🌱 Stone Arch Bridge Closing + Swift Fans 'Shatter' Hotel Records

It's Friday! The Minneapolis Patch newsletter is back with a guide to the latest headlines, including:

• How the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling affects Minnesota schools.
• Why the city is updating its July 4 fireworks show.
• Where Minneapolis falls on the "unhealthy" air quality index.

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 88 Low: 66.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Minneapolis:

1. A Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport employee is accused of recording men in restroom stalls, BMTN reports. Michael Lamar Maceda-Tapia of St. Paul is accused of taking more than 100 photos of employees. (BMTN)

2. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that universities which “consider race as one of many factors in their admissions decisions violate the Constitution.” The Star-Tribune reports that by 2036, more than 40 percent of Minnesota public high school graduates will be people of color. (Paid source: Star-Tribune)

3. Stone Arch Bridge will temporarily close overnight beginning today through July 5. The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board said gatherings along the riverfront created "unsafe, chaotic situations" last year. (CBS)

4. Minneapolis will host a laser show this July 3 instead of a fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day, KARE11 reports. “We're trying something new this year,” Park Board Community Events Manager Tom Godfrey said. (KARE11)

5. City hotels set a booking record last weekend thanks to Taylor Swift’s “Eras” Tour. Attendees of the two-night concert run at U.S. Bank Stadium “shattered hotel records,” booking more than 19,500 rooms and generating $6 million in revenue. (Twin Cities Business)

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Today in Minneapolis:

• Check out the Minneapolis Park Markets at Water Works. (10 a.m.)
• The Minnesota JCC Show Choir performs at Capp Center. (2 p.m.)
• Hear live music at Loring Park. (7 p.m.)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

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From my notebook:

• Minneapolis air quality remained among the top 10 worst in the world Thursday. (CNN)
• Flight cancellations and packed roads are predicted this July 4 weekend for travelers, according to AAA. (KARE11)
• Mogi Bagel in Minneapolis has become an “instant sensation” for its New York-style offerings. (Paid source: Star Tribune)

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You're all caught up for June 30! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her writing has been recognized with awards from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.