Steelworkers prepare to strike near Hibbing; Minn. in play?

Steelworkers prepare to strike near Hibbing if contract deal not reached

Hibbing Daily Tribune: "Local unions of at least two area mines and their management company, Cliffs Natural Resources, are working on plans in the event that new contract deals can't be reached before the deadline. The labor contracts at the Iron Range mines are set to expire at midnight Friday." Cliffs threatens replacement workers if no deal is reached by Saturday," Duluth News Tribune.

Celebrity-like Michele Bachmann works convention crowd

"Eight months after she left the presidential race, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann still retains a celebrity-like following among many Republicans," MPR News.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

WI Gov. Walker says Minnesota in play for 2012

"Wisconsin's Walker says Ryan pick puts Minnesota in playWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he believes Minnesota will join Wisconsin and Iowa as battleground states in this fall's presidential election," Pioneer Press. A more credible source on public opinion from Minnesota points to a surprising potential battleground state, Smart Politics looks at the potential of historically Democratic-friendly Connecticut as a toss-up.

State signals that Xcel can't drop solar subsidies

"Utility had planned to phase out the popular program next year," Star Tribune.

Duluth seeks lake breeze sans smoke

"A new ban on tobacco and the smoking of products like synthetic marijuana on Duluth's Lakewalk and adjacent parks is making its way through the City Council," Duluth News Tribune.

Zebra mussels reach their farthest point north yet in Minnesota

"The battle lines in Minnesota's fight with zebra mussels are spreading, state conservation officials said Tuesday," Star Tribune.

Ann Romney soars, Chris Christie stumbles in kicking off the Republican Convention

"Ann Romney, by far the warmer of the couple, had some success. Chris Christie, who flirted with a presidential run, did himself a whole lot of good, but maybe not much for Romney," The Daily Beast.

Good reads on the RNC

More politics from the Daily Digest

On Message

Introducing MPR's new election season feature On Message.

Here's how it works: You send us the campaign mailers that land in your mailbox, the e-mails that land in your inbox, the robocalls that interrupt your family dinner and pictures of the signs and billboards that line your neighborhood streets. We fact-check them and tell you who's paying for them.

All the details are here