Happy Friday!

• Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. There's a chance of showers this afternoon.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members celebrating today through Sunday: Chris Smith, Mike Buchholz, Dale Wahlstrom, Ellie Tyson, Siri Preston, Ed Weingartner and Cathy Nelson!

🎶 Sounds like: "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey.

Today's newsletter is 1,100 words, a 4-minute read.

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but this weekend marks the halfway point of August.

Why it matters: Summer — the hope at the end of that long, dark, cold winter tunnel we suffer through year after year — is slipping away.

Driving the news: School starts for some districts on Monday, with pupils statewide returning to the classroom in less than three weeks.

• The start of the State Fair — summer's last hurrah — is only 13 sleeps away.

Before you press send on that "well, actually," email: Yes, we know that the "first day of fall" — aka the autumnal equinox — isn't until Sept. 22.

• But everyone knows that Labor Day weekend marks the real end of summer.

Plus: The meteorological last day of summer is even sooner: Aug. 31!

Between the lines: We're not trying to ruin your Friday!

• Consider this more of a gentle reminder to make the most of the sunny, laid-back days that remain — whether that involves taking a weekend trip to your favorite Minnesota vacation destination or enjoying a cone at America's best ice cream shop.

With that in mind, we thought we'd share some activities we're still hoping to cross off our own "summer fun lists" for a little accountability and, hopefully, some inspiration:

🍕 Torey: Visit a pizza farm (it's been hard to swing with our new puppy!), rent a swan boat (or another paddleboard) on Lake Nokomis and go to a concert at the Lake Harriett Bandshell.

🛶 Kyle: Kayak the Mississippi River Gorge using the seamless "paddle share" system or make it up to the North Shore for a hike.

🤿 Audrey: Go swimming in a Minnesota lake, spend a day in Grand Marais or picnic at Franconia Sculpture Park.

Now, your turn: What favorite seasonal traditions or activities do you still need to check out this year?

• 📧 Hit reply and tell us your plans. We'll share some of your answers in the newsletter next week.

Federal investigators conducted a sweeping surveillance campaign on Minnesota labor unions and left-wing groups who led protests against Operation Metro Surge, searching for links to domestic terrorism, newly released court records showed.

Why it matters: The revelation raises questions about whether Homeland Security investigators were investigating criminal activity, or targeting their political opponents, legal experts told the New York Times.

• The campaign "called to mind Cointelpro," a J. Edgar Hoover-era FBI counterintelligence program targeting left-wing groups, the Times wrote.

Zoom in: The records showed investigators subpoenaed three years of financial records from multiple local chapters of the SEIU and Communications Workers of America unions.

• Undercover agents infiltrated a meeting of the Sunrise Movement at a Minneapolis public library, according to another document.
• On one PowerPoint slide, agents alleged a "conspiracy" involving still other immigrant rights and labor groups, including the Minneapolis teachers union and Twin Cities DSA.

What they're saying: Minneapolis Federation of Educators president Marcia Howard told the Star Tribune her members simply "exercise[d] our constitutional rights to peacefully protest."

• A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined Axios’ request for comment.

More via the Strib and NYT

⚖️ Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty today to federal stalking charges in connection with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (NBC News)

• The trial for his separate state case on murder charges is set to begin in less than a month.

⚾️ A new independent baseball team will play out of Blaine's new 5,000-seat stadium and event center, American Association of Professional Baseball officials announced yesterday. (Star Tribune)

• The stadium, part of a $750 million downtown redevelopment project, is expected to be completed in 2028.

🧖 A "Scandinavian-inspired" hotel and spa with thermal bathing pools and saunas is coming to Chaska. Developers say they hope to open in 2028. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

📺 A top outside group aligned with House GOP leaders is launching a $22 million ad campaign across 41 districts, including Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. (Axios)

St. Paul property owners would shoulder a 6.8% levy increase under a city budget proposal Mayor Kaohly Her unveiled Thursday.

The big picture: The size of the increase would be slightly larger than St. Paul residents are used to, but nowhere close to the historic 11.3% increase Minneapolis’ mayor proposed this week.

Yes, but: Her’s proposal would close Dayton’s Bluff Library, reduce rec center hours, lay off three city employees, and enact cuts touching every city department to close St. Paul’s $26 million revenue gap.

• Her personally would take a $20,000 salary cut, and three top mayoral aides would not receive cost-of-living raises.

Zoom in: The St. Paul Police Department would shed four commander and seven sergeant positions, mostly by not backfilling vacant roles.

• The fire department would see two deputy chiefs demoted under Her’s plan.

Between the lines: "If this budget address was boring to you, good," Her joked Thursday during her speech at Allianz Field, noting her proposal’s lack of flashy new initiatives.

• But Her did announce some modest investments, including $1.1 million to tackle the city’s deferred maintenance backlog and $2.3 million for additional first-responder and police academy training.

What they're saying: Given the revenue gap, "having a budget that's boring is actually quite a relief," City Council Budget Committee Chair Cheniqua Johnson tells Axios.

• Council President Rebecca Noecker released a video expressing "serious concerns" about the size of the levy increase and the cuts to rec center hours.

What's next

"I met one woman who literally hopped in a plane and flew from Puerto Rico in February to give a shot at seeing the aurora. We've had people from Texas and Florida fly here because they've heard of these events. There's definitely a lot of momentum."

Go deeper

😉 Kyle is meeting with his "dog" trainer again today. (Kyle knows that in truth, he's the one being trained.)

🐶 Torey's puppy has already trained himself to open his playpen and climb both under and over a retractable gate.

😻 Audrey remains on team cat.

Nick is on sabbatical.

Today's newsletter was edited by Larry Graham.