Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.
Timberwolves Worried Electro Magnetic Fields Might Irritate Fans
Before around 1:30 p.m. today, I had never heard of Aires Tech, a Canadian company that sells a $240 amulet that it claims can "neutralize harmful EMFs from electronic devices."
How did Aires Tech end up on our radar, you ask? Why, thanks to a press release from the Minnesota Timberwolves announcing a partnership with the company. Apparently, the team and Aires Tech are teaming up to "create an EMF-friendly environment inside Target Center through the Aires Certified Spaces™️ standard." The Wolves plan to integrate Aires-backed technology "into high-traffic fan areas throughout the arena concourse, along with in-game arena signage, scoreboard messaging, and original social content." It'll also be installed in the team practice facility at Mayo Clinic Square.
Hmmmmmmm.
Now, no one at Racket is a scientist, but we do like to think we have pretty decent bullshit detectors, and they were SCREAMING when we went to the Aires Tech website. So the next thing we did was see what the experts have to say about the device. And the consensus is: For the love of god, do not spend your money on one of these things.
Here's one very funny debunking vid from Linus Tech Tips—it's like Mythbusters for scams. (It's also how I learned that Russell Brand is an Aires Tech acolyte.)
Skip to 7:10 to hear Aires Tech's nonsense-jargon explanation for how the device is supposed to work.
Here's another debunking with more of a Zoom class vibe:
So, yeah, the Aires Tech "tech" doesn't do the thing it claims to do. It sure is expensive though! Uh-oh, I hope we can't apply that same logic to this "first-of-its-kind sports experience innovation"... Maybe we can get the Linus Tech Tips team out here in a few months to take a look at the "EMF modulation solutions" promised in that press release.
This isn't the first time Wolves have dabbled in questionable partnerships; back in 2022 they teamed up with Stackwell, a robo-investing stock app that claimed it would bring about racial justice and equity through people giving it money.
Let's Hear From Laid-Off Federal Workers
"Undignified." "Awful." "Just not right."
These are some of the words Minnesota's recently laid-off federal workers used in their conversations with Dee DePass and Janet Moore at the Star Tribune. DePass and Moore spoke with roughly two dozen such workers, though many asked to remain anonymous because they hoped to be rehired or feared harassment if they spoke out. From the story:
Those who spoke to the Star Tribune worked in wide-ranging jobs, from assisting military veterans and people with disabilities to helping fulfill small-business loans. All said they received no severance, and some who chose to take an earlier offer of a buyout with pay through September said they no longer qualified.
Several described the process as chaotic and said their departments were not informed of details of the layoff plans.
Several also told the Strib that working for the federal government on behalf of the American people was a dream—that they'd passed up higher salaries in the private sector to do this work. There are around 20,000 federal civilian employees in Minnesota, and no one knows yet how many have been fired, though everyone who spoke to the paper said they knew of other people in their departments who were also let go.
Trump Deportation Promises Are Hurting Latino Businesses
Last week, Alfonzo Galvan at Sahan Journal sat down with local Latino and Somali business owners to talk about the chilling effect Donald Trump's second term has had on their businesses.
“This is like a pandemic nightmare,” Daniel Hernandez, who owns the Colonial Market grocery stores chain, told him. “But instead of being the whole community, like the whole United States, it’s been just focused on the minority communities.”
Area businesses that cater to immigrants, including Lake Street shopping centers like Midtown Global Market, Mercado Central, and Karmel Mall, have seen their sales plummet as customers fear deportation under Trump. Hernandez says business at his store near Lake and Hiawatha is down roughly 40% since January, while Nuur Hadi Ahmed, the Somali owner of Durdur Bakery and Grocery at Lake and 16th Avenue, said he’s seen a 25% drop in business.
And it's not just grocers and restaurants—salons, garages, car dealerships, and more are all suffering. Leopoldo Sanchez, owner of Dulceria La Piñata in Mercado Central, told MPR News' Regina Medina that he typically sells three to four piñatas a week; since Jan. 20, he's sold only one.
If you're a white and/or documented person, this would be an excellent time to get out and support some of our local supermercados, taco spots, and other immigrant-owned businesses. Maybe it's time for an office piñata party?
Help Save Stanley's!
Oh no! According to the folks at Stanley's Northeast Bar Room, the state of Minnesota is considering acquiring their building as part of the proposed 2027 University Avenue Construction Project, which would mean the end of the Craft & Crew Hospitality Group restaurant. No more patty melt, no more curds and spicy jam, no more pettin' pups on the paw-tio, no more historic art deco urinals.
"Stanley's is more than just a restaurant—it's a vital part of this neighborhood, a place where memories are made and relationships are built," reads their plea for support. "Stanley's would not only end its operations, but it would also take away a cherished piece of the local identity."
