Fallout over a federal indictment of a GOP donor and political operative accused of sex trafficking minors continues to rock the Minnesota Republican Party.

Why it matters: The charges against Anton Lazzaro, who has denied wrongdoing via his attorney, are serious and serve as a troubling reminder of the prevalence of sex trafficking.

• Politically, the scandal has become a distraction and PR problem for the state GOP, deepening existing internal rifts as leaders gear up for the 2022 midterms.

What's happening: Calls for MNGOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan to resign over her ties to Lazzaro, as well as other, unrelated leadership grievances, grew over the weekend.

• Close to a dozen state legislators, several prominent party leaders and the current frontrunner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination have demanded that she step down.
• The party's executive committee, meanwhile, voted late Sunday to authorize a financial audit to account for Lazzaro's involvement in the organization.

Of note: The push comes amid news that a 19-year-old St. Thomas student involved in her college's GOP chapter was also arrested Thursday for allegedly acting as Lazzaro's accomplice.

Zoom out: Lazzaro, a prolific young donor, gave tens of thousands of dollars to Minnesota Republicans and worked on behalf of a local congressional campaign in 2020.

• Top state Republicans who accepted his cash, including Carnahan, have vowed to donate the contributions to charity.

Carnahan's ties to Lazzaro, who backed her bid for chair, attracted added scrutiny.

• While there's no evidence she knew of his alleged crimes, photos show the two of them socializing, along with Carnahan's husband, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn.

What they're saying: Carnahan rejected calls to resign in a Sunday Facebook post.

• "The coup taking place right now to relitigate the chair's race, smear my reputation and defame me is not right," she wrote.

Between the lines: Carnahan won a third term as party chair this spring after a bruising, and deeply personal, leadership fight.

• The recent departure of another executive director, combined with the Lazzaro controversy, has fueled fresh criticism of her tenure, including over the alleged use of nondisclosure agreements.

Yes, but: The process to remove the chair requires a vote of 10 of 15 members of the executive committee. Carnahan's allies on the board have held together to block such moves so far.

Full story: Anton Lazzaro sex trafficking allegations rock Minnesota GOP

Just-released U.S. Census figures show Minnesota and the nation becoming more diverse as our population grows, Axios' Stef W. Kight and Connor Rothschild report.

Go deeper: MPR News' David Montgomery broke down some of the biggest trends and takeaways from last week's data dump in this story.

The Twin Cities will soon see two of its largest news media organizations owned or operated by the same family.

Driving the news: St. Paul-based American Public Media Group announced Jean Taylor as its next CEO, starting Aug. 23.

What she's saying: Nick asked Taylor if her family would have too much influence over news coverage in the Twin Cities. Her father, printing mogul Glen Taylor, owns the Star Tribune.

• "Newsrooms are separate from the management of an organization so I don't control the newsroom," she said. "And frankly, at the Star Tribune I didn't control the newsroom and neither did Glen."

Context: Jean Taylor had been chair of the Star Tribune's board of directors since 2018, but stepped down when she was named CEO of APMG last week.

• She told MPR News that it was never the plan for her to take over as owner of the Star Tribune. But questions remain about the long-term future of the paper, as Glen Taylor is 80.
• "That's a better question for Glen but I have no indication that Glen's commitment to having quality journalism in Minnesota has changed at all. That is still very strong," she told Nick.

Read and share the full interview.

🗳️ A one-vote margin will result in a recount in the race for Brooklyn Park mayor. (Twitter)

🏈 The Vikings put backups on the field for the preseason opener and lost to the Denver Broncos 33-6. (Fox9)

💧 The drought is devastating Minnesota's Hmong farmers, with crop struggles forcing some to reduce the number of days they sell at metro markets. (Star Tribune)

🌹 Michelle Young, a Minnesota native set to appear as the next "Bachelorette," was spotted at a weekend Twins game. (Reality Steve)

Audrey managed to snag a reservation at Owamni, Minneapolis' first full-service Indigenous restaurant, to see if the rave reviews were well-deserved.

Behind the scenes: Created by Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, Owamni — which opened last month — promises a "decolonized dining experience."

• The restaurant showcases native ingredients such as wild plants and game, while omitting foods brought here by white European settlers, such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy products.

Audrey's thought bubble: Worth the hype. It was one of the best meals she's had in recent memory.

If you go: Dinner reservations are booked solid through early October, but there’s some lunch availability next month — or, you can try for their walk-in patio.

Read the full story, including Audrey's menu picks, or head to our Axios Twin Cities Instagram for photos.

Reader Jerry Gale spotted this smile on a street in Brooklyn Park. He tells us smiley faces, apparently drawn with tar, can be found across the city.

• 📬 You can share scenes from the Twin Cities that make you grin by replying to this email.