House looks to clear path for MOA expansion taxes: A House tax bill that seeks to remove potential road bumps from the 2008 legislation related to funding for the Mall of America’s Phase II expansion plans is receiving its first committee hearing this afternoon. The bill, sponsored by House Tax Committee Chairwoman Anne Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, includes three “technical clarifications” aimed at cleaning up the language in the original Phase II legislation, which gives Bloomington the right to increase various sales and property taxes at the Mall of America to help pay for the mall’s expansion. Read full story

$787K grant to help laid off BAE Systems workers: The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Minnesota’s Dislocated Worker Program a $787,000 grant to assist about 183 workers affected by layoffs at BAE Systems. The company last August confirmed that it had trimmed about 300 jobs at its Fridley campus because of U.S. Department of Defense spending cuts. Read full story

Medtronic touts device to treat irregular heartbeat: Fridley-based med-tech Medtronic is touting the benefits of a device that treats irregular heartbeat. Medtronic's device, the Arctic Front cardiac cryoablation catheter system, worked 10 times better than drugs currently approved for the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, according to a study released today at a conference of heart doctors in Atlanta. The company hopes to get U.S. approval this fall. Read full story

Twin Cities among better metro areas for young people: The Twin Cities area is one of the better places in the country for young people to establish themselves, according to a new Portfolio.com/bizjournals study. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area came in 18th among 67 large U.S. metropolitan areas in the study, which looked at factors such as population growth, employment growth, and the share of the population between 18 and 34. Austin, Texas, came in first in the study. Read full story