Are nearly 15% of the new Minnesota State Fair foods pickle items?
Yes. Six of the 41, or 14.6% of the Minnesota State Fair food items are pickle-centric this year.
Fact Briefs
MinnPost is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking here.
Will the University of Minnesota soon require school ID to access any part of campus?
No. While the University of Minnesota is considering requiring identification at additional buildings, it will not affect all of them.
Has Virginia been asking Minnesota to return a ‘blood-soaked, bullet-pierced’ flag for more than 100 years?
Yes. The 28th Virginia battle flag was captured by the Minnesota First Volunteer Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
Do many NATO countries meet their pledge to spend 2% of their GDP on defense?
No. Seven of NATO’s 30 member countries spent at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense in 2022, according to the NATO secretary general’s 2022 annual report.
Are France’s elections conducted using only paper ballots?
No. While most municipalities in France use paper ballots, not all do.
Is Minnesota home to the largest number of Somali Americans in the country?
Yes. Minnesota Compass reports a total of 86,610 Somali Americans reside in the state, the largest population in the country. An estimated 37,048 residents of Minnesota were born in Somalia, according to 2021 U.S. Census American Community Survey data.
Is Wisconsin’s income tax rate highest in the Midwest for residents with the highest incomes?
No. Among Midwestern states, Minnesota has the highest income tax rate in the highest-income tax bracket — 9.85% for an individual with annual income over $183,340.
Are affirmative action policies still legal in admissions to military academies?
Yes. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29, 2023, ruling striking down affirmative action in college admissions includes a footnote that exempts military academies.
Can colleges consider legacy status in admissions, despite the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action?
Yes. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29, 2023, ruling striking down affirmative action in college admissions did not address using legacy as a preference in admissions.
Did US Rep. Derrick Van Orden confront the staff of a Wisconsin library over a display of LGBTQ+ books?
Yes. Before he was elected to Congress in 2022, Rep. Derrick Van Orden confronted employees at Prairie du Chien Memorial Library over an LGBTQ+ Pride Month display in the children’s section.
Is rural Minnesota’s population shrinking?
Yes. Most rural Minnesota counties have declined in population since 2010, losing an average of nearly 4%, according to a 2021 Center for Rural Policy and Development report.
Did Minnesota’s tourism office produce a promotional video for Pride that included a topless dancer?
Yes. Explore Minnesota collaborated with the Wanderful Wives, a travel vlogging duo, in 2022 to promote Pride and other activities in the area.
Did businesses receive more than $70,000 in PPP loan forgiveness on average?
Yes. Eligible businesses received an average of $72,100 in PPP loan forgiveness, according to the latest government data.
Did the Minneapolis City Council pass a resolution honoring drag as a form of free speech?
Yes. The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution officially recognizing drag performances and cultures as a form of free speech.
Have some sitting US Supreme Court justices been subject to assassination plots?
Yes. U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Sonia Sotomayor have been the subjects of assassination plots.
Does Minnesota have more than a dozen schools where 0% of students were proficient in math?
Yes. During the 2022-23 school year, Minnesota had 75 schools that had a 0% proficiency rate in math, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Has the city of Minneapolis paid out ‘almost $80 million’ in police conduct settlements since 2019?
No. The city of Minneapolis has paid out just over $70 million in police conduct settlements from the years 2019 to 2023, according to City Attorney’s Office data updated as of June 9, 2023.
Have there been a record number of train derailments since Biden took office?
No. Although his term is not complete, train derailments have not become more frequent since President Biden took office in January 2021.
Was Minnesota’s Northwest Angle formed due to a 1783 survey error?
Yes. Minnesota’s Northwest Angle is separated by water from the rest of the state, but a surveying error led to it becoming part of Minnesota rather than Canada, according to research compiled by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Do Minnesota’s public health insurance programs offer mental health coverage?
Yes. MinnesotaCare, a state health care program for Minnesotans with low incomes, covers inpatient and outpatient mental health care, including psychotherapy, as well as hospital and residential services for substance use disorder.