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Map: These Minneapolis traffic lights carry hidden danger for cyclists

Without no-right-on-red rules, there's greater danger of cars hitting a cyclist traveling in an unexpected direction.

News

Most of the time in Minneapolis, it&#x27;s legal for a motorist to turn right across a two-way bike path, even when the traffic light is red, newly-released city data shows.Why it matters: These intersections &quot;are where right turn on red is most dangerous for cyclists,&quot; said Soren Stevenson, who was one of three City Council Members to request the report.<ul><li>This is because cars often hit a cyclist traveling in a direction they&#x27;re not expecting, even if the cyclist has the right-of-way.</li></ul>

Meet Ink-ish, St. Paul's new dedicated magazine shop

The small space stocks at least 75 titles from small publishers and creatives across the world.

As interest in physical media <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="continues to grow" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/09/14/twin-cities-first-only-video-rental-store-saturn-video-opens" data-vars-content-id="632e6bde-a069-4a49-af26-8408797bc27d" data-vars-headline="Meet Ink-ish, St. Paul&#x27;s new dedicated magazine shop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/09/14/twin-cities-first-only-video-rental-store-saturn-video-opens" target="_self">continues to grow</a>, the Twin Cities now has a shop exclusively dedicated to independent, hard-to-find magazines.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ink-ish" data-vars-click-url="https://inkishmagshop.com/" data-vars-content-id="632e6bde-a069-4a49-af26-8408797bc27d" data-vars-headline="Meet Ink-ish, St. Paul&#x27;s new dedicated magazine shop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://inkishmagshop.com/" target="_blank">Ink-ish</a>, which opened over the weekend next to Stepwise Coffee in St. Paul, offers a new destination for readers seeking publications beyond mainstream newsstands.

Pimento on the Lake shuts down after three years

The lakeside restaurant quickly ran into financial struggles

Pimento on the Lake has ceased operations at the lakeside Bde Maka Ska pavilion after only three years of serving Jamaican fare. Why it matters: The closure marks a major flop for the Minneapolis Park &amp; Recreation Board, which spent $6.5 million rebuilding the pavilion following a fire only to see the operator it selected <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="quickly struggle" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/07/01/pimento-on-lake-troubles-liquor-license" data-vars-content-id="6adbb6e9-46a4-4a08-a337-5952890a2799" data-vars-headline="Pimento on the Lake shuts down after three years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/07/01/pimento-on-lake-troubles-liquor-license" target="_self">quickly struggle</a> with declining sales, legal trouble and poor reviews.

Where Minnesota's top governor candidates stand on DFL trifecta laws

Amy Klobuchar and Lisa Demuth say they're open to tweaks to some policies.

Tweaks to laws passed during the DFL trifecta could be on the table next year — regardless of who wins Minnesota&#x27;s governor&#x27;s race.Why it matters: Changes to the policies enacted in 2023 and 2024, when <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Democrats had full control" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/05/22/minnesota-legislaure-2023-session-what-passed-budget-taxes" data-vars-content-id="6754d765-b928-47de-b318-073c17a3942f" data-vars-headline="Where Minnesota&#x27;s top governor candidates stand on DFL trifecta laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/05/22/minnesota-legislaure-2023-session-what-passed-budget-taxes" target="_self">Democrats had full control</a> of state government, could directly impact benefits and bottom lines for families and businesses statewide.

Our social calendars haven't kept up with warmer fall 

Fall has warmed 5.2 degrees in the Twin Cities, but pools, restaurants and concert series haven't kept up.

The party in the Twin Cities is lasting longer into fall, but many businesses and recreational organizations are still turning out the lights early. Why it matters: Winters are long here! We try to pack as much as we can into a few short months, but we might be leaving meat on the bone during what is typically some of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nicest weather of the year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/07/september-minnesota-best-month-survey-june-october" data-vars-content-id="834c5491-270e-4a11-9600-6a3f04150233" data-vars-headline="Our social calendars haven&#x27;t kept up with warmer fall " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/07/september-minnesota-best-month-survey-june-october" target="_self">nicest weather of the year</a>.

Scoop: What Explore Minnesota paid — and got — to send an influencer to the State Fair

Explore Minnesota says Sierra Reece's trip reached audiences from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

State Fair

Explore Minnesota&#x27;s paid partnership with an out-of-state influencer who wanted to attend the State Fair produced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one of the tourism agency&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DcyZq5RB7ZF/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="981784b0-39d7-4c98-b71b-88003ecf55f8" data-vars-headline="Scoop: What Explore Minnesota paid — and got — to send an influencer to the State Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DcyZq5RB7ZF/?hl=en" target="_blank">one of the tourism agency&#x27;s</a> most popular social posts to date, officials tell Axios.Why it matters: The viral success shows the growing role content creators play in travel marketing.

Hennepin County's hot summer read: "The Odyssey"

Library holds have surged as moviegoers brush up on the ancient Greek epic.

Culture

Christopher Nolan&#x27;s film adaptation of the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Odyssey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/only-25-us-theaters-odyssey-imax-70mm" data-vars-content-id="a3cdd62e-09a5-46a5-bcd2-a9d7f9ea2d15" data-vars-headline="Hennepin County&#x27;s hot summer read: &quot;The Odyssey&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/only-25-us-theaters-odyssey-imax-70mm" target="_self">The Odyssey</a>&quot; is driving high demand for the ancient Greek epic at Hennepin County Libraries. What we&#x27;re hearing: Requests for Homer&#x27;s roughly 500-page poem nearly quadrupled between June and July, the library system tells Axios.

Young Minnesotans are getting into chess

Participation in Minnesota's scholastic tournaments is growing as new media spurs interest.

Younger adults are now more likely than their elders to play chess, according to recent YouGov <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data" data-vars-click-url="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54943-what-americans-think-about-board-games" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54943-what-americans-think-about-board-games" target="_blank">data</a>.Why it matters: The centuries-old game is becoming a Gen Z phenomenon.What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;Nowadays, kids come up to me who love chess and they look like they would&#x27;ve bullied me in school,&quot; 30-year-old chess master and educator Levy Rozman tells Axios.😅 &quot;I don&#x27;t know if they could&#x27;ve beat me up in high school; I&#x27;m 6-foot-6,&quot; jokes Dane Zagar, president of the Chess Castle, which bills itself as Minnesota&#x27;s largest chess club.<ul><li>Still, Zagar agrees that mainstream participation is on the rise.</li></ul>The big picture: Chess play spiked in 2020, with online gaming and the Netflix series &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Queen&#x27;s Gambit" data-vars-click-url="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2021/04/05/the-queens-gambit-the-chess-boom-and-the-future-of-chess/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2021/04/05/the-queens-gambit-the-chess-boom-and-the-future-of-chess/" target="_blank">The Queen&#x27;s Gambit</a>.&quot; Momentum continued with news of a major <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cheating scandal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/05/chess-niemann-carlsen-cheat-investigation" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/05/chess-niemann-carlsen-cheat-investigation" target="_self">cheating scandal</a>, the arrival of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chess bot called Mittens" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chess.com/terms/mittens-chess" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chess.com/terms/mittens-chess" target="_blank">chess bot called Mittens</a> and an infamous <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="table slam" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/06/03/magnus-carlsen-gukesh-dommaraju-chess-match-loss-reaction/84008128007/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/06/03/magnus-carlsen-gukesh-dommaraju-chess-match-loss-reaction/84008128007/" target="_blank">table slam</a>, Rozman says.<ul><li>The emergence of popular chess livestreamers — including Rozman, aka <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="GothamChess" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q" target="_blank">GothamChess</a> — has also had an impact, Twin Cities-based coach and international chess master <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="John Bartholomew" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA" target="_blank">John Bartholomew</a> tells Axios.</li></ul>Plus: There are also chess <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dating clubs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/lachess.club/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/lachess.club/?hl=en" target="_blank">dating clubs</a>, chess nights at bars and even chess <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="romance scenes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8CC91A803o" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8CC91A803o" target="_blank">romance scenes</a> on TV.By the numbers: The number of Minnesotans active monthly on the popular platform <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chess.com" data-vars-click-url="http://chess.com/" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://chess.com/" target="_blank">Chess.com</a> has grown 45% over the last year to an estimated 90,000 as of June.<ul><li>Over the past five years, the number of entries in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the state&#x27;s K-12 chess championships" data-vars-click-url="https://www.minnesotachess.com/scholastic" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.minnesotachess.com/scholastic" target="_blank">the state&#x27;s K-12 chess championships</a> has more than doubled, with 383 entries last March, Bartholomew tells Axios — well above the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="265 or so" data-vars-click-url="https://ratings.uschess.org/affiliate/T5009251?scholastic=K12&amp;name=champ&amp;o=6%2C0" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ratings.uschess.org/affiliate/T5009251?scholastic=K12&amp;name=champ&amp;o=6%2C0" target="_blank">265 or so</a> that was typical pre-COVID.</li></ul>Zoom in: In the high school clubs Zagar coaches, he&#x27;s noticed a healthier balance between &quot;the typical chess-player type&quot; kid and others, including casual online gamers and football players.<ul><li>&quot;There&#x27;s definitely more people,&quot; said Zagar, &quot;that are realizing that it&#x27;s good to have a mental and a physical sport.&quot;</li></ul>The intrigue: More women are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="livestreaming" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chess.com/blog/SaNTOS_21_21/the-best-chess-streamers-in-recent-years" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chess.com/blog/SaNTOS_21_21/the-best-chess-streamers-in-recent-years" target="_blank">livestreaming</a> and learning the game.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minneapolis&#x27; Alice Lee" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/23/teenager-alice-lee-sets-new-landmark-for-us-womens-chess-after-online-feats" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/23/teenager-alice-lee-sets-new-landmark-for-us-womens-chess-after-online-feats" target="_blank">Minneapolis&#x27; Alice Lee</a> became the third-youngest female international master in history in 2023 — when she was 13.</li></ul>If you&#x27;re chess-curious: Zagar recommends <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="his club&#x27;s &quot;casual nights" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chesscastle.com/weekdays" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chesscastle.com/weekdays" target="_blank">his club&#x27;s &quot;casual nights</a>&quot; every Wednesday at 5pm at the Chess Castle&#x27;s location in Southdale Center mall.<ul><li>Other clubs <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="also offer similar friendly games" data-vars-click-url="https://saintpaulchess.org/clubs.html" data-vars-content-id="8f294111-6b0b-4d13-b18f-d0e0b97efaf8" data-vars-headline="Young Minnesotans are getting into chess" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://saintpaulchess.org/clubs.html" target="_blank">also offer similar friendly games</a>.</li></ul>

Where Minnesotans want to spend their summer, according to our poll

As a staycation destination, one corner of Minnesota reigns … Superior.

Travel

As a staycation destination, one corner of Minnesota reigns — shall we say — Superior.

Twin Cities bars hope FIFA World Cup means big business

"Watching the World Cup needs to be done with people," one St. Paul soccer bar owner tells Axios.

Sports

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="FIFA World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/04/13/what-to-know-about-world-cup-watch-parties-miami" data-vars-content-id="07af49b4-d824-4f3a-af27-4ec5f4b529d7" data-vars-headline="Twin Cities bars hope FIFA World Cup means big business" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2026/04/13/what-to-know-about-world-cup-watch-parties-miami" target="_self">FIFA World Cup</a> kicks off Thursday with soccer matches set to be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada.Why it matters: The monthlong tournament is the crowning moment of the world&#x27;s most popular sport — and one of the world&#x27;s largest parties.

What the Twin Cities were like in the 1990s

Both downtowns struggled and the region made big contributions to U.S. culture.

Nostalgia for the 1990s is all the rage on social media these days as celebrities, athletes and influencers post photos of what they looked like back then.What were the Twin Cities like in the 1990s? If you saw only the glamour shots, you&#x27;d think of a bustling Nicollet Mall, a vibrant Uptown dining scene, a World Series parade, and the ribbon cutting for Mall of America.

Minneapolis considers building downtown playground

The mayor has said he envisions something similar to Edina's Edinborough Park.

Minneapolis is looking to up its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="game with kids" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/10/17/minneapolis-skyway-things-to-do" data-vars-content-id="9142ab2e-17ff-47bf-8766-6ce7ce180045" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis considers building downtown playground" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/10/17/minneapolis-skyway-things-to-do" target="_self">game with kids</a>, exploring the idea of building an indoor playground somewhere downtown.Why it matters: For many Minneapolis parents, finding something to do with their kids in winter often means driving to the suburbs. Meanwhile, the middle of downtown is often dead on weekends, with office workers absent.

St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist

The ban against @joshlilj had sparked widespread debate about the ethics of "kindness content."

St. Paul&#x27;s parks department has lifted its ban against <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chaska-based influencer Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/04/14/st-paul-parks-ban-tiktok-star-who-gives-to-homeless-people" data-vars-content-id="944840c5-7058-4b36-82f8-a8394bee32b4" data-vars-headline="St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/04/14/st-paul-parks-ban-tiktok-star-who-gives-to-homeless-people" target="_self">Chaska-based influencer Josh Liljenquist</a>, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The six-month park ban sparked debate about the ethics of filming handouts to homeless people — the sort of &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="kindness content" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/kindness-influencers-tiktok-strangers-controversial/89-c5d1eae0-da7b-43c9-a209-e9992c1e20a5" data-vars-content-id="944840c5-7058-4b36-82f8-a8394bee32b4" data-vars-headline="St. Paul lifts park ban on TikToker Josh Liljenquist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/kindness-influencers-tiktok-strangers-controversial/89-c5d1eae0-da7b-43c9-a209-e9992c1e20a5" target="_blank">kindness content</a>&quot; that has drawn Liljenquist 10.8 million followers on TikTok.

Lifelong Minnesotan tries lutefisk for the first time

Lutefisk for Minnesotans is a way to celebrate their roots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

I&#x27;m a nearly lifelong Minnesotan with a fair amount of Swedish ancestry, but until I walked down the steps of a Lutheran church basement Friday evening, I had never tried lutefisk.Why it matters: Lutefisk for Minnesotans — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="45% of whom have Scandinavian ancestry" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/why-do-scandinavians-get-all-the-attention-when-there-are-more-minnesotans-of-german-descent/567108972" data-vars-content-id="c857a82b-7538-4da4-adaf-53b83a9d6382" data-vars-headline="Lifelong Minnesotan tries lutefisk for the first time" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/why-do-scandinavians-get-all-the-attention-when-there-are-more-minnesotans-of-german-descent/567108972" target="_blank">45% of whom have Scandinavian ancestry</a> — is a way to celebrate their roots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Culture

Our social calendars haven't kept up with warmer fall

Scoop: What Explore Minnesota paid — and got — to send an influencer to the State Fair

Hennepin County's hot summer read: "The Odyssey"

Young Minnesotans are getting into chess

Only 30% of Minnesota like the new state flag