On the other hand, a good opportunity to get people vaccinated. The Rochester Post Bulletin’s Brett Boese reports: “Ramadan is slated to begin this weekend and it could create a whole new set of headaches for a Somali community already at the center of Minnesota’s worst measles outbreak since 1990. … The Muslim holy month begins Saturday and will run for the following 29 or 30 days before celebrating Eid el-Fitr, a ceremonial feast. The religious tradition — created to commemorate the Quran being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad — includes intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. … It’s the last part of that celebration that concerns state and local health officials, given the danger of large gatherings creating the potential for additional exposure to measles.”
Nice gesture. The Star Tribune’s Shannon Prather report: “The Pohlad Family Foundation will give $1 million in emergency grants to nonprofits, including several domestic violence shelters, that are facing dramatic funding cuts in the wake of the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s $6 million shortfall. … On Tuesday the foundation, started by former Minnesota Twins owners Carl and Eloise Pohlad, invited 40 nonprofit organizations with cuts of 40 percent or more in their United Way funding to apply for the one-time transitional support grants.”
Not good. The Star Tribune reports: “At least 26 patients with advanced heart failure have died after trying to replace the controller for their HeartMate II blood pumps while out of the hospital. … Abbott Laboratories has issued an alert for 28,882 HeartMate II controllers that includes new software and alarm guides, following reports of 70 incidents in which the life-preserving device malfunctioned after a patient changed out the controller at home. The incidents included 26 deaths and 19 injuries.”
Are they not teaching the 5th amendment in school anymore? The Pioneer Press’ Mara H. Gottfried writes: “Police officers approached a teenager who appeared to be wearing the same jacket as one worn by a robber in a St. Paul case and showed him a surveillance photograph of the suspect. … ‘That’s me,’ the 16-year-old told the officers, according to a juvenile petition filed Tuesday. They then arrested him. … The Ramsey County attorney’s office charged Maurice Lamar Myles with simple robbery in the case involving a 57-year-old man robbed of his Microsoft Surface on a Green Line train earlier this month.”
In other news…
Data-breach fallout: “NY Attorney General: $18.5 Million Settlement Reached with Target” [KSTP]
Hegseth should just settle his beef with Hodges once and for all. Maybe an axe-throwing competition? “Fox’s Hegseth Attacks Minneapolis Mayor For Going To A Mosque To Give Her State Of The City Address” [Media Matters]
Temporary Protected Status issue still unresolved: “Ellison joins bid to let West Africans from Ebola-affected countries stay in U.S.” [Star Tribune]
Dodged a bullet: “Near Miss: WI tornado nearly ‘the big one’ for MSP” [MPR]
Ah, whew: “Grand Forks police cancel APB for man in bunny suit” [Pioneer Press]
Time to play hardball: “Players union advises Vikings rookies not to sign current offers” [Pioneer Press]
Potentially useful: “16 Twin Cities properties you can buy for under $75k” [City Pages]
All right, one down: “Franken rules out running for president in 2020” [Star Tribune]
Why not: “‘Twin Peaks’ returns, with the Cactus Blossoms and a whole lot of whaaaaaaa???” [The Current]
FYI: “Lyndale Open Streets event set for June 4” [Southwest Journal]
