Author: The Associated Press

Audit Finds Minnesota had Inadequate Oversight of Care Centers

Two of the Programs Have Closed

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A federal audit says the Minnesota agency responsible for protecting vulnerable adults in the state has failed to provide adequate oversight for 20 adult day care centers. The Star Tribune reports that the Office of Inspector General for the federal Department of Health and Human Services released the report last week. The agency found 200…

Watchdog Report Faults Comey as ‘Insubordinate’

The Report Criticized Comey

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department has issued a stinging rebuke to the FBI for its handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. The report released Thursday calls former FBI Director James Comey “insubordinate” and says his actions were “extraordinary.” But the report, by the department’s watchdog, does not find evidence that Comey was motivated by political bias or preference…

Supreme Court Strikes Down Minnesota’s Voter Clothing law

Ruling Found the law Violates the First Amendement

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has struck down a Minnesota law that restricted what voters can wear to polls. The justices ruled Thursday that the law violates the First Amendment. Still, the justices’ 7-2 ruling suggested that some restrictions on what people can wear to vote are permissible. Most states have laws restricting what voters can wear to cast…

Minnesota man Indicted on Federal Weapons, Pipe Bomb Charges

he has Pleaded not Guilty to Charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A western Minnesota man faces federal charges that he illegally possessed 10 machine guns as well as unregistered pipe bombs and silencers. A federal grand jury indicted 46-year-old Chad Lee Monson of Willmar on numerous firearms violations last week. Monson returns to U.S. District Court for a detention hearing and arraignment Friday. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports…

New York Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation

Schneiderman Ordered the Foundation to Stop Fundraising in New York

AP Photo/Evan Vucci/newsfileNEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s foundation served as a personal piggy bank for his businesses, legal bills and presidential campaign, New York’s attorney general said Wednesday as she sued the charity, Trump and three of his children. The Donald J. Trump Foundation “was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses…

Body of Missing Boater Recovered From Hay Lake

The men Have not Been Identified

WALKER, Minn. (AP) – The body of a missing boater has been recovered from a Cass County lake. Sheriff’s officials say he was thrown from a boat along with another man on Hay Lake near Backus Tuesday afternoon. The other man was rescued and was treated for minor injuries. The other man’s body was recovered late Wednesday afternoon. The Minnesota…

Search for Missing Boater Continues in Cass County

The men Have not Been Identified

WALKER, Minn. (AP) – Searchers on a Cass County lake are looking for a man who was thrown from a boat and remains missing. Two men were in the boat that overturned Tuesday afternoon on Hay Lake near Backus. Cass County sheriff’s officials say one man was rescued and treated at the scene for minor injuries. The sheriff’s office says…

St. Paul Raccoon Reaches Roof After Scaling Downtown Tower

#MPRaccoon

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A raccoon stranded on the ledge of a building in St. Paul, Minnesota, captivated onlookers and generated interest on social media after it started scaling an office building. Onlookers and reporters tracked the critter’s progress at it climbed the UBS Plaza on Tuesday, interrupting work and causing anxiety for some. By Wednesday morning it had…

Nevada Pimp Dennis Hof Wins GOP Primary, Ousts Incumbent

Owner of Legal Brothels Wins Republican Primary for State Legislature

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) LAS VEGAS (AP) — Pimp Dennis Hof, the owner of half a dozen legal brothels in Nevada and star of the HBO adult reality series “Cathouse,” won a Republican primary for the state Legislature on Tuesday, ousting a three-term lawmaker. Hof defeated hospital executive James Oscarson. He’ll face Democrat Lesia Romanov in November, and will be…

Duluth Firefighters Draft Censure Resolution

The Union Believes the Chief and Deputy Chief Violated Labor Laws

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – The Duluth firefighters union has drafted a resolution to censure the department’s chief and deputy chief. The local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters recently approved the draft which needs to be reviewed by larger union and voted on at the August convention. WDIO-TV reports a statement from Local 101 says the union believes…

Judge Approves AT&T-Time Warner Merger

The $85 Billion Merge is one of the Biggest Media Deals Ever

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the government failed to meet its burden of proof in its antitrust suit against the AT&T-Time Warner merger. Leon said the government had “taken its best shot” to oppose the merger. But, he added, “the government’s evidence is too thin a reed for this court to rely on.”…

Another Financial Crunch Looms for MNLARS

Financial Issues are Looming

(courtesy: Fox 9)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two state agencies say they may soon run out of money to fix Minnesota’s beleaguered new driver registration platform. Minnesota’s Information Technology Services agency and the Department of Public Safety are tasked with fixing MNLARS. That’s the new computer system that has struggled with bugs and errors since its launch last summer. Minnesota…

Sex Offender Gets $84K in Minnesota Residency Ordinance Suit

Evenstad was Convicted of Raping an 18-Year-old Woman

ST/ PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A registered sex offender who sued an eastern Minnesota city over its restrictions on where he could live will receive $84,000 as part of a settlement agreement. The Pioneer Press reports that a federal judge’s order dismissed Thomas Wayne Evenstad’s lawsuit against West St. Paul on Monday. Evenstad filed the lawsuit in August after authorities…

Police Sergeant Rescues Child From Busy Chicago Roadway

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A police sergeant is being honored for his quick actions in rescuing a young child from a busy roadway in suburban Chicago. The Naperville Police Department posted dashcam video of last month’s rescue by Sgt. Anthony Mannino on its Facebook page Monday. The department’s post says the child “escaped his mother’s watchful eye” and wandered along…

Sexual Harassment Seen as Threat to new Female Scientists

The Report Suggests Ways to Change the Culture in Universities

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new report is urging a culture change in U.S. colleges and universities that train scientists so women won’t be bullied out of the field. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says science should treat sexual harassment as seriously as research misconduct. Tuesday’s report cites one university system survey that found 20 percent of female…

Coroner IDs Four Family Members Killed in Wisconsin Plane Crash

All Four Victims Died at the Scene

MONROE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have released the names of four family members killed in a small plane crash in southern Wisconsin. Green County Coroner Jody Makos on Monday identified the victims as the pilot, 81-year-old Colleen Deininger; her daughter, 53-year-old Melissa Deininger-Dickman; and two grandchildren, 17-year-old Emmarose Dickman and 13-year-old Alex Dickman, all of Kenosha. Authorities say the single-engine…

Trump’s vow to end Military Drills With Seoul Stuns a Region

Trump Announced he was Halting U.S-South Korean Military Drills

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SINGAPORE (AP) — President Donald Trump rocked the region with the stunning announcement Tuesday that he was halting annual U.S.-South Korean military drills — and wants to remove the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South as a deterrent against North Korea. Trump’s surprise, almost offhand comments, made during a news conference after his summit with North…

Hawaii Volcano Unleashes More Small Blasts, Snaking Lava

The Big Island Volcano has Been Erupting for More Than a Month

(U.S. Geological Survey via AP)HONOLULU (AP) – Small explosions at the summit of an erupting Hawaii volcano could send ash into communities. Scientists say the blasts happened Monday, including one after a magnitude-5.4 earthquake. Ash expelled from the Kilauea volcano may cause poor visibility and slippery conditions for drivers. The Big Island volcano has been erupting for more than a…

Man Dies After Assault in Northern Minnesota

An Autopsy is Scheduled

CASS LAKE, Minn. (AP) – Authorities say a 25-year-old man has died after he was assaulted in northern Minnesota. Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch says his office was notified late Thursday that a “serious assault” victim had been brought to the Cass Lake Indian Health Services hospital. Burch says the man, from Cass Lake, was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Police…

Your Internet use Could Change as ‘Net Neutrality’ Ends

The FCC Reversed its Stance and Proceeded to Kill net Neutrality

NEW YORK (AP) — Your ability to watch and use your favorite apps and services could start to change — though not right away — following the official demise Monday of Obama-era internet protections. Any changes are likely to happen slowly, as companies assess how much consumers will tolerate. The repeal of “net neutrality” took effect six months after the…

Trump to Leave Summit Early, After Meeting With Kim

Nuclear Negotiations Moved "More Quickly Than Expected"

SINGAPORE (AP) – In the latest twist in the drama-filled nuclear talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump announced on the eve of their historic meeting that he will be leaving Singapore early because the nuclear negotiations have moved “more quickly than expected.” That was before the two had even met, and it was not clear whether…

Fleeing SUV Strikes Children in Park Near School

No Immediate Word on the Children

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Authorities say a motorist being pursued by the State Patrol veered into a park and struck two children in Minneapolis. KARE-TV reports an SUV driver left the interstate and drove onto a playground near Jenny Kind Elementary School. The SUV traveled through the basketball and tennis courts and struck the children on or near the playground before…

St. Louis County Trying new Strategy to Combat Opioid Abuse

St. Louis County has Seen a Spike is Overdose Deaths

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A northeastern Minnesota county has launched a new three-pronged approach to combating the opioid epidemic. St. Louis County is partnering with clinics and health care providers to bring opioid prescribers in line with best practices recommended by the state. The Public Health and Human Services Department, with support from the Minnesota Department of Health, is working…

20-Year-old man Drowns in St. Croix River

Authorities are Still Investigating the Incident

ST. CROIX FALLS, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have recovered the body of a 20-year-old man from the St. Croix River. A citizen reported hearing calls for help coming from the river at Lions Park in St. Croix Falls Saturday. Emergency responders found the man’s body several hours later about 20 to 30 feet from shore. Police say the death is…

Starbucks Raising Price of a Brewed Coffee in Most US Stores

Lattes and Iced Coffees Remain Unchanged

NEW YORK (AP) – That Starbucks habit just got a little more expensive. Starbucks says it’s raising the price of a regular drip coffee by 10 cents to 20 cents this week in most U.S. stores. It says a small brewed coffee is now $1.95 to $2.15 in a majority of locations. The company said Thursday prices remain unchanged on…

Trump to Host Fundraiser, Attend Foxconn Groundbreaking

The Cost to Attend the Fundraiser Starts at $2,700 per Couple

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)MILWAUKEE (AP) – President Donald Trump plans to attend the Foxconn Technology Group groundbreaking ceremony later this month and attend a luncheon fundraiser. The Milwaukee Business Journal reports that prominent Milwaukee business executive Ted Kellner is hosting the June 29 fundraiser. It comes before Trump is to attend the Foxconn event in Mount Pleasant with Gov. Scott Walker…

Former, Current Football Players sue University of Minnesota

No Criminal Charges Were Filed in the Investigation

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Nine former and current University of Minnesota football players who say their rights were violated in a sexual misconduct investigation are suing the school, alleging they’re victims of racial and gender discrimination. The federal lawsuit was filed Friday. It stems from the university’s investigation into an alleged gang rape of a female student in 2016. The lawsuit…

Minnesota Teen Pregnancy Down, STD Rates Rising

Likely Caused by Delayed Sexual Activity

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A University of Minnesota report shows pregnancies and birth rates dipped to historic lows among Minnesota teens while sexually-transmitted diseases continue climbing. Minnesota Public Radio reports that the 2018 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Report found a more than 70 percent decrease in the pregnancy rate of 15- to 19-year-olds and a 65 percent drop in…

Supreme Court: Son can sue Father Over Hunting Accident

Ouradnik is Suing to Recover Insurance Money

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota man has taken a lawsuit against his father all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court. And, dad is just fine with that. The Supreme Court this week clarified a state law on public access for hunting, clearing the way for Corey Ouradnik to sue his father, Robert Ouradnik, over a deer hunting accident. Corey…

Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain Found Dead in France at 61

His Death has Been Called a Suicide

(Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)PARIS (AP) — American TV celebrity and food writer Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room Friday in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions around the world. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert in…

Minneapolis Ends Arrests for low-Level Marijuana Charges

The new Policy Applies to the Entire City

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minneapolis Police Department says it will stop arresting people on low-level marijuana charges in the wake of sting operations that resulted in the disproportionate arrests of black people. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced the new policy Thursday at the direction of Major Jacob Frey. The Star Tribune reports it follows a report by the Hennepin County…

Bison Gores Woman in Yellowstone’s Third Recent Animal Attack

The Woman was Listed in Good Condition

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – A bison has gored a woman for the third animal attack in Yellowstone National Park this week. Yellowstone officials say a crowd got too close to the bison Wednesday in the Lower Geyser Basin. The bison charged the crowd, goring 59-year-old Kim Hancock of Santa Rosa, California. Hancock was taken to a hospital with…

Germany’s Bayer Completes Purchase of Monsanto

The Deal Cost $63 Billion Including Debt

(AP photo/Markus Schreiber, archive)BERLIN (AP) – German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG says it has completed its purchase of U.S. seed and weed-killer maker Monsanto Co. Bayer said Thursday that it is now the sole owner of the company and Monsanto shares will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Bayer has put the cost of the deal at…

UW Drops 2-Year School Application Fees for Fall

The fee Waiver Will Continue Until Early September

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The University of Wisconsin System is waiving application fees to its two-year schools for the fall semester. System President Ray Cross told regents during a meeting Thursday at UW-Milwaukee that the move is designed to reassure students who may be uncertain about applying to a two-year school as the system merges those campuses with its four-year…

Woman Killed in Lawnmower Rollover Near Osseo

A Neighbor Discovered the Accident

OSSEO, Wis. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials say a woman has died in a lawn mowing accident in Trempealeau County. Authorities say 63-year-old Deanna Matchey was operating her riding lawn mower on a hill near Osseo when it rolled over on top of her Wednesday about noon. A passing neighbor discovered the accident and called authorities. Categories: News, News – Latest…

US Officials OK Plan to Rebuild Isle Royale Wolf Population

Their Numbers Reached as High as 50, but Only two Remain

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – U.S. officials have decided to relocate gray wolves to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior, where the predator species that has roamed the remote wilderness for about 70 years is on the brink of disappearing. The National Park Service announced final approval Thursday of a plan to capture 20 to 30 mainland wolves over…

Electrolux Workers to get Federal Assistance Amid Layoffs

The Plant Employs About 860 Workers

photo: electroluxgroup.comST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – Nearly 900 employees who’ll be laid off by the planned closure of an Electrolux plant in central Minnesota will have access to additional help. The St. Cloud Times reports that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance that’ll provide workers long-term training and support when the St. Cloud…

Kentucky District Where two Died Adds Officers, Bans Backpacks

Only Backpacks Made out of See-Through Material Will be Allowed

BENTON, Ky. (AP) – A Kentucky district where two students were killed and 21 others were hurt in a school shooting will add police officers, install metal detectors and ban backpacks at middle and high schools. News outlets report a district safety committee approved the measures Monday in response to the Jan. 23 shooting at Marshall County High School, where…

Military Base Calls Immigration Agents on Pizza Delivery man

ICE Spokeswoman Said Villavicencio Failed to Depart by July as Ordered

(Villavicencio Family Photo via AP)NEW YORK (AP) — He went from delivering pizza to being detained by immigration officers. An Ecuadorean restaurant worker making a delivery to an Army garrison in Brooklyn wound up being detained June 1 after a routine background check at the gate revealed there was a warrant for his arrest for immigration law violations, officials said….

Man Shot by Minneapolis Police at City Hall Pleads Guilty

Fischer is Expected to Receive six Year Prisin Sentence

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Prosecutors have reached a plea deal with a 19-year-old man who was shot by Minneapolis officers after he brandished a knife in a police interrogation room in December. Marcus Fischer pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of assault for moving toward officers with a knife he had smuggled into the room at City Hall. Authorities say Fischer…

The Heat is Back on High: May Smashes US Temperature Records

Six of the U.S. Monthly Record Highs Have Been set Since 2006

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig) WASHINGTON (AP) — Record heat returned to the United States with a vengeance in May. May warmed to a record average 65.4 degrees in the Lower 48 states, breaking the high of 64.7 set in 1934, according to federal weather figures released Wednesday. May was 5.2 degrees above the 20th century’s average for the month. Weather stations…

Walker Confident I-94 Will be Done on Time

The State is Being Awarded $160 Million

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state of Wisconsin will be receiving $86 million less than what it requested from the federal government to pay for upgrades and expansion of Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee in conjunction with the Foxconn Technology Group project. But Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday the work will still be completed by 2021 as planned. The state…

Hatch Says He’ll Withdraw From AG Race

Wardlow is the Republican-Endorsed Candidate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Former Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch says he’s dropping out of the race for his old seat. Hatch told Minnesota Public Radio News that he was satisfied with the field of candidates in the race. He had hinted in filing papers Tuesday that he might drop out if that happened. Hatch was among a slew…

Wisconsin Wolf Population may be Stabilizing

Wolves Were Returned to the Endangered Species List in 2014

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A report from the Wisconsin Department of Resources suggests the state’s wolf population may be stabilizing after decades of growth. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that volunteer trackers reported a minimum wolf count between about 900 to 950 animals this winter. DNR large carnivore ecologist Scott Walter says a few more years of data are needed to…

Traffic Crash Kills Three in North-Central Wisconsin

Speed and Alcohol Were Likely Factors

MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) – Three people are dead after a driver lost control of a vehicle in north-central Wisconsin and crashed into logging equipment. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office says 49-year-old William Juneau of Gilman was driving up to 80 mph while approaching a sharp curve Monday night. The vehicle went off onto a gravel road and caught on fire…

Ex-Spartan Football Players Avoid Jail in sex Assault Case

Prosecutors Recommended no Jail Time

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Three former Michigan State University football players accused in the sexual assault of a woman have avoided jail time after pleading guilty. Josh King, Donnie Corley Jr. and Demetric Vance were sentenced Wednesday to three years’ probation, as well as sex offender treatment and therapy. They pleaded guilty in April to seducing an unmarried woman, a…

Minnesota Suicide Hotline Prepares to Shut Down

The Center has Tried to Raise $1 Million to Stay Afloat

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s suicide crisis hotline is preparing to shut down at the end of the month following financial shortfalls. For more than 50 years, Crisis Connection has linked callers to local mental health professionals and emergency first-responders. The planned shutdown follows a slow but steady increase in the statewide suicide rate in recent years, according to state and…

Authorities Find Body of Missing Minnesota Fisherman

The Fisherman Went Missing Over the Weekend

BENSON, Minn. (AP) – Authorities in western Minnesota say they have found the body of a fisherman who went missing over the weekend. The Swift County Sheriff’s Office says authorities recovered the body of 60-year-old Ricky Longnecker of Appleton, Minnesota. A caller reported finding Longnecker’s abandoned boat on the shores of Lake Oliver Sunday night. The sheriff’s office says Longnecker’s…

Man Allegedly Angry Over Castile Case is Charged in Hacking

He Faces Multiple Counts

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A man who allegedly hacked into Minnesota state computer databases because he was angry over the acquittal of the officer who shot and killed Philando Castile has been charged. Charges against 19-year-old Cameron Thomas Crowley of Lino Lakes were unsealed Tuesday. He faces multiple counts, including intentional damage to a protected computer. Crowley is also charged with…

Candidates With Familiar Names run to Replace Ellison

Eight Democratic Candidates Registered to run Tuesday

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two candidates with familiar names are running for Rep. Keith Ellison’s seat in Congress. There was a rush to file for Ellison’s Minneapolis-area district Tuesday as the six-term congressman launched a late bid for Minnesota attorney general. Eight Democratic candidates registered to run Tuesday ahead of a 5 p.m. deadline. Julie Sabo and Kim Ellison…