☀️ Don't waste this perfect summer week

Make the Most of the Minnesota Heat

Yesterday may have been the worst of it, but you can expect hot weather through the rest of the week. Make sure you hydrate and listen to your body if you're getting too hot, and try out some of these tips for making the most of the hottest week of the year. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

• Eat ice cream: Pumphouse Creamery offers a flight of five ice cream flavors for just $6 – all of their flavors are amazing, and the flight is heartily endorsed by Minnesota's independent restaurant critic Kirstie Kimball.
• Eat a cold sandwich: I'm usually a Toasted Man, but nothing hits harder than a cold sandwich when it's over 90 degrees out. With curry pickled beets, roasted cauliflower and whipped feta, "The Seward" at Marty's Deli is my favorite cold sandwich in town. Kirstie recommends the Artichoke & Potato Chip sandwich from Mario's St. Paul, and our podcast host Sean recommends Mario's Turkey, Bacon, and Ranch.
• Get wet: You're not too old to hit up Jim Lupient Water Park, and in fact, you get to go even faster down the slides thanks to being a grown adult. For a less crowded, more natural experience, drive forty minutes away to Willow State Park to go swimming in the waterfalls. Folks are known to set up camping chairs in the river to soak up the warm sun, cold water, and colder beer. The sun doesn't set until after 9 p.m. these days, so you can make it over after work if you hustle.

Odor in the court: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is working to regulate foul-smelling odors in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. Some industrial facilities create odors that extend far beyond their property lines, but the MPCA needs to create a concrete definition of an "objectionable odor" before it can start regulating. [Star Tribune]

• We want to hear from you: What are the stinkiest spots in the Twin Cities? How do you think we should classify an "objectionable odor"? Send in your thoughts, and we could discuss them in an upcoming episode of the podcast.

Broken promises: A North Minneapolis housing project that was supposed to represent the future of public housing in Minneapolis has largely fallen into disrepair, and many tenants are financially unable to move away. Minneapolis Public Housing Authority executive director Abdi Warsame said the situation at Heritage Park "is the result of publicly owned land being used by a for-profit developer under the guise that private enterprise knows how to operate affordable housing better." [Star Tribune]

No, it's not a Jackalope: If you think you've seen rabbits with tusks or horns running around St. Paul, you're not alone. "Frankenstein rabbits" are pretty common around the Twin Cities, and the extra growths on their heads and necks are caused by an insect-born virus that only affects rabbits. The growths can become cancerous to affected rabbits, but they typically go away on their own. [Pioneer Press]

Politics and punchlines: See Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council President Elliott Payne articulate their ideas for the future of the city at tonight's Theater of Public Policy Performance at the Grenada Theater. Sean will kick off the evening with a round of Twin Cities trivia, and some of the funniest improvisers in the city will act out a comedy scene based on Frey and Payne's conversation. [The Theater of Public Policy]

More welcoming spaces: Museums, theaters, and stadiums in the Twin Cities are crafting sensory-friendly experiences to be more accessible to neurodivergent people, but restaurants generally appear to be behind the trend. Dogwood Coffee has had success with adding "social narratives" to their website which allow folks to get a preview of how to order, whether or not to bus their own plates, and other usually-unwritten expectations before attending. Advocates want to see more restaurants implement similar measures. [Racket]

Tuesday, June 30

• 🎙️ The Future of Minneapolis with Mayor Frey & Council President Payne | Granada Theater (feat. Sean McPherson on the pre-show!)
• 🎤 NPR Tiny Desk Contest on the Road | Fine Line
• ⚾ St. Paul Saints vs. Buffalo Bisons | CHS Field
• 😂 The Doctors of Comedy | Sisyphus Brewing
• 🎸 Music on the Lawn: Joyann Parker | Macalester College
• 🆓 Milkweed Presents Sean Hill | Open Book
• 🎹 Haley Reinhart | Dakota

Wednesday, July 1

• 💚 Shrek the Musical | Stages Theatre
• 🆓 Groovin' in the Garden: Em and the Gems | Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
• 🐦 Bird Puppet Parade | Arts At Large
• 🤖 Robopocalypse: The Musical! | The Cedar Cultural Center
• 🇮🇪 Late Night Irish Music | Waldmann Brewery
• 😆 MNProv Live | The Hive Collaborative
• 🎷 Mindi Abair | Dakota

• Digital Marketing & Communications Manager at Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association | $32 – $37 per hour
• Director of Communications and Marketing at Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy | $90k – $95k per year
• Buyer- Books at Target | $73k – $132k per year
• Broadcast Technician at American Public Media Group | $70k – $75k per year
• Forensic Anthropology Postdoctoral Fellow at Hennepin County | $100k per year