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By Janet Moore

The Minnesota Star Tribune

Hello, Dishers.

Hasn't it been a lovely break from the rigors of the Capitol this week? I hope you enjoyed the temperate weather yesterday because storms are reportedly coming this afternoon. 

Before I move on to the news, I wanted to let you know Hot Dish will not publish on Friday, but rest assured, we'll be back on Monday as things ramp back up at the Capitol.

Now on to the news, how about some populist economics? Spring is always a busy homebuying season, but this year, President Donald Trump's global trade wars have caused mortgage interest rates to suddenly spike, reports the Strib's Jim Buchta.

Mortgage rates had been trending down for the first three months of the year to 6.48% on a 30-year fixed-rate conforming mortgage. But as of Monday, the same rate neared 7%, according to Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices.

Said one banker: “The last couple weeks have been like a whipsaw.”

As Jim writes, the situation is vexing but not a dealbreaker for many buyers, especially those who need to buy quickly.

In addition, purchase agreements increased 4% statewide and 5.5% in the metro area compared with a year ago. Sellers were even more active; as compared to last year, new listings increased 11.4% statewide and 12.1% across the 16-county metro.

Prices also posted healthy gains. The median price of all sales in the metro was $380,000, a 3.5% increase from last year. Across the state, the median price increased 3.5% to $345,000, according to Minnesota Realtors.

But these numbers do not take into account the aforementioned trade war. Read more here.

Craig hits the road: On Monday, I attended U.S. Rep. Angie Craig's town hall meeting in Lakeville, where some 600 other people showed up as well. Many said they came out because they were worried about the effects of the aforementioned (I do love this word) trade wars, and possible cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP benefits and Social Security.

Now Craig, a Democrat representing the state's Second District, is taking a road trip to Republican districts throughout Minnesota. On Monday, she'll be in Grand Rapids, that's Republican Rep. Pete Stauber's district; St. Cloud on Wednesday (Rep. Tom Emmer); Willmar on Thursday (Rep. Michelle Fischbach) and Mankato on Friday (Rep. Brad Finstad). 

Hmm. Craig said Monday that she'll make an announcement by the end of the month about her future plans, which may include a run for Sen. Tina Smith's seat. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and former state Sen. Melissa Lopez-Franzen, both Democrats, have already announced they’re running for the seat.

Couple with disabilities fights eviction. What would you do if you were a person with disabilities who was evicted from your home? In Darrell Paulsen's case, you'd defy a court order to leave.

That's what happened earlier this week when a crowd of supporters gathered outside Paulsen's Maplewood apartment. He and his longtime partner, Nikki Villavicencio, a Maplewood City Council member, said they had nowhere to go.

“We made this a home where we can live independently and not have to be in a facility,” Paulsen said of the $85,000 in state-paid accommodations to make the unit accessible for the wheelchair-dependent couple over the past six years.

State lawmakers told the crowd that they want to help the couple do just that, boosting eviction protections for Minnesotans with disabilities. Rep. Peter Fischer, DFL-Maplewood, and Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, said it appears there are no special state protections against eviction for people with disabilities.

“We need to change that,” Hoffman said. More here.

The governor will speak at the Hmong National Development Conference and has meetings scheduled with State Auditor Julie Blaha, the Sunburst Memorials leadership, and the Council of Health Plans. In the afternoon, Walz will interview candidates to fill a vacancy in the First Judicial District.

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We rounded up a few more campaign finance numbers released this week from the Republican side of Minnesota’s delegation:

In short, not much!

Here's the Capitol Complex calendar. 

Progressive group Indivisible will hold a rally today to protest Trump administration cuts to the National Park Service and the closure of the Mississippi River Visitor Center in St. Paul. More details here.