall.

In Alexandria, it’s a case of grand theft campaign signs. The Echo Press reports that Alexandria police earlier this week recovered 240 campaign, real estate and special signs following a months-long investigation. No arrests have made in the case and officers sent information to the local county’s attorney’s office for their assessment.

Enjoy the weekend and make good choices! Brian will be back from some well-deserved time off on Monday.