Dee DePass (@DeeDePass) profile picture

Dee DePass

@DeeDePass

Star Tribune Business Reporter

Joined February 2014
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Busy Baby, which became one of the faces of tariff woes, receives $50K tax refund startribune.com/ieepa-trade-…
Busy Baby, which became one of the faces of tariff woes, receives $50K tax refund

Busy Baby, which became one of the faces of tariff woes, receives $50K tax refund

Oronoco-based importer Beth Benike said the money helps, but the tariffs caused long-term damage to the company.

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Minnesota’s paid family medical leave surpasses projections in first six months startribune.com/minnesota-pa…
Minnesota’s paid family medical leave surpasses projections in first six months

Minnesota’s paid family medical leave surpasses projections in first six months

More than 124,000 Minnesotans have applied for the new state law that went into law Jan. 1.

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Minnesota restaurants and hotels brace for a lackluster summer startribune.com/hospitality-…
Minnesota restaurants and hotels brace for a lackluster summer

Minnesota restaurants and hotels brace for a lackluster summer

A survey by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Hospitality Minnesota found hospitality businesses had a tough start to the year and are pessimistic it will get much better.

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Offices are pressure cookers. Demanding that workers come in more often turns up the heat. startribune.com/offices-are-…
Offices are pressure cookers. Demanding that workers come in more often turns up the heat.

Offices are pressure cookers. Demanding that workers come in more often turns up the heat.

Companies such as Best Buy and General Mills recently added another mandatory in-office day, adding to high overall office stress over fears of layoffs and AI.

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Tariffs taxed Iron Range firm that’s now closing, laying off 75 startribune.com/trump-tariff…
Tariffs taxed Iron Range firm that’s now closing, laying off 75

Tariffs taxed Iron Range firm that’s now closing, laying off 75

Minnesota Twist Drill officials have said the company, which imports steel from China to make drill bits, was hit extremely hard by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

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Three months into Minnesota’s paid leave plan, interest still higher than expected startribune.com/minnesota-pa…
Three months into Minnesota’s paid leave plan, interest still higher than expected

Three months into Minnesota’s paid leave plan, interest still higher than expected

The state has had more applicants than expected while businesses find new ways to backfill for workers.

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What to know about Twin Metals, the company at the center of the overturned mining ban startribune.com/boundary-wat…
What to know about Twin Metals, the company at the center of the overturned mining ban

What to know about Twin Metals, the company at the center of the overturned mining ban

The U.S. Senate vote to end a ban near the Boundary Waters opens the door for the subsidiary of a Chilean mining operator to move forward with a long-planned copper-nickel project.

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Minnesota businesses line up for refunds on illegal tariffs startribune.com/trump-tariff…
Minnesota businesses line up for refunds on illegal tariffs

Minnesota businesses line up for refunds on illegal tariffs

The Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump’s tariffs illegal, but did not get into any process for making up lost revenue to businesses

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Twin Cities immigration crackdown delays home construction, slows real estate market startribune.com/ice-immigrat…
Twin Cities immigration crackdown delays home construction, slows real estate market

Twin Cities immigration crackdown delays home construction, slows real estate market

As immigrant workers move or stay home, a shortage of workers in the trades also is affecting the existing home market and rental owners.

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Some Republicans break from Trump on immigration surge after latest shooting startribune.com/it-needs-to-…
Some Republicans break from Trump on immigration surge after latest shooting

Some Republicans break from Trump on immigration surge after latest shooting

While only a handful, some suburban Republicans in the state Legislature say ICE’s Minnesota operation should be pulled back.

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Minnesota businesses shut down, protesters hit the streets in bitter cold to protest ICE startribune.com/minnesota-bu…
Minnesota businesses shut down, protesters hit the streets in bitter cold to protest ICE

Minnesota businesses shut down, protesters hit the streets in bitter cold to protest ICE

Hundreds of small businesses closed their doors Friday to demonstrate against federal immigration enforcement.

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Businesses turning to temps as employees flock to new paid leave program startribune.com/minnesota-pa…

Businesses turning to temps as employees flock to new paid leave program

Recruiters are adding staffers themselves as companies scramble to cover for employees who applied for the paid leave program that went into effect this month.

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In reporting this story, I learned all about dragons and the hoopla toy retailers are relying on to combat higher prices and win holiday sales this month. startribune.com/tariffs-toy-…
Despite higher prices because of tariffs, holiday traffic picks up at Minnesota toy stores

Despite higher prices because of tariffs, holiday traffic picks up at Minnesota toy stores

The holiday season started slow, and owners say they are worried about January, but several customers say they are purposely choosing independent small retailers this year.

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Ramstad: The term ‘horrible year’ is inadequate for the pain nonprofits have felt in 2025 startribune.com/ramstad-the-…
Ramstad: The term ‘horrible year’ is inadequate for the pain nonprofits have felt in 2025

Ramstad: The term ‘horrible year’ is inadequate for the pain nonprofits have felt in 2025

Kate Barr, a longtime leader on Minnesota’s nonprofit scene, says a big difference this year is charities have suffered alone.

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Twin Cities restaurants cling to holiday sales as a last chance to buoy tough year startribune.com/restaurants-…
Twin Cities restaurants cling to holiday sales as a last chance to buoy tough year

Twin Cities restaurants cling to holiday sales as a last chance to buoy tough year

With food prices hitting both restaurants and potential customers, diners have been cutting back, but restaurants remain hopeful.

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After a few hard years, Uptown merchants say holiday season is a must-win startribune.com/small-busine…
After a few hard years, Uptown merchants say holiday season is a must-win

After a few hard years, Uptown merchants say holiday season is a must-win

Independent merchants across the Twin Cities say Small Business Saturday is an important start to a critical time of year.

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Small firms reeling after U.S. Transportation Department guts diversity subcontractor program startribune.com/dbe-diversit…
Small firms reeling after U.S. Transportation Department guts diversity subcontractor program

Small firms reeling after U.S. Transportation Department guts diversity subcontractor program

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program will no longer use race or gender as reasons to qualify. It affects over 1,300 companies in Minnesota.

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Grocers hope court ruling is reprieve from SNAP funding halt startribune.com/snap-court-r…
Grocers hope court ruling is reprieve from SNAP funding halt

Grocers hope court ruling is reprieve from SNAP funding halt

After the Trump administration said it would not use contingency accounts to fund SNAP, the stores were bracing for a big drop in sales and also trying to help customers.

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From MSP to Main Street, Minnesota businesses feeling government shutdown startribune.com/minnesota-bu…
From MSP to Main Street, Minnesota businesses feeling government shutdown

From MSP to Main Street, Minnesota businesses feeling government shutdown

Executives at large companies and small-business owners are facing troubles as Congress is stuck in a shutdown.

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Halloween businesses were worried, but now think last-minute spending surge will save them startribune.com/minnesota-bu…
Halloween businesses were worried, but now think last-minute spending surge will save them

Halloween businesses were worried, but now think last-minute spending surge will save them

Specter of inflation, tariffs not enough to dampen sales, which are predicted to break records for the season.

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