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Tu-Uyen Tran

@tuuyentran.bsky.social
39 followers 2 following 179 posts

Senior writer, Minneapolis Fed, spreadsheet enthusiast, neighborhood shelf-reading champ. RT ≠ endorsement. My views ≠ Mpls Fed's views

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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
This reminds me of being a reporter and writing about opposition to new apartments from neighbors. I still recall a neighbor saying they didn't want renters moving in. I was an owner then but had to wonder if I was somehow scum when I was a renter the year before www.startribune.com/blaine-adu-a...
startribune.com
Roper: Tiny house fight is a microcosm of affordable housing resistance
Property rights are at the heart of a lawsuit over Blaine’s rejection of a proposed mother-in-law suite for homeless families.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
I'm researching unlicensed child care (e.g., grandmas). One reason it's common is lack of affordable/available licensed care, esp. for infants. Found this chart in CPS data via @ipums.bsky.social. Most paid care is licensed care. As kids age, care gets less costly and easier. Then schools take them.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
A child care person I interviewed told me today that more children are cared for by family, friends, neighbors, in part, because we're seeing more young children with mental health issues. Licensed providers can't give them individual attention they need so parents turn to Grandma.
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Reposted by Tu-Uyen Tran
Paul Wallace @ptwall.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
New: Article by Mike Waugh and Jeff Horwich @minneapolisfed.bsky.social looks at potential job losses and impacts of trade war w/ China based on 2018-2019 experience and related research of that prior episode. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2025...
minneapolisfed.org
Tallying the two channels of job losses from tariffs | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
2018–19 China trade war offers estimates of potential jobs lost to retaliation and rising input costs
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
There appears to be renewed interest in banning foreign adversaries from owning US farmland. For those interested, here's a primer I wrote a year ago about the topic. Bottom line, foreigners don't own as much as you might think, and adversaries own way less. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
minneapolisfed.org
Foreign investor or foreign adversary? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Real estate investors from China, Russia, and other countries are target of new state laws
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Reposted by Tu-Uyen Tran
Paul Wallace @ptwall.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Tariff Impacts: Delayed or Avoided? New essay this morning by @minneapolisfed.bsky.social President Neel Kashkari where he lays out his argument for potentially two rate cuts in 2025. #econsky www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2025...
minneapolisfed.org
Tariff Impacts: Delayed or Avoided? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
We surveyed nonprofits in Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota and found that funding has become very challenging. It's no surprise that federal funding is less available but so is private funding. My article explains why: www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2025...
minneapolisfed.org
Nonprofits roiled by funding cuts and threats of more cuts, surveys find | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota nonprofits say both public and private funding are affected
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Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute @oiginstitute.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Health inequality is important for understanding economic outcomes, Karen Kopecky recognizes, and not only for the individuals with health vulnerabilities but for those around them as well. Scholar spotlight from @minneapolisfed.bsky.social's @tuuyentran.bsky.social: bit.ly/3EtXUWw
bit.ly
Scholar spotlight: Karen Kopecky | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Unpacking dysfunction in long-term care insurance
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Join us TOMORROW for the 2025 Regional Economic Conditions Conference. This virtual event will feature CHS President Jay Debertin in conversation with Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari. Event will also include panel discussions w/ reps from across our region. To register: t.co/we2b8unJRM
minneapolisfed.org
2025 Regional Economic Conditions Conference | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 26/09/2024
The child care business model has been described as "broken," implying the market isn't working as well as hoped. So I was interested to learn at a recent First Children's Finance conference about market interventions by local govts in rural MN. 1/13
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 04/09/2024
Foreigners have bought more forest land in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: www.mlive.com/public-inter... Is that a bad thing? 1/2
mlive.com
Upper Peninsula forestland increasingly bought by foreign landowners
In a year, Michigan's foreign-owned agricultural acreage went from 5.6% to 8.6% – with the biggest jumps in the Upper Peninsula.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 03/09/2024
One of the polls at @MinneapolisFed's MN State Fair booth asked what people valued most in a job other than pay. It's amazing how many people chose "work-life balance." That's answer D in the photo. I asked people why. More below. 1/13
4 tubes labeled A, B, C, D. Each filled with fuzzy balls. Tube D has the most balls by far, followed by C, A, then B.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 15/08/2024
One of my colleagues mentioned that the railroad bridge between Ranier MN and Fort Frances ON was closed because of some damage. Turns out that's a pretty important bridge! 1/3
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 13/08/2024
I've been absolutely obsessed with NOAA's "billion-dollar" disaster page mostly because the increase in the number of such disasters has been so large. Here's a chart to start with before I do a nerd dive into the numbers. Dark blue are Ninth District states. 1/10
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 17/07/2024
I'm looking into rising insurance premiums and found this @ConsumerFed chart that shows the % of homeowners who are uninsured. The group says affordability is a key factor. You can see that a lot of Ninth District states (dark blue) are above the national avg. 1/7
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 03/07/2024
I'm doing some research on home insurance rates and stumbled on some statistics for billion dollar disasters. Thought it might make a cool chart. Kind of surprising how SD and MN to a lesser extent have been hammered in recent years. 1/x
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Reposted by Tu-Uyen Tran
Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 17/04/2024
In Minneapolis Fed/First Children's Finance's recent survey of MN child care providers (tinyurl.com/4rsx8uxc), many complained that MN's child-teacher ratio is too low given the changing child care market. Here's how we compare w/ other states. 1/7
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 26/06/2024
Following up on my previous post about the condition of high hazard dams. Here's a chart that shows the share of dams in need of repairs (unsatisfactory/poor) condition by states in the Ninth District compared to the US. ND SD MT are all higher than US average.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 26/06/2024
Initial news reports about the partial breaching of Rapidan Dam near Mankato MN described it as a "high hazard" dam. Pretty scary. So I started thinking: where are all the high hazard dams? Here: www.google.com/maps/d/edit?... 1/11
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 23/05/2024
"It feels like remote work is toothpaste that you can’t just push back into the tube." Love this quote my colleague Haley Chinander got. Her data shows how common remote/hybrid work is despite employers' preference for in-office work. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
minneapolisfed.org
Hybrid or fully remote: How is work-from-home evolving in the Ninth District? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
As employers continue to grapple with remote work, some trends are becoming clearer
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 02/05/2024
Good story on reforms to MN child care regulations. www.mprnews.org/story/2024/0...
mprnews.org
Minnesota child care providers say state licensing needs an overhaul. Officials agree
Family child care businesses in Minnesota are closing faster than new ones can open, even as demand grows. Observers say the state’s system to license new providers needs to be remade. State officials...
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 17/04/2024
In Minneapolis Fed/First Children's Finance's recent survey of MN child care providers (tinyurl.com/4rsx8uxc), many complained that MN's child-teacher ratio is too low given the changing child care market. Here's how we compare w/ other states. 1/7
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 16/04/2024
The Strib had a nice writeup on the Minneapolis Fed's and FCF's child care webinar yesterday (www.startribune.com/minnesota-ch...). I was quoted (accurately) but thought I'd share more. What I meant to say was "The life my family enjoys is not possible without child care providers." 1/x
startribune.com
Minnesota child care providers grapple with worker shortage
Difficulty finding qualified employees means fewer children served, a new survey showed.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 12/04/2024
The costs of so many things are way up. The cost of child care not so much. Why? As a recent @MinneapolisFed and @1stchildrens survey of MN child care providers found, providers are really reluctant to raise rates (learn more here www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...). 1/x
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 11/04/2024
One of the things @MinneapolisFed's and @1stchildrens' survey of MN child care providers found was that many are competing with public schools for preschoolers and it's hurting some. Here's a quote encapsulating that (Hear more at our 4/15 webinar www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...). 1/6
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 10/04/2024
Just a reminder of Minneapolis Fed's and First Children's Finance's upcoming webinar on the health of MN's child care sector. Here's one of many many voices we heard from our recent survey. (Link to webinar registration: www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...)
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 09/04/2024
I saw a map recently that shows unemployment by metro areas, and that made me wonder how unemployment has affected wage growth. Here's a version of the map I saw. The colors go from worst or highest (dark yellow) to best or lowest (dark blue). 1/8
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 29/03/2024
With many states restricting real estate investment by citizens of countries the U.S. doesn't get along with, I decided to analyze what kinds of laws there are and just how much of America is owned by China, Russia, and Iran. Not that much as it turns out. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
minneapolisfed.org
Foreign investor or foreign adversary? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Real estate investors from China, Russia, and other countries are target of new state laws
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 26/03/2024
Minneapolis Fed and our partners at First Children's Finance are doing our annual webinar on the health of Minnesota's child care industry 12 p.m. April 15 and I get to run it this year. So don't forget to register! www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...
minneapolisfed.org
Regional Economic Conditions: Health of the Minnesota Child Care Sector | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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Reposted by Tu-Uyen Tran
Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 04/03/2024
U.S. ag exports were down last year, especially commodities important to Ninth District farmers. What happened? One reason is 2022 was such a big year it was hard to match. But the other is the U.S. is losing its edge against rivals like Brazil. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
minneapolisfed.org
Ag exports fell in 2023, and the Ninth District may have been hit especially hard | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Major contributors to export decline include key district products like soybeans, corn, and beef
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 07/03/2024
The Strib said recently that homes in half of Twin Cities communities are unaffordable for median households (link later). I wondered how we compare to others? Here's a map using the Realtors' 2022 data. Red, orange are unaffordable. www.google.com/maps/d/edit?... 1/10
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 04/03/2024
U.S. ag exports were down last year, especially commodities important to Ninth District farmers. What happened? One reason is 2022 was such a big year it was hard to match. But the other is the U.S. is losing its edge against rivals like Brazil. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
minneapolisfed.org
Ag exports fell in 2023, and the Ninth District may have been hit especially hard | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Major contributors to export decline include key district products like soybeans, corn, and beef
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 29/02/2024
Sorry to see a child care center close but as the article notes and I've found to be true, it's just really hard for a business that isn't primarily in the child care business to offer on-site child care. www.startribune.com/daycare-chil...
startribune.com
Minnesota families want child-care at work, but those centers struggle to stay open
Demand is outstripping supply.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 23/02/2024
Amtrak is proposing new routes through the Ninth District, including in areas that haven't had train service for quite a while, such as southern ND/MT and all of SD. That made me wonder what's ridership like currently? Note, "alighting" means getting off a train. 1/10
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 15/02/2024
Most parts of the Ninth District is agricultural in nature and if you live in those places, like I used to, you might wonder just how important ag is. Here's one answer that I found while working on an ag export story. 1/x
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 14/02/2024
My daughter's math assignment the other day involved making a chart. I was so stoked when I was asked to help. We talked about how to scale the y axis and picking appropriate colors. My baby's first chart!
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
Looks like U of M is gonna buy some Fairview facilities by end of '27.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
It's Girl Scout cookie season again in the Twin Cities, and my little darling is learning how to be an entrepreneur. If you have the demand, she has the supply: digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/winnie...
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
Canadians tourism and other travel is back to normal in Canada but they're not visiting the Ninth District as much as before. I try to explain why in my story. But the tl;dr is it's probably inflation. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 02/02/2024
A 24-hour child care center is a pretty big deal because it opens up more job opportunities for working parents. It would be interesting to know the barriers preventing other providers from doing the same. Market? Labor costs? www.inforum.com/news/fargo/f...
inforum.com
Fargo child care center announces 24-hour service, expansion
Jasmin Child Care aims to provide a solution to the child care shortage and workforce crisis in North Dakota by offering services outside daytime hours.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 29/01/2024
Great article about how to screw up with spreadsheets. I'm always reviewing spreadsheets for anomalies. I do occasionally find errors but it makes my skin crawl to think of the errors I don't find. arstechnica.com/science/2024...
arstechnica.com
We keep making the same mistakes with spreadsheets, despite bad consequences
Errors with spreadsheets are not only frustrating but can have serious consequences.
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 25/01/2024
My friend Joe is hosting a webinar on results of the Minneapolis Fed's survey of manufacturers. It's Feb. 2. but sign up now. www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...
minneapolisfed.org
Regional Economic Conditions: Manufacturing | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 19/01/2024
What did I learn at the Minneapolis Fed's Regional Economic Conditions Conference? Labor shortages will be with us a while and making each worker more productive will be key to growth. www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024...
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 18/01/2024
I saw an interesting chart recently at the Minneapolis Fed's Regional Economic Conditions Conference (tinyurl.com/recc2024). When people say "nobody wants to work anymore" this is the chart you show them. 1/12
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 10/01/2024
I'm constantly reminded that statistics lie and here's the latest reminder. In a recent 12-mo period, 161k Canadians re-entered Canada in tiny Baudette, MN. That's 8x the population of the Canadian district just on the other side. I assumed they went shopping in Baudette. 1/18
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Tu-Uyen Tran @tuuyentran.bsky.social · 05/01/2024
Heads up! Minneapolis Fed is hosting another Regional Economic Conditions Conference next Friday featuring MA Mortenson Co. Chairman David Mortenson. More here: www.minneapolisfed.org/events/2024/...
minneapolisfed.org
2024 Regional Economic Conditions Conference | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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