8/2/2024 -- Gold For Suni Lee

Government

Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Vote To Give Themselves a 49% Raise

The Summary: The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has voted to increase their salaries by 49%, raising their annual pay from $122,225 to $182,141 starting January 1, 2025. This decision marks the first salary change for the commissioners since 2016.

Proponent: Chair Irene Fernando proposed the salary increase, citing a market analysis that indicated their current salaries were on the low end compared to assistant county administrators and peer jurisdictions.

Opposition: Commissioner Kevin Anderson, one of the two who voted against the raise, argued that the proposed salaries are significantly higher than adjustments offered for other job classifications.

Comparison: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s salary is set at $149,550, though he chose a lower amount of $127,629 for himself.

Next Steps: The final approval for these salary increases will be decided at a meeting on August 6.

Politics

Gov. Walz Meets with Harris' Vetting Team for Vice President

The Summary: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz met with Vice President Kamala Harris’ vetting team as she considers her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Walz had previously declined to comment on whether he was sending vetting materials to Harris’ team. 

Public Appearances: Walz has recently risen to national prominence, making several national TV appearances and criticizing Republican policy goals. He emphasized that it is Harris' decision alone, saying, "I'm not interviewing for anything, I am who I am.”

Harris' Campaign Tour: The Harris campaign announced a rally tour to debut her running mate, with stops including Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but none currently scheduled in Minnesota..

Other Contenders: Besides Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on the shortlist for the VP role.

Business

❯ MSP Terminal 2 Upgrades: MSP Airport has started a $263 million expansion of Terminal 2, adding two new gates this fall and two more by 2027 to accommodate increased demand, particularly from Sun Country Airlines.

❯ Discrimination Payouts: The White House announced that tens of thousands of farmers, including 46 Minnesotans, will receive payments from a $2 billion fund to address USDA discrimination, with each recipient averaging over $80,000.

❯ New Grocery Stores: Two new Colonial Market grocery stores are opening in Minneapolis, one in the former Aldi location in North Minneapolis in December and another in the Hi-Lake Shopping Center in September, creating 40 jobs.

What Else We’re Reading…

Ramsey County is billing people who call the crisis hotline for help 💲

Fox9 is reporting that people are being billed by Ramsey County for calling the crisis line, a practice that has alarmed mental health advocates. Adam Haidet, who received crisis intervention services, was charged $342 without prior notice, highlighting a lack of transparency on the county's part. Unlike Ramsey, other counties like Dakota, Washington, and Hennepin do not bill individuals for similar services. Read the full story here.

Sports

Gold and Bronze For St.Paul’s Suni Lee

The Summary: Along with her Team USA teammates, Suni Lee took home gold in the team gymnastics competition at the Paris Olympics. She came back Thursday and took Bronze in the individual competition.

The Comeback: After struggling with two different kidney diseases following the Tokyo Olympics, Suni Lee made an improbable journey back to the Olympic podium.

Up Next: Suni Lee will be competing in the uneven bar and balance beam finals on August 4th and 5th.

Other Sports

🏓 Anthony Edwards took in some Olympic table tennis and was impressed with the competition.

⚾ The Minnesota Twins had a very quiet trade deadline with their only move being to acquire pitcher Trevor Richards from the Toronto Blue Jays.

🥇 Minnesota Olympians have fared well so far at the Paris Olympics — get fully caught up on how everyone has been competing.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ A hydrochloric acid spill in Minneapolis prompted a hazmat response and road closures (WCCO)

❯ Minneapolis park workers voted 'overwhelmingly' to approve new contract (Kare11)

❯ Minneapolis is collaborateing with state and federal agencies to target violent crime (MPR)

❯ A 3-year-old Brooklyn Park boy who was attacked by pit bulls is not expected to survive (ABC)

❯ A Twin Cities girls volleyball coach was indicted this week for coercing numerous elite players into sex (Star Tribune)

The Final Word: Olympic Fever

I officially have Olympic fever and am finding myself incredibly invested in sports I never watched before this Olympics. In the shooting event, it’s quite common, as I found out, to wear very specialized equipment. However, the athlete from Turkey won the silver medal without any additional equipment — legend stuff.