Victor Stefanescu
@vstef.bsky.social
medtech reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune
A breakup or the cusp of greatness: What Medtronic’s big changes mean for its future www.startribune.com/medtronic-st...
A breakup or the cusp of greatness: What Medtronic’s big changes mean for its future
A decade after blockbuster $49.9 billion merger, former leaders say Minnesota-run medtech maker facing innovation reckoning.
www.startribune.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
A breakup or the cusp of greatness: What Medtronic’s big changes mean for its future www.startribune.com/medtronic-st...
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
The messages show high-level officials in the Trump administration discussing the possible deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an infantry force that has dropped into combat zones in both World Wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Trump officials discussed sending elite Army division to Portland, text messages show
A high-ranking White House official was indiscreetly texting about the Portland, Ore., planning last weekend, according to messages shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune.
bit.ly
October 4, 2025 at 12:05 AM
The messages show high-level officials in the Trump administration discussing the possible deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an infantry force that has dropped into combat zones in both World Wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
Minnesota Star Tribune to sell Minneapolis printing plant, lay off 125 workers
www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
Minnesota Star Tribune to sell Minneapolis printing plant, lay off 125 workers
The state’s largest media company will continue printing 7 days a week, but will outsource printing to Iowa.
www.startribune.com
September 8, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Minnesota Star Tribune to sell Minneapolis printing plant, lay off 125 workers
www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
www.startribune.com/minnesota-st...
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
Tomorrow's front page of The Minnesota Star Tribune
August 28, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Tomorrow's front page of The Minnesota Star Tribune
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
Last year, a fire threatened to forever shutter the 19 Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in the U.S.
Revived from the ashes, Minneapolis’ “gay living room” remains a vital and vibrant safe space for the LGBTQ community.
Revived from the ashes, Minneapolis’ “gay living room” remains a vital and vibrant safe space for the LGBTQ community.
Day turns to night in the 19 Bar, Minneapolis’ rebuilt ‘gay living room’
The 19 Bar in Loring Park survived the fire. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.
www.startribune.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Last year, a fire threatened to forever shutter the 19 Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in the U.S.
Revived from the ashes, Minneapolis’ “gay living room” remains a vital and vibrant safe space for the LGBTQ community.
Revived from the ashes, Minneapolis’ “gay living room” remains a vital and vibrant safe space for the LGBTQ community.
I recently spent a night in one of the oldest gay bars in America that survived a devastating fire in 2024. In the words of a bartender, the 19 Bar in Loring Park “can tell us a lot about the current atmosphere, culturally and politically.”
My dispatch:
www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...
My dispatch:
www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...
Day turns to night in the 19 Bar, Minneapolis’ rebuilt ‘gay living room’
The 19 Bar in Loring Park survived the fire. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.
www.startribune.com
June 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I recently spent a night in one of the oldest gay bars in America that survived a devastating fire in 2024. In the words of a bartender, the 19 Bar in Loring Park “can tell us a lot about the current atmosphere, culturally and politically.”
My dispatch:
www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...
My dispatch:
www.startribune.com/day-turns-to...
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune
June 15, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune
ICYMI: The White House is exempting products like kids' books from tariffs, but not medical supplies.
I studied the journey of the rubber glove and the supply chain of an ER to show what's at stake. "The worst consequence is actually shortages,” an expert said.
www.startribune.com/medical-supp...
I studied the journey of the rubber glove and the supply chain of an ER to show what's at stake. "The worst consequence is actually shortages,” an expert said.
www.startribune.com/medical-supp...
Tariffs force Minnesota hospitals to brace for high cost of medical equipment, supply challenges
Trade groups have urged President Donald Trump to exempt medical supplies and devices, to no avail. A look inside one Minneapolis hospital shows the complexity of this supply chain.
www.startribune.com
May 22, 2025 at 4:28 PM
ICYMI: The White House is exempting products like kids' books from tariffs, but not medical supplies.
I studied the journey of the rubber glove and the supply chain of an ER to show what's at stake. "The worst consequence is actually shortages,” an expert said.
www.startribune.com/medical-supp...
I studied the journey of the rubber glove and the supply chain of an ER to show what's at stake. "The worst consequence is actually shortages,” an expert said.
www.startribune.com/medical-supp...
ICYMI: As the Trump administration has slashed the FDA workforce, the agency has approved fewer new high-risk, lifechanging medical devices than anytime in the past decade.
“I can’t imagine a less-efficient approach than what the administration has already done,” a reviewer on leave said. ⏬
“I can’t imagine a less-efficient approach than what the administration has already done,” a reviewer on leave said. ⏬
April 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
ICYMI: As the Trump administration has slashed the FDA workforce, the agency has approved fewer new high-risk, lifechanging medical devices than anytime in the past decade.
“I can’t imagine a less-efficient approach than what the administration has already done,” a reviewer on leave said. ⏬
“I can’t imagine a less-efficient approach than what the administration has already done,” a reviewer on leave said. ⏬
New: U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of life-changing, high-risk medical devices reportedly slowed to a 10-year low for the January to March period, as sources say recent layoffs have had devastating effects.
More below
More below
April 8, 2025 at 8:26 PM
New: U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of life-changing, high-risk medical devices reportedly slowed to a 10-year low for the January to March period, as sources say recent layoffs have had devastating effects.
More below
More below
#MedTech firm NAMSA to lay off more than 50 in St. Paul after acquisition www.startribune.com/medtech-layo...
Medtech firm NAMSA to lay off more than 50 in St. Paul after acquisition
NAMSA previously acquired St. Paul’s WuXi AppTec, a laboratory services firm dating back to 2001.
www.startribune.com
April 8, 2025 at 3:58 PM
#MedTech firm NAMSA to lay off more than 50 in St. Paul after acquisition www.startribune.com/medtech-layo...
More on the PFA front: Abbott joins AFib-treating race with tech that may skip general anesthesia www.startribune.com/abbott-pulse...
Abbott joins AFib-treating race with tech that may skip general anesthesia
Abbott’s pulse field ablation system competes with products from Medtronic and Boston Scientific, which also have large operations in Minnesota.
www.startribune.com
April 1, 2025 at 9:21 PM
More on the PFA front: Abbott joins AFib-treating race with tech that may skip general anesthesia www.startribune.com/abbott-pulse...
3M spinoff Solventum revealed Thursday that its previously reported restructuring eliminated 800 positions, including 110 in Minnesota, and will result in $120 million in annual savings. www.startribune.com/solventum-la...
New Solventum layoff details emerge, including 110 Minnesota job cuts
The restructuring of Minnesota’s newest large public company announced in December will result in $120 million in annual savings.
www.startribune.com
March 20, 2025 at 8:58 PM
3M spinoff Solventum revealed Thursday that its previously reported restructuring eliminated 800 positions, including 110 in Minnesota, and will result in $120 million in annual savings. www.startribune.com/solventum-la...
Klobuchar, Smith advocate for turkey farmers amid bird flu outbreak www.startribune.com/bird-flu/601...
Klobuchar, Smith advocate for turkey farmers amid bird flu outbreak
At Willmar-area roundtable, the senators heard farmers' calls for revisions in biosecurity audits and said government needs to consider more funding for farmers.
www.startribune.com
March 19, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Klobuchar, Smith advocate for turkey farmers amid bird flu outbreak www.startribune.com/bird-flu/601...
What Minnesota needs to know about bird flu:
www.startribune.com/bird-flu-min...
www.startribune.com/bird-flu-min...
What Minnesotans need to know about bird flu risks
H5N1 is still wrecking farms, prompting surging grocery store prices and posing public health uncertainty three years after the state’s first poultry cases.
www.startribune.com
March 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM
What Minnesota needs to know about bird flu:
www.startribune.com/bird-flu-min...
www.startribune.com/bird-flu-min...
A respiratory therapist said Medtronic's recent axing of the historic Puritan Bennett ventilator franchise after decades in production felt like if Ford stopped making trucks. Now industry experts debate whether it leaves the ventilator industry underprepared.
www.startribune.com/inside-the-s...
www.startribune.com/inside-the-s...
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of Medtronic’s lifesaving ventilators
Medtronic’s Puritan Bennett devices were some of the world’s most important in 2020, but profits dipped as clinical preferences shifted. Experts disagree on what their extinction means for the future...
www.startribune.com
March 13, 2025 at 6:58 PM
A respiratory therapist said Medtronic's recent axing of the historic Puritan Bennett ventilator franchise after decades in production felt like if Ford stopped making trucks. Now industry experts debate whether it leaves the ventilator industry underprepared.
www.startribune.com/inside-the-s...
www.startribune.com/inside-the-s...
Reposted by Victor Stefanescu
Five years ago, the ventilator was a symbol of the pandemic.
Medtronic ramped up production and made blueprints public so others could replicate.
Now, it's shuttering that business.
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of its lifesaving ventilators. By @vstef.bsky.social
Medtronic ramped up production and made blueprints public so others could replicate.
Now, it's shuttering that business.
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of its lifesaving ventilators. By @vstef.bsky.social
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of Medtronic’s lifesaving ventilators
Medtronic’s Puritan Bennett devices were some of the world’s most important in 2020, but profits dipped as clinical preferences shifted. Experts disagree on what their extinction means for the future...
www.startribune.com
March 13, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Five years ago, the ventilator was a symbol of the pandemic.
Medtronic ramped up production and made blueprints public so others could replicate.
Now, it's shuttering that business.
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of its lifesaving ventilators. By @vstef.bsky.social
Medtronic ramped up production and made blueprints public so others could replicate.
Now, it's shuttering that business.
Inside the slow rise and sudden death of its lifesaving ventilators. By @vstef.bsky.social
Hi Minnesota! I'm covering bird flu for the @startribune.com this week. What are your questions about the virus? Eggs? Public health? Agriculture? I'm hoping to answer them in a story. #journorequests #birdflu #minnesota
March 10, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Hi Minnesota! I'm covering bird flu for the @startribune.com this week. What are your questions about the virus? Eggs? Public health? Agriculture? I'm hoping to answer them in a story. #journorequests #birdflu #minnesota
How Boston Scientific (sort of) became ‘Minnesota Scientific:’ It has roughly doubled its Minnesota workforce in the last 15 years to about 10,000, and it’s not done expanding. Hear from CEO Mike Mahoney:
www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
How Boston Scientific (sort of) became ‘Minnesota Scientific’
The company bearing Boston’s name has approximately 10,000 employees in Minnesota, doubling in the past 15 years. And it’s not done growing.
www.startribune.com
March 6, 2025 at 8:56 PM
How Boston Scientific (sort of) became ‘Minnesota Scientific:’ It has roughly doubled its Minnesota workforce in the last 15 years to about 10,000, and it’s not done expanding. Hear from CEO Mike Mahoney:
www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
The massive robot-making, pacemaker-inventing medtech company Medtronic is facing a financial snag: the humble stapler.
Company stock tumbled about 7% in early trading Tuesday as investors reacted to #medsurg troubles. @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/medtronic-ea...
Company stock tumbled about 7% in early trading Tuesday as investors reacted to #medsurg troubles. @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/medtronic-ea...
Medtronic stock moves lower amid declines in surgical stapler business
The staples distributor issue added to a mixed quarterly report for Medtronic, which is run out of Fridley.
www.startribune.com
February 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The massive robot-making, pacemaker-inventing medtech company Medtronic is facing a financial snag: the humble stapler.
Company stock tumbled about 7% in early trading Tuesday as investors reacted to #medsurg troubles. @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/medtronic-ea...
Company stock tumbled about 7% in early trading Tuesday as investors reacted to #medsurg troubles. @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/medtronic-ea...
Climbing sales for a made-in-Minnesota system treating atrial fibrillation helped sustain Boston Scientific’s streak of bullish results as the company brushed off tariffs. $BSX @startribune.com www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
Boston Scientific remains bullish despite tariffs with sales buoyed by Minnesota tech
The medtech company with roughly 10,000 Minnesota employees reported annual revenue exceeding $16 billion.
www.startribune.com
February 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Climbing sales for a made-in-Minnesota system treating atrial fibrillation helped sustain Boston Scientific’s streak of bullish results as the company brushed off tariffs. $BSX @startribune.com www.startribune.com/boston-scien...
The top medtech trade organization calls for medical device exemptions. Medtronic is ready to “develop mitigation strategies if necessary.”
@startribune.com #MedTech
www.startribune.com/medtech-tari...
@startribune.com #MedTech
www.startribune.com/medtech-tari...
Fearing impact on jobs and R&D, medtech group calls for tariff exemptions
The top medtech trade organization calls for medical device exemptions. Medtronic is ready to “develop mitigation strategies if necessary.”
www.startribune.com
February 3, 2025 at 11:55 PM
The top medtech trade organization calls for medical device exemptions. Medtronic is ready to “develop mitigation strategies if necessary.”
@startribune.com #MedTech
www.startribune.com/medtech-tari...
@startribune.com #MedTech
www.startribune.com/medtech-tari...
NEW: Execs at medtech company Integra, which makes brain surgery products, repeatedly belittled potential safety concerns and pressured their chief quality officer to lie to regulators, a lawsuit in federal court in Minnesota says. #IART @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/integra-qual...
www.startribune.com/integra-qual...
Amid recalls, Minnesota medtech exec says she was pressured to disregard safety law
Susan Krause of Rosemount alleged New Jersey-based Integra LifeSciences pressured her to lie to regulators. Integra says “salacious” allegations aren’t true.
www.startribune.com
January 30, 2025 at 11:11 PM
NEW: Execs at medtech company Integra, which makes brain surgery products, repeatedly belittled potential safety concerns and pressured their chief quality officer to lie to regulators, a lawsuit in federal court in Minnesota says. #IART @startribune.com
www.startribune.com/integra-qual...
www.startribune.com/integra-qual...
The pink, white and red blob of tissue quivers in a vat of clear goop about the size of a kitchen sink. This disembodied heart fuels innovation pipeline.
Come inside the U's Visible Heart lab with me and @startribune.com. www.startribune.com/inside-the-l...
Come inside the U's Visible Heart lab with me and @startribune.com. www.startribune.com/inside-the-l...
Inside the lab that’s the beating heart of Medtronic’s product pipeline
At the University of Minnesota, researchers keep hearts alive outside the body for hours. Medtronic uses them to develop blockbuster devices.
www.startribune.com
January 30, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The pink, white and red blob of tissue quivers in a vat of clear goop about the size of a kitchen sink. This disembodied heart fuels innovation pipeline.
Come inside the U's Visible Heart lab with me and @startribune.com. www.startribune.com/inside-the-l...
Come inside the U's Visible Heart lab with me and @startribune.com. www.startribune.com/inside-the-l...