Good morning. Happy international picnic day to those who celebrate.

Gov. Tim Walz has reached a low point in terms of the public’s approval of his work in office. A Star Tribune / KARE 11 / Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication poll tracked the DFLer’s approval rating at 39 percent, down from 49 percent about a year ago. By comparison, 53 percent of those surveyed said they disapproved of Walz’s job in office and another eight percent said they weren’t sure. The temperature check comes after Walz announced at the beginning of the year that he wouldn’t seek a third term. It also follows reports of widespread fraud in public programs. That issue was top of mind for voters. A majority of those polled — 54 percent — said they were very worried about fraud, while 27 percent said they were somewhat concerned. Another 12 percent said they weren’t too concerned about fraud and six percent said they weren’t concerned at all. A broader share of Minnesotans said they trusted Republicans to tackle fraud over Democrats — 45 percent said they trusted the GOP on the issue compared to 38 percent who trusted DFLers. And 14 percent said they didn’t trust either party.

Speaking of people and things with low approval — Minnesotans aren’t super thrilled with the new(ish) state flag. The Minnesota poll found that half of respondents don’t like the new design meant to mirror Minnesota’s shape in shades of blue for sky and water. Meanwhile, 30 percent said they like the new flag and 20 percent weren’t sure. Perhaps, not surprisingly, Democrats polled were fonder of the new design than Republicans. And 52 percent of independent voters said they disapproved compared to 26 percent who approved. The flag redesign commission set the new design after members received hundreds of redesign options in 2023. It took flight in 2024. Several local governments have opted to fly the old flag, rather than the new one, in recent months.

KSTP-TV is also out with polling on party primaries for governor and U.S. Senate. The upshot is undecided primary voters are plentiful in both parties. And a caveat: primaries are usually low turnout elections so the unpredictability of the electorate is even more pronounced. Name recognition is also a major factor. The results aren’t great, though, for endorsed Republicans Kendall Qualls in the governor’s race and Adam Schwarze in the Senate race. Qualls trails businessman Mike Lindell and House Speaker Lisa Demuth, although plenty of voters who were polled didn’t express a preference. Schwarze is behind former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya and ex-basketball player Royce White, with a large chunk of voters undecided. In the DFL Senate race, Rep. Angie Craig has a bare edge over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the party’s endorsed candidate. But the difference isn’t statistically significant and there are many respondents who didn’t pick a favorite.

A new coordinator is raising awareness about Minnesota’s red flag law. Samantha Hoyt, who was previously in law enforcement for 18 years, took on the new role of implementation coordinator for the Extreme Risk Protection Order program. That program, established in 2024, allows courts to temporarily take guns away from people deemed a risk to themselves or others. This year so far, judges have issued 151 orders out of 163 requests. Hoyt joined our colleague Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to explain why ERPOs are filed and how she plans to educate law enforcement about the program.

Can community replace commuting to bring back life to downtown St. Paul? We’ve watched downtown St. Paul’s decline firsthand; MPR’s headquarters is here. The pandemic crippled businesses here and the daily hustle and bustle never returned. But now a new St. Paul mayor, local business owners, investors and residents are pushing to revitalize the area. The key? They say downtown needs a mix of housing, businesses and recreation — not just corporate skyscrapers. Our colleague Chris Farrell did a deep dive into the economic challenges that have plagued downtown St. Paul and the efforts to rebuild the neighborhood anew. Check out his full story to find out how we got here, what’s next and to meet the St. Paul business owners and residents who haven’t given up on their city.

The Minnesota state courts building has a new piece of art for the building’s walls. The official portrait to former Chief Justice Lorie Gildea was officially unveiled yesterday in a private ceremony. She’s the chief justice who retired before current Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, who is also retiring soon and will eventually get her image in paint. Gildea served as head of the Minnesota judiciary from 2010 until 2023, one of the longest stints for anyone in the role. Her portrait shows her in a Capitol building office overlooking the adjacent Minnesota Judicial Center. It contains pictures within the picture: A snapshot of her father and her late husband looking on during an investiture ceremony, an image of her horse Goldy and a framed homage to her hometown of Plummer. The Gildea portrait was done by Cyd Wicker, a Minneapolis artist who has previously painted portraits of past presidents and former judges.