TOP STORIES
- Hot day, new foods await first-day fairgoers at Minnesota State Fair: You can find wall-to-wall coverage of the Great Minnesota Get-Together here. Today, our food team is eating its way through many of the new items – follow the live food updates. And get a taste of the first day overall with this report, complete with reporting from daybreak, plus photos. Read more.
- Mayo finds vaccine benefit against long COVID: Mayo Clinic is reporting an additional benefit of vaccination beyond protection from COVID-19 infections — a lower likelihood of severe symptoms if people end up with long COVID. Read more.
- Minnesota releases 2023 math, reading scores: The data released Thursday illustrate the lingering effects that remote learning and other pandemic-related interruptions have had on students attending Minnesota's public schools. You can look up your school, too. Read more.
- Minneapolis hires law firm to investigate complaints against police chief: The city has hired an outside law firm to investigate three complaints filed against Police Chief Brian O'Hara, less than one year into his tenure. Read more.
- Cub's dominance wanes as Walmart's prices lure grocery shoppers: Grocers enjoyed a pandemic boom. Inflation has since driven shoppers from across the economic spectrum to Walmart, even in the Twin Cities' already competitive grocery market. Read more.
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TRENDING
We checked out 2 new, very different restaurants on Lyndale Avenue: Baba's Hummus House and the cosmic dive bar Fool Me Once are worlds apart, but both should be on your radar. Read more.
SPORTS BLINK
Should the Vikings want Trey Lance, now that he appears to be available?: Trey Lance, a Minnesota native, former North Dakota State standout and No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has fallen on the 49ers depth chart. Should the Vikings be interested in acquiring him? Read more.
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Local
![Mason Nadolney got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot during a mobile vaccine event at Chanhassen High School in July.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/J7LEBWHZ57AFGZSTIR2WYOQJ3A.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What to know about the latest COVID variants, Minnesota testing, vaccines
Expert advice on masking, testing, vaccines and boosters is evolving along with coronavirus variants. Here's the latest from Minnesota and the CDC.
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Home & Garden
![Nearly a dozen collected Bachman's warblers lie in a specimen tray.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3KDGPJTGN5CRNG5PO5S5T35XUE.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
126 birds on list 'lost to science'
Some birders continue to search for these elusive birds that have had no sightings for the past 10 years.
High Schools
![Champlin Park volleyball player Carly Gilk posed for a photo by her mom, Shelley, when they arrived for the AMSA celebration at Target Field.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QPHJLQJMYJDLFMFTYKDONXWDQY.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
All-Metro Sports Awards: Here are the 2024 winners
The Star Tribune is recognizing the best of metro area high school athletes with its sixth annual All-Metro Sports Awards. Here are the 2024 winners.