MPR News AM Update
 
🌧️ We’ll have lingering showers and clouds for the first part of Thursday before clouds decrease in the afternoon. It’ll be cooler due to the cloud cover, but still humid with highs near 80 degrees.

☀️ Sunshine and hot weather are back Friday and Saturday. Highs both days will be near 90 degrees, but dew points won’t be as high as in recent days.  Get the latest weather news on Updraft.
 
Coming up on Morning Edition

👩‍⚖️ Starting today, election, public and judicial officials in Minnesota have new protections under a new law. We speak with DFL Sen. Bonnie Westlin, vice chair of the Elections Committee, about privacy concerns, swatting calls and harassment against public servants.

🔥 There are roughly 100 large wildfires burning in the western U.S., including one of the largest in California history. Recent research shows a huge increase in the number of extreme fires over the past 20 years. Why? Scientists point to climate change and wildfire-fighting policies.

🗣️ Former President Donald Trump made inflammatory remarks about Vice President Harris at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, including questioning her biracial background. How is Harris's campaign responding?

 
Coming up at 9 a.m.

💬 A discussion hosted by our colleagues at Sahan Journal — a nonprofit dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota — about how to thrive as a business in Minnesota.

📻 Mukhtar Ibrahim, the founding publisher and CEO of Sahan Journal, talks with a panel of Black, immigrant entrepreneurs in tech, farming, fashion, food and wellness. How did they get their businesses started and what did they learn about how to thrive as a business in Minnesota? Tune in for the conversation.
 
We’ve been here before: With Walz maneuvering, there’s another Minnesotan in the VP mix

Gov. Tim Walz is on the short list for likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as she chooses a running mate. Walz is just the latest Minnesota politician to get a hard look for the No. 2 job.

Walz follows past Minnesotans who have been seriously vetted for the vice presidential position: Sens. Hubert H. Humphrey and Walter Mondale, who were selected, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who were not picked.
 
State’s 1st legal cannabis dispensary celebrates anniversary, seeks new ways to reach customers

Last August, Red Lake Nation opened NativeCare, a seed-to-sale cannabis operation. The state’s first cannabis dispensary has hired new leadership and will embark on a campaign to educate customers about the benefits of cannabis.

“Cannabis is a stress reliever. And most people who tend to be open to cannabis, you know, tend to be a little bit more laid back. And so, it’s very much a good work environment where people can have fun — and also do good work,” said Kari Taylor, the CEO of NativeCare.
 
Space Tower is ready for state fair after tech problems closed the ride last year

The iconic Minnesota State Fair Space Tower is back and ready to ride. Last year, the 330-foot-tall structure was unceremoniously closed down four days into the Great Minnesota Get-Together, leaving visitors with one less ride option.
 
What else we're watching:

🏘️ Owner of Lutsen Lodge removed from managing another North Shore resort. The owner of the landmark Lutsen Lodge that burned down earlier this year has been temporarily removed from the operations of another major North Shore resort.

🚨 Minneapolis collaborates with state, federal agencies to target violent crime.
The weeklong effort focuses on people police say are responsible for disproportionate amounts of violence in the city, where two people were injured in shootings over the weekend and one was killed.

🎨 Art Hounds: Giant troll tour in Detroit Lakes. Art Hounds recommend a hidden troll hike, the photography of BearBOI and a multi-day bluegrass festival.

🤸🏻‍♀️ Inside Suni Lee‘s road back to the Olympics.  The road back to the Olympics has been anything but easy for Lee. She was diagnosed with two kidney diseases in 2022 and had to stop training. And a new, New York Times profile reveals she was also dealing with stalkers and mental health issues.

🥘 Appetites: Up your Olympics game by serving these small bites. Try upping your Olympics game by serving these small bites from chef Amalia Moreno-Damgaard as you watch the athletes compete.

🏉 With her signature stiff arm and red lip, Ilona Maher rules Olympic rugby and TikTok.
U.S. women’s rugby sevens center Ilona Maher has dominated the Olympics, both on the pitch and on social media. Here’s what to know about the rising star — and the rising sport.

🔫 Olympic sharpshooter’s ‘Matrix’-inspired style turns heads in Paris. Kim Yeji won a silver medal at the 2024 Games for South Korea and a gold medal across the world for her razor-sharp looks and icy-calm demeanor.

— Sam Stroozas and Anna Haecherl, MPR News
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