“Good Morning America” dedicated more than four minutes of airtime Tuesday to celebrate the “St. Anthony Main neighborhood,” the artsy area along the Mississippi River across from downtown Minneapolis.

In a live segment in front of the Main Cinema, correspondent Alex Perez called the area in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood a “hidden gem” as about two dozen locals held up signs proclaiming their love for the Twin Cities.

A taped segment gave viewers a quick history lesson of the area and spotlighted folks including Aster Cafe general manager Shane Arundel, water taxi operator Cory Parkos and Bill Neuenschwander, who leads Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront. After nodding to the TC Swing classes that take place in the area, Perez introduced a couple who showed off their moves on cobblestone SE. Main Street.

Back in the New York studio, the show’s hosts burst into the applause. No one cheered louder than ABC News chief business reporter Rebecca Jarvis, who grew up in Minnesota.

“Minneapolis represents!” she said before tacking on the fact she used to take art classes not far from where Perez was broadcasting.

The segment was part of “GMA’s” regular series, “Main Street USA,” which kicked off last July in Stillwater.

The long-running morning show, which airs locally from 7 to 9 a.m., will visit Ann Arbor, Mich., Wednesday.

Delta to Tulum

Delta Air Lines is expanding its warm-weather options for next winter, including an all-new connection to a Mexican gem. With little fanfare last week, Delta added weekly flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul to the new airport in Tulum, Mexico (TQO), on Saturdays from Dec. 21 to April 5. The Caribbean coastal town is considered a more laid-back alternative to nearby Cancun, and a gateway to the all-inclusive resorts of the Riviera Maya. On July 1, we spotted round-trip fares for Jan. 4-11 as low as $469 in economy, or 30,000 SkyMiles plus $110. (Those prices are subject to change.) The four-hour flight is on a Boeing 737-800.

Delta previously announced it was adding service from MSP to the Caribbean islands of Aruba and St. Maarten, and increasing flights to Grand Cayman and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sun Country Airlines also flies the latter four routes.

Simon Peter Groebner

‘The Bear’ food tour in Chicago

Claudia Dietrich and Ross Lloyd boarded a bus bound for the hottest tourist spot in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The couple weren’t deterred by the winding line out the front door. Their destination? Mr. Beef, the no-frills sandwich joint featured on Hulu’s smash hit “The Bear.” It’s the first stop on a guided food tour inspired by the series. A traditional Chicago sandwich shop may seem like an unconventional excursion. But since “The Bear” debuted, tourists have flocked to Mr. Beef, which opened in 1963. Chicago Food & City Tours began the themed excursions in November after months of requests from guests. The tour is modeled after an episode when sous chef Sydney treks across the city to try different restaurants “This is something that brought us to Chicago, there’s no doubt about that,” said Dietrich, a 72-year-old Milwaukee resident. “I just think the show is so authentic. And you can practically taste the food when you watch.”

Chicago Tribune

Airbnb vs. hotels

Upgraded Points recently analyzed average nightly rates for hotels and Airbnbs in 100 of the largest U.S. cities to reveal where it’s worth it to book a hotel stay over an Airbnb or vice versa. Airbnb was determined to be more cost-effective in 71 of the 100 cities, with an average nightly rate of $156 (entire homes only) compared with $208 for hotels. In some cities in the Midwest, the difference was roughly $200 per night.

The top U.S. cities where hotels cost more than Airbnbs included: Milwaukee (hotel average $351 vs. Airbnb average $138); Chicago (hotel average $364 vs. Airbnb average $166) Omaha (hotel $343 vs. Airbnb $145); and Cleveland (hotel $322 vs. Airbnb $125).

The top U.S. cities where Airbnbs cost more than hotels included: Madison, Wis. (Airbnb $223 vs. hotel $167); Tucson (Airbnb $142 vs. hotel $99); Bakersfield, Calif. (Airbnb $164 vs. hotel $123); and Jackson, Miss. (Airbnb $1501 vs. hotel $113).

TravelPulse

Opinion editor’s note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

Six “textualists” on the U.S. Supreme Court did a Google search on the Constitution and found the phrase “absolute immunity.” I am still trying to find it, and Richard Nixon says, “Where were you 50 years ago?”

James Halvorson, Farmington

•••

So if the Supreme Court said former President Donald Trump has limited liability when he acted in his official position, then so does President Joe Biden. Biden will be president at least until January, so I suggest he gets to work now! Declare that the Supreme Court is eliminated, declare term limits for all justices and have all candidates run for election. Second, arrest Trump for charges related to the attempt to overthrow the government. Third, declare a new election if he loses. Fourth, do whatever you want after that.

Doug Jensen, Minnetonka

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Time to consider alternatives

Reflecting on the recent presidential debate, I am reminded how difficult it is for someone in power to relinquish the reins when it’s time to do so. It does not matter if it’s an evil dictator (Vladimir Putin and a host of others) or a benevolent person (Pope Francis, Joe Biden, Dianne Feinstein), people in power cling on to the bitter end, even at the risk of tarnishing their legacy. Biden has done a great job helping the country overcome a pandemic, restoring our status with our allies, standing up to Putin, among multiple other achievements. It would enhance his legacy to facilitate transition to a younger, unifying candidate. I would think he and people in the upper echelons of the party could come up with a suitable candidate who hopefully might diminish the political rancor in the country.

Allen Fongemie, St. Paul

•••

I keep hearing about how so many people are frustrated about the prospect of a Trump-Biden rematch in the upcoming presidential election, about the exasperation that many feel about the idea that these two deeply flawed candidates are the best options to lead our troubled nation.

But there is another, better option: Bobby Kennedy Jr.

Even though the media can’t seem to mention his name without telling the reader what to think about him or labeling him with some sort of smear — e.g., “conspiracy theorist” or “anti-vaxxer” — and even though almost no mention is ever made of his deeply considered and substantial policy perspectives, Kennedy is a candidate worth careful consideration.

If the media would explore his cogent ideas about foreign policy, the decimation of the middle class, regulatory capture, chronic illness, environmental justice, and free speech — rather than repeating ad nauseam their inaccurate caricatures of him — people might find in Kennedy a candidate well-suited to lead in these tumultuous times.

I ask the media to do its job: to fairly present each candidate’s positions and enable citizens to make their own informed choices.

Pierre MacGillis, Minneapolis

••••

I am a retired physician with Parkinson’s disease. I watched the debate and noted the following observations about President Biden:

• Didn’t swing right arm when he walked in.

• Marked reduction in eye blink rate.

• Mask facies. No animation.

• Monotone, thin, soft voice.

• Poor enunciation.

• Lost his train of thought frequently.

Sounds a lot like me. I am convinced that Biden has Parkinson’s disease. This is not the Joe Biden of 2020. The differences are striking. He has a progressive neurologic disease that impairs cognitive ability in many if not most patients. I think Biden should have cognitive testing with the full results made public. No hiding behind HIPAA. Given the progressive nature of the disease, he should not run for re-election. The job is just too demanding. I can’t believe the Democrats can’t do better than the current and future iterations of President Biden. I agree that Trump is profoundly unfit for different reasons, but that is no excuse to run a man whose judgment may not always be trusted.

Willam Sharer, Minneapolis

•••

Gov. Tim Walz’s remarks in support of Biden after his disastrous debate performance need to be reexamined. “Look, we don’t abandon our folks. We [could] probably take a lesson from the Republicans. They won’t abandon their folks on 34 felony charges.” What Walz is describing is a cult of personality. Yes, Republicans are loyal to Donald Trump, but that does not mean Democrats ought to create their own cult of personality. Americans ought to be loyal to democracy, not to a man (or woman). If beating Trump in November is about saving democracy, then Democrats ought to be brave and do the hard (not impossible) thing and nominate a better candidate at the convention. Democratic voters will not be blind to what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears: Biden cannot reliably lead any longer. We need a younger, more capable candidate. Walz has been a brave leader for our state and he can do so again by saying the obvious: President Biden, we have appreciated your service to our country and now it’s time to step down.

Lacey Parr, Duluth

POLICE CONTRACT

What about ‘bad’ cops?

A June 30 commentary by Mayor Jacob Frey and two people he hand-picked to reform the Minneapolis Police Department urges the City Council to approve a proposed new police contract (“Police contract delivers change for Minneapolis residents, officers”). Stating the obvious, the authors tell us that the proposed contract is a compromise — but are extremely vague on who got what. A primary contract negotiation goal for any union is increased pay, and we know from previous Star Tribune reporting that the proposed contract gives raises of “nearly 22%.” But what are we Minneapolis taxpayers getting?

An obvious goal, shared by most, would be to reduce or eliminate the costly (and embarrassing) penalties we keep paying for the misbehavior of “bad” cops. We don’t know how many remain on the MPD — maybe (as some suggest) only a few, but frequent and continuing litigation suggests that the number isn’t zero. We’ve been repeatedly told over the years that the contract is a major barrier to firing bad cops, so restructuring the contract to eliminate that barrier would be a priority for me.

The commentary includes vague references to “increased transparency, accountability and oversight,” but none of the bullet-point examples provided by the authors clearly address this problem. I’m willing to pay higher taxes for better cops, but it’s been four years since George Floyd’s murder, and I’m reluctant to swallow a 22% increase until I see evidence of real reform.

John K. Trepp, Minneapolis

BLACKOUT PLATES

An odd choice in a state with such abundant color

I have been seeing the new Minnesota black-and-white license plates on cars this spring. On Sunday, I biked around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. There was a clear blue sky. There were sailboats in the water, and there was so much greenery it was like paradise. It was truly the land of sky-blue waters. Then I thought of those boring black-and-white license plates and thought we can be more creative than that.

Betty Jacobson, Eden Prairie