Counties and cities offer ways to beat the heat, the University of Minnesota raises tuition for a second time in as many years, and the North Shore’s Sugarloaf Cove gives a glimpse into the past.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP …
[DOMINIQUE MENARD: IT’S NOT REALLY LIKE ANYTHING YOU’VE PROBABLY DONE BEFORE — IT’S SOMETHING NEW.]
A NORTH SHORE TRAIL WHERE THE SOUNDTRACK IS MORE THAN JUST BIRDS AND WAVES … BUT FIRST …
--BEAT THE HEAT--
THE FIRST MAJOR HEAT WAVE OF THE SUMMER IS STRETCHING INTO ANOTHER DAY... THE DANGER ISN’T JUST THAT IT’S HOT... IT’S THAT THE HUMIDITY MAKES IT HARDER FOR YOUR BODY TO COOL DOWN..
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE LOWER HALF OF THE STATE ARE OFFERING COOLING OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE HEAT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA MONDAY... WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES FORECAST TO REACH UP TO 110-DEGREEES.
FORECASTERS SAY THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL STICK AROUND THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK.
HENNEPIN COUNTY HAS AN ONLINE MAP OF COOLING OPTIONS … INCLUDING LIBRARIES … GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS … BEACHES … POOLS … AND SALVATION ARMY SITES.
THE EXTREME HEAT WARNING CONTINUES IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT... ...
ROCHESTER PUBLIC TRANSIT IS TURNING CITY BUSES INTO A “COOL PLACE TO BE.”
RIDERS WHO NEED RELIEF FROM THE HEAT CAN TELL THE DRIVER THEY NEED TO COOL DOWN... AND BOARD WITHOUT PAYING A FARE THROUGH THURSDAY.
FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE METRO OR ROCHESTER … HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY TO CHECK WITH YOUR CITY OR COUNTY … OR LOCAL LIBRARIES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR COOLING OPTIONS NEAR YOU.
MINNESOTANS CAN ALSO CALL 2-1-1 TO FIND LOCAL HELP.
--EMMER SOMALI COMMENTS--
U-S CONGRESSMAN AND HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP TOM EMMER … A MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN... IS FACING CRITICISM FROM DEMOCRATS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES AFTER COMMENTS SINGLING OUT SOMALIS.
EMMER MADE THE COMMENTS AT A FAITH AND FREEDOM COALITION EVENT IN WASHINGTON.
[TOM EMMER: CELEBRATE YOUR CULTURE, I DON’T CARE — ITALIAN, POLISH, YOU KNOW, SOMALI — BUT THEY DON’T ASSIMILATE, AND IF THEY DON’T ASSIMILATE, THEN THEY SHOULD GO THE HELL BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM.]
EMMER REPRESENTS PARTS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA … INCLUDING SAINT CLOUD AREA … WHICH IS HOME TO A LARGE SOMALI COMMUNITY.
JAYLANI HUSSEIN … EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MINNESOTA CHAPTER OF THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS … CALLED THE COMMENTS RACIST AND XENOPHOBIC … AND IS URGING CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO REBUKE EMMER.
HUSSEIN SAYS THE “GO BACK” LANGUAGE IS A CLASSIC RACIST ATTACK USED AGAINST IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
EARLY IN HIS TIME IN CONGRESS … EMMER WORKED WITH THEN-CONGRESSMAN KEITH ELLISON TO START A BIPARTISAN SOMALIA CAUCUS.
HIS LATEST COMMENTS COME AGAINST A BROADER POLITICAL BACKDROP OF REPUBLICAN RHETORIC TYING MINNESOTA FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS TO SOMALI COMMUNITIES.
--UMN REGENTS APPROVE TUITION HIKE--
-- --
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IS RAISING TUITION FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.
THE SCHOOL’S BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED A 3-POINT-8 PERCENT TUITION HIKE FRIDAY … AFTER RAISING RESIDENT UNDERGRADUATE TUITION BY BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX-AND-A-HALF PERCENT LAST YEAR.
THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED MORE THAN 44-MILLION DOLLARS IN BUDGET CUTS.
REGENT KODI VERHALEN SAYS THE BOARD COULD HAVE RAISED TUITION EVEN HIGHER … BUT CHOSE TO SPREAD THE COST BETWEEN STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY BUDGET CUTS.
[REGENT VERHALEN: WE COULD HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH A SIX, SIX-AND-A-HALF PERCENT TUITION INCREASE, WITHOUT BUDGET MODIFICATIONS, BUT IN A CLIMATE WHERE INFLATION IS OVER FOUR PERCENT, ASKING STUDENTS TO TAKE ON WHAT IS NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT BURDEN INDIVIDUALLY IS ASKING A LOT.]
MORE THAN 30-MILLION DOLLARS IN CUTS WILL HIT ACADEMICS.
THE UNIVERSITY’S BUDGET SAYS THE CUTS COULD ELIMINATE MORE THAN 165 ACADEMIC POSITIONS … AND MORE THAN 64 SUPPORT POSITIONS.
--MPCA DRAFT 2026 IMPAIRED WATER LIST--
THE STATE’S LATEST WATER REPORT SHOWS BOTH NEW WARNING SIGNS … AND PROGRESS IN CLEANUP EFFORTS.
THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY’S ‘DRAFT 2026 IMPAIRED WATERS LIST’ WOULD ADD 46 LAKES, RIVERS, STREAMS, AND WETLANDS TO ITS IMPAIRED LIST … BUT IT WOULD ALSO REMOVE 45 FROM THE LIST.
“IMPAIRED” MEANS THE WATER DOESN’T MEET STATE STANDARDS FOR AT LEAST ONE USE … LIKE SWIMMING, FISHING, OR SUPPORTING AQUATIC LIFE.
THE M-P-C-A SAYS THIS WOULD BE THE MOST IMPAIRMENTS REMOVED IN A TWO-YEAR CYCLE SINCE THE STATE STARTED TRACKING THEM IN 1992.
THE LIST HELPS THE STATE DECIDE WHERE CLEANUP WORK IS NEEDED … AND TRACK WHETHER PAST CLEANUP EFFORTS ARE WORKING.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS OPEN THROUGH JULY 22ND.
--WEST NILE VIRUS--
THE FIRST WEST NILE-POSITIVE MOSQUITOES OF THE YEAR HAVE TURNED UP IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA.
THE METROPOLITAN MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT SAYS SAMPLES FROM HENNEPIN, RAMSEY AND DAKOTA COUNTIES TESTED POSITIVE THIS MONTH.
HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THIS IS ABOUT THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WEST NILE USUALLY STARTS SHOWING UP… WITH HUMAN CASES PEAKING LATER IN THE SUMMER.
THE VIRUS SPREADS THROUGH MOSQUITO BITES. MOST PEOPLE DON’T GET SICK, BUT IN RARE CASES IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS BRAIN OR NERVOUS SYSTEM ILLNESS.
MINNESOTA RECORDED A RECORD 120 CASES LAST YEAR.
HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE PEOPLE TO USE BUG SPRAY … COVER EXPOSED SKIN AROUND DUSK AND DAWN … AND DUMP ANY STANDING WATER.
--SUGARLOAF COVE--
AND FINALLY …
A NORTH SHORE NATURE CENTER REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC TOMORROW WITH NEW THINGS TO SEE … AND HEAR.
SUGAR LOAF COVE NEAR SCHROEDER IS OPENING TOMORROW … AFTER UPDATING ITS VISITOR CENTER WITH NEW INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS AND IMMERSIVE AUDIO WALKS.
NEW DISPLAYS EXPLORE HOW GLACIERS … ANCIENT LAVA FLOWS … AND HOW THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS SHAPED THE SHORELINE.
THE SELF-LED AUDIO WALKS UNFOLD ON THE TRAILS AND SHORELINE … WITH STORIES ABOUT GRIEF … HOPE … AND THE WATER OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
NATURALIST DOMINIQUE MENARD SAYS ONE OF THE WALKS LEFT A STRONG IMPRESSION.
[DOMINIQUE MENARD: THE FIRST TIME I DID THE SEEKER STORY WALK, I WAS SITTING BY THE LAKE, JUST BAWLING AT THE END.]
A REOPENING CELEBRATION IS SET FOR JULY 11TH … BRING YOUR WALKING SHOES … THEY’LL SUPPLY THE HEADPHONES.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.