Twin Cities

My husband recently came home with a four-pack of Modist Brewing's new Forbidden Islands New England IPA and she found herself mesmerized by the can's label. 

Fog rises from islands dotting a turquoise sea, as an orca jumps from the water. A backpacked adventurer takes in the scene from atop a ridge of — wait — are those land masses made of ... fried chicken?

After I stopped giggling, I called Modist to learn the backstory of the IPA's trompe-l'œil. 

What they're saying: Tyler Mithuen, the brewery's director of brand development, said my experience was the exact reaction they had in mind.

"We toy around with not being serious and being serious and ... I thought it would be funny ... to play tricks with the mind: Is it land? Is it fried chicken?" Mithuen said.

The bottom line: The eye-catching design is about more than adding whimsy to the drinker's day. 

The pandemic has made many local craft brewers more reliant on liquor stores to stay afloat. As a result, competition for both cooler space and customers' attention is up.

"The more unique the cans are, the better chance you'll have standing out," Mithuen said. 

This Minneapolis brewery's beer can is about more than a laugh

The eye-catching design isn't just about adding whimsy to the drinker's day.

The art for Forbidden Islands New England IPA. Image courtesy of Modist Brewing

Food and Drink

Business

Axios Twin Cities, anchored by Torey Van Oot, Nick Halter and Audrey Kennedy, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard

Axios Twin Cities

Minnesota's Michelle Young sets off on another televised journey to (hopefully) find true love this week.

Driving the news: Young, a teacher at a Burnsville public school, makes her debut Tuesday night as "The Bachelorette" in the latest season of the long-running dating show.

Why it matters: Well, it really doesn't. But it's fun to cheer on a local leading lady, especially for those of us who identify as #BachelorNation fans. 

Catch up quick: Young was named the star of this fall's run after she was dumped by Bachelor Matt James in his season finale.

For the uninitiated: As the star, Young starts the season with dozens of suitors — including a one-time Gophers basketball player from Minneapolis and a former lineman for the Vikings. 

She'll get to know them through a series of cheesy dates and deep talks, eliminating the guys she likes least each week until just one remains.

The #LocalAngle in brief: Young, who teaches at Echo Park Elementary, grew up in the area. She was a basketball star at Woodbury High School.

Another reason to tune in: The show filmed here in the Twin Cities this summer, with scenes shot at Lake Minnetonka, Semple Mansion, and Target Field, per photos posted on social media and reports from notorious show spoiler Reality Steve and other outlets.

The entire cast reportedly stayed at the Marquette Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

What she's saying: Young told reporters in July that she probably wouldn't have agreed to do either season if it weren't for the pandemic.

"I would have chosen to stay in the classroom the whole time," she said during one shoot at the St. Paul Saints' CHS Field, according to the Star Tribune.

Of note: Young isn't the first Minnesotan to fill the lead role. Prior Lake native Becca Kufrin got engaged to the last man standing at the end of her season in 2018. The pair split last year.

How to watch: The show airs on ABC on Tuesdays at 7pm. But be warned — at two hours, it can be quite the commitment.

Twin Cities gets "The Bachelorette" treatment

Young, a teacher at a Burnsville public school, makes her debut Tuesday night as "The Bachelorette" in the latest season of the long-running dating show.

A headshot of "The Bachelorette" star Michelle Young.

News

Another wave of Minnesotans who are behind on their rent could face evictions this week.

What's happening: Starting Tuesday, property owners can end leases for any legal reason and file to evict tenants who are behind on rent but haven't applied to the state's rent assistance program.

Landlords are required to give 15-day notice.

Why it matters: Evictions destabilize families and have financial repercussions that make it difficult to rent in the future.

Landlords, meanwhile, argued this summer that the ongoing protections were putting them in a tough spot, especially when it came to evicting problematic tenants. 

The big picture: The change is one of the last steps of an "off-ramp" lawmakers crafted to wind down a state moratorium on evictions enacted during the pandemic.

Under the law, tenants with pending rental assistance applications cannot be evicted for nonpayment until June 1, 2022, when all protections are lifted.

Yes, but: The slow distribution of the $672 million in federal rental assistance funds is frustrating renters and landlords.

As of Oct. 7, the state had sent payments for about 30% of the roughly 49,000 applications for assistance via the RentHelpMN program, to the tune of $120 million.

Zoom in: An estimated 50,000 Minnesota households — about 8% of the state's renters — are behind on their payments, per the nonprofit PolicyLink's Rent Debt dashboard.

Most are low-income and about 40% are unemployed. Half have children.

The vast majority —close to 90% — have not applied for assistance or are still waiting for a response.

What's next: State housing officials say they've taken steps to speed up the process of vetting rental assistance applications, per The Minnesota Reformer.

Meanwhile, nonprofits and state and local leaders are stepping up efforts to help renters in need apply for the aid.

Expect eviction notices to continue to pick up, as they did following earlier steps in the phase-out.

More evictions ahead for Minnesotans behind on rent

The change is one of the last steps of an "off-ramp" lawmakers crafted to wind down a state moratorium on evictions enacted during the pandemic.

Illustration of a cardboard moving box with the facade of a house drawn on it

Real Estate

This time last year, in the midst of her re-election bid, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith declined to take a position on whether to expand the size of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fast forward 12 months and the Minnesota Democrat is the first Senate co-sponsor of a bill to do just that.

Driving the pivot: Smith told Axios that events of the last year, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation just before the 2020 election, persuaded her that adding justices "to restore balance to the court becomes the most sensible and reasonable thing to do." 

"The Texas case was really the final straw for me," Smith added of the court's recent decision against blocking the state's new abortion restrictions.

The big picture: Nine months into her first full, six-year term, Smith is taking bolder and, in some cases, more liberal positions than she did in her first three years in Washington. Other examples include:

Pushing to include landmark climate legislation in the broader congressional spending package. Smith said she's "very optimistic" that Congress is "going to be able to accomplish something significant" on that front, despite Democrats' narrow majority.

Calling to end the filibuster, another top priority for progressives.

Urging the Biden administration to resume a canceled study on copper mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

And helping lead a successful effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

What we're hearing: To some DFL insiders, the senator's current public and political persona feels more authentic than the more reserved approach the junior senator took during her first three years in Washington.

Even her tweets of late show more of her voice and snark.

What she's saying: Smith, a longtime political operative and former lieutenant governor whose deal-making skills earned her the nickname "The Velvet Hammer," downplayed any talk of a political realignment. 

"I wake up the 'real Tina' every day. I try to act like the real Tina every day. But I think what's changed is that I've now been in the Senate for three years and I have learned what is working in the Senate and what isn't," she said. 

Yes, but: Democratic majorities in Washington are also a factor, she acknowledged.  

"[Late former Sen.] Paul Wellstone used to say, 'Now is no time for tippy toe politics,'" she said. "And I love that because it gets at the point that … this is a moment where you have to be willing to kind of go big."

The other side: Smith's shifts have already attracted attacks from Republicans. 

In a statement, Republican National Committee spokesperson Preya Samsundar accused the DFL lawmaker of supporting a "radical agenda" after she "pulled the wool over voters' eyes in 2020."

Between the lines: It isn't unusual for lawmakers to take more political risk and develop a stronger voice in their second and subsequent terms. And Smith faced back-to-back elections in 2018 and 2020 because she was appointed — then elected — to fill out the remainder of former U.S. Sen. Al Franken's term.

"Now she's unencumbered without the campaign staring her down ... She gets a little more runway to actually be a senator," said DFL Party Chair Ken Martin, who sees Smith as "more vocal and more visible" this year. 

What to watch: Smith, a Minneapolis resident, has yet to take a position on Question 2, the police charter amendment dividing progressive and moderate Democrats in Minnesota and beyond. 

She told Axios last week that she's still evaluating the measure. 

Sen. Tina Smith takes on SCOTUS expansion, climate push

The Minnesota Democrat is taking bolder positions with a full six-year term.

Sen. Tina Smith speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in September. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Politics

Data: Minnesota Department of Management and Budget; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

A majority of state employees subject to the Walz administration's COVID-19 vaccine-or-test mandate have gotten a shot.

 By the numbers: As of Sept. 28, 18,614 of the 25,357 qualifying state agency workers had submitted proof of vaccination, per Minnesota Department of Management and Budget data. 

That vaccination rate of about 73% tracks with statewide trends.

Just 523 employees have not submitted proof of vaccination or consented to testing, MMB's head wrote in a recent letter to lawmakers. That figure could include seasonal employees who might no longer need to follow the rule.

Still unclear is how many employees who declined to comply are facing unpaid leave and other disciplinary actions, as Fox9 notes.

Of note: Because the rule only applies to those who need to work in the office, the number of eligible workers can vary from week to week.

The bottom line: The numbers could preview adoption rates as vaccine mandates spread throughout the public and private sector. 

Most Minnesota agency employees compliant with vaccine mandate

The numbers could preview adoption rates as vaccine mandates spread throughout the public and private sector.

Torey Van Oot

Featured stories

Twin Cities gets "The Bachelorette" treatment

Sen. Tina Smith takes on SCOTUS expansion, climate push

This Minneapolis brewery's beer can is about more than a laugh

More evictions ahead for Minnesotans behind on rent

Most Minnesota agency employees compliant with vaccine mandate