Tag: Twin Cities

Minnesota County Attorney Claims 20 Ballots Likely Thrown Away in 15-Vote Margin Race

Daily Caller News Foundation
Minnesota House Race

An investigation into missing ballots in a tight Minnesota state House race found they were most likely thrown away and will not be recovered.

Following a recount, incumbent Democratic- Minnesota state Rep. Brad Tabke leads Republican Aaron Paul by just 15 votes, with officials saying they had records of 21 more people voting than ballots received, according to a Scott County, Minnesota, investigative report. Of the 21 ballots unaccounted for, 20 came from a single precinct, sparking an investigation that found the votes were likely thrown away and have already been shredded.

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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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Violent Crime in Minnesota Increased 21 Percent in 2021: Report

The Center Square

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s 2021 Uniform Crime Report shows a 21.6% increase in violent crime in the state.

Local law enforcement agencies submit the crime summary data to meet state and federal reporting requirements. A BCA crime data tool explores crime trends.

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Restaurant Owner Testifies Crime Has ‘Become a Daily Part of Life’ in Twin Cities

Minnesota Sun Staff

A St. Paul restaurant owner whose establishments have been targeted by criminals on numerous occasions has once again expressed frustration with high crime and inadequate police staffing in the Twin Cities area.

At a U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Brian Ingram testified to a wide variety of incidents targeting his restaurants: windows shot out and shattered, criminals using his parking lot as a gathering place, and robbers casually stealing the purses and car keys of employees.

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Twin Cities School Board Forces District to ‘Protect and Affirm’ LGBT Agenda

Minnesota Sun Staff

A school board in the Twin Cities area has passed a resolution forcing the district to go all-in on “policies, practices, and curricula” that “protect and affirm” the “LGBTQIA+” agenda.

At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Osseo Area School District Board of Education voted 4-2 in favor of its resolution to “acknowledge the value of the lives of our trans, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, queer, intersex, two-spirit, asexual, nonbinary, and gender-expansive scholars and staff.”

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Department of Justice Launches New Program to Combat Violent Crime Spike in Minnesota

Cooper Moran

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is launching a new effort to combat a spike in violent crime, specifically targeting the Twin Cities area.

The new changes will allow all federal prosecutors in the office to take on and try violent crime cases. Additionally, the law enforcement agency is hiring more persecutors to assist with the workload.

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Twin Cities Starbucks Workers Joining Effort to Unionize

Peter D'Abrosca

An effort to unionize by Starbucks employees in Buffalo, New York, is moving west, having worked its way into Cleveland, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois, and now to the Twin Cities. 

“Early Friday morning, the hourly workers at two Twin Cities Starbucks locations, demanded union recognition from CEO Kevin Johnson and local management,” letter said. 

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Minnesota’s Health Care Industry Experiencing Record-High Number of Vacancies

Admin

The health care industry in Minnesota is experiencing a record-high number of job vacancies.

That’s according to a bulletin sent Monday by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The figures included in the report come from DEED’s job vacancy survey, which was conducted in the second quarter of 2021 — before many vaccine mandates took effect.

Although staffing shortages have long been common in the health care industry, the problem has significantly worsened as the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on.

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University of Minnesota Professor Opposes School Hiring Police ‘in the City of George Floyd Uprising’

Minnesota Sun Staff

A professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is pushing back against the school’s decision to hire more police officers.

Nate Mills, a professor of English, criticized the school in a tweet saying “In consistency with the city of Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota has decided, in the city of the George Floyd Uprising and continued racist police violence, that it too needs *more* police officers.”

In consistency with the city of Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota has decided, in the city of the George Floyd Uprising and continued racist police violence, that it too needs *more* police officers: pic.twitter.com/WANoIeaY5S— Nate Mills (@frozenagitation) July 23, 2021

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State Democrats Now Want $300 Million for Twin Cities Riot Damage

Minnesota Sun Staff

Minnesota Democrats want $300 million for riot-damaged businesses, double what Gov. Tim Walz requested in his budget proposal.

Last summer’s riots caused an estimated $500 million in damage across the Twin Cities, but the debate over who will pay for the repairs has raged on ever since.

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Twin Cities Light Rail Ridership Was Down 59 Percent in 2020

Minnesota Sun Staff

Light rail ridership in the Twin Cities metro area was down an average of 59% in 2020 when compared to 2019 numbers.

The Metropolitan Council, which runs public transportation in the Twin Cities metro area, released ridership numbers this week that demonstrate the significant decline in ridership across all modes of public transportation.

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Gov. Walz Activates National Guard after Chauvin’s Third Degree Murder Charge Dropped

The Center Square

Gov. Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard on Thursday to assist local law enforcement in protecting the greater Twin Cities.

“In light of developments in the George Floyd case, we’ve taken the precautionary step of asking the Minnesota National Guard to prepare to help ensure safety for Minnesotans,” Walz said in a statement. “I want to remind Minnesotans that today’s ruling marks a positive step in the path toward justice for George Floyd.”

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Minneapolis Citizens Desensitized to Crime: Uber Driver Footage Inside Look at Metro’s Reality

Corinne Murdock

Two Minneapolis citizens appear desensitized to their city’s worsening crime in a viral video of a downtown shootout early Sunday morning. The Uber driver’s dash cam recorded the incident.
The interaction between the female passenger and Uber driver is calm despite the violence occurring in front of them.

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Minneapolis Business Owners Left to Foot Demolition Bills After Riots

Corinne Murdock

Minneapolis business owners are left to foot demolition bills after the latest round of riots terrorized the city.

For most business owners, insurance only covers 8 to 25 percent of quoted demolition costs, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

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Minneapolis Business Owners Left to Foot Demolition Bills After Riots

Corinne Murdock

Minneapolis business owners are left to foot demolition bills after the latest round of riots terrorized the city.

For most business owners, insurance only covers 8 to 25 percent of quoted demolition costs, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

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500 Twin Cities Healthcare Workers Test Negative for COVID-19

Corinne Murdock

The University of Minnesota released a report Thursday in which all 500 Twin Cities healthcare workers tested in their study were negative for COVID-19. Their test subjects were the healthcare workers who have been tending to patients for months.

Considering the recent surge of cases, this is good news for the frontlines.

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Minneapolis Park Board Plans to Repeal Nudity Ordinance

Anthony Gockowski

The Minneapolis Park Board plans to vote on repealing its nudity ordinance this week because the law contains “discriminatory language that targets female breasts.”

Park Board Commissioner Chris Meyer said repealing the ordinance will be voted on during a Wednesday meeting. According to Meyer, it’s already legal for “people of all genders” to be topless in Minneapolis, but women and transgender people can still be cited for going topless in parks and on parkways because of the Park Board ordinance.

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Minnesota House Committee Declares ‘Racism Embedded in Foundation of America’

Anthony Gockowski

A Minnesota House committee approved a resolution Tuesday declaring racism a statewide “public health crisis.”

The resolution passed out of the House Rules Committee and now heads to the House floor for debate, with a final vote expected for July 20.

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North Minneapolis Democrat Says City Facing ‘Real Emergency’ Amid Ceaseless Violence

Anthony Gockowski

A north Minneapolis Democrat said his constituents are “facing a real emergency” as the city continues to experience alarming levels of gun violence.

“Every Minnesotan deserves to be safe in their own neighborhood, but right now many people are experiencing gun violence at unsustainable levels,” Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Minneapolis) said in a statement released Saturday. “The neighborhoods I represent in north Minneapolis are facing a real emergency.”

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Walz Calls Another Special Session, Says He Will Extend COVID-19 Emergency Powers

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz said he plans to extend his COVID-19 peacetime emergency declaration for another 30 days when lawmakers return to St. Paul Monday for a special session.

The governor announced Friday night that he has convened a special legislative session for July 13, the same day his peacetime emergency declaration is set to expire. According to Minnesota law, the governor must convene both houses of the Legislature if he wishes to extend a peacetime emergency when the Legislature is not in session.

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DOJ Announces Twin Cities Violent Crimes Task Force In Response to ‘Extraordinary Spike’ in Violence

Anthony Gockowski

The Department of Justice announced the formation of a new Twin Cities Violent Crimes Task Force Wednesday in response to an “extraordinary spike in gun violence and violent crimes.”

Erica MacDonald, U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, said the task force will bring together federal and state resources to assist local law enforcement in investigating, arresting, and prosecuting individuals responsible for gun violence.

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Republican Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Sell Minnesota’s $6.9 Million COVID-19 Morgue

Anthony Gockowski

A Republican lawmaker has drafted a bill that would require Minnesota to sell a facility it purchased for the storage of deceased COVID-19 patients.

Due to a projected surge in COVID-19 fatalities, the state of Minnesota spent $6.9 million in May to acquire a warehouse for the “temporary storage of human remains.” As of early June, however, the facility had yet to be used.

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Three Sexual Assaults Reported at Minneapolis Homeless Encampment in Public Park

Anthony Gockowski

Police are investigating a string of sexual assaults at a homeless encampment in a Minneapolis park, according to various news reports.

Since June 26, Minneapolis Park Police have received three reports of sexual assault in Powderhorn Park, where more than 850 people have set up a 560-tent encampment, according to KARE 11. Two of the assaults involved juvenile victims.

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Walz Expected to Call Another Special Session to Extend Emergency Powers

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz is expected to call another special session by the end of the week in order to extend his peacetime emergency powers.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) alerted members and staff in a Monday email about the likely special session.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces Federal Job Guarantee Bill

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) introduced a bill last week that would create a “job guarantee program” at the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Workforce Promotion and Access Act, sponsored by Omar and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), seeks to get more Americans “back to work in living-wage jobs created directly by the federal government.”

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Republicans Invoke Independence Day In Opposition to Walz’s Coronavirus Response

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz recently filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him regarding his use of emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawsuit was filed on May 28 by four members of the New House Republican Caucus, the Free Minnesota Coalition, and at least eight businesses across the state. The complaint argues that the governor does not have the authority to “suspend the constitutional rights of Minnesotans.”

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Walz Asks Federal Government to Help Twin Cities Rebuild from $500M Worth of Rioting Damage

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz has requested federal financial assistance to help the Twin Cities recover from more than $500 million worth of damage caused by rioting.

In a press release, Walz’s office said nearly 1,500 Twin Cities businesses were vandalized, burned, or looted during the late May riots, with current estimates of the damage exceeding $500 million.

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Three More Charged with Arson in Connection to Twin Cities Riots

Anthony Gockowski

Three more Minnesotans are facing federal arson charges in connection to the late May riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Both Matthew Scott White, 31, and Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 19, were arrested on June 29 and charged with one count of arson.

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Three More Charged with Arson in Connection to Twin Cities Riots

Anthony Gockowski

Three more Minnesotans are facing federal arson charges in connection to the late May riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Both Matthew Scott White, 31, and Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 19, were arrested on June 29 and charged with one count of arson.

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Walz Says Statewide Mask Mandate Is ‘On the Table’

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz said a statewide mask mandate to help curb the spread of COVID-19 is “on the table” during a Monday press conference.

According to Walz, Republican governors who participated in a Monday phone call with Vice President Mike Pence were also “exploring the idea.”

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Walz Says Statewide Mask Mandate Is ‘On the Table’

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz said a statewide mask mandate to help curb the spread of COVID-19 is “on the table” during a Monday press conference.

According to Walz, Republican governors who participated in a Monday phone call with Vice President Mike Pence were also “exploring the idea.”

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Minneapolis Council Members Who Want to Abolish Police Have Received $63,000 in Private Security

Anthony Gockowski

Minneapolis has spent $63,000 on private security for three council members who want to abolish the city’s police department.

Council Member Phillipe Cunningham confirmed the report in a statement released on Twitter Friday night.

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Council Unanimously Approves Plan to Dismantle Minneapolis Police

The Associated Press

The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously approved a proposal to change the city charter to allow the police department to be dismantled, following widespread criticism of law enforcement over the killing of George Floyd.

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State Senators to Hold Oversight Hearings on Handling of Minneapolis Riots, Ask DOJ to Investigate Police

Anthony Gockowski

Three Republican state senators called on U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and the Department of Justice to investigate the Minneapolis Police Department and its response to recent unrest in the city.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) announced plans to hold a series of legislative oversight hearings beginning July 1 on state and local responses to the riots.

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Two Weeks Later, Investigation Into Toppling of Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue Still Ongoing

Anthony Gockowski

It’s been two weeks since a Christopher Columbus statue was toppled outside the Minnesota Capitol, but the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said the investigation remains ongoing.

A spokesperson for the agency told KSTP chief political reporter Tom Hauser that the “investigation continues as the [Bureau of Criminal Apprehension] works to identify other participants in the incident, beyond the leader.”

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Minnesota Ends ‘Train Wreck’ Special Session With No Deal on Policing, Bonding Bill

The Associated Press

Minnesota legislative leaders traded barbs Saturday after a special session collapsed with no deal on revamping policing following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a session that one group called “a train wreck.”

The two sides may be back at it in another special session next month.

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Hennepin County Commissioners Want to Declare Racism a ‘Public Health Crisis’

Anthony Gockowski

Two Hennepin County commissioners plan to introduce a resolution this week that would declare racism a “public health crisis.”

Commissioner Angela Conley announced Friday that she will introduce the resolution with Commissioner Irene Fernando during Tuesday’s Board meeting.

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Three More Charged in Minneapolis Arson Cases, ATF Offers $70K Reward for Additional Information

Anthony Gockowski

At least three more Minnesotans were charged this week for their involvement in the destruction of Minneapolis.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald announced that 25-year-old Montez Terrill Lee of Rochester was charged with arson for starting a pawn shop on fire. According to a criminal complaint, surveillance video showed a masked man, later identified as Lee, pouring liquid from a metal container throughout the pawn shop on the night of May 28.

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St. Paul Saints to Play Season in Sioux Falls for Now Because of ‘Capacity Restrictions’

Anthony Gockowski

The St. Paul Saints announced Friday that the team will be participating in a 60-game season beginning July 3, but all games will be played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota until “capacity restrictions for outdoor events have relaxed.”

The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball said the shortened season will run from July 3 to September 10, concluding with a championship series between the top two teams. The league will consist of six teams based in three separate hubs.

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Resolution to End Walz’s Peacetime Emergency Fails to Pass, But Receives Bipartisan Support

Anthony Gockowski

Yet another resolution to end Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency declaration was rejected Friday, but this time the proposal received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

The resolution passed the Republican-controlled Senate in a vote of 38-29, with three Democratic senators joining Republicans in voting to end the governor’s emergency powers, which first took effect March 13 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Edina Realty Fires Agent for Taking Down Black Lives Matter Signs Outside Apartment

Anthony Gockowski

Edina Realty fired one of its agents last week after she posted on Facebook about removing Black Lives Matter signs from light poles outside her apartment building.

The real estate agency was informed via a Facebook comment that Babette Gillet Bean, a longtime employee of the company, had “actively participated in the removal of BLM signs that have been posted in her neighborhood.”

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DFL Lawmaker Wants Portrait of Lincoln Removed from Minnesota House Chamber

Anthony Gockowski

A DFL lawmaker revealed on Twitter this week that she’s “tried a bunch of times” to get a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln removed from the Minnesota House chamber.

State Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL-New Brighton) said it’s “hard to look at” House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) when she’s “standing in front of Lincoln.”

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After Protesters Tear Down Columbus Statue, Minnesota Lt. Governor Welcomes Removal

Anthony Gockowski

The protesters and activists who tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the Minnesota Capitol Wednesday faced virtually no resistance from state leaders or law enforcement.

In fact, after the statue was toppled over, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Minnesota “is long overdue for a hard look at the symbols, statues, and icons that were created without the input of many of our communities.”

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Two Hennepin County Commissioners Voted to Remove Medical Examiner Because of Floyd Autopsy Results

Anthony Gockowski

Two members of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday in favor of removing the county’s medical examiner because they didn’t like the results of his autopsy in the case of George Floyd.

Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker released a 20-page autopsy report last week with the permission of Floyd’s family and concluded that Floyd’s heart stopped while being restrained by officers. The report revealed that Floyd tested positive for the coronavirus, had fentanyl and meth in his blood, and had a number of underlying health conditions.

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Minneapolis Council President Struggles to Explain Who Will Respond to Violent Crimes Without Police

Anthony Gockowski

Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender made several appearances on cable news programs Monday and was unable to articulate who would respond to violent crimes if her city’s police department is actually abolished.

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Minnesota Hasn’t Used $6.9 Million Facility It Bought to Store Deceased Coronavirus Patients

Anthony Gockowski

Due to a projected surge in coronavirus fatalities, the state of Minnesota spent $6.9 million to acquire a warehouse for the “temporary storage of human remains,” but the facility has so far gone unused.

“What’s contemplated by the purchase is to buy a building where we can properly handle with dignity and respect and safety the bodies of Minnesotans who may fall victim to the coronavirus,” Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly said during a press conference in early May.

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City of Minneapolis, State Patrol Sued for Attacks on Journalists During Riots

Anthony Gockowski

A class-action lawsuit was filed this week against the leaders of the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for their “attacks” on journalists during last week’s riots.

“The press is under assault in our City. Over the past week, the Minneapolis Police and the Minnesota State Patrol have tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, shot in the face with rubber bullets, arrested without cause, and threatened journalists at gunpoint, all after these journalists identified themselves and were otherwise clearly engaged in their reporting duties,” states the lawsuit.

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