9/28/2023 -- Twin Cities Marathon, Dean Phillips Primary Run, Government Shutdown

Good morning. Today is Thursday, September 28th. Here is everything you need to know to start your day in the Twin Cities.

The Heat is Turning Up for Twin Cities Marathon Weekend

The Summary: Twin Cities Marathon runners are in for a warm race day with temperatures expected to creep into the 80s during the race. Race organizers are expecting over 25,000 runners to participate in the weekend’s competitions and are encouraging people to take necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for race day. The hottest race day on record was in 2007 when the temperature hit 74 degrees for the 8am start time of the marathon.

What They’re Saying: Race director Eli Asch has been consulting with public safety officials and had this to say about race day: "Ultimately, this forecast is challenging for both us and our runners, but we also believe that both we and our runners are prepared for it."

Where To Watch: Each year over 300,000 spectators line the marathon course to cheer on runners. Mill City Running will be hosting a cheer zone at mile 23.5 (intersection of Hamline and Summit) while TC Running Company will have food and beverages for spectators at mile 24 (Summit & Oxford). Or, you can join the “Parkway Party” hosted by a River Road couple that has thrown a Twin Cities Marathon party for the last 25 years. Kare11 will also be providing live TV coverage of the races starting at 6:30am.

The Senior Surge: The Twin Cities Marathon is not just a young person’s race. In an era where marathon involvement has leveled off or declined in various age categories, the count of participants aged 60 and above has risen from 379 in 2019 to 467 in the past year. This trend is not exclusive to the Twin Cities Marathon with participation jumping nationally by 5% for people ages 55-64.

Rep. Dean Phillips Doesn’t Rule Out Democratic Primary Run

The Summary: Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN) joined “The Warning” Podcast this week where he said he is still considering running against President Joe Biden in the Democratic Primary. The representative from Minnesota originally floated the idea of challenging President Biden earlier this summer when he met with donors to discuss a possible White House bid.

The Context: Rep. Phillips has been openly critical of President Joe Biden running for another term since the summer of 2022 when he told WCCO Radio, “I think the country would be well served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up.”

The Feedback: When Rep. Phillips originally confirmed reports of his potential primary run, he faced intra-party pushback. DFL Chairman Ken Martin told MinnPost in August that he is a “big fan of Dean Phillips, and he is a very principled person” but that he disagrees with him.

Impending Government Shutdown Has Ramifications For Minnesotans

The Summary: As the deadline for Congress to reach a budget agreement approaches, federal employees are bracing for a potential government shutdown due to limited progress in negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. If there is not an approved budget by October 1^st , the government will shutdown.

The Impact on Minnesotans: There are about 17,000 federal civilian workers in Minnesota with some expecting to be furloughed while others deemed “essential” will continue working without pay – some of whom are TSA agents at the MSP airport. The Minnesota Department of Health is monitoring the shutdown including impacts on the Women, Infants, and Children program which the White House said could run out of money within days. Minnesota Food Shelves are bracing for additional demand should the government shutdown. Recipients of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and disability insurance will continue to receive benefits regardless of a federal government shutdown.

✔Quick hits

🎯 Target announced Tuesday that nine of its stores across the country will close due to “organized retail crime.” No stores in Minnesota will be affected. (USA Today)

🎵 West Music Academy in St. Paul has received an unexpected $4M donation to help and acquire facilities. The academy is one of the oldest community music schools in the nation established by African Americans. (MPR News)

🚔 Police solve a 40-year-old South Minneapolis murder using DNA testing. (CBS News MN)

✈ Delta Airlines CEO says it went “too far” in Sky Miles changes and promises modifications in the near future. (AP News)

🏥 Errors in Minnesota hospitals caused 21 preventable deaths, the most since 2006. MDH cites barriers in seeking care and workforce shortages as reasons for the uptick. (CBS News)

🍺 More Twin Cities breweries face closures as demand for craft beer flattens (Axios)

🏫 A Holocaust denier, Vaughn Klingenberg, has announced he is running for Roseville School Board. (Newsweek)

Keeping You Busy This Weekend

🏆 Legacy Cup (September 30th): With the recent legalization of cannabis in Minnesota, this year’s Midwest Cannabis Festival is set to be a good one. The event will be taking place at Surly Festival Field and will be Minnesota's largest legal cannabis competition, consumption event, and festival featuring music, food, and art. Competitions include best join rolling and bong hit. General Admission tickets are $5 and can be bought here.  

👚 Twin Cities Vintage Fall Crawl (Oct 1 – Oct 31): The second annual Vintage Fall Crawl kicks off over the weekend and will feature fourteen Twin Cities women-owned vintage shops. By purchasing a $10 “passport” customers will receive a 10% discount at all participating stores. Buy your passport here.

🍎 Apple Picking Season: There is no shortage of apple orchards in the Twin Cities metro for you to get your “fall fix” of apples, donuts, cider, and hay rides. Kare11 and Mpls St. Paul Mag have put together great lists of the best orchards for you to pick from. Our favorite? The Apple House at the University of Minnesota Arboretum, the original home of the Honey Crisp apple.

🎬 Twin Cities Arab Film Festival (Sept 27-Oct 1): The Twin Cities Arab Film Festival is hosting its seventeenth edition of the event this weekend. The festival showcases independent films from the Southwest Asian and North African region, emphasizing diverse narratives and cinematic styles. Check out the schedule here and buy tickets here.  

The Final Word – Love on the Run 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

A bit of Twin Cities Marathon history heading into the weekend: In 1992, two marathon runners stopped at the ALARC Wall at mile 20 to exchange vows in a wedding ceremony. They finished the marathon as husband and wife.

-Patrick

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