Regional Red Cross officials are calling on Minnesotans to roll up their sleeves to address the nation's alarming blood supply crisis.

Why it matters: A prolonged shortage could delay surgeries, trauma care and other treatments that depend on timely transfusions.

Threat level: Blood donations across the U.S. fell to a four-year summer low this summer, creating a national shortage for only the second time in history.

• At one point last week, the Red Cross reported having "less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood," which is the most commonly transfused blood type.

Driving the shortage: The Red Cross has attributed dip in donations to extreme heat, bad air quality and "widespread foodborne illnesses" hitting the country.

• As a result, the current supply isn't keeping up with the demand.

What we're hearing: Minnesotans might be uniquely positioned to make a difference.

• That's because the Minnesota and Dakotas Red Cross chapter is regularly No. 1 or 2 in the country for blood donations, regional communications director Carrie Carlson-Guest told Axios.

Case in point: People in the region contribute a quarter million units of blood to the national supply each year, Carlson-Guest said.

• "In Minnesota, we're incredibly generous people," she said. "People volunteer, they donate money and they also donate blood."

Between the lines: Local donations make a difference beyond state lines, since the Red Cross moves blood to where it's most needed.

What they're saying: "We're hoping people can get over their fear of needles or make that one hour of time to donate," Carlson-Guest said. "It really does make a difference."

How to help: You can visit a nearby blood collection location.

• Both American Red Cross and Memorial Blood Centers allow donors to make appointments online.

Anyone who gives via the Red Cross in August will receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

More coverage: U.S. blood crisis persists despite donation surge, Red Cross warns

You and your sweat stains weren't imaging it. July really was hotter than usual this year.

State of the mercury: The average daily temperature in the Twin Cities for the month clocked in at just under 79° per NWS.

• That makes last month the hottest July on record since 2012.

Stunning stat: We spent close to half the month — 14 days — sweating through temps of 90 or above.

• Plus: The 100° high on July 27 was the Twin Cities' first triple-digit reading since 2022.

What's next: August is getting off to a much more comfortable start, with temps in the 80s all week.

🏀 Demonstrators who support WNBA player Sophie Cunningham's comments opposing trans athletes in women's sports rallied outside Target Center before Cunningham's Indiana Fever played the Lynx. (Star Tribune)

• Counter-demonstrators also turned out, and the arena crowd booed Cunningham when she handled the ball during Minnesota's victory.

🚰 Six more states have reported cyberattacks targeting municipal water systems since some three-dozen Minnesota cities reported problems last week. (New York Times)

• "This is what modern warfare looks like," Gov. Tim Walz said on X, dismissing President Trump's comments blaming Minnesota for the hacks — which federal intellegence agencies' suspect Iran carried out.

❌ Minnesota's first-in-the-nation ban on nude AI deepfakes took effect this weekend after a federal judge declined a request for a pause from Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company. (Fox 9)

💰 The payroll tax that funds Minnesota's new paid family and medical leave program will remain at 0.88% next year, though an analysis suggests it may go up in 2028. (Minnesota Reformer)

⚾️ The Twins have until today's 5pm MLB trade deadline to improve the roster for a playoff push. The front office has already traded for two pitchers, bringing in Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer over the weekend. (MLB.com)

🛶 More Boundary Waters entry points will reopen on Wednesday, including some for overnight trips, as the wildfire threat diminishes. (KARE11)

A Crunch Fitness and Foss Swim School are coming to St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

Why it matters: The additions to the Highland Village Shopping Center on Ford Parkway will fill a high-traffic anchor store spot that has sat vacant since Lunds & Byerlys moved to the neighboring Highland Bridge redevelopment in 2022.

• A nail salon and a Chase bank are also slated to join the complex.

What's next: Crunch and Foss plan to open before the end of the year, Josh Bloom, the commercial real estate broker managing the center's leases, told Axios.

In other retail news…

👟 Adidas will open its first "full-price Brand concept store" at the Mall of America in October, per a news release.

• The 9,161-square-foot outpost will offer customized products and will feature a dedicated section highlighting collaborations with Anthony Edwards.
• Madewell also plans to expand its MOA presence this fall, with the addition of a new retail concept focused on menswear.

👗 An East African women's clothing shop called Mimii.co will fill part of the former Elsa's House of Sleep complex on East Lake Street in Minneapolis, Longfellow Whatever reports.

🫜 Radish Farm Stop opened in Minneapolis' Armatage neighborhood last week, per a release. Expect fresh produce, grab-and-go food, coffee and a space for community events.

⛽️ Costco bought the former TGI Friday's building in Coon Rapids and plans to convert the site into a gas station and additional parking, Bring Me the News reports.

Keep reading if you love pets or the outdoors...

Axios Finish Line recently featured this stunning photo St. Paulite Matt Lasure snapped neighboring South Dakota.

• "One of my favorite pictures, showing the alien landscape of Badlands National Park," he wrote. "Taken on a family trip in July 2022."