Daily Digest: Congressional races get interesting
Good morning. It's Monday already and time to start a new work week. There are fewer than six weeks left in the legislative session, and New York holds its primary tomorrow. Let's take a look at a few interesting stories to start the day.
1. By now you've probably heard state Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, announced a run Saturday against GOP U.S. Rep Erik Paulsen in the western Twin Cities suburbs. It's one of a number of interesting congressional campaigns shaping up in the state this year. Another is in the 8th District north and east of the metro area. That's where Republican Stewart Mills is seeking a rematch against DFL Rep. Rick Nolan. (MPR News)
2. Like other states, Minnesota is struggling with deaths related to opioid painkiller abuse. Whether it's pills or heroin, the numbers are alarming. (MPR News)
3. A number of people are making the rounds in rural Minnesota giving speeches decrying Muslims. They say they're trying to warn people about legitimate concerns, but others say they're spreading falsehoods and sowing division. The speeches are drawing hundreds of people, and last week a Minneapolis law firm hosted a panel discussion on Islamaphobia featuring the U.S. attorney and former Vice President Walter Mondale. (Star Tribune)
4. While many Republican insiders worry about what will happen at their national convention in Cleveland in July, Donald Trump wants a say in how the meeting is presented. He called the party's gathering in Tampa four years ago "the single most boring convention I've ever seen," and wants to put some "showbiz" into this year's convention. (Washington Post)
5. As the primary campaign in New York wraps up, one long-time political correspondent has a look at what it's been like to observe it all.(New York Times)
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