DFL and Republican conventions take place across the state Friday as candidates vie for endorsements

Minnesota Today is supported by Granite Partners, over 20 years of growing Minnesota-based companies that source and sell around the world. Granite Partners, growing companies, enhancing communities. You can learn more at granite.com. This is Minnesota today for Friday, May 29th. I'm Phineas Pope. Here's what's happening in Minnesota. Republicans gather in Duluth this morning to begin winnowing their field of U.S. Senate candidates. An endorsement contest could force some from the race, but in August primary will determine the nominee for the general election. Adam Swarzy, Michelle Tofoya, Royce White, Tom Weiler, and Mark York are among candidates seeking the nod. NPR News Politics editor Brian Baxter says the race could get attention beyond Minnesota. Minnesota has an open U.S. Senate seat for the first time since 2006. Republicans nationally, they're on defense more than offense, so they might see Minnesota as an attractive target if the conditions are right and they need a win somewhere. For Democrats, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan heads into this weekend's DFL State Convention with a victory already in hand. Her opponent in the DFL U.S. Senate race, Congresswoman Angie Craig, decided Wednesday to skip the convention with the delegate math showing a strong advantage there for Flanagan. The two will instead battle it out in the August primary. Flanagan says she's happy to wrap up the endorsement but says there's plenty of work to do. This campaign has always been about the many versus the money. And so far, it has shown that we've got the grassroots support to win this thing. The party endorsement gives us the infrastructure that we need to talk to voters in a meaningful way across the state. And I'm just really excited to build off the momentum that we've created here. The DFL convention begins this afternoon. Four Twin Cities leaders will accept the John F. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Library Foundation profile Encourage Award this Sunday on behalf of the people of the Twin Cities. Here's Kyra Miles. One of the honorees is Natalie Arrett. She describes herself as a suburban stay-at-home mom. At the height of the ice surge, Arrett's family started Haven Watch. After seeing people released at the Whipple Federal Building with nothing, no phone, no warm clothes, and no rides home. And then from that night on, we maintained a presence at the gate. and never left 24-7. So it was just our family initially, but very quickly grew into a much larger movement when people realized what was happening and how much help we needed. The organization has grown to over 400 people. Erit says she's honored and humbled to represent her community at the awards in Boston. But she says the work isn't over yet. I'm Kara Miles. Minnesotans who grew up in foster care often don't have parents who can help to pay for college. On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill to help those young people afford higher education. Kate Kelly reports. In a flurry of signatures, the governor signed the last bills of the 2026 legislative session this week. One bill dedicates more than $2 million to the fostering independence higher education grants to fund tuition this summer and next school year. The state established that grant program in 2021, and it's already showing signs of success. State data shows the program has boosted graduation rates for Minnesota's foster youth. The program is open to Minnesota.

under the age of 27 who were in foster care at any point after their 13th birthday. I'm Kate Kelly. After years in the making, the Wakan Tee Center in St. Paul celebrates its grand opening today. The center sits along the Mississippi River in St. Paul at Wakan Tee, a Dakota sacred site formerly known as Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. Non-profit and community leaders have advocated for the restoration of the area for more than two decades. Kate Bean is a board member of Wakan Tipi Awan Yangapi, the nonprofit overseeing restoration efforts. She says the organization felt it was necessary to have a physical presence on site. What we came to realize is that we needed a footprint here. We needed people here, visibility here in order to be able to steward the site and keep it safe. Wakan Tee Center is open to anyone interested in learning the history of the Sacred Dakota site. In sports, the Minnesota Aurora beat the Rockford Raptors yesterday 1-0. Minnesota plays Riverlight tomorrow at 1 o'clock. The Minnesota Lynx, who have the best record in the WNBA, take on Chicago tonight at 6.30. The Twin Cities Gemini, the women's rugby team, play Boston tomorrow evening at 5 in Egan. Partly sunny today expect highs in the mid-80s, two lower 90s. Tonight mostly cloudy lows near 60, even cooler, near Lake Superior. And tomorrow, cloudy, a pit cooler, highs mostly in the 70s and 80s. That's it for Minnesota today. I'm Phineas Pope. We'll have an update for you this afternoon.