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The Club PUBlication 10/27/2025

10/27/2025

Federal cuts diminish state’s food shelves
1 million pounds of food erased from the supply.
By KYELAND JACKSON, CHRISTOPHER VONDRACEK and JP LAWRENCE The Minnesota Star Tribune

Each month, thousands of people wait for food at a north Minneapolis church.

Hundreds trek to Gethsemane Lutheran Church every day, traveling from as far as Champlin, Richfield and Anoka. Some are old.
Many are young with toddlers.
Most come from poverty and depend on the church's food shelf to get by.

But the pantry is at risk of going bare.
Federal cuts to the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) slashed more than a million pounds of food headed to Minnesota food shelves this summer, forcing places like Gethsemane to winnow staff, hours and the amount of food they provide.

That's left more people going hungry, and officials say at this rate, things are likely to get worse.

"The forward trajectory of these cuts is that families that are making steps towards a brighter future now fall back into dark times," the Rev. Jeff Nehrbass said.

Hunger-relief programs could soon face even higher demand with officials warning there won't be enough funds to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to those in need if the federal shutdown continues into next month.

"Food stability is so important for violence prevention, for household stability, that not having those resources throws all of that up in the air," Nehrbass said.

More than a million pounds of food gone
Minnesota is home to one of the nation's largest food networks, funneling state and local resources between food banks and food shelves across counties.

Federal funds from TEFAP support much of that network.
However, earlier this year the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended $500 million in food deliveries previously allocated under TEFAP as part of efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to reduce federal spending. The funding was first provided to help food networks struggling through the pandemic.

Kate Weeks, an assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, said her department received 674 full truckloads of food from the program last year. The department was prepared for the program to cut funds this winter, but federal officials gutted those funds months early, halting 34 truckloads of milk, eggs, chicken and other food.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture obtained by ProPublica, the reduction translated to cancellations for 94 million pounds of food across the U.S. The Minnesota Star Tribune requested and analyzed that data for Minnesota, finding that more than 1 million pounds of food valued at more than $2 million was pulled from the state this year.

"These are critical investments and food needed for the entire food network," Weeks said. Food shelves forced to adapt
At the Gethsemane Lutheran Church, which is also known as the Camden Promise Food Shelf, staffers were forced this June to reduce the amount of food that residents could take from 20 items to seven. Some are turned away without food, returning the next day to draw a lottery number marked on more than 100 wooden Jenga blocks.

"We've done as much as we can to stay open ... but where we're at now is if the numbers and if TEFAP food continues on this path, we have to cut hours and days," Nehrbass said, adding that it would mark the first change in the food shelf's hours in more than a decade.
Mary Thomas, a volunteer of seven years, formerly waited in line for the church's food.

Reducing the days the food shelf is open would have a large impact, especially on those who are homeless, she said.

"They look forward to getting this food," Thomas said.
In greater Minnesota, food shelves have had to cut down on how often shoppers can visit. At the St. Peter Area Food Shelf, a dozen miles north of Mankato, shoppers formerly visited twice a month, but now can only go once.

"Quite frankly, we don't have the food or the funds to keep up with the increase in clients that we are seeing," said Jodi Donley, coordinator at the St. Peter Area Food Shelf.

This spring, the food shelf lacked the oranges, pineapples or asparagus they had in previous years. And in the summer, shipments of bad corn and cabbage meant that for two months about 30% of the fresh items that came in had to be thrown out, Donley said.

Mel Santa Brigida, a 65-yearold retiree who said he depends on the St. Peter Area Food Shelf, said he's noticed fewer options over the summer.

He couldn't find soy sauce anymore, and there were fewer vegetables, which meant he couldn't make stir fry, one of his favorite dishes. At times, he also had to use canned milk instead of fresh.

On a visit to St. Peter in October, the shelves were full of fresh produce, in part due to a program that finds food about to be thrown away, said manager Cynthia Favre.

The food shelf has also turned to regional Second Harvest Heartland food bank to supplement its produce. But now it can be harder to anticipate shipments.

"It used to be that we would kind of know what we were going to get, when we were going to get it, when there would be change," Favre said. "But right now, that's kind of off the table."

Zach Rodvold of Second Harvest Heartland said many of their more than 1,000 partner food shelves and hunger-relief programs across the state are scrounging for supplies amid increasing demand.

Many have pivoted to donations from community members or rescuing food that grocers would trash, but Rodvold says that's not sustainable.

"There's only so many rocks we can look under for additional resources or ways to get food out of the system," Rodvold said, "and I think we're close to having maximized that."

A growing need for food shelves
Last year, Minnesota food shelves saw a record of nearly 9 million visits. Food shelves have continued to see high demand this year as living costs have remained high.

"Families are feeling a lot of different pressure points," said Weeks of the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families. "You have increasing food prices, you have changes to health care and health care costs, you have changes in our labor economy, you have changes in rising housing prices. With these fluctuations, it does have a ripple effect across communities."

Food bank leaders said they believe conditions will worsen if the federal government reduces SNAP benefits. In an average month, about 440,000 Minnesotans receive SNAP benefits, which awards funds to lowincome households to use for groceries at authorized stores and markets.

The ongoing government shutdown already forced state officials to pause SNAP applications this month, and federal officials warned they will not have money to fund SNAP if the shutdown continues into November.

"We don't have another big lever ... to pull to increase the food available. We need help," said Virginia Witherspoon, executive director of Channel One Regional Food Bank in Rochester. "Right now a hurricane, a flood and a tornado is happening at the same time across the U.S. as far as the increase in need."

Hope in community
Nehrbass of Gethsemane Lutheran Church said TEFAP cuts have strained relationships among food shelves, forcing many organizers and clients to compete with each other for food.

To help offset the food shortage, Nehrbass suggested residents can help by donating food, money or time at food shelves or other organizations.

"[Food insecurity] needs to be addressed by well-meaning, wonderful Twin Citians who want to reach out in love to support those who are less fortunate than them."

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The Club PUBlicationmm10/20/2025

10/20/2025

China-built flying cars shown off in Dubai
Transport option has drawn 600 preorders.
By EMAN ABOUHASSIRA and OMAR EL CHMOURI

Bloomberg News

In a city that's no stranger to jaw-dropping sights, the Chinese-made flying car hovering over one of Dubai's glitziest beach resorts still turned heads.

Demonstrating a manned flight of its new Land Aircraft Carrier to a select crowd in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Guangzhou-based Aridge was making its latest pitch to become a transport option of choice for the Gulf's super-rich.

Released from the trunk of a robust, wheeled mother ship — essentially, an outsized, futuristic-looking people carrier — the electric aircraft can take off and land vertically like a conventional helicopter. It has already attracted 600 preorders, including from UAE based Ali & Sons Group and Qatar's Almana Group, according to Aridge.

Aridge's flying car, which is controlled by a joystick and has an automated flight mode, will cost under $270,000 in the Chinese market. No price has yet been announced for the UAE.

"It is designed to be accessible and able to be flown by ordinary people, everyone — you don't need to be a professional pilot," Michael Chao Du, Aridge's chief financial officer and vice president, said in an interview.

Aridge, a unit of XPENG Motors, which rebranded from XPENG AEROHT, is part of a growing trend in the energyrich UAE — a nation famed for skyscrapers and ostentatious displays of technology and wealth. The company suffered a setback last month when one of its aircraft caught fire at a Chinese air show.

Advances in battery technology have led to dozens of flying taxi companies taking to the skies around the world. But with billions of dollars already spent on research and manufacturing, it's not clear whether the industry has a viable future beyond the superwealthy.

Even some of the best-known startups in the sector have struggled to get funding and the mass market for the aircraft is unproven.

Joby Aviation, a Santa Cruzbased operator of so-called electrical vertical takeoff and landing craft, also plans to introduce an air taxi service to Dubai.

The first public manned flight of Aridge's Land Aircraft Carrier at Dubai's Palm Jumeirah on Sunday came after Aridge in September secured a special flight permit for an overseas manned aircraft from the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority. It will need other authorizations to operate and sell following this test phase.

Flying cars are "the future of mobility," Ali Al Blooshi, an official from Dubai's civil aviation authority, said at the event.

"We expect them to become accessible and affordable soon as more companies enter the market."

Aridge says it has begun mass production at a Chinese facility capable of producing 10,000 units a year. It expects the first consumer sales in 2027.

The Club Publication 06/13/2025

10/13/2025

MINI-MEDITATIONS GIVE PEACE OF MIND
By CATHY BUSSEWITZ •
The Associated Press NEW YORK -

The idea of meditating can be intimidating. Beginners may imagine sitting uncomfortably in silence while breathing deeply and scrubbing all thoughts from their minds. The prospect of trying those techniques at work may feel embarrassing.

But there are ways to bring short, inconspicuous sessions into the workday if you want to see if meditation can help you deal with challenging customers or reduce anxiety while preparing for a presentation. And experienced practitioners say there's no right or wrong way to do it.

" Meditation is quite easy, as a matter of fact. I think there's a stigma around it, that you have to be in complete silence, and you have to have some room setup, or do some chanting or some serious breathing," said Michelle Beyer, a wellness coach who owns the Brooklyn women's gym Alana Life & Fitness. "There's one-minute meditations you can do to make yourself feel great. Nobody will even know you're doing them."

While there are different meditation techniques, many traditions encourage focusing on breathing to help calm the mind. When thoughts pop up, imagine letting them go. Practitioners say meditating before or at work helps them maintain focus, sit still and reduce stress.

"There is a calm that I am definitely missing when I have forgotten to do it for a few days," said Brianna Healy, who meditates for 10 minutes daily before starting her job as assistant director of strategic initiatives and data solutions at Naropa University, a college in Boulder, Colo., inspired by Buddhist principles. "I can always tell the difference in my demeanor."

If you feel pressed for time, try fitting meditation sessions into breaks. You can set a timer and focus on breathing while sitting at a desk, in a restroom, inside a vehicle or outside, Beyer said.

Here are some easy mini-meditations to try out on the job.

A pre-work pause
Commuters can consider getting to work a little early and taking a pause in their cars or a quiet location to decompress from getting out the door and to your destination, said Kathryn Remati, a meditation teacher and author of "Befriend Yourself."

If you only have a minute or two, that's still enough time to try Remati's instructions for a quick reset.

Close your eyes and take a long, slow, deep breath to fill your tummy and lungs with air, she said. Hold the breath for a second, and then slowly breathe out like you're blowing out a candle.

"You'll immediately feel a shift and you'll feel like a human again," Remati said.

While repeating that process, consider setting a positive intention, or goal, for the day. Instead of focusing on a to-do list, think about how you want behave toward others, she said. Some intention examples are, "Today I'm going to be productive, but I'm also going to a good listener" or "I want to have a positive attitude," she said.

Picture your bliss
Visualization is another technique that experienced meditators use. Picture yourself succeeding at the challenges you'll encounter that day. If there's an upcoming deadline, envision yourself finishing the task 10 minutes early. Jumping for joy. Get specific like a movie director and imagine the colors in the room or the feeling of wind on your face, Remati said.

Throughout the day, "you can bring up that image anytime you need it to refocus," she said.

You can also use visualization to reframe your perspective on colleagues or clients. A technique Remati recommends putting into practice before meetings may seem quirky: Envision a white light over the meeting room's doorway that showers the people entering with brightness. Remati says it may help you imagine them in a better light. "You can even put some sort of pink bubble around people," she added.

Body scan
Another short meditation that can be done almost anywhere involves breathing deeply and mentally scanning your body for sensations, a technique popularized in the U.S. by mindfulness practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn. Depending on your location and comfort level, you can keep your eyes open or closed.

Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Start with your feet and work your way up, noticing any areas with pain, tightness, tingling, warmth or other sensations. Think about relaxing the muscles of any spots where there's tension.

"You're intentionally scanning your body," Beyer said. "You're thinking about, how do your feet feel in your shoes? How do your ankles feel? Knees, hips, ribs, shoulders, neck, head, and by the time you know it, you checked in with every part of your body."

Finger and thumb
Another discreet meditation technique is breathing deeply and joining your pointer finger to your thumb to form a circle. You can do this if you feel your stress level rising. "Say to yourself, whenever I put my finger and thumb together, I will be able to be peaceful and open-minded," Remati said.

If you're in a meeting and start to feel resentful or left out, you can do it under the table, and no one will know, she added.

The Club PUBlication 10/06/2025

10/6/2025

Minn. reports 13 more measles cases
10-case cluster in Dakota County hikes state count to 18 in 2025.
By JEREMY OLSON The Minnesota Star Tribune

"HEY BUDDY, LET'S GET VACCINATED!"

Thirteen measles cases have been identified over the past week in Minnesota, including a cluster of 10 cases in Dakota County and three separate cases among children exposed to the infectious disease during international travels.

The clusters raise the state's measles case count to 18 for 2025, the fifth-highest total in at least 15 years, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). None of the infected people in the latest clusters were vaccinated.

"Measles is one of the most infectious diseases on the planet. It spreads easily, and it finds those who are not vaccinated," said Myra Kunas, an assistant commissioner for MDH's Health Protection Bureau.

The infections occurred amid a continued decline in recommended vaccinations among Minnesota children before they enter kindergarten — a decline that was underway before President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is publicly skeptical of vaccine safety and has expressed concerns, contradicting considerable scientific research, that the measlesmumps-rubella (MMR) combination vaccine increases risks of autism.

Measles infections circulating among children in one Dakota County family were passed along by another individual who had symptoms but was never tested, according to MDH. That individual then passed the measles to related children.

The children in that cluster tested positive last week, and no new cases have been identified since that time, said Jayne Griffith, a senior MDH epidemiologist. That's raising hopes the outbreak in that Dakota County group has been contained.

However, Griffith said it's possible that the three children infected during international travel have spread measles to others in Minnesota. The three newly identified cases have no apparent links, but state health investigators are still trying to determine whether their infections came from a common source.

"They did not travel together in a group or tour or anything like that," she said.

Griffith encouraged people to seek testing if they develop fevers and other measleslike symptoms after exposure to people who have the disease, or if they develop the infection's characteristic rash.

Unvaccinated people exposed to measles are generally asked to stay home from work and public indoor places for 21 days to prevent further spread of the infection.

The measles virus is one of the most infectious agents on the planet, capable of lingering in the air and spreading to others for two hours after sick people have left the area.
A two-dose vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles, but the infectious disease is making a comeback in the United States as parents decline the shots for their children. The 1,500 U.S. cases this year represent the highest total since 1992.

Minnesota had one of the best measles vaccination rates in the nation a decade ago, when 94% of children had received the shots in time for kindergarten. However, the state had the sixth-worst rate, 87%, at the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Three children in the recent Minnesota clusters were hospitalized, Griffith said. The reporting of 13 cases and unrelated clusters at once is unusual and likely a random occurrence for Minnesota, she said, but it also is a "harbinger" given the increasingly unvaccinated and vulnerable population.

"There is a lot of measles out there," she said.

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