Minnesota kids are still some of the healthiest and best cared for in the nation — but in school, they haven't kept pace with their peers since the pandemic, according to a new Annie E. Casey Foundation report.

Why it matters: The foundation's "Kids Count" index is among the most widely cited comprehensive measures of children's economic, educational, health and social wellbeing.

Overall, Minnesota placed 5th — the same rank as last year — because the state outscored others on economic and social benchmarks.

• Those scores were based on metrics like rates of child poverty, parent employment, single-parent households and teen births — all of which improved in Minnesota.

The big picture: Plunging education measures between 2019 and 2024 were largely responsible for dragging down 29 states' ratings, including Minnesota's.

• Minnesota now ranks 21st in education, down from 17th last year, because of sharp declines in three of the four outcomes the report tracks.

Zoom in: Between 2019 and 2024, the share of fourth graders who weren't proficient in reading rose more in Minnesota (+7 percentage points) than it did nationally (+4).

• The share of eighth graders not proficient in math rose 10 percentage points in Minnesota vs. 6 percentage points nationally.

Between the lines: The Kids Count report reflects broader anxieties among academics and education policymakers about students' continued struggles in recovering from COVID-era learning loss.

• The ranking also speaks to concern that Minnesota students' post-COVID rebound may be stalling.
• One Minnesota Reformer analysis last September found that fewer than 1 in 8 school districts had seen their standardized tests return to their pre-pandemic levels.

What they're watching: Beyond the education metrics, the report's authors worry that federal cuts to safety-net programs and rising living costs could spell future harm to child wellbeing.

The bottom line: There's a "direct correlation" between "how states invest in children and how kids are doing," said Leslie Boissiere, Annie E. Casey Foundation vice president of external affairs.

Target and General Mills are among the major companies racing to remove artificial dyes and other additives from their products as shoppers pay closer attention to what's in their food.

The big picture: The effort to remake America's packaged foods is extending beyond Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.

Zoom in: Target now requires all cereals sold in its stores to be made without certified synthetic color.

• General Mills has pledged to remove artificial colors from products sold in the U.S. by the end of 2027. It aims to remove them from cereals and food sold to schools by this summer.

Between the lines: The industry's ingredient overhaul predates MAHA's rise.

• Companies were already reformulating products to respond to consumer demand and competition from startups with cleaner ingredient lists, supermarket analyst Phil Lempert told Axios.

"RFK just sped up the process because of the attention the issue has received," Lempert said.

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⏱️ Recently fired "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley accused CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of pushing him to make protestors look more violent in his segment on the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. (New York Times)

• Pelley didn't cooperate with that request, and CBS said in a statement that Weiss "had no political motivation" and was trying to "make the piece as strong, fair, and accurate as possible."

⚖️ The DOJ says the death penalty is off the table for Vance Boelter, the man charged with slaying Melissa and Mark Hortman nearly a year ago. (KSTP)

🧐 The University of Minnesota is dropping its recently announced "Leave a Future" marketing rebrand after the rollout sparked ridicule and eye rolls. (Star Tribune)

• A spokesperson said while the tagline "resonates strongly with many people," it became a "distraction" after it was released "prematurely and without creative context."

⛳️ U officials also announced they plan to sell Les Bolstad Golf Course for $30.5 million to Rachel Development, which will turn the 140-acre course into a residential neighborhood. (Pioneer Press)

• The deal is pending approval from U regents, who meet on Thursday.

💸 The city of Minneapolis is spending up to $1.4 million on a consultant to help Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council get along. (Star Tribune)

Minnesotans who qualify for a homestead tax credit will get extra cash back from the state this year — no additional paperwork required.

Catch up fast: The divided Legislature approved a one-time credit increase of nearly 15% as part of an end-of-session deal.

• The goal was to provide relief from rising property taxes.

Who's eligible: Full- and part-year residents with a household income under $142,490 who owned (and lived in) their home as of Jan. 2, 2026.

• The property must be classified as a homestead and recipients can't owe any delinquent property taxes.

What to expect: If you already filed for your 2025 Homestead Credit Refund — or plan to do so soon — the state Department of Revenue will adjust your return for you and add the increase to your refund.

• Those who file after mid-July will see the expanded credit reflected in the online filing system.

📆 The deadline for filing for a 2025 refund is Aug. 16.

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Fans still don't know what the roster of next year's Wolves team will look like, but they got a glimpse of the team's brand refresh yesterday.

The team unveiled a new logo, jerseys and court designs.

• The designs pull from previous looks in the 1990s, with the brilliant blue and howling wolf, as well as the 2000s, when evergreen trees were used as borders.