Category: State News

Recruit More Queer, Trans Scholars to Help Environment: University of Minnesota Report

Minnesota Sun Staff
University of Minnesota

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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Democrat Nicole Mitchell Returns to Minnesota Senate After Arrest, Casts Votes on Her Own Fate

Minnesota Sun Staff
Nicole Mitchell

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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University of Minnesota Policy Would Require Researchers to Get Permission from Indigenous Tribes

Minnesota Sun Staff
University of Minnesota campus

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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Meadows, Giuliani and Other Former Trump Aides Indicted in Arizona 2020 Election Probe

The Center Square

An Arizona grand jury on Wednesday indicted former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and five other former aides to former President Donald Trump on felony charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

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Minnesota Democratic State Senator Arrested, Charged with First-Degree Burglary

Just the News
State Senator Nicole Mitchell

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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California Judge Who Disbarred Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman Funneled Money to Super PAC Fighting Election Integrity

Rachel Alexander

California disciplinary court Judge Yvette Roland (pictured above), who disbarred Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman last month, contributed to a Democratic PAC last year which funneled all of the contributions to a Super PAC that seeks to stop “undermining the most basic tenet of our democracy, the right to vote.” Despite the fact that the charges against Eastman were all related to his efforts investigating and stopping election corruption in the 2020 election, Roland did not recuse herself.

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Ellison Faces Scrutiny for Use of San Francisco Firm on Lawsuit Against Energy Companies

Minnesota Sun Staff
Keith Ellison

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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State Republicans Accuse DFL, Walz of Playing Politics with Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment Results Release Date

Minnesota Sun Staff
Classwork in school

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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Minneapolis City Council Votes to Delay New Pay Standards for Uber, Lyft Drivers

Minnesota Sun Staff
Uber Driver

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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After Being Stabbed 22 Times, Derek Chauvin Suffers Setbacks, Double Standards

Minnesota Sun Staff
Derek Chauvin

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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California Disciplinary Judge Issues 128-page Opinion Disbarring Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman

Rachel Alexander

California Bar Disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland disbarred Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman.

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D.C. Bar Disciplinary Panel Makes Nonbinding Preliminary Determination of Culpability for a ‘Thought Crime’ in Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark

Rachel Alexander

The disciplinary trial of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark wrapped up on Thursday with the D.C. Bar’s disciplinary panel making a nonbinding preliminary determination that Clark was culpable on at least one of the two counts against him.

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During Jeffrey Clark’s Disbarment Trial, Cyber Security Expert Says Georgia’s 2020 Election Was Not ‘Conducted According to the Law’

Rachel Alexander

The second and final week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark, began to wind down on Wednesday with more testimony from operations security expert Harry Haury.

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Poll Shows Potentially Close Race Between Ilhan Omar and Don Samuels

Minnesota Sun Staff
Ilhan Omar and Don Samuels

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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Former Fulton County Elections Official Explains Why He Voted Against Certification Twice During Jeffrey Clark’s Disbarment Trial

Rachel Alexander

The second week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark, resumed its second week on Monday. Clark, who is also a defendant in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ RICO prosecution, is being disciplined for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials after the 2020 election advising them of their options for dealing with the election illegalities.

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Minnesota Democrats Introduce Multiple Bills to Transfer Ownership of State Land to Tribes

Minnesota Sun Staff
Land back Minnesota

Four pieces of legislation that Democrats have introduced at the Minnesota Legislature in recent weeks aim to transfer ownership of property they say tribal nations inside Minnesota lost decades ago due to federal and state government policies.

But while proponents believe these land reclamation, or “land back,” bills are gaining momentum, many residents and local government officials in those areas are criticizing the legislation and opposing it at the Capitol.

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Minnesota Democrats Reject Amendment to Allow Police to Buy Defensive Armored Vehicles

Minnesota Sun Staff
Armored Vehicle

Democratic members of the Minnesota House of Representatives rejected an amendment that would have allowed local law enforcement agencies to purchase armored and tactical vehicles with state funds.

Last year, Minnesota state government authorized legislation that allocated $300 million to law enforcement agencies around the state. Agencies that received the money could use those funds to update equipment, offer raises, give out retention bonuses, and other needs. However, the agencies who received those funds were barred from using the money to purchase armored or tactical vehicles.

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State Republicans Introduce Bill to Save Uber and Lyft After Minneapolis Vote

Minnesota Sun Staff
Uber Driver

Minnesota Republicans have introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments from regulating rideshare companies after Uber and Lyft said they plan to leave portions of the metro area May 1.

That’s the day a new ordinance passed by the Minneapolis City Council setting minimum compensation standards for rideshare drivers is set to take effect.

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Ranked-Choice Voting Push Continues at Minnesota Capitol

Minnesota Sun Staff
MN RCV

A pair of DFL lawmakers who fell short last year of gaining enough support in the legislature to turn Minnesota into a ranked-choice voting state aren’t giving up on their goal. They’ve just scaled back their efforts to more incremental steps.

On Wednesday, a committee in the state House approved a bill that would make it easier for cities across the state to implement ranked-choice voting as a method of electing local representation.

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Republicans Introduce Bill to Ban Sanctuary Cities in Minnesota

Minnesota Sun Staff
Rasmusson Minnesota

Over two dozen Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature are supporting legislation that would prohibit Minnesota cities from becoming so-called “sanctuary cities.” Known as SF 4328, the proposed law would also increase penalties for human trafficking and fine employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

SF 4328 is authored by Minnesota Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls.

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Hotels Paid by Hennepin County to House Migrants at Locations Across Twin Cities

Minnesota Sun Staff
Migrants Minnesota

Hundreds of migrants are staying at “shelter sites” across the Twin Cities metro. Having been sheltered in Minnesota for months, these migrants are largely families who are staying at various Minneapolis area hotels.

Alpha News traveled to multiple shelter sites and talked with migrants and hotel staff on the ground.

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Senator JD Vance Slams President Biden’s Order for the Military to Conduct an ‘Emergency Mission’ in Gaza

Kaitlin Housler

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) slammed the White House’s announcement that President Joe Biden will order the U.S. military to conduct an “emergency mission” to establish a port on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters.

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Minnesota DFL Legislators Want to Enshrine Trans Sports in State Law, Ban Removal of LGBT Flags

Minnesota Sun Staff

A group of Democrats are putting forward legislation to enshrine transgender sports in state statute and ban the removal of LGBT flags in many public places.

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers have signed on to HF 4394 in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Authored by Rep. Leigh Finke, D-St. Paul, this bill would require the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) commissioner to develop a “gender inclusion policy” that must be adopted in some form by school districts across the state.

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DHS Secretary Mayorkas Denies Illegal Immigration Led to Murder of Laken Riley: ‘One Individual Is Responsible’

TPappert
Alejandro Mayorkas With Immigrants

In a Sunday interview, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas denied a link between the murder of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus and illegal immigration despite police charging a man who immigrated illegally from Venezuela with the killing.

Asked if there was a breakdown in the federal immigration system that allowed Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra to allegedly murder Riley, Mayorkas on Face the Nation cited his experience as a prosecutor and declared, “one individual is responsible for the murder and that is the murderer.”

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Democrats Advance Two Gun Control Bills in Minnesota House

Minnesota Sun Staff
MN Gun Bill

Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced two gun control bills on Thursday that have Republicans, gun groups, and private citizens concerned.

HF 4300, authored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, D-Roseville, would set new laws for how firearms must be stored. Under the proposed law, gun owners must either leave their firearms unloaded with a locking device, or store their firearms in a legitimate “firearm storage unit” such as a safe. Citizens who fail to do so will face legal consequences ranging from misdemeanors to felonies depending on the offense.

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Minnesota School Board Votes to Leave Sexually Graphic Book in School Library

Minnesota Sun Staff
Maple Grove High School

The Osseo school board voted Tuesday to leave a sexually explicit graphic novel in the Maple Grove High School library.

“It does have the potential, as a parent mentioned earlier, to help some students,” board member Thomas Brooks said while explaining why he would be voting to leave the book on the shelves.

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Couple Flees Minneapolis as Crime Turns Neighborhood They Once Loved into ‘Third-World Country’

Minnesota Sun Staff
Minneapolis Residents

It’s not often a mid-morning interview starts with such a stern warning.

“Didn’t you tell her to be careful?” Jon Loidolt asked.

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Minnesota Combat Veteran Forced to Medically Retire from Military After COVID Vax Injury

Minnesota Sun Staff
Drew Minnesota

A disabled Minnesota Army combat veteran is fighting a new battle — one he never signed up for after he says the COVID vaccine destroyed the life he once knew.

Drew told his story on Liz Collin Reports this week. He doesn’t like to use his last name publicly but readers can follow his story on social media.

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Complaint: Minnesota High School Restricts Student Group Entry by Race

The Center Square
Burnsville High School

Parents Defending Education filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Burnsville High School in Minnesota based on race and national origin in programs that receive federal financial assistance.

Burnsville High School offers programming to affinity groups only open to some students.

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Fani Willis Claims She Repaid Nathan Wade for Luxurious Vacations in Undocumented Cash Transactions

TPappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade both testified Thursday in the first day of proceedings to determine if she should be removed from the prosecution due to their previously undisclosed romantic relationship.

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Minnesota Republicans Run into DFL Roadblock in Attempt to Fast-Track Passage of School Resource Officers Fix

Minnesota Sun Staff
SRO Class

Republicans in the Minnesota House of Representatives wasted no time in the opening moments of the 2024 legislative session in attempting to fast-track passage of a seemingly bipartisan proposal to fix a new law enacted last year that has hampered the work of school resource officers in several public schools across the state.

But the author of that bill ended up being the GOP’s biggest stumbling block in attempting to pass it on the House floor Monday.

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Judge Warns Fani Willis Could Face ‘Disqualification’ in Trump Case Due to Nathan Wade Relationship

TPappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee warned on Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis could face “disqualification” from prosecuting her case against former President Donald Trump as a result of her admitted relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to oversee the case.

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Senator JD Vance Explains How Ukraine Aid Package is a ‘Future Impeachment Trap’ for Trump

Kaitlin Housler

Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) joined Monday’s edition of Steve Bannon’s War Room to discuss the supplemental funding package currently being debated in the Senate and how it could be used as a tool to impeach former President Donald Trump if he were to be elected in November.

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Minnesota GOP Representative Calls for Investigation into ‘Cover-Up’ Allegations from Feeding Our Future Leader

Minnesota Sun Staff
Lisa Demuth

Republicans are calling for an investigation into allegations that Gov. Tim Walz’s Department of Education “engaged in deceptive practices” in order to conceal records in a lawsuit related to the Feeding Our Future case.

Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of the defunct nonprofit, claimed in a court filing last month that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) “intentionally deleted and hid documents from discovery” when her organization sued MDE in November 2020.

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Lawsuit: Minnesota Education Department ‘Engaged in Deceptive Practices’

The Center Square
School Lunch

 A lawsuit in the Ramsey County Second Judicial Court claims Minnesota Department of Education employees “deleted large amounts of data and intentionally engaged in deceptive practices.”

The education agency sued nonprofit Feeding Our Future over a scheme from May 2020 through January 2022 in which three entities – ThinkTechAct Foundation, Empire Cuisine & Market and Empire Enterprises – collaborated to steal $250 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program money meant to feed hungry children and instead spent it on luxury cars, homes, and more.

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Minnesota Democrat Andy Smith Jokes About Possible Arson of Conservative Offices

Minnesota Sun Staff
Andy Smith

Democratic legislator Andy Smith was widely criticized for his reaction to the news that three conservative organizations may have been the victims of arson — so much so that he almost immediately deleted his Twitter account.

A Golden Valley building that houses the Center of the American Experiment, TakeCharge, and the Upper Midwest Law Center caught fire early Sunday morning. The ATF confirmed with Alpha News that federal and local agencies are conducting an “arson investigation” into the fire.

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Derek Chauvin Still Fighting Convictions Despite Stabbing, Solitary Confinement

Minnesota Sun Staff

Even though he is still recovering from a near-fatal stabbing, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is seeking legal help while confined to solitary medical confinement in a federal prison facility.

“There was no question he was trying to kill him. It was more serious than anyone knew,” Carolyn Pawlenty said of the violent attack on her son in the prison law library at the facility in Tucson, Ariz., on Nov. 24, 2023.

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Lawsuit Claims Unequal Treatment in Minnesota’s Farmland Program

The Center Square
Lance Nistler

A Northern Minnesota farmer claims his race and sex placed him at the back of the line to receive a $15,000 grant for aspiring farmers to buy farmland. 

The case is Lance Nistler v. Walz, et al., filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota with pro-bono help from the nonprofit Pacific Legal Foundation.

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* Kari Lake Holds Press Conference Discussing Newly Resigned AZGOP Chair’s Financial Offer to Get Her Out of Politics

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake held a press conference on Rumble Wednesday evening to discuss revelations from a newly released recording of a conversation last March between herself and former Arizona Republican Party Chair Jeff DeWit, who was forced to resign after it came out. In the recording, DeWit is heard attempting to convince Lake to drop out of politics for a couple of years in exchange for a well-paying job, prompting an outcry that forced his resignation on Tuesday. Lake fielded questions from both reporters and other viewers during her talk, which lasted around half an hour.

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Minnesota Supreme Court to Hear Challenge of New Felon Voting Law

The Center Square
Inmate

The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a new law that automatically restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony who are still on parole, probation, or supervised release in the state.

On March 3, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law. Previously in Minnesota, the state restored voting rights to people convicted of a felony after they completed all aspects of their sentence, including parole or probation. The new law restored voting rights to these individuals upon completion of incarceration, regardless of other conditions of their sentence.

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Almost 40 Percent of New Hampshire Voters are Unaffiliated, Can Vote in GOP Primary and Possibly Skew Results

Rachel Alexander

With efforts to close New Hampshire’s presidential primary likely failing, the state’s primary could be determined by the state’s independent voters, who make up nearly 40 percent of the state’s electorate.

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Dem Presidential Candidate Dean Phillips Gets Attacked by Own Party for Removing ‘Diversity’ from Campaign Website

Minnesota Sun Staff
Dean Phillips

Democratic members of Congress criticized presidential candidate Dean Phillips after he removed the word “diversity” from his campaign website.

Phillips’ website renamed a section titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” to “Equity & Restorative Justice” on Tuesday, according to Politico. The move drew criticism from fellow Democrats, with one arguing he had been influenced by a $1 million donation from billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

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DFL Will Soon Have Monopoly of Appointees on Minnesota Supreme Court

Minnesota Sun Staff
Tim Walz

Justice G. Barry Anderson, the lone remaining Republican appointee on the Minnesota Supreme Court, announced his retirement last week after serving nearly 20 years as one of the state’s top judges.

Anderson notified Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday of his decision to step down from the court on May 10. Anderson turns 70 in October, the age of mandatory retirement that’s required by Minnesota statute.

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Fulton County DA Fani Willis Under Fire for Paying Alleged Married Lover to Prosecute Trump, Bar Complaint Filed

Rachel Alexander

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting former President Donald Trump and others connected to him, is facing accusations she violated ethics rules by appointing her married lover as chief prosecutor on the case.

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Walz Compares Keeping Minnesota State Flag with ‘Saving the Confederate Battle Flag’

Minnesota Sun Staff

On a Twin Cities radio show earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dismissed Republican efforts to keep Minnesota’s current state flag.

“Minnesota is a diverse state, it continues to grow. This flag was crafted in the 1890s,” said Gov. Walz regarding Minnesota’s current flag. “It’s highly offensive to a large number of people, and there’s very little debate about that.”

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Lawsuit: Minnesota Department of Corrections Canceled Christian Rehab Program for Conflicting with DEI

Minnesota Sun Staff
Minnesota Correctional Facility–St. Cloud

A federal lawsuit filed Monday argues that the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) violated the First Amendment when it abruptly canceled a Christian rehab program.

The voluntary program, called “Quest for Authentic Manhood,” was available to inmates at the Minnesota Correctional Facility–St. Cloud thanks to Anthony Schmitt, who taught the program over the course of a decade until it was canceled in 2023.

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Family of Ashli Babbitt Files $30 Million Lawsuit Against the Government over Her Death on Jan. 6

Just the News

The family of Jan. 6 protester Ashli Babbitt has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the government, saying she posed no threat to anyone when she was killed. 

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South Minneapolis Encampment Evicted, Moves Just Blocks Away

Minnesota Sun Staff
Minneapolis Homeless Encampment

A last-minute lawsuit filed by residents of a south Minneapolis homeless encampment came up short, clearing the way for the city to move forward with its scheduled eviction Thursday.

U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud declined to issue a temporary restraining order Wednesday that would have prevented the city from clearing the encampment at East 23rd Street and 13th Avenue South. That decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Climate Defense Project on behalf of encampment residents, who accused the city of violating their constitutional rights.

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