Victor Stefanescu

Victor Stefanescu

@vstef.bsky.social

Covering the business of food at the Minnesota Star Tribune

788 followers133 following51 posts

Bars are in the news, so i wanted to recirculate my night-long dispatch at Minneapolis' 19 bar. The watering hole's gritty comeback after a fire showed the importance of these bars during a time when sentiments toward queer and trans Americans are regressing. www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...

startribune.comDay turns to night in the 19 Bar, Minneapolis’ rebuilt ‘gay living room’The 19 Bar in Loring Park survived the fire. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.

Victor Stefanescu reposted

Minnesota Star Tribune owner Glen Taylor says a report that he sought to sell the paper to local conservative media group Alpha News is false, saying instead he wishes to put the 159-year-old company under a foundation.

startribune.comMinnesota Star Tribune owner denies report of potential sale to Alpha NewsGlen Taylor said he is “committed to keeping the Strib strong and independent” and will continue with previously announced ownership plan.

Victor Stefanescu reposted

We stand in solidarity with the Star Tribune Guild and join them in their call for the newspaper’s management to reverse this deeply harmful decision.

Star Tribune Guild@startribuneguild.bsky.social

Statement from the Star Tribune Guild in response to management’s plans to lay off 15% of staff, including union members in the newsroom:

Victor Stefanescu reposted

The Star Tribune will be laying off 15% of its staff, including many who worked tirelessly to cover the Hortman assassinations, the Annunciation school shooting, social services fraud and Operation Metro Surge. Here is the statement from the Star Tribune Guild that represents newsroom employees:

Victor Stefanescu reposted

For decades, Bushel Boy grew a special kind of tomato. They were sold in stores and restaurants across Minnesota — and people loved them. But then the tomatoes disappeared. And nobody seemed to know why. 🎧️ bit.ly/4tx3ZFJ

Inbox: Tariffs partly drive 13% decline in MN exports “The federal administration’s erratic tariffs and aggressive foreign policies that began last year continue to take a toll on [MN} companies trying to plan their import and export strategies” - MN's top economic official under Walz, Matt Varilek

This inanely massive truck has been parked IN A BUS LANE at the corner of an incredibly busy Northeast, Minneapolis, intersection now for more than 12 hours, posing two important questions. Is this a Morgan Wallen thing? And, are some vehicles just too complex to tow?

Ag Giant CHS' CEO said: - “There’s not a producer in agriculture around the world that won’t be impacted" if fertilizer issues last into summer - Trump's tariffs haven’t “been good for U.S. agriculture." (Past admins weren't friendly, either, he said.) www.startribune.com/chs-cobank-d...

startribune.comFirst tariffs, now Iran war causing financial woes for Minnesota farmersAs global production shifts, Jay Debertin, CEO of ag co-op CHS, said the U.S. must embrace a different approach to international trade.

Victor Stefanescu reposted

"Each person plucked from their day-to-day existence left a whole life behind. There are shoes by the front door and an empty bed. There’s a car in the driveway and a job undone. There are pets that need feeding, bills that keep arriving and leases with months left to pay."

startribune.comAfter detainments and deportations, the lives left behind in MinnesotaFrom abandoned possessions to unpaid rent, many Minnesotans had to lean on family, friends and community organizations for help with their unfinished business.

Victor Stefanescu reposted

Some people want Target to take a stand on the surge in federal immigration operations in Minnesota so much that they are willing to be arrested. Police detained some protesters who demonstrated at the MN Target location where federal agents had arrested two employees weeks prior. @startribune.com

Victor Stefanescu reposted

"The Hoffmanns’ foray into MO wine in some ways kicked off his bid to acquire media cos. He was unhappy with what he said was the inaccurate way that some outlets portrayed the projects. 'It took away our enthusiasm.'" www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news...

bizjournals.comDavid Hoffmann explains why parts of Augusta wine country project were paused - St. Louis Business JournalWhy Hoffmanns put pause on part of Augusta venture

More on the Target letter:

Victor Stefanescu@vstef.bsky.social

Scoop: Hundreds of Target employees pen letter saying the Minneapolis retailer ‘abandoned its community’ “In the face of this tyranny, continued silence from our leaders will never make us safer” With @carzharts.bsky.social. Stay updated: www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...

Victor Stefanescu reposted

Victor Stefanescu reposted

Two Target employees detained by federal officers at Richfield store are U.S. citizens, Rep. Michael Howard said. Target declined to comment. Gift link: www.startribune.com/target-emplo... Reach me with tips at carson.hartzog@startribune.com | Signal: carsonhartzog.13

startribune.comTarget employees detained by federal officers were U.S. citizens, legislator saysMinnesota Rep. Michael Howard, who represents Richfield, said the employees also were injured in the incident.

Victor Stefanescu reposted

The messages show high-level officials in the Trump administration discussing the possible deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an infantry force that has dropped into combat zones in both World Wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

bit.lyTrump officials discussed sending elite Army division to Portland, text messages showA high-ranking White House official was indiscreetly texting about the Portland, Ore., planning last weekend, according to messages shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune.

I recently spent a night in one of the oldest gay bars in America that survived a devastating fire in 2024. In the words of a bartender, the 19 Bar in Loring Park “can tell us a lot about the current atmosphere, culturally and politically.” My dispatch: www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...

startribune.comDay turns to night in the 19 Bar, Minneapolis’ rebuilt ‘gay living room’The 19 Bar in Loring Park survived the fire. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.

ICYMI: The White House is exempting products like kids' books from tariffs, but not medical supplies. I studied the journey of the rubber glove and the supply chain of an ER to show what's at stake. "The worst consequence is actually shortages,” an expert said. www.startribune.com/medical-supp...

startribune.comTariffs force Minnesota hospitals to brace for high cost of medical equipment, supply challengesTrade groups have urged President Donald Trump to exempt medical supplies and devices, to no avail. A look inside one Minneapolis hospital shows the complexity of this supply chain.

ICYMI: As the Trump administration has slashed the FDA workforce, the agency has approved fewer new high-risk, lifechanging medical devices than anytime in the past decade. “I can’t imagine a less-efficient approach than what the administration has already done,” a reviewer on leave said. ⏬

New: U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of life-changing, high-risk medical devices reportedly slowed to a 10-year low for the January to March period, as sources say recent layoffs have had devastating effects. More below