Author: The Associated Press

Supreme Court Upholds Trump Travel ban

The 5-4 Decision was Made on Tuesday

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from several mostly Muslim countries, rejecting a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority. The 5-4 decision Tuesday is the court’s first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by his…

Driver Killed in Crash After Police end Pursuit

The Semi Driver not Injured

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Authorities say a speeding driver has died in a crash on Milwaukee’s south side after police ended their pursuit of the motorist. The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. Monday. Police say a suburban Greenfield officer tried to pull over the man for a traffic violation, but he sped away. Greenfield police began a pursuit, but then canceled…

Ryan, Walker React to Harley Moving Production

Gov. Scott Walker is Echoing Comments

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Wisconsin’s top Republican leaders are not criticizing President Donald Trump’s trade policy or Harley-Davidson’s decision to shift the production of motorcycles headed for Europe from the U.S. to factories overseas. The Milwaukee-based company said Monday it’s making the move because of a spike in European Union tariffs on its motorcycles exported from the U.S. A spokeswoman for…

Ex-Minnesota Sheriff Accused of Threatening Female Employee

Duncan Could Face Criminal Charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota county sheriff who resigned unexpectedly last month is accused of threatening a female employee in the sheriff’s office. The Star Tribune reports that an investigation ordered by the Chisago County Attorney’s Office shows that Rick Duncan wrote threatening letters last fall directing the employee to go with him to a training session in Bemidji and…

University of Minnesota Aims to Grow System Enrollment

Over 20,000 Undergrad Applicants are Turned Away Annually

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The University of Minnesota says students who can’t get into its selective Twin Cities flagship will be steered to the four other campuses as the system looks to grow by 3,000 over the next six years. The Pioneer Press reports that the Twin Cities campus accounts for 71 percent of the system’s more than 44,500 undergraduates. However,…

Gun Recovered From Police Shooting Scene

The man was Pronounced Dead at the Scene

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says officials have recovered a black and silver handgun from the scene of a Minneapolis police shooting that left a man dead. The bureau, which is investigating the shooting, said Sunday that the man ran from officers while holding a gun. Authorities say Minneapolis police officers pursued and then shot the…

Gunshot Detection Technology Coming to Wisconsin Schools

the Sensors can Also Lock Doors

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Some Wisconsin schools will be using gunshot-detection sensors when classes resume this fall to try to get police to respond more quickly to a mass shooting. The sensors are among various security upgrades schools are rolling out with grant money state lawmakers approved this year after the shootings in Parkland, Florida. The Kenosha Unified School District plans…

Starbucks to Accelerate Store Closings Next Year

Shares Have Slipped Nearly two Percent

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says it will accelerate its store closings in the U.S. next year as it tries to boost sluggish sales. The Seattle-based company announced Tuesday that it will close 150 under-performing stores in heavily penetrated markets, up from the usual rate of 50 closings a year. The company also said it expects 1 percent growth in…

Activists Provide Fentanyl Tests to Help Stop Overdoses

Fentanyl has a High Risk of Overdoses

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Activists are encouraging people to use test strips on drugs as the number of fentanyl overdose deaths rises in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio reports that the strips offer a simple way for people to tell whether there’s potentially dangerous fentanyl in the drugs they’re about to take. Fentanyl is considered more powerful than heroin. The…

Warming drives spread of toxic algae in US, researchers say

Cyanobacteria Thrive in Warm Still Bodies of Water

(Andy Morrison/The Blade via AP, File) SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The words blasted to cellphones around Oregon’s capital city were ominous: “Civil emergency . prepare for action.” Within half an hour, a second official alert clarified the subject wasn’t impending violence but toxins from an algae bloom, detected in Salem’s water supply. Across the U.S., reservoirs that supply drinking water…

Recent Rains Kick off Mosquito Season in Minnesota

Controlling Mosquitos is Important

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Swarms of mosquitoes will soon be buzzing in Minnesota after recent bouts of rain. Mosquitoes typically emerge in the early summer when their eggs become submerged in water, causing them to start hatching. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District says it expects mosquitoes will be swarming in the coming days as the larvae transform into adults….

Kasson Officer Charged With Sexual Assault

Baez is Being Held on $1 Million Unconditional Bond

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – A Kasson police officer is being held on unconditional bond of $1 million for criminal sexual conduct charges in Olmsted County. Fifty-one-year-old Julio Baez was arrested earlier this week at a Winona motel. A complaint against Baez says he sexually abused two girls, one for 11 years, from the time she was 5 until she was…

Homicide Charge Filed in Pedestrian’s Death

Anderson hit and Killed 64-Year-old Bruce Williams

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A man with three drunken driving convictions is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in the death of a pedestrian who was struck and killed in Milwaukee earlier this week. A criminal complaint says 35-year-old Christopher Anderson was drunk when he hit and killed 64-year-old Bruce Williams Monday. Authorities say Anderson had his 8-day-old…

ABC Orders ‘Roseanne’ Spinoff for Fall Minus Roseanne Barr

ABC Ordered 10 Episodes

(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)LOS ANGELES (AP) – ABC, which canceled its “Roseanne” revival over its star’s racist tweet, says it will air a Conner family sitcom minus Roseanne Barr this fall. ABC ordered 10 episodes of the spinoff after Barr agreed to forgo any creative or financial participation in it. In a statement issued by the show’s producer, Barr said…

Supreme Court Adopts new Rules for Cellphone Tracking

This is a Victory for Privacy in Digital age

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says police generally need a search warrant if they want to track criminal suspects’ movements by collecting information about where they’ve used their cellphones. The justices’ 5-4 decision Friday is a victory for privacy in the digital age. That’s a big change from the old days when authorities could go to the phone company…

Man Charged in Target Gift Card Scam

Zhang Visited 10-15 Stores a day

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A man accused of posing as an Internal Revenue Service representative and tricking people into buying Target gift cards to pay of phony tax debts is facing federal charges in Minnesota. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in St. Paul accuses 27-year-old Yu Zhang of visiting at least 10 Target stores a day…

Orlando International Airport to Scan Faces of US Citizens

The Face Scan Expansion is Costing the Orlando Airport Authority $4 Million

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s busiest airport will be the first in the nation to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights, officials said Thursday, a move that pleases airport executives but worries privacy advocates. Officials at Orlando International Airport said the expansion of face scans would speed up the…

Former UW Student Sentenced to Three Years for Assaults

Cook was Expelled in June 2017

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A judge has sentenced a former University of Wisconsin-Madison student who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three female students and choking or stalking two others to three years behind bars. WKOW-TV reports Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke sentenced 22-year-old Alec Cook of Edina, Minnesota, on Thursday to three years in prison and five years of…

Heavy Rains Cause Roads to Flood in Southeast South Dakota

Part of Interstate 90 is now Reopened

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Heavy rains are causing roads to flood in southeastern South Dakota. The South Dakota Highway Patrol says Highway 11 in southeastern Sioux Falls is closed from 57th Street to 271st Street for water over the road. The National Weather Service reports more than 5 inches of rain fell in that area. In Minnesota, part of…

Minnesota Cafe Hears it From Both Sides for Hosting “Fox & Friends”

Owner, Supportive Comments Eventually Outweighed the Negative

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – The small Duluth diner is getting an earful from commenters and callers for hosting Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” morning show a day after President Donald Trump visited the city. Uncle Loui’s Cafe, a local favorite in the city, drew both criticism and support after the conservative morning show announced plans for the broadcast. Owner Debra…

Democratic Milwaukee Businessman Andy Gronik Drops out

The Announcement Came Thursday

photo: andygronik.comMADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik is ending his campaign for governor. Gronik announced Thursday he was dropping out of the race. That leaves nine Democrats in the field looking to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Gronik got into the race nearly a year ago, in July 2017. A political newcomer, he was not able…

New Evidence That Viruses may Play a Role in Alzheimer’s

The Study was Published in the Journal Neuron

WASHINGTON (AP) – A provocative new study says viruses that sneak into the brain just might play a role in Alzheimer’s. Some scientists have long suspected viruses or bacteria somehow set the stage for Alzheimer’s. Now, the main theory is that sticky brain-clogging plaques are the culprit. Thursday’s findings don’t prove viruses cause the mind-robbing disease but they promise to…

Lawsuit Challenges Federal Leases for Planned Minnesota Mine

Nine Businesses have Sued the Interior Department

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Nine Minnesota businesses that rely on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area have sued the Interior Department, challenging its decision to reinstate the federal mineral rights leases for the planned Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely. The lawsuit filed in federal court in the District of Columbia on Thursday says the department’s decision was unlawful…

Instagram Unveils new Video Service in Challenge to YouTube

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook’s Instagram service is loosening its restraints on video in an attempt to lure younger viewers away from YouTube when they’re looking for something to watch on their smartphones. The expansion announced Wednesday, dubbed IGTV, will increase Instagram’s video time limit from one minute to 10 minutes for most users. Accounts with large audiences…

Milwaukee on Short List for Democratic National Convention

The Convention Will be Held July 13-16

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee is on the short list to host the Democratic National Convention in 2020. Wisconsin’s largest city was among four cities to make the cut Wednesday by the DNC site selection committee. But the Denver Post is reporting that city, which also made the cut, is planning to withdraw its application. The two other cities are Houston…

Supreme Court Rules for States in Online Sales tax Case

The 5-4 Ruling is Seen as a win for States

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says states can force online shoppers to pay sales tax. The 5-4 ruling Thursday is a win for states, who said they were losing out on billions of dollars annually under two decades-old Supreme Court decisions that impacted online sales tax collection. The high court ruled Thursday to overturn those decisions. They had resulted…

Crews Recover Body of Swimmer From Northern Minnesota Lake

An Autopsy is Pending

REMER, Minn. (AP) – Authorities have recovered the body of a 76-year-old man who drowned while swimming in a northern Minnesota lake. Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch says his office was notified Monday night of a drowning on Upper Menton Lake near Remer. Deputies and first responders arrived and recovered the man’s body from the lake. Deputies learned the man…

Koko, the Gorilla who Knew Sign Language, Dies at 46

Koko was Born in the San Francisco Zoo

WOODSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Koko, the gorilla who mastered sign language, has died. The Gorilla Foundation says the 46-year-old western lowland gorilla died in her sleep at the foundation’s preserve in California’s Santa Cruz mountains on Tuesday. Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo, and Dr. Francine Patterson began teaching the gorilla sign language that became part of a…

Teen Charged With Setting Fire to Minnesota Church

The Teen is Charged with First-Degree Arson

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – Authorities allege a teenager set fire to a 118-year-old church in central Minnesota in March 2016, causing several millions of dollars in damage. Prosecutors in Stearns County charged the teen with first-degree arson for allegedly setting fire to the Church of St. Mary in Melrose. The suspect was 13 at the time. Sheriff’s investigators interviewed…

Poison Control Warns About Fire Colorant Product

The Product has Sickened Several Children

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – As the summer campfire season picks up Minnesota Poison Control has a warning about a product used to generate colored flames. KARE-TV reports the chemical, sold in a small foil packet, has sickened several young children in Minnesota, including one that was sent to the hospital. The Minnesota Poison Control center has handled four poisoning cases involving…

Haley Says US Will Leave UN Human Rights Council

Haley is Announcing the Withdrawal at the State Department

(AP) WASHINGTON (AP) – Ambassador Nikki Haley says the United States is withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council, calling it “an organization that is not worthy of its name.” Haley is President Donald Trump’s envoy to the United Nations. She says a year ago she made clear the U.S. would stay in the council only if “essential reforms were…

Swanson Joins AGs in Demanding end to Border Separations

Swanson has Joined with 20 Other Democrats

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has joined with 20 other Democratic attorneys general nationwide in demanding that the Trump administration end a “zero tolerance” policy that has resulted in children being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The state prosecutors say in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security…

Michigan Flooding Leads to Disaster Declaration

Some Residents Using Boats to get Around

(Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)ASHLAND, Wis. (AP) – Michigan’s governor has issued disaster declarations for two counties in the state’s Upper Peninsula that suffered flooding damage due to heavy rains. Gov. Rick Snyder’s office says the Monday orders will allow the National Guard to deploy to Houghton and Menominee counties to help with road repairs. The declaration also allows…

Two Wisconsin Deaths Attributed to Storms

A Woman and two Children Were Hurt in the Incident

ASHLAND, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have attributed another death in Wisconsin to the storms that caused widespread flooding in the Upper Midwest. The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office says severe thunderstorms toppled a large oak tree onto a camper on Lake Chetac, killing a man inside and injuring a woman and two young children Sunday. The man is identified as 55-year-old…

Minnesota man Charged in Fatal Shootings After Argument

Both Women Died From Their Injuries

ST. JAMES, Minn. (AP) – A southern Minnesota man has been charged in the fatal shootings of his wife and her adult daughter from a previous marriage. The Star Tribune reports that 59-year-old Scott Engelbrecht was charged with two counts of murder and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon Monday in Watonwan County. A criminal complaint says Engelbrecht…

Utility Buys Wisconsin Land for Substation to Power Foxconn

Construction Could Begin in the Fall

(AP) MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (AP) – American Transmission Co. has purchased land to build a proposed electrical substation for the massive Foxconn Technology Group complex in southeast Wisconsin. The Kenosha News reports that ATC confirmed Monday that it purchased 33 acres of land in Mount Pleasant for $2.4 million. The utility plans to add lines between Kenosha County and Racine…

Sen. Tina Smith’s PolyMet Land Swap Amendment Clears Senate

Land Exchange to Close on June 28

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A bill containing a provision from Sen. Tina Smith to complete a land exchange between PolyMet Mining Corp. and the federal government has cleared the Senate. The Minnesota Democrat’s amendment is part of a big defense bill that passed 85-10 Monday. PolyMet needs the land for its planned copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The company would get…

VA Launches Investigation Into Impaired Arkansas Pathologist

33,000 Cases are now Being Reviewed

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Federal officials say a pathologist fired from an Arkansas veterans hospital for being “impaired on duty” misdiagnosed seven cases and that around 33,000 additional cases are being reviewed. The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks said Monday one error may have led to a death. Spokeswoman Wanda Shull says seven errors were found among…

Report Says Over 1 Billion Small Arms in World, up From 2007

851 Million in Civilian Hands

(AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)UNITED NATIONS (AP) — There are over 1 billion firearms in the world today, including 857 million in civilian hands — with American men and women the dominant owners, according to a study released Monday. The Small Arms Survey says 393 million of the civilian-held firearms, 46 percent, are in the United States, which is “more than…

11 die on Minnesota Roads Over Father’s Day Weekend

146 People Have Died on Minnesota Roads This Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Public safety officials are raising concerns following a deadly weekend on Minnesota roads that saw nearly a dozen fatal crashes, with nearly half involving motorcyclists. The Minnesota State Patrol says the Friday through Sunday stretch is the deadliest on Minnesota roads since 2016, killing 11 people. Five deaths came from motorcycle crashes and one involved…

No definitive ruling on partisan districts

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is resolving partisan redistricting cases from Wisconsin and Maryland without ruling on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party. The justices unanimously ruled against Wisconsin Democrats who challenged legislative districts that gave Republicans a huge edge in the state legislature….

Minnesota Regulators Near Decision on Disputed oil Pipeline

two Days of Arguments Start Monday

(Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP File)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota regulators open two days of final arguments Monday on whether they should approve Enbridge Energy’s proposal for replacing its deteriorating Line 3 crude oil pipeline from Canada across Minnesota. The plan has aroused intense opposition from tribal and climate-change activists who are encouraging supporters to pack the hearing room. Some opponents…

Deputy Pulls Woman From Sinking car in Minnesota Lake

Toso's Injuries not Life-Threatening

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. (AP) – A deputy went into a central Minnesota lake to rescue a woman from her sinking car. The Douglas County sheriff’s office says it happened Saturday night in a construction zone on Interstate 94 near Lake Latoka, southwest of Alexandria. The sheriff’s office says 76-year-old Beverly Toso, of Hoffman, couldn’t stop in time before she drove off…

Boy Tells Police That Driver Shot his Family in Road Rage run-in

one boy has Died From his Injuries

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) DENVER (AP) — A 12-year-old boy told police he saw a driver open fire on his family during a road rage confrontation in Colorado, killing his older brother and critically wounding his mother and younger brother, authorities said Friday. Police arrested Jeremy Webster, 23, hours after the shooting that killed a 13-year-old boy and also wounded a…

Kellogg Recalls Honey Smacks Because of Salmonella Potential

Consumers Advised to Throw the Cereal Away

photo courtesy: CNNBATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) – The Kellogg Company is voluntarily recalling some of its Honey Smacks cereal after salmonella infected 73 people in 31 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most of the outbreaks were in California, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The recall affects 15.3-ounce packages with the UPS Code 3800039103 and 23-ounce packages…

Illness Tied to Produce Worsening in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Both States are Investigatin an Outbreak of Cyclospora

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota and Wisconsin health officials say a growing number of people are falling ill to infections linked to fresh produce. Both states are investigating an outbreak in infections caused by Cyclospora, a parasite commonly found in developing countries. Officials have confirmed 30 Wisconsin and 20 Minnesota cases linked to Del Monte brand vegetable trays. The Minnesota Department…

Judge Jails ex-Trump Campaign Chair Manafort Ahead of Trial

Paul Manafort is Going to Jail

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is going to jail. Paul Manafort was ordered into custody Friday after a federal judge revoked his house arrest, citing newly filed obstruction of justice charges. The move by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson came after prosecutors accused Manafort and a longtime associate of witnesses tampering. Prosecutors say…

Riders Plunge 34 Feet, Others Hurt in Roller Coaster Derail

The Cause of the Incident is Still Unknown

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say two riders fell 34 feet to the ground when a roller coaster derailed and eight others had to be pulled to safety high above the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. Daytona Beach Fire spokeswoman Sasha Staton says the front car came off the tracks Thursday night, and two of its four passengers suffered traumatic injuries…

China Announces Equal Penalties to Retaliate for US Tariffs

China Said it Will Impose Penalties of “Equal Strength” on U.S.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING (AP) — China’s government responded quickly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hike on Chinese goods by announcing Friday it will immediately impose penalties of “equal strength” on U.S. products. The Commerce Ministry said it also was scrapping deals to buy more American farm goods and other exports as part of efforts to defuse a sprawling dispute…

Veterans Service Office Moving in Duluth

the Building Buyer has not Been Named

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Louis County Veterans Service Office in Duluth is moving on June 25. The office is currently located at 405 E Superior St and will be moving to a new spot at the Village Mall Office Building on Burning Tree Road. Due to the move the service center will be closed June 21 and June 22….