The days of getting away with skipping St. Paul parking meter payments are coming to an end.

Why it matters: In recent years, the city barely enforced parking meters as it struggled with staffing shortages, which contributed to a steep decline in revenue for the cash-strapped city.

By the numbers: The city collected just $3.6 million from parking meters and fines in 2024, about half what it did in 2019.

Reality check: It's not just an enforcement issue. Parking revenues have declined across the country as fewer people are working and visiting downtowns, where the bulk of the city's 2,000 meters are located. That's particularly acute in St. Paul.

Stunning stat: From 2022-24, the city wrote an average of 4,700 citations a year, which is around 13 per day, for expired meters.

• It was part of a prolonged drop since 2009, when the city issued 26,482 tickets, or nearly 73 per day.

Case in point: On a recent Saturday, Nick was paying a meter outside of Treasure Island Center when a man pulled up near him, rolled down his window and yelled: "Hey!"

• "Don't pay that meter! I've been parking here every Saturday for six years and I've never gotten a ticket."
• The lack of enforcement is no secret to people who work at the Capitol, either.

Yes, but: The city issued 13,283 citations in 2025, a nearly threefold increase over 2024.

What they're saying: The St. Paul Police Department has struggled to hire for its parking enforcement officer positions in recent years because it's a pathway to becoming a cop, and there's been a metro-wide shortage of law enforcement applicants, said spokesperson Alyssa Arcand.

• The city has staffed 10 or 11 parking enforcement officers between 2021 and 2024, compared to 15 or more before 2020.
• "It is one of our priorities that we're making more citations and doing more enforcement for expired parking meter citations," Arcand said.

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GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen is pivoting to the state auditor's race.

Why it matters: It's the latest winnowing of a crowded field in the wake of last week's straw poll and fundraising reports.

• Both benchmarks showed House Speaker Lisa Demuth and 2022 candidate Kendall Qualls leading the pack.

The big picture: The open race for auditor could be one of the GOP's best shots at ending a two-decade statewide losing streak.

• The 2022 race was decided by just 8,435 votes — the slimmest margin of any statewide contest that year.

The outlook for the governor's race, meanwhile, shifted dramatically when Tim Walz dropped out and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar stepped up in his place last month.

What he's saying: The 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, who came in a distant fourth in the recent straw poll, said he's shifting to the auditor's race because the state needs a stronger "watchdog" to tackle fraud and restore trust.

State of play: Jensen joins a primary contest that already includes state Rep. Elliott Engen (R-Lino Lakes).

• State Rep. Dan Wolgamott, Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer, Tonka Bay Mayor Adam Jennings and Duluth Council Member Zack Filipovich are running for the DFL nomination.

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🥌 Duluth-based mixed-doubles curling duo Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin beat Italy yesterday to advance to the Olympic gold-medal game against Sweden, which starts at 11:05am CT today. (NBC)

Hallie Tobler, the daughter of Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson, was stabbed to death Saturday in St. Cloud. (MPR News)

• Johnson, a former St. Cloud council member, has suspended his campaign.

🛣️ There were 370 deaths on Minnesota roads in 2025, a 20% decline compared to 2024 and the lowest total since 2019. (KARE 11)

🔨 Developers say the prolonged immigration crackdown is creating a worker shortage that's putting homebuilding behind schedule. (Star Tribune)

The single most popular submission to MnDOT's annual snowplow-naming contest this year: "Abolish ICE."

The big picture: The contest opened in December, about a week after the Trump administration launched its immigration enforcement surge.

By the numbers: Out of 6,774 submissions, Axios counted around 300 that were pretty clear jabs at federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In that category: "Fork/Fack/F*** ICE" and "Frozen Water Abolisher."

• There were dozens more, including a potentially anti-ICE message — although "Ice Begone" could be read as a screed against … you know, frozen water!

State of play: None of these messages made MnDOT's list of 30 finalists.

Catch up quick: MnDOT has long weeded out partisan or controversial submissions.

Zoom out: More than 230 submissions included some variant on the "6-7" meme.

• "Six-Sleddin', Six-Sleddin'" is on MnDOT's finalist list — but on the cutting room floor were "Slick Seven" and "Keep Back At Least 6, 7."

What's next: Voting is open until noon Friday.

Table for one? Turns out, you're not alone.

The big picture: Industry data suggests that solo dining on the rise, as more people skip group meals in favor of treating themselves on their own, Axios' Sami Sparber reports.

Zoom in: Single orders now make up 47% of fast-food trips — compared to 31% in 2021, per Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut.

• At full-service restaurants, reservations for one jumped 22% in the third quarter of 2025 from the same time a year earlier, Toast data shows.

Reality check: Single diners still represented less than 1% of total booked reservations in Q3, Toast researchers found.

📣 Weigh in: Reply to this email and tell us why you love (or loathe) it and your tips for an enjoyable meal for one out on the town.

• We're especially interested in hearing from those of you who eat alone at sit-down restaurants, versus fast-casual spots.