September 2020 - Page 7 of 9 - The Minnesota Sun

Exclusive: Creator of Capitol Hill Musical ‘K Street’ Hosts First Zoom Table Read Wednesday

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 Neil W. McCabe

The creator and producer of “K Street, NW: A Capitol Hill Musical” told the Star News Network what motivated him to capture search for love while balancing principle and compromise in Washington and set it to music.

“It is about a young woman from Iowa, who comes to Washington, D.C, to be a Hill intern and as she learns about Capitol Hill, she rises up the ranks to become a chief of staff for a senator with promising political prospects,” said Karl Amadeus Notturno, who is a Publicus Fellow at the Claremont Institute.

Minnesota DFL House Leaders Will Host Fundraiser with Candidate Who Threatened to Burn Down Hugo

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The DFL House Caucus plans to host an official fundraising event this week with John Thompson, Alpha News has learned.

Thompson was at the center of a viral video captured by Alpha News last month in which he screamed profanities at a group of young girls and threatened to burn down a neighborhood. At one point he told a man holding a blue lives matter sign to “take that sign” and “stick it in your ass.”

From Nixon to Trump: EPA Chief Touts Environmental Gains, Hits ‘Single Issue Advocacy’

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the government has reduced air pollution by 7%, declared Superfund sites safe again at a record pace, and directed tens of billions of dollars to ensuring clean water, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Thursday in a speech marking the agency’s 50th anniversary.

Coalition Argues Taxpayer Dollars Should Fund Students, Not Institutions

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

More than 60 organizations in the U.S. have created a movement – “Yes. Every kid” – promoting policies and funding at a national and local level that focus on the needs of families and students over institutions.

At a time when tens of millions of students face nearly six months without consistent schooling, and while many schools are not reopening, the coalition argues that tax and other dollars should be sent directly to families to determine which educational opportunities are best for them.

“Families have already paid for the ability to access public education” through tax dollars, the coalition says. “Any additional funds should be provided directly to families via grants, stipends, rebates, or other mechanisms designed to help cover the schooling, courses, devices, connectivity, tutoring, socialization, extracurricular activities, and other forms of learning that have been left to parents to pay for.”

Harris’ Mostly Virtual Campaign to get Wisconsin Road Test

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 The Associated Press

Kamala Harris told a friendly crowd of Hollywood donors on Thursday they’d be surprised by how many states she’s visiting daily, if only virtually.

Earlier in the week, she’d campaigned before supporters in Minnesota, California and Connecticut, and she was greeting Missouri donors next.

Harris hasn’t been on a plane in more than a month. Three weeks after joining Joe Biden as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, the California senator is still campaigning largely in front of a computer screen to relatively small audiences.

Fraternal Order of Police Endorses Trump, Including Lodge in Biden’s Home State

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Fraternal Order of Police, one of the nation’s largest law enforcement organizations, on Friday unanimously gave its national endorsement to President Trump’s re-election, while its local lodge in Delaware turned its back on home state son Joe Biden to also support the GOP nominee.

“Look at what the national discourse has focused on for the last six months. President Trump has shown time after time that he supports our law enforcement officers and understands the issues our members face every day,” FOP National President Patrick Yoes said in announcing the endorsement. “The FOP is proud to endorse a candidate who calls for law and order across our nation. He has the full and enthusiastic support of the FOP.”

Bishop Aubrey Shines Tells Sebastian Gorka Why Conservative Clergy of Color Demands Meeting with CEO of Nike

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 Julie Carr

During Saturday’s podcast of America First with Sebastian Gorka, host Gorka welcomed Conservative Clergy of Color member Bishop Aubrey Shines to the show to discuss his recent announcement that takes the CEO of Nike to task for contributing to a communist country and using slave labor for production while using his athlete foot soldiers to promote divisiveness in America.

Peter Strzok Defends FBI Against FISA Abuse Allegations, Says Agents Were ‘Overworked’

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Former FBI official Peter Strzok defended the bureau’s surveillance of former Trump aide Carter Page in an interview aired Sunday, attributing failures found in a government watchdog report to agents being “overworked.”

“I don’t think at all that it’s anything improper. You get people who are overworked, who make mistakes — and don’t get me wrong, inexcusable mistakes,” Strzok said in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning.”

Commentary: We Know Why Donald Trump Wins Re-Election

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Donald Trump wins reelection because his supporters enjoy but one means of political expression: the ballot box. Donald Trump loses reelection because his supporters enjoy but one means of political expression: the ballot box.
We do not know who claims victory for another two months but we already know why it happened.

Michigan’s Top Elections Official Says That Results Won’t Be Available November 3

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Sunday that it could take up to a week to count all of Michigan’s absentee ballots for November’s election.

“We should be prepared for this to be closer to an election week, as opposed to an Election Day,” she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The bottom line is we are not going to have the full results and a counting of all of our ballots on election night.”

Benson said that Michigan’s election officials were “laser-focused” on ensuring that all ballots are counted accurately, and referenced how her office had purchased more voting tabulators in order to ensure that the influx of absentee ballots could be counted as efficiently as possible.

Ohio School Bans ‘Thin Blue Line’ Flag

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

An Ohio county commissioner asked a superintendent on Tuesday to step down for banning thin blue line flags from “pre-game activities,” according to letters obtained by a local NBC affiliate.
Geauga County Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri criticized Superintendent Michael Hanlon Jr.’s announcement that thin blue line flags would be prohibited from school activities after members of the Chardon football team carried one onto the field before a Friday game, 3WKYC Studios reported.

U.S. Sens. Alexander, Scott Key in Growing Push to Include School Choice in Federal Relief Bill

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

As Congress remains at an impasse regarding the next round of COVID-19 relief, a measure that would create a permanent tax credit scholarship for students to attend schools of their choice could be included in the relief package.

The School Choice Now Act, presented by U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Tim Scott (R-SC) has the support of President Donald Trump’s administration, and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has advocated strongly for the measure to be included in the next round of COVID-19 relief funding.

Trump Says He Will Stop Funding Schools That Teach New York Times’ 1619 Project

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Donald Trump said in a tweet Sunday that the Department of Education would stop funding California public schools if they teach the New York Times’ 1619 Project.

“Department of Education is looking at this. If so, they will not be funded!” Trump said in a tweet as a response to a post that claimed “california has implemented the 1619 project into the public schools. soon you wont recognize america[sic].”

White Professor at George Washington University Admits to Pretending to Be Black

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

A professor at George Washington University is facing widespread backlash after admitting that, after years of pretending to be black, she is actually White, according to CNN.

The professor is Jessica Krug, who teaches African and Latin-American Studies, and has written numerous papers on Africa and Latin America, repeatedly citing her own alleged heritage from both continents. However, Krug confessed to the racial lie in a blog post on the website Medium titled “The Truth, and the Anti-Black Violence of My Lies.”

Commentary: When Wish Replaces Thought

September 7, 2020September 6, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Don’t you just love Paul Krugman? One of loudest of the many anti-Trump hysterics employed by the New York Times, the former economist has been a reliable source of comedy at least since election night 2016. Once the worst was certain and the world learned that Donald Trump had indeed been elected president of the United States, Krugman pondered the markets, which had plunged overnight. “When might we expect them to recover?” he asked. “A first-pass answer is never . . . So we are very probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight.”

Team Trump Bus Tour MAGA Meetup Comes to Marshall, Later Joined by Senate Candidate Jason Lewis

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 Corinne Murdock

A Trump Bus Tour/MAGA meetup will arrive in Marshall, Minnesota next week. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis tweeted a link to the event signup page Sunday.

Battleground Minnesota Saga: Donald Trump Jr. and Jill Biden to Host Campaign Events on the Same Day Next Week

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Both Donald Trump Jr. and Jill Biden on September 9 will arrive in Minnesota as part of campaign efforts for the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. Trump Jr. will host a “Make America Great Again” rally in Duluth, while Jill while host a “Back to School Tour” in the Twin Cities.

These visits are the latest in a campaign tug of war over Minnesota. Most recently, President Donald J. Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden released back-to-back campaign ads in the state. Both opponents pointed fingers at the other as the blame for nationwide riots.

Exclusive: Pollster Explains His Finding That 10 Percent of Trump Supporters Lie on Surveys

September 6, 2020September 14, 2020 Neil W. McCabe

The lead researcher of the study: “Are Election 2020 Poll Respondents Honest About Their Vote?” told Star News Network there are twice as many “shy voters” among the supporters of President Donald J. Trump than among supporters of former vice president Joseph J. Biden Jr. “The term ‘shy voter’ has…

Commentary: The Inevitable Implosion of Biden’s Campaign

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

It’s tempting to attribute Joe Biden’s plummeting poll numbers in key battleground states to his dilatory denunciation of the riots that still ravage their Democrat-run cities. However, the campaign’s fatal flaw is more subtle than Biden’s tacit approval of mob violence. It is rooted in the classism that resulted in his nomination to be the Democratic standard bearer. Among the progressives who control the party it’s an article of faith that President Trump’s base consists of undereducated working-class whites. Thus, they reluctantly supported Biden’s nomination in the hope that “working class Joe” could peel off enough of Trump’s benighted blue collar support to capture the White House.

Commentary: The New Maoists Bind and Gag Academics

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Recently I spoke with a teacher at an exclusive private school, tuition $40,000 per year, located in Northern Virginia. He described the ongoing deterioration of the school’s standards, including a dumbing down of academics, more cheating, parents demanding higher grades for their children, and a pervasive climate of political correctness.

Brookings: Creative Arts Industry Lost 2.7 Million Jobs, More Than $150 Billion in Sales in Four Months

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The creative arts industry lost 2.7 million jobs and more than $150 billion in sales of goods and services over four months of pandemic shutdowns, a report published by the Brookings Institution estimates.

In its report, “Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s devastating impact on America’s creative economy,” the authors estimate that of the 50 states, “California will be hit hardest in terms of absolute losses for creative industries and occupations, followed by New York and Texas.”

Commentary: Only Muscular Civic Nationalism Can Save America

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

America today faces challenges that cannot be overcome without national unity. Desperate economic hardship and existential international threats are beyond the living memory of most Americans, but they could be coming back. The Pax Americana, in effect since 1945, may be coming to an end. Since the end of the Cold War in 1991 America has been a hyperpower, dominating the world economically and militarily. All of that is now in question.

Former Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Endorses Biden for President

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Rick Snyder, a former Republican Governor from Michigan, endorsed Joe Biden for president Thursday in an opinion column published in USA Today.

Snyder, who said that he “will continue to stand up for Republican policies and values,” also said that he believes President Donald Trump has failed to unify the nation.

Federal Court Blocks Trump Admin Restrictions on Maryland Abortion Clinics

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

A federal court blocked restrictions placed by President Donald Trump’s administration on Maryland abortion clinics Thursday.

The ruling, which only applies to Maryland, blocks the administration’s restrictions on federal family planning funds for Maryland organizations that make abortion referrals or provide abortions, such as Planned Parenthood, Politico reported.

Here Are 31 Times the Media Justified or Explained Away Rioting and Looting After George Floyd’s Death

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Dozens of news outlets published content that either justified or explained away rioting and looting in the initial weeks of unrest following the police custody death of George Floyd in late May, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.

While President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have both condemned rioting and looting, major news outlets such as CNN and MSNBC have appeared to downplay the unrest that has gripped American cities in the months following Floyd’s death, in one instance describing a scene as “mostly peaceful” as fires raged in the background.

Judge Orders U.S. to Stop Detaining Migrant Children in Hotels

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 The Associated Press

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to stop detaining immigrant children in hotels before expelling them from the United States, saying the much-criticized practice skirted “fundamental humanitarian protections.”

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ruled that the use of hotels as long-term detention spaces violates a two-decade-old settlement governing the treatment of immigrant children in custody. She ordered border agencies to stop placing children in hotels by Sept. 15 and to remove children from hotels as soon as possible.

Former Vanderbilt University Professor Carol Swain Weighs in on Constitution Question Scandal at Her Teaching Alma Mater

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Julie Carr

Dr. Carol M. Swain appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends Weekend Edition to discuss the recent backlash facing Vanderbilt University for asking a quiz question suggesting the Constitution may perpetuate White supremacy by protecting the institution of slavery.

Trump’s DOD Delivers Another Big Blow to Bezos, Gives $10 Billion Cloud Project to Microsoft Instead of Amazon

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Pentagon reaffirmed its decision Friday to give a $10 billion cloud computing project to Microsoft instead of Amazon, marking the second time in one year that the Trump administration bypassed the online giant’s attempt to secure the program.

The Trump administration’s decision comes amid a legal battle Amazon Web Services initiated in 2019 after the Department of Defense (DOD) selected Microsoft in 2019 for the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud computing contract, media reports show. Amazon previously stated that President Donald Trump’s dislike of CEO Jeff Bezos contributed to the move.

Poll: Over Three-Quarters of Americans Say Their Finances Are Stable or Getting Better

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

A majority of registered voters report that their personal finances are stable or improving, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

Asked about their current financial situation, amid a pandemic and street protests that shuttered some retail businesses, 52% of respondents said their bank account is “about the same” as it normally is, while 23% said their personal finances are “getting better.” Just 23% reported a worsening financial outlook.

Two Minneapolis Men Arrested for Attempting to Aid Terrorist Organization Hamas

September 6, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Two Minneapolis men were arrested earlier this week for attempting to aid the Islamic Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrests in a press release Friday.

Michael Robert Solomon, 30, and Benjamin Ryan Teeter, 22, face federal criminal complaints for “conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”

Solomon and Teeter planned to use revenue from delivering weapons to Hamas to fund their domestic terrorist plans. The pair intended to destroy government monuments, raid white supremacist organizations, and attack police, politicians, and media members.

Trump Boat Parade Trend Comes to Minnesota

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Supporters of President Donald Trump are planning to hold a number of boat parades across the state this weekend.

The president discussed the new political trend during his recent stop in Minneapolis

Man Fired for Refusing to Remove ‘Trump 2020’ Hat

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Jordan Bondurant

A worker at the Newport News Naval Shipyard was fired recently after refusing to remove a Trump 2020 hat.

Dave Sunderland believes with the November 3 presidential election weeks away, he was unfairly targeted by a superior for wearing a baseball cap showing support for President Donald Trump’s re-election.

Battleground Minnesota Saga: Donald Trump Jr. and Jill Biden to Host Campaign Events on the Same Day Next Week

September 6, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Two Minneapolis Men Arrested for Attempting to Aid Terrorist Organization Hamas

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Corinne Murdock

ICE Arrests Over 2,000 Illegal Immigrants with Violent Criminal Convictions or Charges

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants who have criminal histories involving victims between July 13 and Aug. 20, ICE announced Monday.

The immigrants who are illegally living in the U.S. are subject to removal because of their previous arrests or charges connected to victims, according to ICE. Of those arrested for immigration-related charges, around 85% had pending criminal charges or previous criminal convictions.

Commentary: Economic Recovery Continues as 3.7 Million Jobs Added in August

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. economy added another 3.7 million jobs in the month of August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ household survey of Americans reporting they have jobs, bringing the total up to 13.8 million jobs that have been recovered since labor markets bottomed in April, something almost nobody but President Donald Trump was predicting.

At the worst of the coronavirus recession, as many as 25 million jobs were lost by April, and now more than half of those jobs have been regained, as a V-shaped recovery has clearly formed.

Biden Megadonor Owns the Atlantic and Reportedly Communicates Often with Reporter Behind Anonymously-Sourced Trump Bombshell

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Atlantic’s majority owner has donated over $1.2 million to Democratic candidates and political committees since 2019 while reportedly keeping in close contact with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, who published an anonymously-sourced story Thursday alleging that President Donald Trump denigrated fallen American soldiers.

Billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, obtained a 70% stake in The Atlantic in 2017 through her firm, the Emerson Collective. In November, she further solidified her control over the magazine after its longtime chairman, David Bradley, said he was going to step away from management, according to Politico.

‘Beyond Shameful’: Emotional Salon Owner Rips into Pelosi for Claiming She Was Set up

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

San Francisco salon owner Erica Kious said Thursday that it is “beyond shameful” for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to accuse Kious of setting her up.

“For the speaker of the House of the United States to go on TV and falsely claim she was set up and publicly defame me and send out PR firms to spin more lies about Jonathan in support of the speaker’s own lies is bad enough,” Kious said on a Thursday evening press call to reporters.

Shelby County Says Woman Dead for Six Months Contracted COVID-19, Needs to Isolate

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

When is a COVID-19 patient not a COVID-19 patient? When the person has been dead for six months, as has reportedly happened in Memphis.

Media reports have carried the story, including coverage here by KVUE.

Steve Bannon Presents: CCP’s Plan for Global Domination

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room: Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday.

Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room: Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25, when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year. Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical, public health, economic, national security, supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET.

Commentary: We Have Had Enough Lockdown

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Take off the masks and remove the “social distancing” circles from the floors. Open the schools, liberate college campuses, fill the restaurants and the gyms and the churches and the salons. Enough.

If 2020 wasn’t twisted enough, the current political imbroglio centers around a verboten visit to a California boutique for a routine blow-out. Americans are lining up either behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who claims she was “set up” to visit the San Francisco salon, or the salon’s owner, a woman struggling to keep her business alive amid cruel and unscientific edicts issued by her governor months ago.

Antifa Supporter Suspected in Fatal Portland Shooting, Michael Reinoehl, Killed by Federal Authorities

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Antifa supporter Michael Forest Reinoehl was killed Thursday night when federal authorities attempted to arrest him in connection with the fatal shooting of a conservative activist in Portland over the weekend, according to multiple media reports.

Three law enforcement officials told The New York Times that Reinoehl was killed in Lacey, Wash., after a federal task force attempted to arrest him in connection to the shooting of Aaron Danielson, a member of the conservative group Patriot Prayer.

After a Long Slumber, U.S. Cinemas Awaken on Pivotal Weekend

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 The Associated Press

With the previews about to start, a trickle of masked moviegoers made their way into one of the first U.S. screenings of “Tenet” at the Bow Tie Majestic 6 in downtown Stamford, Connecticut. They took their seats Tuesday night, eyeing the empty seats between each other and a little giddy at being back at the movies for the first time in many months.

Philip Scarante and Andy Flores, both 25, went every Tuesday religiously before theaters closed in March. “It’s just our thing,” Scarante said. Seeing Nolan’s latest mind-bending spectacle later on a smaller screen held no appeal. They sat down in center seats, up close.

Music Spotlight: Calvin Lee

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Bethany Bowman

Regardless of how famous a person may or may not be if the music can’t stand alone, there is no point in an interview. Accompanied by Trick Pony’s Heidi Newfield and Keith Burns, with his debut single, Calvin Lee sings a timeless anthem, My America, that paints a nostalgic story about pulling together through hard times, which is sure to resonate with the listeners.

US Economy Added 1.4 Million Jobs in August, Unemployment at 8.4 Percent

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. economy added 1.4 million jobs in August, while unemployment fell to 8.4%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.

Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 1.4 million in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 2.8 million to 13.6 million. The unemployment rate fell below 10% for the first time since April when the rate reached 14.7%.

Commentary: Who Are BLM Global Network Foundation?

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

With protestors taking to the streets all over the United States to protest police brutality after the killings of unarmed Black men, the Black Lives Matter phrase has become synonymous with the movement. Regardless of where you find yourself on the ideological spectrum, a significant percentage of those protesting have done so peacefully, but it’s the violent protestors and Antifa thugs that continue to get most of the attention, and the media would have it no other way; after all, who wants to watch continuous news about protestors marching peacefully, that’s boring, right? For a news media that’s become all about rating and being first, they only care about what drives ratings and suits that agenda.

New York City Has Worst Unemployment Rate as One in Three Workers Worry About Job Security

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

As Americans approach Labor Day, with roughly 10.2 percent unemployed, a new survey conducted by WalletHub found that one in three Americans worry about job security.

In its nationally representative Coronavirus & Labor Day Survey, WalletHub found that Americans want extended COVID-19 relief. Of those surveyed, 74 percent said Congress should continue to extend additional federal unemployment benefits until their respective states fully reopen.

Tennessee Businessman and Former Convict Says a Pardon from Donald Trump Could Complete His Path to Redemption

September 5, 2020September 5, 2020 Chris Butler

Robert Sherrill, a 37-year-old Madison resident, today is a successful businessman who works with at-risk children and runs a local company with nearly $1 million in revenue.

Sherrill has enough clout to have a face-to-face meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

Minnesota State Auditor Calls for End to Criminal Asset Forfeiture Under $1,500

September 5, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Democratic State Auditor Julie Blaha called for an end to criminal asset forfeiture under $1,500 because she said it unfairly affects low-income individuals.

Blaha based her assessment on the newly-released 2019 Asset Forfeitures report, which found 94 percent of the crimes resulting in forfeitures were DUIs and controlled substances. For the past five years, DUI-related forfeitures increased by 21 percent while controlled substance-related forfeitures grew by 13 percent.

Minnesota State Auditor Calls for End to Criminal Asset Forfeiture Under $1,500

September 5, 2020September 4, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Democratic State Auditor Julie Blaha called for an end to criminal asset forfeiture under $1,500 because she said it unfairly affects low-income individuals.