Good morning. The evening weather lived up to the Ben Cathey hype.

There will be no wildfire-related special session this month. Gov. Tim Walz decided against renewing a peacetime emergency , which would have triggered his duty to call lawmakers back to St. Paul. Some northern Minnesota leaders still hope that state government will offer a relief package for lost tourism and other financial costs of the BWCA fires. Walz said cobbling together a special session agenda right in the heat of campaign season would have been “challenging.” “But look, I want to let the folks up there know — if we can come to some type of agreement and we can get a package that can get forward, I’m certainly open to that,” he said yesterday. Walz said the Legislature should act as soon as it can, either in a special session later this year or the next regular session, which begins in January. The fire has burned more than 65,000 acres in the BWCA.

Walz also offered his first in-person comments on a cyberattack on water systems that has become the latest clash point between him and President Donald Trump. Recent cyberattacks have hit water systems in several states, including Minnesota.  Walz said he hasn't heard updates recently from federal investigators on the issue. He cited reports by some media outlets that the FBI suspects Iran was behind the attacks and said the president needs to do more to investigate. “I don't hide my great anger about this,” Walz said, “because Americans' lives and Americans' economy and America's security is being put at risk by the very individual who started this war and then refuses to help the states in defense of that, and that is simply beyond the pale.” Last week, Trump blamed Walz and Minnesota leadership for the attacks. State officials said none of the water systems targeted were contaminated. Some went offline temporarily.

The Farmfest governor’s race debate was substantive on a variety of issues and telling when it comes to style. This fall’s campaign matchup hasn’t been set yet as Republicans await the outcome of their Aug. 11 primary to determine who moves on to face likely Democratic nominee Amy Klobuchar. She shared the stage with three Republicans yesterday in Morgan: Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls. Klobuchar, a four-term U.S. senator, seemed intent on showing her issue depth and combatting the idea that political experience is a liability in this environment. Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker, did much the same but had a dual goal of making a political party change argument. Lindell and Qualls, both running as business-sector outsiders, adopted an out-with-the-old message as they jockeyed for position. It’s difficult to tell who has the edge on the GOP side. For a debate on the eve of the primary there were few pointed exchanges between the Republican hopefuls. Then again, the round-robin format didn’t really lend itself to that. Dana Ferguson has a recap of the debate.

The Farmfest Senate debate, meanwhile, was a more-rollicking affair. There were pointed back and forth exchanges among the four candidates on stage — two Republicans, two DFLers — and one candidate intent on taunting his rivals and those in the crowd. Royce White was the attempted antagonist, although his opponents didn’t take his bait and tried to score points through their answers to the questions asked. Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan were there as the potential Democratic nominees with White and Michele Tafoya on stage for the GOP. A third Republican hopeful, Adam Schwarze, was excluded despite being his party’s endorsed candidate. Some of the key issues discussed were immigration and tariffs, as Peter Cox reports. 

The final part of Clay Master’s interview series with the leading Republican candidates for Minnesota governor featured Mike Lindell. He told Clay he’ll fix healthcare, boost tourism, fight addiction and eliminate the income tax. He’s still touting the planned release of a budget plan that he says would accomplish all of that. It might come today. Lindell, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, sounds an awful lot like him in his superlatives, the stakes and the sense that the political world is against him. “They can bash me, but the public knows me. They've been bashing me for years and years, and I will not back down. I will never stop trying to save our state, and save our country and save our economy. That's it,” he said. If you missed any of Clay’s interviews you can find them all at mprnews.org or watch some of the conversations here. 

The DFL primary in the 2nd Congressional District could be a first test of whether progressive candidates can do well in a decidedly purple district. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s decision to run for Senate leaves her seat open and three DFLers are competing to reach November’s ballot. One candidate, state Sen. Matt Klein, mirrors Craig’s moderate platform. The two other candidates are state Rep. Kaela Berg and DFL-endorsed Matt Little, who formerly served as Lakeville’s mayor and a state senator. Both are running from the left. Sydney Kashiwagi with the Star Tribune has been following the three campaigns closely and shares an inside look at how each candidate’s message seems to be playing with voters. Progressive U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has been doorknocking with Little in Minnesota and some voters are attracted to Berg’s working-class identity as a flight attendant and union member. Klein, meanwhile, has been focused on visiting farms and the district’s rural areas to speak with Republican and independent voters. Whoever wins on Tuesday will face Republican state Sen. Eric Pratt in November.

The former DFL chair in the 8th Congressional District will spend almost a year in jail after a conviction in a deadly hit and run accident. As Tom Olsen of the Duluth News Tribune reports, Cynthia Martin of Grand Rapids was sentenced for felony criminal vehicular homicide in a 2024 crash that killed 19-year-old Carter Haithcock. Per a plea deal, Martin will serve 364 days in jail and five years of probation. She’ll also complete 100 hours of community service. Martin was the DFL chair of the 8th Congressional District when she hit Haithcock, who was walking in the driving lane on a highway in the dark. Martin said she thought she hit an animal and didn’t realize she had hit a young man until the next day. Multiple DFL leaders provided testimony in support of Martin, including former state Rep. Joe Radinovich who said in court that Martin isn’t “a Machiavellian political strategist” but instead a volunteer who has dedicated years to community and DFL party work. Martin wasn’t prosecuted for the crash itself, but for failing to stop and investigate what she struck which is required by law.

As election season ramps up so do the political lawn sign wars. But no matter how excited you are about a candidate, you can’t place a sign just anywhere. State law states it’s illegal to “paint, print, place, or affix any advertisement or any object within the limits of any highway,” because objects along the roadway can be hazardous for drivers or maintenance crews. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says their staff will remove any illegally placed signs, though you might have a small window to get your sign back if you contact your local MnDOT office quickly. Displaying signs or flags on bridges over traffic is also prohibited, as is putting signs on public utility poles or trees. State law also makes placing political signs on private land without the permission of the landowner a misdemeanor.

Medicaid is rolling out new work requirements next year. To help with the transition, Minnesota’s Department of Human Services launched a new online tool. New work rules will take effect for Medicaid recipients on Jan. 1, 2027. As our colleague Erica Zurek reports, Minnesotans between the ages of 21 and 64 will need to prove they have been working, attending school or volunteering for at least 80 hours each month to qualify for or retain their Medicaid coverage. The Minnesota Department of Human Services launched an online tool to help Minnesotans navigate the changes to Medicaid (known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota). The new rules are expected to affect more than 200,000 people in the state. Erica explains the eligibility changes, links to the new tool and lays out who is exempted from these changes. Be aware, as of now, the tool will only be available until the end of August.