Teachers in one of Minnesota’s largest school districts say they’re ready to take a strike vote this week without a new contract.

Minneapolis Federation of Educators leaders will be back at the bargaining table on Tuesday. Teachers say the mediation session is the last chance to come to an agreement before a strike vote. 

The union says talks with the Minneapolis school district have stalled. Among the sticking points: pay and class sizes. The Minneapolis Federation of Educators says they’re also fighting for the expansion of special education and English language learners resources. 

Voting could start as soon as Thursday. 

In a statement, Minneapolis Public Schools said in part, “While the district’s budget is tighter than ever due to the historic underfunding of public education and expenses outpacing our revenue, we hope to reach an agreement that is fair, student-centered, and ensures the district can thrive even if there are state and federal funding cuts.”

Last year, Minneapolis teachers averted a strike after working 300 days without a contract. In 2022, teachers did strike, leaving students out of the classroom for three weeks and delaying the start to summer vacation. 

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Timberwolves open the 2025-26 regular season Wednesday night at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Monday, the Timberwolves unveiled Prince-themed City Edition purple jerseys that they’ll wear for select games this season.

Prince-themed jerseys

What we know:

The “Purple Rain” style jerseys were first introduced in 2018 and quickly became among the team’s most popular. They were made to celebrate the life, legacy and sound of Prince.

The team offered details on what the jersey will look like:

• A paisley detail in the left short vent, nodding to Prince’s creative sanctuary, Paisley Park.
• Faux studded pattern on the right shoulder that echoes the iconic jacket worn during his Purple Rain performance.
• “MPLS” on the left leg to represent the Minneapolis Sound Prince pioneered.
• Tonal purple Timberwolves logos on the leg and waistband, stylized “Wolves” chest mark inspired by Purple Rain, and custom number set that plays homage to his iconic Love Symbol.

Prince nights at Target Center

Why you should care:

The Prince-inspired jersey rollout also will include a custom court design at Target Center, featuring his Love Symbol at center court. There are also in-arena performances planned by artists who worked closely with Prince.

The Timberwolves will debut the purple jerseys this year on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Target Center. That’s their first Prince-themed night at Target Center. The Timberwolves will wear the jerseys for seven home games.

Timberwolves Black Tree uniforms

Dig deeper:

Back in September, the Timberwolves unveiled “Black Tree” style uniforms that they will wear this season to pay tribute to the teams that regularly made the Western Conference Playoffs. That was a time when Kevin Garnett led the franchise. They’ll wear the uniforms for 21 home games.

Timberwolves season starts

What’s next:

The Timberwolves open the regular season with a pair of late night West Coast games. They’re at the Trail Blazers Wednesday night, then at the L.A. Lakers Friday night. The Timberwolves host the Indiana Pacers for their home opener on Sunday, Oct. 26.

The Timberwolves are coming off a second straight run to the Western Conference Finals.

With Halloween well over a week away and leaves just beginning to turn, a temporary Christmas-themed pastry shop has opened its doors in the middle of October.

Crowds were out the door Wednesday night at the opening of the Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-Up in Minneapolis.

“I’m a little bit embarrassed by how much I love Christmas,” said Gaosong Heu, co-founder of Marc Heu Patisserie Paris.

Heu, alongside her husband and chef, Marc Heu, said they found vacant space in Linden Hills less than two months ago. They’re selling their croissants, cakes, tarts and drinks, much like they do at their St. Paul location. This Christmas shop just adds a bit more holiday flair.

“The neighbors wer just so curious they were like ‘what are you doing, why is there trees and lights?’” said Heu.

“I was excited to see that it was just down the street from where we live,” said Megan Shakow.

Shakow was at the pop-up Sunday, despite the fact her Halloween decorations aren’t even up yet.

“It’s a little odd, feels a little premature, but I like Christmas,” said Shakow.

“We heard that like things sold out by noon yesterday, so we were like we have to be here before that happens,” said Oubedia Ouro-Akondo.    

Ouro-Akondo and her friend Cathy Ngo wanted to see the holiday hype firsthand. Ouro-Akondo said she’s feeling the October Christmas spirit, despite the fact it’s way too early to decorate at home.

“I just thought since we’re going into the holiday season, people love Christmas, I love Christmas, let’s do a holiday pop-up,” said Heu.

The pop-up stays up through Dec. 31 and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Heu said she and her husband are in talks with the building owner to potentially stay at the location beyond the holidays.