A Minnesota man and over a dozen co-conspirators have been charged with trafficking over 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs from Mexico to Minnesota in what U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger described as a “sprawling” Mexican-based drug trafficking organization.
Luger’s comments came during a press conference on Tuesday during which he named Clinton James Ward, 45, as the leader of the organization who has been operating for years.
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As his administration ramped up its government giveaways in the midst of a pandemic and border crisis, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was warned his team did not have adequate protections for the taxpayer money it was sending out the door to nonprofit groups and workers.
In fact, auditors just last February reported they found “pervasive noncompliance” inside the Walz administration with grant management policies that were “signaling systemic issues regarding grants oversight.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was once a champion of Second Amendment rights during his time in the U.S. House, but he quickly abandoned his policy position during his campaign for governor.
Walz represented Minnesota’s 1st district in the House from 2007 to 2018, earning ‘A’ ratings and donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA), according to Forbes. During his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, he began shifting his policy on guns, and when he became governor in 2019, he passed several gun control measures in Minnesota, receiving an ‘F’ rating from the NRA during his campaign as a result, according to The New York Times.
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Democrats’ new running mate for presidential nominee Kamala Harris signed a bill last year allowing illegal immigrants to receive Minnesota driver’s licenses.
In March 2023, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation allowing Minnesota residents to apply for and attain standard state driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.
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Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., to serve as her running mate, multiple news outlets have reported.
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A pair of non-profit public interest law firms have threatened to sue Rochester Public Schools (RPS) if the district utilizes its new pro-transgender policy to “transition a child without parental consent.”
Just weeks ago, the RPS school board gave final authorization to a new policy governing how the district will “address the needs and concerns of transgender and/or gender-expansive students” in its schools. According to that policy, if a child changes their name, or begins using a different bathroom, the school district will only alert the child’s parents if the parent specifically asks about such information.
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Prominent Minnesota Republicans are demanding Democratic Gov. Tim Walz terminate the employment of a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) official who cheered the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, arguing that failure to do so would constitute an endorsement of political violence.
State Sens. Andrew Matthews, Steve Drazkowski, Cal Bahr, and State Reps. Pam Altendorf, Shane Mekeland, and Ben Davis issued a joint statement in which they pushed for Walz to act. The statement referred to the assassination attempt as “a disturbing example of political violence and Americans rightly were disturbed by the attack, regardless of political affiliation.”
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A federal immigration enforcement office based in St. Paul has removed an illegal immigrant who was wanted in Mexico for rape of a minor.
On July 18, Andres Palacios Pizano, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant, was transferred to Mexican authorities after being picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) St. Paul Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office. A “recidivist offender of U.S. immigration law,” Pizano has been removed from the United States by ICE six times since 2017.
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Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, likely to succeed President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election, is facing renewed scrutiny for her past support of a controversial bail fund with a history of springing violent offenders from jail.
Harris, despite often citing her experience as a district attorney and attorney general as a demonstration of her law and order credentials, endorsed the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) in a tweet from June 1, 2020, declaring, “if you’re able to, chip in now to the MN Freedom Fund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.” The fund received a $40 million cash windfall after it was promoted by celebrities like Harris, Seth Rogen and Chrissy Teigen.
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President Joe Biden announced in an open letter to Americans on Sunday that he will not accept his party’s nomination for president, and instead will “focus solely” on fulfilling his duties as president for the remainder of his term.
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The Minneapolis City Council voted on Thursday to approve a new contract with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (POFM), the union which represents officers with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). In accordance with that contract, officers with the city are set to receive pay raises.
For well over a year, Minneapolis police officers have been working without a contract. As such, the new contract applies retroactively, covering a three-year period from January 2023 through December of 2025.
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One Minnesota school system has found itself at the center of controversy over staff trainings regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), along with social justice.
“Rochester Public Schools provides training that has staff participate in a “Social Justice Stretch” [and] staff are taught to embrace LGBTQ ideology with the ‘Genderbread Person,’ [and] staff are told not to tell parents about their children’s gender identity,” according to a watchdog group called Parents Defending Education (PDE).
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A recently enacted Hennepin County Court policy that could have had deadly or dangerous results for domestic abuse victims was suddenly reversed over the weekend.
In mid-June, Hennepin County District Court’s Chief Judge Kerry Meyer issued a Standing Order altering the pre-appearance release procedures and bail for some domestic abuse suspects. The order replaced a prior Standing Order that had been in place since 2019 that required suspects arrested on probable cause misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor domestic assault charges to be held without bail until they were brought before a judge to have bail and/or conditions set, such as a no-contact order with the victim.
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Concerned and committed north metro citizens have met every week for nearly two years as part of a group they call ACEIT, the Anoka County Election Integrity Team.
“No one is coming to save us. That’s one of our mottos,” Derek Lind of Ramsey told Alpha News.
Gunshots erupted and Donald Trump was pulled to the ground. About a minute later he stood up, raised his fists defiantly, and was removed by Secret Service into a car and taken from the scene.
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A Minnesota school district is finally giving its students back the freedom to fail.
Rochester Public Schools implemented a “no credit” grading policy in 2020, in hopes of helping failing students who were struggling with virtual learning. Now, four years later, the district has overturned their policy to increase student accountability.
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Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota called on Saturday for President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid, even after his interview with ABC meant to reassure voters.
Biden has faced calls to step down from the race since CNN’s debate on June 27, during which he froze and made multiple verbal gaffes, and he sat down with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos in a pre-recorded interview that aired on Friday. Craig is the fifth House Democrat to urge Biden to drop out.
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The latest round of legislation passed by the Minnesota Legislature includes $1 million in funding for the African Immigrants Community Services nonprofit and an added delivery fee on retail orders.
The Minnesota House of Representatives released a list of legislation which was due to go into effect on July 1, all of which were sponsored by members of the DFL. Chief among the pieces of legislation passed during the most recent session is new spending. $23.85 million was delegated to the Department of Employment and Economic Development for “job training and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025.” Included in that spending was “$1 million to African Immigrants Community Services for workforce development for new Americans” as well as “$1 million to the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce for technical support to Black-owned small businesses.” Furthermore, “the law also appropriates General Fund money to support programs through Explore Minnesota Tourism,” including “$400,000 to Ka Joog for Somali community and cultural festivals and events.”
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A Minnesota district court judge was publicly reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Judicial Standards after denying several convicted felons the right to vote when issuing probation orders to those felons.
On June 27, Judge Matthew Quinn of Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District was reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Judicial Standards (MBJS). According to the Board’s findings, Judge Quinn began issuing probation sentencing orders to convicted felons in October of 2023 which denied those individuals the right to vote.
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The judge in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case approved a request on Tuesday to push back the former president’s sentencing until Sept. 18.
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The Lino Lakes City Council has voted 4-1 to postpone development of a new residential community centered around a mosque, with a final vote to decide the moratorium coming on July 8.
The development, with the proposed name of “Madinah Lakes,” was slated to cover 156 acres in Lino Lakes’ northwest quadrant. 434 housing units, businesses, and a grocery store, along with the $15 million, 40,000 square foot mosque at its center, were to be built on an area formerly dedicated to sod farming. The community was specifically marketed as “Masjid-Centric” in reference to the mosque.
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Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, must report to prison by Monday after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal on Friday.
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Independent candidate for president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been officially approved to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot in Minnesota, officials with Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office have confirmed.
Field staff for Kennedy’s campaign in Minnesota submitted their ballot petition — which includes the requisite minimum of 2,500 signatures and a list of presidential elector nominees — to the secretary of state on Jun 7. The secretary of state then engaged in a standard review of the signatures and application materials.
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Ten more alleged Minneapolis gang members have been charged in federal court for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, possession of a machine gun, and drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a Tuesday press conference.
Luger was joined by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Leah Greeves in announcing charges against the “10z” and “20z” (pronounced “tens” and “twenties”) gang members who they say operate mainly in the area of East Franklin and Chicago avenues in south Minneapolis and are part of a two-year crackdown on gangs in the city.
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A petition was presented to the Hopkins School Board during a June 11 meeting, calling on the board to provide a safe environment for students in Hopkins Public Schools following a violent incident that occurred at the end of May.
“We, the undersigned members of the Hopkins Public Schools community, are deeply concerned about the violent assault last Thursday against a transgender student at Hopkins High School,” the petition reads. “Just two days prior, there were three fights at the high school and the police were called to prevent a fourth.”
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A 16-year-old Minnesota girl forced to share private spaces with males under a public school transgender policy says that girls deserve privacy in their restrooms and locker rooms.
“It’s really uncomfortable, because I was in gym class, and I was just about to change, but then I heard this voice, and I was, like, ‘That does not sound right.’ So, I look, and it’s a male,” said the rising junior at Stewartville High School, who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely on the controversial issue.
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A Minnesota farmer claimed victory in a lawsuit filed against the state in January that said his race and sex placed him at the back of the line to receive grants to buy farmland.
Gov. Tim Waltz recently signed legislation that rolls back the state’s policy of prioritizing “emerging farmers” based on characteristics such as race and sex.
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The Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to hear a case brought by a group called Mothers Offering Maternal Support (MOMS), which sought to intervene in the ruling of the Ramsey County District Court in the 2022 case Dr. Jane Doe, et al. v. State of Minnesota. In that case, the court struck down Minnesota’s remaining abortion restrictions, including a requirement that practitioners give parents notice before performing an abortion on a minor.
In the aftermath of the ruling, most of Minnesota’s former abortion restrictions were officially removed from the statutes during the state’s 2023 legislative session. However, one precondition that remained on the books was the parental notification requirement. This requirement became MOMS’ primary object of focus in its attempts to secure an intervention in the case.
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A federal judge dismissed a juror in a Somali fraud case in Minnesota Monday, after she said someone showed up at her home on Sunday and left a bag of $120,000 in cash with a potential of more to come if the juror agreed to acquit the defendants.
The seven defendants—Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Said Shafii Farah, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur—are accused of stealing more than $40 million from a tax-payer funded child nutrition program.
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Walter Hudson, a Republican Minnesota state representative from Albertville, joined Liz Collin on her podcast to speak out on failed leadership and how “lies about public safety” have continued to put police officers in danger.
Last week, Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell became the fifth first responder in Minnesota to be murdered in just a little over a year — the 10th in this region.
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Just a little more than a week after the legislative session ended in Minnesota, the DFL Party has called for the resignation of beleaguered Sen. Nicole Mitchell — who faces felony burglary charges stemming from her arrest at her elderly stepmother’s home in northwest Minnesota last month.
Republican leaders in the Senate said the timing of such a statement after session has concluded is “hypocrisy” and a political ploy leading up to the November election.
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An outspoken doctor continues to be vocal in his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines despite backlash from the media and medical establishment. Now, he’s bringing attention to a strain of bird flu showing up in humans.
Dr. Peter McCullough joined Liz Collin Reports this week to share his insights.
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Republican leaders in the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate called on Gov. Tim Walz to veto a 1,400-page bill that was passed in the final moments of the legislative session before many lawmakers even had a chance to see what was in the bill.
House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, made their request in a letter to Gov. Walz on Wednesday.
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Two Democratic Minnesota congresswomen voted against federal legislation which seeks to deport illegal immigrants who assault law enforcement officers. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Betty McCollum were the lone votes from Minnesota to oppose H.R. 7343.
The aptly named “Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act” was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week in a 265-148 vote. In total, 54 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill; 148 Democrats voted against H.R. 7343. No Republican opposed the proposed law.
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A set of new polls show that Republican candidates are in close contests for both the 2024 Minnesota presidential race and the race to win the majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
According to a McLaughlin & Associates poll conducted on behalf of the Trump campaign, former President Donald Trump is locked in a competitive race with President Biden in the 2024 presidential election in Minnesota. In the survey, pollsters gauged voter interest in several different scenarios.
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A Minnesota mom is demanding answers after she says her nine-year-old daughter was jumped on the school playground by a group of girls who she was told targeted her daughter because “she wasn’t Muslim.”
Shawna Larson told Liz Collin Reports about the disturbing details of the attack that she says took place on Monday, April 29 at Hidden Valley Elementary in Savage.
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Wisconsin is one of the most fiercely contested battleground states in this election cycle, but it lacks federal transparency requirements for voter registration imposed on most states, according to a lawsuit by an election watchdog.
Minnesota, generally a solidly blue state although it saw a razor-thin margin in the results of the 2016 presidential race, also doesn’t make its voter rolls available to the public, the lawsuit contends.
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Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation this week to establish an advisory council that would examine a possible reparations program. Introduced in the last days of the legislative session, HF 5456 would also require the State of Minnesota to “issue an apology for the past occurrence of chattel slavery and notable slave owners in Minnesota.”
Known as the “Minnesota Migration Act,” HF 5456 first makes several historical declarations.
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It’s been less than a week since a group of anti-Israel activists on the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus packed up their tents and provisions and ended their encampment protest on Northrop Mall.
And now come the questions: How much was the damage incurred by the boycott/divestment/sanctions protesters? Who will pay for it?
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A new University of Minnesota report advocates for more “2SLGBTQIA+” individuals in environmental work, arguing their communities are disproportionately harmed by pollution and natural disasters.
Published in the university’s Gender Policy Report, the article “Environmental Justice for Queer and Transgender Communities” says queer and transgender communities tend to be left out of environmental health policies and planning even though they “experience discrimination leading to social, economic, and health disparities that place them at an increased risk for environmental injustices.”
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It’s been just more than one week since police found Sen. Nicole Mitchell hiding in the basement of her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home before dawn on April 22 and subsequently arrested her on suspicion of felony burglary.
The first term DFLer from Woodbury — who says she doesn’t intend to resign her District 47 seat — appeared on the Senate floor Monday for the first time since she was charged with first-degree burglary seven days ago.
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A proposed University of Minnesota policy would require scholars to obtain permission from Native American groups when doing research involving their cultures.
However, an anthropologist has concerns about the proposal.
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The lawmaker was attempt to retrieve belongs of her late father in her stepmother’s home.
A Minnesota Democratic state senator was arrested early Monday and charged with first-degree burglary in Detroit Lakes, police said Tuesday.
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A trio of Republican lawmakers are asking Attorney General Keith Ellison to provide the public with more details on his office’s contract with a San Francisco-based law firm hired to aid in an ongoing climate change-related lawsuit against three major oil companies.
Sens. Mark Koran and Andrew Mathews, and Rep. Jim Nash sent Ellison a detailed letter last week that claims the law firm, Sher Edling, LLP, has received more than $13 million from special interest organizations outside of Minnesota to help fund its climate litigation efforts, including the one ongoing in Minnesota. And they want Ellison to provide the public with “a complete accounting of who is providing financial support for Sher Edling’s work on the Minnesota case.
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For more than 20 years the Minnesota Department of Education has released to the public aggregated results of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment test during the first weeks of the school year — before or by Sept. 1, to be exact. That’s almost certain to change.
Last week DFL lawmakers who control the House stood firm in defending a provision in their education policy bill that would give MDE a 12-week extension to release MCA results to the public.
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Within 20 minutes of convening to hold an impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Democrats in the Senate steamrolled through motions and voted to dismiss the first article of impeachment brought against him.
Shortly thereafter, they dismissed the second article as well, without ever hearing evidence or conducting a trial.
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The Minneapolis City Council voted to delay the enforcement date for new minimum compensation standards for drivers with transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft. Pending approval from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the minimum compensation standards would go into effect on July 1.
In March, the Minneapolis City Council authorized an ordinance which mandates that a driver for Uber or Lyft must be paid $1.40 for every mile driven while transporting a rider, and $0.51 for every minute a rider is being transported, or $5.00 (whichever is greater). The per mile and per minute rates would be annually adjusted under the ordinance.
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In November 2023, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was copying documents in a law library at a federal prison in Tucson when he was stabbed 22 times. Chauvin is slowly recovering from the attack but continues to suffer a series of peculiar setbacks and double standards.
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A proposed statewide “ban on book bans” in public schools and libraries is just one of about 100 new provisions contained in a DFL-backed omnibus education policy bill that passed off the Senate floor this week.
SF3567 is sponsored by Democratic Sens. Steve Cwodzinski of Eden Prairie and Mary Kunesh of New Brighton. It passed on a 35-31 vote Tuesday, with Sen. Jim Abeler of Anoka casting the lone vote for Republicans.
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Democratic congressional candidate Don Samuels is in a potentially tight race against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, according to a new poll released by his campaign. Running in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, Samuels is challenging Rep. Omar for the district’s Democratic nomination.
In the new poll, when likely Democratic primary voters were initially asked about their preferences between Omar and Samuels, 49% said Omar, 30% said Samuels, and 21% said Undecided. However, the same poll found that the margin shifted to a tie between the two candidates (41% – 41%) after those same voters heard Samuels’ message of being “a progressive and pragmatic alternative to Rep. Omar without the divisive comments and history of taking unpopular votes.”
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