Good morning. We’ll have regular editions through Wednesday of this week and then on a short holiday break.

The weekend brought more stories about Democratic soul-searching over the top of the party ticket. While there are no real indications that President Joe Biden will step aside or is even considering it, the chattering and donor classes are pushing for that conversation. The AP reports on a phone call between top Democratic National Committee officials and other party leaders that stoked more frustration than calm. The story says call participants recounted how DNC Chair Jaime Harrison “offered what they described as a rosy assessment of Biden's path forward. The chat function was disabled and there were no questions allowed.” 

In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz and other top Democrats publicly stood with Biden late last week, but some voters told our reporters that they were increasingly nervous about how the election will go after the incumbent’s debate showing. Notable dissent came Sunday when former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a past DNC vice chair, posted on Facebook that Biden should leave the race. “Taking the tough, immediate action we need to win this election is not about whether people like President Biden, or think he has done a good job.  It’s like baseball: the pitcher should get credit for six great innings but when they start giving up home runs and the World Series is on the line, sometimes you call in a reliever,” Rybak writes.

Even if Biden would end his campaign now or ahead of the August nominating convention, there are a whole set of problems Democrats would encounter. First, they don’t have a clear backup plan. There would be fundraising hiccups and possibly some ballot difficulties, although most states have yet to finalize their November ballots and won’t for several weeks. It would be an unprecedented late-game shift but as we continually see, the unusual is becoming more usual in these unconventional political times.

No matter who is on the ballot, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is sure to continue to stoke his contention of deficiencies on voting eligibility and election integrity. While much of what Trump points to on that front doesn’t hold up to scrutiny or legal rulings, it remains a rallying cry for his base. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang examines some of the GOP claims around voter registration. 

The Supreme Court is set to issue its final rulings of its term today after publishing some consequential decisions on Friday. The biggest yet-to-be-announced decision involves presidential immunity . Trump wants the court to grant him protection from federal prosecution over Jan. 6 and other elements of his late- and post-presidency actions. It still seems unlikely that any additional trials will happen before this November’s election, either in state or federal venues because of maneuvering over legal motions. Reminder: Trump is due to be sentenced in about 10 days for his New York business record falsification related to hush-money payments. That’s not far ahead of the convention where he’ll accept the Republican presidential nomination. Listen for special programming on the Supreme Court’s term-concluding day at  9 a.m. with Angela Davis (her guests will also offer more analysis of Thursday’s debate) and then NPR coverage of the Trump immunity-claim decision.

Today is the first day a Minnesota delivery fee could be applied to some package orders. The Legislature approved the 50-cent fee in 2023 but deferred its enactment until July 1 of this year. It’s intended to create a new source of revenue for transportation projects. It applies to orders of goods for at least $100. There are numerous exemptions. For example, retailers with annual sales of less than one million dollars won’t face the fee. It also won’t apply to medical and infant supplies or food. The law was signed last year and it’s estimated to raise more than 60 million dollars a year with funds going directly to local governments to help pay for road maintenance. Backers say it recognizes extra wear on roads from delivery vehicles. The Minnesota Retailers Association and other businesses have expressed concerns about the law. They say it hurts lower income people the most and those who depend on doorstep delivery. 

Finally, we reported here last week of an election petition that asks Minnesota’s courts to boot a Republican legislator from the ballot. The petition claims Rep. Josh Heintzeman’s shorthand listing of “Republican” as his party identification is inadequate. Heintzeman’s attorney has responded in his own filing with the Minnesota Supreme Court that reads in part: “This Petition is nothing more than a naked attempt by Petitioner to defame and disparage Representative Heintzeman through a litany of allegations that have nothing whatsoever to do with proving Petitioner’s case. The allegations are clearly meant to be more salacious than factual — the Petition is meritless and unserious.” Elsewhere, the attorney writes, “`Republican’ and RPM are one in the same for purposes of an affidavit of candidacy and the ballot. And Minnesota law — and common sense — caution against any other interpretation.” It also faults Heintzeman’s GOP primary opponent of filing the challenge too late – within a week of the start of early voting. Expect a quick ruling on this one.