Author: The Associated Press

Wisconsin Prepares for Mining Projects After law Changes

Opponents Fear Contamination of Surrounding Water Resources

FLAMBEAU, Wis. (AP) – Communities in northern Wisconsin are working on their next steps following a recent law change that’ll give companies an easier time moving forward with plans to mine metals. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the repeal of a decades-old sulfide mining moratorium took effect this month. The moratorium required companies to provide proof of a sulfide mine…

US Economy Surges to 4.1 Percent Growth Rate in Q2

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy surged in the April-June quarter to an annual growth rate of 4.1 percent. That’s the fastest pace since 2014, driven by consumers who began spending their tax cuts and exporters who rushed to get their products delivered ahead of retaliatory tariffs. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that…

Walz Calls for gas tax Increase, Opens Door to Other Hikes

Walz Says he Couln't Rule out Other tax Increases

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Rep. Tim Walz says he’d push to raise the state’s gasoline tax if elected governor to pay for infrastructure improvements. The Democratic congressman included that measure as part of a broader policy package he released with mayors and leaders from across Minnesota on Thursday. Walz called Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s failed push for a hike…

Authorities ID Drowning Victim in Northern Minnesota

More Tests are Pending

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a woman who drowned in a lake in northern Minnesota. Beltrami County authorities identify the victim as 32-year-old Amber Jackson of Cass Lake. Jackson’s body was pulled from Lake Bemidji on Wednesday. Drowning is listed as the preliminary cause of death. No trauma was found. More tests are pending. Categories:…

Wisconsin PSC Approves Foxconn Transmission Lines

The Lines Will Cost Between $117-$120 Million

(AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin regulators have signed off on American Transmission Company’s plan to build a new substation and transmission lines to power Foxconn Technology Group’s massive flat-screen plant in Mount Pleasant. The Public Service Commission voted 3-0 on Thursday to approve the project. The work is expected to cost between $117 million and $120 million depending on…

Facebook Market Value Plunges $119 Billion

Grappling with Privacy Issues has Sent Stocks Tumbling

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK (AP) — The 19 percent loss in Facebook’s stock chopped $119 billion off its market value. It was the company’s worst trading day since going public in 2012, and among the biggest one-day losses of market value in U.S. stock market history. The loss came a day after Facebook revealed that its user base and revenue…

United Natural Foods to buy Supervalu for $1.26 Billion

The Company is Paying $32.50 per Share in Cash

(David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)(AP) – United Natural Foods is buying Supervalu for $1.26 billion, creating a grocery food wholesaler with a diverse customer base. United Natural Foods of Providence, Rhode Island, said Thursday it’s paying $32.50 per share in cash, or a premium of 67 percent, for each share of Supervalu Inc. Including the assumption of debt, the deal…

Wisconsin Ordered to pay for two Transgender Surgeries

a Preliminary Injunction was Granted Wednesday

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A federal judge has ordered Wisconsin to pay for surgeries that two transgender Medicaid recipients need to treat their gender dysphoria. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Cody Flack and Sara Ann Makenzie filed a lawsuit in April, saying the state’s rule denying all coverage for such surgeries violates their civil rights. U.S. District Judge William…

Online Shoppers to Begin Paying in Minnesota

The Change Will Start on October 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Online shoppers in Minnesota will soon have to pay more on goods and services in their digital shopping carts. The Minnesota Department of Revenue said Wednesday that it’s requiring online sellers operating out of state to start collecting state sales taxes by Oct. 1. It’s a response to last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that…

Minnesota Boys sue to Join Girls High School Dance Teams

The Boys say the Rules are sex Discrimination

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Two Minnesota teenagers are suing the Minnesota State High School League because they are not allowed to dance on the girls’ competitive dance teams at their schools. Sixteen-year-olds Dmitri Moua of Maplewood and Zachary Greenwald of Minnetonka filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday with help from the Pacific Legal Foundation, which has worked on similar cases in Minnesota…

Long Standoff Outside Burnsville Costco has Ended

The Standoff Lasted for 12 Hours

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP) – A 12-hour standoff between police and a man said to be armed with a gun has ended in the parking lot of a Costco store in Burnsville, but authorities have not yet released how the situation was resolved. Police say the standoff ended about 5 a.m. Thursday and that there is no threat to the community….

Barbie Maker Mattel to cut More Than 2,200 Jobs

A Spokesman Said job Cuts Will Affect Mainly its Office Workers

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel, hurt by the closing of Toys R Us stores, said Wednesday that it will cut more than 2,200 jobs as the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars seeks to save money. Like other toy companies, Mattel has lost sales as Toys R Us faltered. The toy retailer filed for bankruptcy…

Brock Turner Appeals Sexual Assault Conviction

Turner is Required to Register as a sex Offender for Life

(Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group via AP, File) SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A lawyer for former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner argued Tuesday that his client’s attempted rape conviction should be overturned. Turner never intended to rape an unconscious woman, he said. Eric Malthaup told a California appeals court in San Jose that Turner had his clothes on when…

Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Cheese Dip Recalled for Botulism Risk

If you Experience any Symptoms Seek Immediate Medical Attention

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE) – As a precaution, approximately 7,000 cases of Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Mild Cheese Dip are being voluntarily recalled because the affected product is showing signs of product separation which can lead to a potential health hazard. This could create conditions that could allow for the growth of Clostridiumbotulinum ( C. botulinum ), a bacterium…

Mom Charged After Choking Player at Girls Basketball Game

The mom has Been Previously Convicted of Assault

SEATTLE (AP) – A suburban Seattle mother has been charged with felony assault following an attack last year on a sixth-grade girl at a basketball game between two Catholic schools. Authorities say 38-year-old Monique Altheimer of Kent got onto the basketball court during a December game in Seattle and choked the child who had fought with the suspect’s daughter during…

Supreme Court Says School Segregation Lawsuit can Proceed

The State Argued Issue Should be Left to Legislature

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court says a lawsuit that claims school segregation denies some students the right to an adequate education can move forward in the courts. Wednesday’s ruling comes in a class-action lawsuit filed by parents of children who attend Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. The parents claimed that schools segregated by racial and economic factors…

Farmers Prefer Trump do Trade Deals Than Hand Them Cash

Farmers Feel This is a Short Term Solution

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many farmers remain critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the damage done to commodity prices and markets but were appreciative Tuesday that he offered to provide some cash to help offset their losses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $12 billion three-part plan that would borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay…

Trump Says it’s ‘sad’ Cohen Recorded him

Trump Suggests the Tape was "cut off"

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is firing back at his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen after the release of a recording Cohen secretly made of a conversation between the two men. “What kind of lawyer would tape a client? So sad!” the president says Wednesday on Twitter. The tape, made two months before the 2016 presidential election, captures…

DNR Announces First Plan to Manage Minnesota Deer Population

The Plan Seeks a Harvest of 200,000 Whitetails

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has outlined the state’s first deer management plan. The plan announced Tuesday seeks a target harvest of 200,000 whitetails. The plan is the result of a two-year effort that included meetings around Minnesota and input from a 19-member citizen advisory committee. DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr says the agency has…

State Authorizes $20,000 in Grants to Help Sun Prairie

The Grants Will Help the Community Recover

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker is announcing that $20,000 in disaster relief grants will be available to help victims of this month’s natural gas explosion in Sun Prairie. The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority grants will be available to provide emergency housing assistance to residents who lost their home due to the explosion and fire. Volunteer Sun…

Sex Offender Charged With Kidnap, Sexual Assault

Convicted sex Offender Abducted Woman at Gunpoint

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) – A convicted sex offender has been charged with abducting a woman at gunpoint from her home near Fergus Falls and sexually assaulting her. Thirty-nine-year-old Anthony Randklev, of Pelican Rapids, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and several other counts in Otter Tail County District Court. He was expected to appear in court Tuesday….

Swanson Forms Task Force to Review Rape Investigations

The Task Force Will Include Victim Advocates

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is joining a chorus of politicians calling for change after a Star Tribune report unveiled widespread failings in police department rape investigations. The Minneapolis newspaper published a yearlong investigation that analyzed more than 1,000 sexual assault cases statewide in a recent two-year period and found pervasive problems. Police never assigned…

Drowning Victim Recovered From Vermillion River

No Other Details Were Released

HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) – The Dakota County sheriff’s dive team has recovered a drowning victim from the Vermillion River. The sheriff’s office says sonar was used to locate the victim early Tuesday. The sheriff’s office says it has been searching for the victim in the southern part of the county since Monday. No other details were released. The Vermillion River…

McDonald’s Removing Salads from 3,000 Stores After Illness

The Illness is Caused by the Cyclospora Parasite

(AP Photo) CHICAGO (AP) — McDonald’s is stopping the sale of salads at 3,000 restaurants after people became sick from a parasite causing intestinal illness. The Chicago-based fast-food chain said Friday it’s acting “out of an abundance of caution” until switching to another supplier. Health officials in Illinois and Iowa say they’ve identified roughly 100 combined cases of cyclosporiasis apparently…

Four Types of Goldfish Crackers Recalled, Salmonella Fears

Products can be Returned for a Refund

Photo: Business WireNORWALK, Conn. (AP) – Pepperidge Farm is voluntarily recalling four varieties of Goldfish Crackers because of fears they could potentially have salmonella. The company on Monday took the action after one of its ingredient suppliers notified it that whey powder used in a seasoning may be contaminated. The products were distributed in the United States and no illnesses…

Woman Accused of Leaving Five Children in car While she Gambled

The Temperature was 80 Degrees

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A Milwaukee woman is accused of leaving five children, including a newborn, in a casino garage while she gambled. Twenty-seven-year-old Takeshia Stanton is charged with five counts of criminal child neglect in connection with the July 2 incident. Police say Stanton left the children for up to four hours in her parked car at Potawatomi Hotel &…

Family of Woman Killed by Minneapolis Officer Sues

The Lawsuit Seeks Monetary Damages

Justine Damond, Fox 9MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The family of a woman who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer last year after she called 911 to report a possible assault is suing the officer, his partner and the city. A lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court alleges Justine Ruszczyk Damond’s civil rights were violated when she was shot July…

Breastfeeding at Mora Public Pool Prompts Police Call

A Pool Patron Requested the Women Cover up While Breastfeeding

MORA, Minn. (AP) – Dozens of mothers and their children gathered over the weekend for what they called a “nurse-in” to support two women who were chastised for breastfeeding at a public swimming pool in eastern Minnesota. The women gathered Saturday near the Mora Aquatic Center in Mora to defend Stephanie Buchanan and Mary Davis, two sisters-in-law whose breastfeeding of…

Man Firing Into Toronto Cafes Shoots 14 People, Killing two

Terrorism has not Been Ruled out as a Motive

(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) — A man walked along a Toronto street firing a handgun into restaurants and cafes, shooting 14 people and killing two before dying after an exchange of gunfire with police. Police Chief Mark Saunders did not rule out terrorism as a motive, though officials did not immediately identify the attacker, other than…

Suspect in Woman’s Abduction Arrested in Otter Tail County

The Suspect is a Registered sex Offender

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) – A woman abducted at gunpoint from her rural Fergus Falls home has been found and a suspect has been arrested. The mother of the woman abducted Sunday afternoon tells KFGO a masked man armed with a gun entered her daughter’s home through an unlocked basement door. She says the intruder forced her daughter to leave…

Woman Injured by Lightning Strike at Country Thunder

The Woman was Transported for Treatment

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department says a woman attending the Country Thunder Wisconsin Music Festival in Twin Lakes has been seriously injured by a lightning strike. Sheriff’s officials say it happened about 12:30 a.m. Friday at the festival’s campground. The woman was transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center for treatment. Authorities identified the woman as a…

Lori Swanson Stands by Running Mate Rick Nolan

Nolan Apologizes to the Women

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lori Swanson is standing by her running mate, Rick Nolan, despite pressure from liberal groups to dump him over his handling of a top aide accused of sexual harassment. Lori Swanson’s statement reads: “Sexual harassment has no place in the workplace or society.  Congressman Nolan has apologized to the women who were harassed by…

Walker Wants Federal Disaster Declaration for NW Wisconsin

Flooding Caused More Than $13.1 Million in Damage

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker has asked President Donald Trump’s administration to issue a federal disaster declaration for six northwestern Wisconsin counties that saw flood damage in June. Heavy rains fell across northwestern Wisconsin beginning June 16, washing out many roads and culverts. Walker sent a letter to Trump on Friday asking for federal aid to help local…

Charges Filed in City Council Brawl

Hagen Resigned his Council Seat

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (AP) – Charges have been filed against two City Council members from Thief River Falls who were involved in a knockdown, chair-swinging brawl that resulted from a discussion about a children’s splash pad. The Pennington County attorney has charged Joshua Hagen with fifth-degree assault and Jerald Brown with disorderly conduct stemming from the physical fight at…

Colleges ask for a share of future salary in lieu of loans

The Contract is Known as an Income Share Agreement

(AP Photo/David Jordan)MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – More colleges are beginning to offer income share agreements, in which colleges receive a percentage of the student’s future salary, in place of some student loans. Vermont’s Norwich University has become the latest school to offer this type of agreement. The school says the program will “reduce financial barriers to degree completion.” The school…

Divers Search for Bodies After Duck Boat Accident Kills 13

Four Adults and Three Children Arrived at the Hshortly After the Accident

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Divers searched a Missouri lake Friday for four people still missing after a duck boat packed with tourists capsized and sank in high winds, killing at least 13 people in the tourist town of Branson. Authorities blamed stormy weather for the accident Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake. Winds at the time were blowing as hard…

Minnesota man Shoots, Critically Wounds 30-year-old Stepson

The Stepfather was Released Pending Investigation

RUTLEDGE, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say a 59-year-old man in eastern Minnesota shot and critically wounded his 30-year-old stepson as the younger man tried to break into his stepfather’s home. Pine County sheriff’s officials were called early Thursday about a disturbance at a home in Rutledge. Deputies were responding when they learned that the male suspect had been shot once…

Dolphins Anthem Punishment Includes Suspensions

Team Officials had no Immediate Comment

(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)(AP) – Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the national anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy issued this week. The “Proper Anthem Conduct” section is just one sentence in a nine-page discipline document provided to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the policy who insisted…

Burned Items led to Indiana Woman’s Buried Body in Minnesota

A Fire pit Included Metal Buttons From Jeans and a Necklace

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A criminal complaint outlines the discovery of a missing Indiana woman’s body in a shallow grave in northern Minnesota. Forty-year-old Daniel Lynn of South Bend, Indiana, is charged in Minnesota with second-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Christina Woods, also of South Bend. Bail for Lynn was set at $1 million Wednesday. Woods’ remains were…

Minnesota Congressman Faces Questions Over Dismissed Staffer

Swiderski has Been Accused of Sexual Harassment

TwitterDULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A former legislative director of Congressman Rick Nolan has been accused of sexual harassment by three women. The women were former employees of Nolan’s congressional office and accuse Jim Swiderski of alleged groping, inappropriate touching, inappropriate messages, and demeaning comments. Nolan is now facing questions about his handling of the former staffer, Swiderski, accused of harassing…

Man Charged in Double Homicide Incompetent for Trial

He Will be Committed to a Secure Treatment Center

PERHAM, Minn. (AP) – A man charged with killing a woman and her adult son in Otter Tail County has been found incompetent to stand trial and will be committed to a secure treatment center in St. Peter. Twenty-two-year-old William Hillman will be held at the center until his mental health improves and he’s able to take part in legal…

In the Battle for Twenty-First Century Fox, Comcast Blinks

Fox Made a $32.5 Billion Offer for Sky it Doesn't own

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)NEW YORK (AP) — In a battle among media giants for control of Twenty-First Century Fox’s entertainment business, Comcast has blinked. The cable and media company said Thursday that it is dropping its bid, instead focusing on its pursuit of the European pay-TV operator Sky. Fox owns 39 percent of Sky and has also been trying to…

Semi Crash Sends Hogs Spilling Onto Minnesota Highway

A few of the Pigs Died

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) – Some pigs went hog-wild on the highway after a semi-truck overturned in southern Minnesota. The semi crashed at an interchange of Highways 169 and 14 near Mankato Wednesday morning. Hogs escaped from the punctured trailer and spilled onto the roads. The Minnesota State Patrol says the 30-year-old semi driver lost control and rolled on the ramp….

Officer Dies After Assault by Inmate at Minnesota Prison

Gomm was a 16-Year Department Veteran

BAYPORT, Minn. (AP) – A corrections officer has died after he was assaulted by an inmate at the Stillwater state prison. The Minnesota Department of Corrections says Officer Joseph Gomm was attacked by an offender at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Gomm was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead. Gomm was a 16-year veteran of the…

Group Seeks Another Environmental Review for PolyMet Mine

PolyMet is now Seeking Permits

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A clean water group has petitioned state and federal regulators for another environmental review for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The project has already undergone an extensive environmental review, and PolyMet is now seeking permits. But Paula Maccabee, an attorney for WaterLegacy, says critical details have changed so much since what was…

Traffic Headache, but no Injuries in Fiery Interstate Crash

The Truck Burst Into Flames When hit

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A fiery crash between a chemical truck and a car temporarily closed a downtown Milwaukee interchange, but did not cause any serious injuries. The crash happened on northbound Interstate 43/94 just after 3 a.m. Wednesday and forced the closure of the entire Marquette interchange for about two hours. The northbound interstate lanes remained closed for about six…

Out of Hospital, Thai Boys Recount Moment They Were Found

All 13 Boys Have Been Described as Recovering Well

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (AP) — Trapped in the recesses of a flooded cave in northern Thailand, the 12 boys and their soccer coach were trying to dig their way out when they heard voices in the darkness. Their coach quickly told everyone to be quiet. “We weren’t sure if it was for real,” said 14-year-old Adul Samon. “So we stopped…