Today was the deadline for legislative committees to agree on the language for various parts of the state budget. Of course, since most committees still haven't met last Friday's deadline, it will surprise absolutely no one that the budget is not yet done.
The legislature calls to mind the quote from author Douglas Adams: "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by." (And I say this as someone who's been known to miss a deadline or two himself!)
But ultimately only one deadline actually matters: July 1. No budget by then and the state government shuts down. Pass a budget by then and all this finally ends (until May 2023).
Against all this, MinnPost reporter Peter Callaghan sees signs of optimism that a budget will get done. Crucially, members of both parties say there aren't issues they'll shut down the government if they don't get. The closest thing to a must-pass issue is probably some kind of law enforcement overhaul, and "that seems within reach," said DFL Rep. Ryan Winkler, the House Majority Leader. [Read more from MinnPost's Peter Callaghan]
Facebook has extended former President Donald Trump's ban from the social network for another two years and will only reinstate him if "the risk to public safety has receded." The two-year ban extends past the 2022 midterm elections. [Read more from NPR's Shannon Bond]
LGBTQ rights group OutFront Minnesota has a new interim director. Anna Min will lead the group while its board searches for a permanent replacement for recently departed leader Monica Meyer. [Read more from the Star Tribune's Patrick Condon]
Rep. Ilhan Omar is pushing to repeal a bill from the John Adams administration. The 1798 Alien Enemies Act lets the president detain and deport foreign nationals; it's the last remaining part of the famous "Alien and Sedition Acts" originally passed by Federalists amid tensions with France and a political fight with the Democratic-Republicans. [Read more from MinnPost's Ashley Hackett]
President Joe Biden continues to negotiate with Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito over an infrastructure bill. The two sides have narrowed some of their differences and agreed to meet again on Monday. [Read more from the New York Times' Michael D. Shear]
Democrats, facing a barrage of effective "soft on crime" attacks from Republicans, are hopeful that they've found a new message to deflect that criticism: rather than try to avoid the issue, or co-opt the attacks with a law-and-order message, they should engage the issue and emphasize reform while refusing to attack the party's base. Of course, cooking up a message in a focus group or a safe special election is different from it working in a national election... [ Read more from the Washington Post's Greg Sargent]
Something completely different: It's going to be hot this weekend, so while staying cool, take a look at some climatology! This map by Brian Brettschneider shows which month of the year is driest, on average, in the Lower 48 states. For Minnesota, the driest months are typically in the winter, while the West Coast sees drought peak in the summer, and much of the South in the fall. [Read more from Brian Brettschneider]
Listen: The heat is here, so let's go to an old standard: George Gershwin's "Summertime." It's hard to pick just one version of this song, but I don't think you can go wrong with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. [Listen]
