Secrets of the City

Literary arts magazine Paper Darts will collaborate with SooLOCAL Art Gallery (a division of Soo Vac) from June 1 to July 20 to celebrate the TC’s emerging literature and art scenes. Those who pass by 3506 Nicollet Ave. S. will see more than 25 different organizations transform the storefront into a magical literary art escape to explore the theme, “a storefront for storytelling.”

The six-week long exhibition will promote the blending of literature and visual arts by exhibiting the work of writers, sculptors, comic artists, musicians, poets, GIF artists, and stage actors from across the globe. Events will take place every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

The Mall of America, where you get the ultimate mall experience, may double in size thanks to a $250 million tax break passed by Minnesota lawmakers.

That tax break is part of the tax bill that Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to sign this week.

What does the $1.5 billion expansion entail? Only the addition of stores, hotels, office towers, a performing arts center, waterpark, and—get ready for it—even possibly an NHL-sized skating rink, oh my! There are also plans for a glass-enclosed shopping area and parking ramps.

The expansion would most likely take years to build and mall officials are unable to share when the project could start.

We’ve told you about Abby Harrison before, but now the aspiring astronaut has confirmed that she’s launch ready after an extremely successful crowd-funding venture with the website RocketHub.

Now the teenage Twitter-prodigy is confirmed for a trip to Kazakhstan to watch the launch of a Soyuz rocket on May 28, according to the STrib. As we mentioned before, she’s going to be doing more than stargazing—Harrison plans to tweet, tape, and type up her experiences for her 8,000+ twitter followers. Even if you aren’t one of them, watch for the hashtag #soyuzadventure to track her progress.

She’s attending the launch as her mentor, astronaut Luca Parmitano, begins a stint aboard the International Space Station. While Parmitano is zipping through space 250 miles overhead, Harrison will be working on outreach for the space program here on earth.

While missing her ambitious, self-imposed 2013-deadline for reaching Mars was a small setback, Harrison’s trip to watch the launch is one giant leap toward achieving her dreams.

MPR’s Bob Collins has noticed a trend in Super Bowl city selections, and depending on where Vikings stadium funding comes from, Minneapolis could be well positioned to host the 2018 game.

His comments came after Super Bowl L was awarded to San Francisco, seen as punishment for Miami lawmakers’ refusal to use public funds to improve the Dolphins stadium. Since the city of Santa Clara is funding almost the entire 49ers stadium, the argument stands to reason.

If Collins’s logic is correct, the new Vikings Stadium may have a longer wait ahead, seeing as funding is split between cigarette taxes, gambling revenue, and pull-tab funds. But if the league is just looking to reward newer stadiums, the edgy new design could win back favor.

Either way, we’d prefer the team made it to the game the old-fashioned way—by playing in it.