9/22/2023 -- U of M Data Breach, Mpls Tiny-Home Village, Trump Ballot Challenge

Good morning. Today is Friday, September 22nd. Here is everything you need to know to start your day in the Twin Cities.

U of M Data Breach Affects Applicants, Students, Employees Dating Back to 1989

The Summary: The University of Minnesota released new details about the data breach that likely occurred in July 2023. The U of M announced that an “unauthorized party” gained access to more than seven million Social Security Number records, passport information, dates of birth, among other sensitive information that dates back to 1989.

Why did this happen? According to a report issued by The Cyber Express back in July, the hacker’s intentions were to analyze the effects of affirmative action following the Supreme Court decision that ruled affirmative action unconstitutional.

The Response: The U of M is already facing six lawsuits from former students, employees, and others who allege the U didn’t take enough precautionary measures to protect their sensitive data. The data breach is also currently being investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Minneapolis Considers Second “Tiny-Home” Village to Combat Homelessness

The Summary In December 2020, the city opened a first-of-its-kind indoor village of 100 tiny homes housed in the North Loop. The tiny home village, run by an organization called “Avivo,” provides low-barrier to entry shelter as well as other health services. On Monday, the Minneapolis city council approved a motion for $1M in funding for development of a second tiny home village in South Minneapolis.

The Context: This announcement of additional funding comes on the heels of last week’s community meeting that occurred in the East Phillips neighborhood where a new homeless encampment has developed in the community in the past few months.

How Avivo works: The non-profit has had consistent utilization of their first tiny-home village, prompting additional support from the city since it originally opened. Avivo leadership say they have not only provided housing but also been able to reverse more than 70 overdoses that would have otherwise gone unmonitored.  

Trump Ballot Challenge Headed to MN Supreme Court

The Summary: Oral arguments for the bipartisan constitutional challenge regarding former President Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 ballot have been set by the Minnesota Supreme Court for November 2nd. On September 12th, a lawsuit was filed by a group with the aim of preventing former President Trump from appearing on the Minnesota ballot for the 2024 election. The lawsuit is grounded in the 14th Amendment, which prohibits individuals who participated in insurrection against the United States from seeking the presidency.

What they’re saying: “The voters in Minnesota should ultimately decide through voting which candidates are qualified to represent them in public office.” -David Hann, MN state GOP chairman

📊 New Minnesota Census Data Released

The Summary: Data from the 2020 census was released this week leading to new insights into the demographics of Minnesota’s population. (full census data)

The quick takeaways:

-Minnesota’s communities of color are far younger as compared to the white population

-The state’s poverty level declined in the last decade to 9.6%, but Minnesotans of color saw an uptick in poverty

-Nearly 17.2% of employees in MN worked from home in 2021 which is slightly down the peak of 20.9% in 2021

✔Quick hits

📉 Over 80% of Minnesota non-profits are reporting staffing shortages prompting organizations to find new ways to attract and retain employees (Star Tribune)

🏆 MN Cup Grand Prize is awarded to Carba, a company that created a reactor to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (TCB Mag)

🏀 Minnesota Lynx season comes to a close after losing 90-75 in the playoffs to the Connecticut Sun (ESPN)

✈ MSP Airport drops to #2 in the North American Airport Satisfaction Study Rankings (KSTP)

🏨 Minneapolis hotels saw highest weekly demand for rooms since pandemic (Bring Me the News)

Things to Do, See, Eat This Weekend

🎾 Pints and Paddle Combines Pickleball, Food, and Drink: As if the pickleball craze couldn’t any hotter in the Twin Cities, there is new meeting ground for pickleball lovers that recently opened in Maple Grove called Pints and Paddle. The facility has a full-service bar and grill as well as 10 indoor pickleball courts that require reservations in order to play.  

🍜 Eat at a 2023 NYT Top 50 Restaurant: Located in our own backyard, Gai Noi recently landed on the New York Times’ top restaurant list. Owned by chef Ann Ahmed, Gai Noi features southeast Asian flavors and is a celebration of her birth city in Laos. Ahmed is no stranger to the Twin Cities food scene as this is her fourth restaurant she has opened – the others include Khaluna and Lat14.  

🎬 Watch: Saint of Second Chances Documentary (Netflix): This newly released documentary chronicles Mike Veeck, son of MLB franchise owner Bill Veeck, in his tumultuous career that ultimately led him to founding the St. Paul Saints. Veeck revolutionized the game of baseball and its role in entertaining fans beyond just the game.

The Final Word ⚾

The Twins have a chance to clinch the AL Central tonight at Target Field! Let’s enjoy this moment before every reporter in the country reminds us that the Twins have lost their last 18 playoff games…

-Patrick

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