Via KARE-11: Gas prices are trickling down across the Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota, with a handful of stations even dropping below the $4 per gallon mark. … “The national average has declined for 27 days straight, or four weeks, the longest decline in average gas prices since the pandemic started in 2020,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

Rachel Blount at the Star Tribune attempts to look into the ongoing negotiations for re-upping the 2012 agreement between Canterbury Park and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which is set to expire Dec. 31. … The agreement transformed Canterbury from a struggling track with declining purses into a nationally recognized venue. During this summer’s 65-day season, the track expects to pay $15 million in total purses, with $7.28 million coming from the SMSC deal.

Mia Laube at KSTP is reporting the Mayo Clinic can now test for monkeypox with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention orthopoxvirus test kit. The Mayo expects to perform up to 10,000 tests each week.

Briana Bierschbach at the Star Tribune is reporting that District Judge Thomas Gilligan has ruled some state laws restricting abortion access are unconstitutional, a significant victory for abortion rights groups in the state just weeks after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Via Patch and 24/7 Wall St.: The Department of Defense spent a reported $2.9 billion in Minnesota in fiscal 2020, or about 0.5% of its total domestic spending, the 14th lowest share among the 50 states.

Becky Z. Dernbach at Sahan Journal talks with 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Qorsho Hassan on why she’s leaving the classroom.

Via WCCO: Wisconsin State Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke announced Monday that he will resign on July 27 rather than serve out the remainder of his term.