Author: The Associated Press

Daunte Wright’s Mother Detained After Recording Traffic Stop

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — The mother of Daunte Wright, who was fatally shot by a suburban Minneapolis police officer, said she was injured while she was briefly detained by one of the same department’s officers after she stopped to record an arrest of a person during a traffic stop. Katie Wright said Thursday she was worried about what the Brooklyn Center officers…

US Added 428,000 Jobs In April Despite Surging Inflation

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added 428,000 jobs in April, extending a streak of solid hiring that has defied punishing inflation, chronic supply shortages, the Russian war against Ukraine and much higher borrowing costs. Friday’s jobs report from the Labor Department showed that last month’s hiring kept the unemployment rate at 3.6%, just above the lowest level in a half-century….

Bird Flu Takes Unheard-Of Toll On Bald Eagles, Other Birds

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bird flu is killing an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds, with many sick birds arriving at rehabilitation centers unsteady on their talons and unable to fly. “It’s quite a sight to see an eagle with a six-foot wingspan having uncontrollable seizures because of highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said Victoria Hall, executive director of…

Karine Jean-Pierre To Be Next White House Press Secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday named Karine Jean-Pierre to be the next White House press secretary, with incumbent Jen Psaki set to leave the role next week. Biden is also bringing back longtime Democratic strategist Anita Dunn as his senior adviser. She had served in the Biden White House last year for several months after Biden was…

State Officers Will Help Minneapolis With Policing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — State law enforcement officers will help Minneapolis with patrols as the city deals with a police force that has seen its ranks reduced in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The arrangement announced Wednesday by city and state officials has state troopers patrolling city streets three nights a week beginning Thursday and agents from the Minnesota Bureau…

How Higher Fed Rates Stand To Affect Americans’ Finances

WASHINGTON (AP) — Record-low mortgages below 3%, reached last year, are long gone. Credit card rates will likely rise. So will the cost of an auto loan. Savers may finally receive a yield high enough to top inflation. The substantial half-point hike in its benchmark short-term rate that the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday won’t, by itself, have much immediate effect…

Judge Overseeing Chauvin Civil Rights Case Accepts Plea Deal

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The judge overseeing the federal civil rights cases of four former Minneapolis police officers in the killing of George Floyd said Wednesday that he has accepted the terms of Derek Chauvin’s plea agreement and will sentence him to 20 to 25 years in prison. Chauvin pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to violating Floyd’s civil rights, admitting for the first…

EPA Recommends Against Reissuing Permit for PolyMet Mine

The Environmental Protection Agency says the project could raise levels of mercury and other pollutants downstream from the site in northeastern Minnesota.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Federal regulators are recommending that the Army Corps of Engineers decline to reissue a key permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine. The Environmental Protection Agency says the project could raise levels of mercury and other pollutants downstream from the site in northeastern Minnesota. It’s just a recommendation, but Minnesota Public Radio reports it could…

Report: Husky Refinery Knew About Issues Before Blast

WPR secured nearly 1,300 pages of documents from OSHA that shed new light on what those officials knew in the days leading up to the explosion at the refinery in Superior.

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — Officials at a northwestern Wisconsin oil refinery knew about equipment issues years before a 2018 explosion there, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration documents obtained by Wisconsin Public Radio. WPR secured nearly 1,300 pages of documents from OSHA that shed new light on what those officials knew in the days leading up to the explosion at…

Minnesota Prepares To Be Abortion Destination If Roe Falls

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota could become a destination for abortion services for women from other states if the U.S. Supreme Court throws out the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, and the state’s abortion providers said Tuesday that they’re preparing for the anticipated surge. That’s because abortion would remain legal, at least for now, under a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court…

Ukrainian Fighters: Russian Forces Storming Mariupol Plant

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces Tuesday began storming the steel mill containing the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol, Ukrainian defenders said, just as scores of civilians evacuated from the bombed-out plant over the weekend reached relative safety in Ukrainian-held territory. Osnat Lubrani, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said that thanks to the evacuation effort, “101 women, men,…

Biden Blasts ‘Radical’ Draft, Warns Other Rights Threatened

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted what he called a “radical” leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, warning that a “whole range of rights” are in jeopardy if it holds. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the…

Employers Post Record 11.5 Million Job Openings In March

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers posted a record 11.5 million job openings in March, meaning the United States now has an unprecedented two job openings for every person who is unemployed. The latest data released Tuesday by the the Bureau of Labor Statistics further reveals an extraordinarily tight labor market that has emboldened millions of Americans to seek better paying jobs,…

Report: Draft Opinion Suggests Supreme Court Will Overturn Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON (AP) — A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. It’s unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter. The Associated Press…

Report Calls Out Abuse Of Social Media By Minneapolis Police

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Among the scathing findings of an investigation launched after the police killing of George Floyd is that Minneapolis police used covert or bogus social media accounts to monitor Black individuals and groups despite having no clear public safety rationale for doing so. The report released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights echoes numerous past revelations that the FBI and…

Mysterious Pediatric Liver Disease Found in Minnesota

The cases have no known connection, although a link with a virus that can cause colds is being investigated.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Health said it’s investigating several severe cases of hepatitis among children and has reported the cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC continues to investigate cases of the sudden liver disease in nearly 200 children that has health authorities in several countries racing to find answers. The illness is…

UPDATE: Gov. Walz Signs Bill on Unemployment Insurance, Bonus Checks for Frontline Workers

About 667,000 workers will be eligible for the $750 bonus checks.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature pushed through a bill to give bonuses to workers who were on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund following months of negotiations, and Governor Walz signed it into effect on Friday evening. Legislative leaders struck a deal late Wednesday…

WI Conservation Congress Respondents Support 350-Wolf Limit

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A majority of respondents to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress’ spring survey say they support limiting the state’s wolf population to 350 animals. The congress is an influential group of sportspeople who advise the state Department of Natural Resources on policy. The congress holds a survey each spring asking respondents for their thoughts on a host of…

Lawmakers Reach Deal On Unemployment Insurance, ‘Hero Pay’

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota legislative leaders have reached a deal to refill the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund and to pay bonuses to frontline workers. The tentative agreement includes $2.7 billion to replenish the trust fund and pay back a debt to the federal government for jobless aid, and $500 million for frontline worker bonus…

Chauvin Appeals Murder Conviction For Killing George Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The former Minneapolis police officer found guilty of murder in the killing of George Floyd has appealed his conviction, saying among other things that the jury was intimidated by ongoing sometimes violent protests and prejudiced by excessive pre-trial publicity. Derek Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals in a court filing Monday to reverse his conviction, reverse…

Biden to Speak at Memorial in Minneapolis Sunday for Former VP Mondale

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says Biden wanted to attend because of the “important, personal relationship” he had with Mondale.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – President Joe Biden plans to speak at a memorial service on Sunday for former Vice President Walter Mondale, who died last April at age 93. The service was delayed by the pandemic. Biden will travel to Minneapolis for the event at the University of Minnesota. Biden has described Mondale as a “dear friend and mentor” and “one…

Judge Finds Donald Trump In Contempt In New York Legal Fight

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge found former President Donald Trump in contempt of court and set in motion $10,000 daily fines Monday for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena issued by the state’s attorney general as part of a civil investigation into his business dealings. Judge Arthur Engoron said a contempt finding was appropriate because Trump…

Elon Musk Buys Twitter For $44B And Will Privatize Company

ASSOCIATED PRESS — Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion on Monday, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform where he promotes his interests, attacks critics and opines on social and economic issues to more than 83 million followers. The outspoken Tesla CEO, who is also the world’s wealthiest person, has…

GOP Business Owner Michels Running For Wisconsin Governor

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican business owner Tim Michels is entering the Republican primary for Wisconsin governor. Michels comes late to an increasingly crowded field but has the personal wealth to back his campaign. Michels filed paperwork Friday to run. He joins former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, former U.S. Marine Kevin Nicholson and state Rep. Tim Ramthun in the race…

Wisconsin Cross Country, Track Runner Sarah Shulze Dies

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Sarah Shulze, a runner on the University of Wisconsin’s track and cross country teams, has died. She was 21. Shulze’s family announced on April 15 that she had died two days earlier, and gave the cause of death. “Sarah took her own life,” the family said. “Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of everyday life overwhelmed her…

Disney Government Dissolution Bill Signed By DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Friday to dissolve the private government Walt Disney World controls on its property in the state, punishing the entertainment giant for opposing a new law that critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” The move is expected to have huge tax implications for Disney and further sour the relationship between the…

Three Shot in Washington, D.C., Police Search for Suspect

Police Say At Least 3 Shot, 'Active Threat' in Northwest D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Police and federal agents swarmed into a northwest Washington neighborhood on Friday after at least three people were shot in a flurry of gunfire. City officials warned people to stay inside because of an “active threat” as dozens of officers in tactical gear were searching for the suspect. The law enforcement officers responded to the scene in…

‘No Mow May’ Bee Boosting Initiative Growing in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More Wisconsin communities are encouraging residents to keep their lawnmowers in the garage next month to boost the population of bees and other pollinators. Appleton became the first city to adopt the “No Mow May” initiative a couple years ago and others have followed, including Wausau, Oshkosh, Fort Atkinson and Stevens Point. The idea is to…

Researchers To Study Minnesotans Who Swim In Icy Waters

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Researchers plan to study a group of Minnesotans who dunk themselves in icy Lake Harriet every winter day. The Star Tribune reports that researchers from Rockefeller University’s Cohen Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism are studying so-called brown fat that generates heat in cold conditions in humans. They’re currently investigating blood biomarkers of brown fat in young New Yorkers…

Florida Judge Voids US Mask Mandate For Planes, Other Travel

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the coronavirus pandemic. The mandate, recently extended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covered a vast array of transportation, from airplanes and trains…

Divided Minnesota Legislature Will Return With Much Undone

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A deeply divided Minnesota Legislature returns from its Easter-Passover break Tuesday. Lawmakers have just five weeks left to decide what to do with the state’s $9.25 billion budget surplus plus $1 billion in unspent federal pandemic relief. There’s been little meeting of the minds between the House Democratic and Senate Republican majorities. They have yet…

For Many, Easter Sunday Marks A Return To In-Person Worship

BOSTON (AP) — For many U.S. Christians, this weekend marked the first time since 2019 that they gathered in person on Easter Sunday, a welcome chance to celebrate one of the year’s holiest days side by side with fellow congregants. Notable events included a 6 a.m. sunrise Mass outdoors near the waterfront in South Boston, and a joyous, hug-filled service…

Russia Renews Strikes on Ukraine Capital, Hits Other Cities

Firefighters work to extinguish multiple fires after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) ADAM SCHRECK and MSTYSLAV CHERNOV (AP) — Russian forces accelerated scattered attacks on Kyiv, western Ukraine and beyond Saturday in an explosive reminder to Ukrainians and their Western supporters that the whole country remains under threat despite Moscow’s pivot toward mounting a…

Boy, 10, Shot Dead while in Minneapolis Apartment with Minor

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Police say a 10-year-old boy was fatally shot while he and another juvenile family member were alone in a downtown Minneapolis apartment. The shooting happened late Friday. Police say they were called to the apartment to find the 10-year-old boy with a life-threatening gunshot wound. The child died at a hospital. Police have not released the age…

MN Tornado Destroys Half Of Community’s Homes, Cleanup Underway

Associated Press TAOPI, Minn. – Residents of a small farming community in southeastern Minnesota are working to recover from a devastating tornado that destroyed half of the town’s homes, toppled tall trees and left piles of debris in its wake. A tornado with winds of more than 110 mph struck Taopi near the Iowa border late Tuesday night, tearing the…

WI DNR Restarts Effort To Set Bacteria Standards In Groundwater

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Natural Resources has restarted efforts to set standards for bacteria in groundwater after conservatives on the agency’s policy board killed the attempt in February. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the board on Wednesday authorized a public hearing and comment period on a new rule-making process to set groundwater standards for E….

Man Wanted In Brooklyn Subway Attack Arrested, Officials Say

NEW YORK (AP) — The man wanted in the shooting of 10 people on a subway in Brooklyn was arrested Wednesday afternoon, a day after the attack on a crowded rush-hour train. Frank R. James, 62, was taken into custody in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, law enforcement officials who weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity…

Blizzard in North Dakota, Possible Tornado in SE Minnesota

Associated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A possible tornado tore up a small Minnesota town and a blizzard forced the closure of the North Dakota Capitol, schools and roads, as spring storms wreaked havoc across the Upper Midwest. The National Weather Service said the unconfirmed tornado took the roofs off houses, destroyed grain bins, snapped power lines and lifted a…

2 Illinois Men Get 14, 16 Years In Minnesota Mosque Bombing

  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two Illinois men who helped bomb a Minnesota mosque in 2017 have received prison sentences far below the 35-year mandatory minimum they faced, after victims and prosecutors asked for leniency. Thirty-three-year-old Michael McWhorter was sentenced Tuesday to just under 16 years in prison and 26-year-old Joe Morris got about 14 years. Both testified in…

UPDATE: NYPD Locates Van Sought in Brooklyn Subway Shooting

New York City Police Department personnel gather at the entrance to a subway stop in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Five people were shot Tuesday morning at a subway station in Brooklyn, New York, law enforcement sources said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) NEW YORK (AP) – New York City police have found an unoccupied U-Haul van…

COVID-19, Overdoses Pushed US To Highest Death Total Ever

NEW YORK (AP) — 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad. The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work on death statistics. The agency this month quietly updated its provisional…

Legalizing Medical Marijuana In Wisconsin Gets First Public Hearing

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Republican-authored bill to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin will be getting its first public hearing next week, achieving one goal of backers even though the measure will not pass this year. The Legislature has adjourned and won’t be back until 2023. But the April 20 Senate committee hearing on the medical marijuana bill will give…

Plea Deal Rejected By 3 Ex-Officers In George Floyd’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Prosecutors have revealed that they offered plea deals to three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, but say the defendants rejected them. Judge Peter Cahill held a Monday evening hearing mostly to consider whether he has the authority to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial set for…

Biden Aims At ‘Ghost Gun’ Violence With New Federal Rule

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths. Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns,…

Evers Vetoes More Than 40 Republican-Backed Bills

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed more than 40 Republican authored bills, while he signed a bipartisan measure that provides funding for the construction of a new juvenile prison in Milwaukee. The vetoes spanned a wide expanse of bills passed in this election year, measures that Republicans knew were…