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Victor Stefanescu

@vstef.bsky.social
785 followers 133 following 51 posts

Covering the business of food at the Minnesota Star Tribune

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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Scoop: A group of local investors including a longtime former owner is making a play to save Pearson’s Candy, a beloved Minnesota confectioner slated to halt production this week. www.startribune.com/pearsons-can...
startribune.com
As Pearson’s Candy crafts its last Salted Nut Roll, local investors make a play
A group including former co-owner Larry Hassler is trying to convince the confectioner’s private equity owner to sell.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
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.com
Day 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.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I spent hours in the State Fair's Poultry Barn to learn more about the Super Bowl of youth chicken-handling contests. The competition is a testament to Minnesotans' love of animals that's present among urban and rural dwellers alike. W/ superb Alex Kormann pics: www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
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Star Tribune Guild @startribuneguild.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Editors, fact-checkers, designers and news assistants at the Minnesota Star Tribune are losing their jobs today. Anything you can donate to help our laid-off journalists is greatly appreciated. Can’t donate? Share this post to boost our efforts.
workingpartnerships.betterworld.org
Support laid off Star Tribune workers! | Working Partnerships
Sign in to manage your activity, preferences, & tools.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Minnesota’s marquee LGBTQ Pride event will feature the world’s largest rubber duck this year, but Bullseye the dog will sit it out again. app.startribune.com/story/601854...
app.startribune.com
A big rubber duck is in, Target’s still out: Your 2026 Twin Cities Pride preview
The executive director of Twin Cities Pride said the weekend-long Loring Park celebration’s focus is on joy.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
This summer's gonna be a movie
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 09/06/2026
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.com
Minnesota Star Tribune owner denies report of potential sale to Alpha News
Glen Taylor said he is “committed to keeping the Strib strong and independent” and will continue with previously announced ownership plan.
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 03/06/2026
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.
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Star Tribune Guild @startribuneguild.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Statement from the Star Tribune Guild in response to management’s plans to lay off 15% of staff, including union members in the newsroom:
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Jake Steinberg @jakesteinberg.com · 03/06/2026
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:
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 28/05/2026
Are grocery prices causing you stress? Food price inflation is speeding up again, and the Star Tribune would like to interview you about your grocery shopping experience. Email victor.stefanescu@startribune.com to share your story.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 04/05/2026
The Minnesota Star Tribune won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for its coverage of a shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church last summer.
bit.ly
Star Tribune wins Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Annunciation shooting
The newsroom last won the award for coverage of the George Floyd murder and following unrest.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 02/05/2026
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
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Minnesota crop farmers – who are feeling the squeeze of war and lower commodity prices – aren’t expecting profits this year after a bad 2025. The bleak outlook for a big chunk of our rural economy (photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii): www.startribune.com/minnesota-fa...
A farmer navigating a tractor through a field during the planting season
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
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
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
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?
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
A Minnesota woman’s unborn baby died after she ate sprouts contaminated with listeria grown at Wisconsin’s Jack & the Green Sprouts farm, a lawsuit filed in federal court says. www.startribune.com/sprouts-list...
startribune.com
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
WHAT HAPPENED TO BUSHEL BOY??????? (I found out) www.startribune.com/what-happene...
startribune.com
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Nate Pentz @natepentz.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Good setup for the next few weeks for the Lynx from @cassidyhett.bsky.social the Stribs Women's sports reporter. Glad Cassidy on the beat! www.startribune.com/minnesota-ly...
startribune.com
Everything you need to know as the Lynx approach an exceptionally busy month
As the WNBA preseason reaches crunch time, the Lynx’s packed April schedule will include two drafts, free agency, training camp and preseason games.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
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.com
First tariffs, now Iran war causing financial woes for Minnesota farmers
As global production shifts, Jay Debertin, CEO of ag co-op CHS, said the U.S. must embrace a different approach to international trade.
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Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
"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.com
After detainments and deportations, the lives left behind in Minnesota
From abandoned possessions to unpaid rent, many Minnesotans had to lean on family, friends and community organizations for help with their unfinished business.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 21/02/2026
Tension over how companies have responded to a surge in immigration enforcement is the climax of a yearslong reckoning with a local tradition of corporate social responsibility.
bit.ly
Inside the fight over corporate activism and the Minnesota CEO letter
Tension over how companies have responded to a surge in immigration enforcement is the climax of a yearslong reckoning with a local tradition of corporate social responsibility.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
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
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Steph Kukuljan @stephkukuljan.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
"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.com
David Hoffmann explains why parts of Augusta wine country project were paused - St. Louis Business Journal
Why Hoffmanns put pause on part of Augusta venture
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Steph Kukuljan @stephkukuljan.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
✌️
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
More on the Target letter:
Target employees’ complaints go beyond response to ICE
A letter hundreds of Target employees sent to company leaders today condemning "continued silence" amid the ongoing ICE operation in the state also cites a long list of previous incidents that “have left many rightfully concerned" for the company’s “integrity.”

The letter cites Minneapolis-based Target scaling back its pride collection; winding down diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; donating $1million to President Donald Trump’s inauguration fund; and failing to act following the reported arrest of two employees in a Richfield store.

“Strength comes in open solidarity, and the leaders of Target still have the chance to do the right thing,” the letter said. “The Twin Cities and Target team members already stand together, but leadership must act now.”

Carson Hartzog contributed to this report.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
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...
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 17/01/2026
Live updates: Federal agents pull protestor from the crowd outside the Whipple federal building. www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi... 📹️ Victor Stefanescu/The Minnesota Star Tribune
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Ashley Miller @amreports.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
If I had to guess, the Strib has contributed $2.3 million in sales to Andrea's pizza in the skyway over this last week.
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Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
During a federal immigration enforcement operation on the north side of Minneapolis, a man was shot in the leg during a foot chase, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
startribune.com
Live: Shooting reported in Minneapolis allegedly involving federal agents
Gov. Tim Walz address Minnesotans in a live broadcast Wednesday night on the surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota. A federal judge has declined to immediately rule on the ICE surge in Minn...
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Bill George, a former Medtronic CEO and Target Board member, encouraged Minnesota employers to “make a statement.” “How can you expect a committed, loyal workforce if you’re not there to have their back?” George said. www.startribune.com/minnesotas-b...
startribune.com
Minnesota’s biggest companies starting to feel heat from ICE surge
From Target to General Mills and Caribou Coffee, Minnesota’s largest employers are feeling pressure amid a surge of immigration officers in the state following the killing of Renee Good.
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Carson Hartzog @carzharts.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
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.com
Target employees detained by federal officers were U.S. citizens, legislator says
Minnesota Rep. Michael Howard, who represents Richfield, said the employees also were injured in the incident.
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Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Minnesota’s biggest companies feeling heat from ICE surge www.startribune.com/minnesotas-b...
startribune.com
Minnesota’s biggest companies starting to feel heat from ICE surge
From Target to General Mills and Caribou Coffee, Minnesota’s largest employers are feeling pressure amid a surge of immigration officers in the state following the killing of Renee Good.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Parker’s sister adores her like a baby doll. The toddler loves sticking her hands on the dark fur of the family’s “gentle giant” dog. Her epilepsy care is about to get more complex because of a contract impasse between UnitedHealthcare and M Health Fairview. www.startribune.com/fairview-uni...
Jerry Holt’s photo of Parker and her mother
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
A breakup or the cusp of greatness: What Medtronic’s big changes mean for its future www.startribune.com/medtronic-st...
startribune.com
A breakup or the cusp of greatness: What Medtronic’s big changes mean for its future
A decade after blockbuster $49.9 billion merger, former leaders say Minnesota-run medtech maker facing innovation reckoning.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 04/10/2025
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.ly
Trump officials discussed sending elite Army division to Portland, text messages show
A high-ranking White House official was indiscreetly texting about the Portland, Ore., planning last weekend, according to messages shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune.
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Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Minnesota Star Tribune to sell Minneapolis printing plant, lay off 125 workers www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
startribune.com
Minnesota Star Tribune to sell Minneapolis printing plant, lay off 125 workers
The state’s largest media company will continue printing 7 days a week, but will outsource printing to Iowa.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 28/08/2025
Tomorrow's front page of The Minnesota Star Tribune
The Aug. 28, 2025, front page of the Star Tribune, with the headline 'This is evil'
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 30/06/2025
Last year, a fire threatened to forever shutter the 19 Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in the U.S. Revived from the ashes, Minneapolis’ “gay living room” remains a vital and vibrant safe space for the LGBTQ community.
startribune.com
Day 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.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
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.com
Day 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.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 15/06/2025
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune
The June 15, 2025 front page of the Star Tribune with the main headline "Unspeakable" House DFL Leader Hortman, husband assassinated. State senator, wife also shot; suspect ID'd; killer posed as cop, had list
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
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.com
Tariffs force Minnesota hospitals to brace for high cost of medical equipment, supply challenges
Trade 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.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
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. ⏬
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
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
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
#MedTech firm NAMSA to lay off more than 50 in St. Paul after acquisition www.startribune.com/medtech-layo...
startribune.com
Medtech firm NAMSA to lay off more than 50 in St. Paul after acquisition
NAMSA previously acquired St. Paul’s WuXi AppTec, a laboratory services firm dating back to 2001.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
More on the PFA front: Abbott joins AFib-treating race with tech that may skip general anesthesia www.startribune.com/abbott-pulse...
startribune.com
Abbott joins AFib-treating race with tech that may skip general anesthesia
Abbott’s pulse field ablation system competes with products from Medtronic and Boston Scientific, which also have large operations in Minnesota.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
3M spinoff Solventum revealed Thursday that its previously reported restructuring eliminated 800 positions, including 110 in Minnesota, and will result in $120 million in annual savings. www.startribune.com/solventum-la...
startribune.com
New Solventum layoff details emerge, including 110 Minnesota job cuts
The restructuring of Minnesota’s newest large public company announced in December will result in $120 million in annual savings.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Klobuchar, Smith advocate for turkey farmers amid bird flu outbreak www.startribune.com/bird-flu/601...
startribune.com
Klobuchar, Smith advocate for turkey farmers amid bird flu outbreak
At Willmar-area roundtable, the senators heard farmers' calls for revisions in biosecurity audits and said government needs to consider more funding for farmers.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
What Minnesota needs to know about bird flu: www.startribune.com/bird-flu-min...
startribune.com
What Minnesotans need to know about bird flu risks
H5N1 is still wrecking farms, prompting surging grocery store prices and posing public health uncertainty three years after the state’s first poultry cases.
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Victor Stefanescu @vstef.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
A respiratory therapist said Medtronic's recent axing of the historic Puritan Bennett ventilator franchise after decades in production felt like if Ford stopped making trucks. Now industry experts debate whether it leaves the ventilator industry underprepared. www.startribune.com/inside-the-s...
startribune.com
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of Medtronic’s lifesaving ventilators
Medtronic’s Puritan Bennett devices were some of the world’s most important in 2020, but profits dipped as clinical preferences shifted. Experts disagree on what their extinction means for the future...
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