Author: The Associated Press

Michigan Approves Great Lakes Oil Pipeline Tunnel Permits

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Michigan’s environmental agency is approving the construction of an underground tunnel to house a replacement for a controversial oil pipeline in the Great Lakes. State officials have awarded permits to Enbridge for the $500 million tunnel project. The company is resisting Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Straits…

Prosecutors Appeal Ruling That Split Trials in Floyd’s Death

(from left, Derek Chauvin, Tuo Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors in Minnesota have appealed a judge’s ruling that split the trials of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death and kept the first trial scheduled to start in March. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled earlier in January that Derek Chauvin, the…

Democrats to ‘Act Big’ on $1.9T Aid; GOP Wants Plan Split

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are rejecting a Republican pitch to split President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue plan into smaller chunks. Democrats and the White House appear ready to leave their GOP opponents behind and push the sweeping economic and virus aid forward on their own. Despite Biden’s calls for unity, Democrats say the stubbornly high unemployment numbers and…

Virus Variant From South Africa Detected in US for 1st Time

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa has been found in the United States for the first time. South Carolina officials say two such cases have been diagnosed in the state. Viruses mutate constantly, and many variants of the coronavirus are circulating around the globe, but scientists are primarily concerned with three that appears to…

Wisconsin Assembly Cancels Vote on Repeal of Mask Mandate

(courtesy: WI Dept of Health Services via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly has backed off on voting to repeal Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ mask mandate. The retreat Thursday came in the face of broad criticism from the state’s health, school and business leaders and out concern the move would jeopardize more than $49 million in federal…

Minnesota’s Election Law Fight Heats up Over Voter ID Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The fight has heated up over whether Minnesota should tighten its election laws or make voting easier. A key Senate panel Wednesday backed a Republican proposal to require voters to present photo identification. Sen. Scott Newman framed it as aimed more at increasing voter confidence in election results than at preventing fraud. But Democratic Secretary of State…

Oscar and Emmy-Winning Actor Cloris Leachman Dies at 94

(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cloris Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for “The Last Picture Show” and Emmys for her comedic work in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and other TV series, has died. She was 94. Leachman died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California, publicist…

DNR Board Unanimously Approves Rules Raising Mining Costs

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources policy board has overwhelmingly approved new rules that would dramatically raise costs for nonferrous mining in Wisconsin. The rules require mining applicants to pay more for permits and licenses and supply more detailed plans to the department. The DNR estimates the changes could cost applicants about $502,000 more per project….

Wisconsin to Join Minority of States With No Mask Mandate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin will become one of only 10 states without statewide mask mandates when the Assembly votes this week to overturn Gov. Tony Evers’ order. More than two dozen public health organizations, as well as state and local health officials, have urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to reconsider. The vote to repeal the mask order, planned for Thursday,…

State: Some Minnesota Health Systems Ignoring Vaccine Rollout Guidance

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some hospital systems around Minnesota are flouting the state and federal guidance on the hierarchy for receiving the coronavirus vaccine, according to health officials. The Minnesota Department of Health has deputized large health systems to distribute the vaccine as part of a public-private partnership. Currently, the state has prioritized vaccinating people who provide in-person health care services…

Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Kidnap Michigan Governor

DETROIT (AP) — One of six men charged in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Ty Garbin appeared in federal court in Grand Rapids, a few hours after prosecutors filed a plea agreement that’s loaded with details about the operation and his pledge to cooperate with investigators. The deal signed by Garbin…

Auschwitz Survivors Mark Anniversary Online Amid Pandemic

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Holocaust survivors will commemorate their lost loved ones and world leaders will issue pleas for tolerance on Wednesday as the world marks the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Nazi German extermination camp is the most notorious of the death camps operated by Adolf Hitler’s regime during World War II to carry out the…

Wisconsin Senate Votes to Repeal Wisconsin Mask Mandate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate voted Tuesday to repeal Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate, despite warnings from virtually every sector of the health care community that doing so would impair efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Both legislative chambers have to pass the resolution in order to undo the mask requirement. The Assembly, controlled 58-30 by…

GOP Largely Votes Against Holding Trump Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have voted overwhelmingly against moving forward with Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. The Senate on Tuesday rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss the trial, allowing the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward. Yet the support of 45 Republicans for declaring the trial invalid indicates that there are long odds for Trump’s conviction. The…

Walz Proposes Tax Hikes on the Rich to Balance State Budget

MINNEAPOLIS (AP/FOX9) — Gov. Tim Walz proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans and large companies Tuesday to help plug a projected $1.28 billion gap in the next two-year budget while increasing spending on education and on helping the state recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic governor’s budget proposal includes new spending of $745 million on education through 12th…

Rate of Guns Seized at Airport Checkpoints Jumped in 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — There were fewer air travelers in the United States last year, but a higher percentage of them were carrying guns. The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that screeners found 3,257 firearms on passengers or in their carry-on bags in 2020, or about 10 for every million travelers. About 83% of the guns were loaded. That was double…

Wisconsin Lawmakers to Vote on Repealing Mask Mandate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Senate plans to vote on repealing Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate, while it remains unclear whether the Assembly would follow suit as required to undo the order. A joint resolution co-sponsored by 29 Republicans in the Legislature was up for approval in the Senate on Tuesday. Assembly Republican leaders have not yet said…

Wisconsin Doctors Back Mask Ban as Legislature Eyes Repeal

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Medical Society on Monday announced its opposition to a Republican-authored resolution that would overturn the statewide mask mandate put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The state Senate planned to vote Tuesday on the resolution. The Assembly, also in session on Tuesday, has not said if it will vote on the resolution….

Minnesota Shifts Communication Vaccination Signup to Lottery

(AP Photo/Jim Mone) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Monday announced changes in the sign-up process for a community vaccine program for seniors, teachers, and child care workers after heavy demand last week crashed a website and angered many people who could not get through. State officials have shifted from a first-come, first-served system to a lottery that allows…

Less Than 5% of Minnesotans Have Received 1 Vaccine Dose

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The number of Minnesotans who have received at least the first dose of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccine is nearing a quarter-million or less than 5% of the population, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Sunday. A total of 247,415 Minnesotans have received at least one dose. More than 63,000 people have received both shots to complete their…

House Sending Trump Impeachment to Senate, GOP Opposes Trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to bring the impeachment article against Donald Trump for the Senate trial. But a growing number of Republican senators say they oppose the proceedings against the former president. That’s a sign of the dimming chances that Trump will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. House…

Wisconsin Republicans Propose Getting Rid of Mask Mandate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s statewide mask mandate would be overturned by the Republican-controlled state Legislature under a resolution that could be voted on as soon as Tuesday. Twenty-seven Republican lawmakers signed on to the resolution that was introduced on Thursday. It would have to pass both the Senate and Assembly in order to end the public health emergency and…

Trump Impeachment to Go to Senate Monday, Triggering Trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement on Friday. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants to postpone the impeachment trial until February to give the former president time to prepare his case. The House impeached Trump on a…

Minnesota Allocated Nearly 900K Vaccine Doses So Far

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials reported Friday the state has now been allocated 871,650 doses of federally controlled COVID-19 vaccine, up more than 240,000 doses from a week earlier. The state’s snapshot of progress in administering vaccines also showed that 214,050 people have gotten their first dose of a two-shot series, with 49,604 people having completed the two shots….

Wisconsin DNR Resists Starting Wolf Hunt Immediately

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is pushing back against Republican legislators seeking to implement a wolf hunting season immediately. The DNR held three wolf seasons from 2012 to 2014 before a federal judge placed Great Lakes wolves back on the endangered species list. Former President Donald Trump’s administration removed them from the list earlier this…

Stadium Water Seepage Problem Will Take $800,000 Fix

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority will spend $800,000 from a contingency fund to fix a water seepage problem at U.S. Bank Stadium. The authority’s chairman, Michael Vekich, says the repair payment was negotiated with the stadium’s general contractor and was short of the $3.2 million M.A. Mortensen Co. wanted. The $800,000 comes from a contingency fund created…

Ban on Facial Recognition Technology Advances in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A proposal to ban the use of facial recognition technology by Minneapolis police and other city departments is advancing. The technology has raised concerns by some who worry it could be a dangerous step toward a surveillance state where people’s movements are tracked the moment they leave their homes. The technology uses machine learning algorithms to automatically…

McConnell Seeks to Push Trump Impeachment Trial to February

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants to postpone Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. McConnell on Thursday proposed delaying the trial until February to give the former president time to prepare and review his case. The idea could appeal to some Senate Democrats, who are eager to spend time confirming President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees. The House impeached Trump…

Biden Halts Border Wall Building After Trump’s Final Surge

SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Joe Biden has ordered a “pause” on all border wall construction, one of 17 executive orders issued his first day in office. The move leaves billions of dollars in unfinished work under contract after his predecessor, Donald Trump, worked feverishly to successfully build 450 miles. A Senate aide tells The Associated Press that the government…

Health Experts Blame Rapid Expansion for Vaccine Shortages

(AP) – Public health experts are blaming COVID-19 vaccine shortages around the U.S. in part on the Trump administration’s push to get states to vastly expand their vaccination drives to reach the nation’s estimated 54 million people age 65 and over. The push that began over a week ago has not been accompanied by enough doses to meet demand, leading…

Judge Denies Request to Delay Cop’s Trial in Floyd’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge says he won’t reconsider his decision to hold a March trial for the former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee to George Floyd’s neck as the man said he couldn’t breathe. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled this month that Derek Chauvin will stand trial beginning March 8, as scheduled, and will be…

Minnesota Pharmacies Request to Be Part of Vaccine Rollout

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota pharmacies and health care providers are requesting the state include them in the coronavirus vaccine rollout as the demand for a shot among seniors far outpaces the state’s supply. Pharmacists testified before a Minnesota Senate health committee on Wednesday, telling lawmakers they can provide easier access to a vaccine as the priority groups for doses expands…

Powerball Jackpot Winner Worth $731.1m Sold in Maryland

LONACONING, Md. (AP) — The jackpot-winning Powerball ticket worth $731.1 million was sold in an old coal-mining town in a remote corner of Maryland. Jobs are few in Lonaconing, the hometown of baseball Hall of Famer Lefty Grove. The Maryland Lottery says the ticket was sold at Coney Market. Owner Richard Ravenscroft told The Associated Press he hopes whoever won…

US Jobless Claims Decline to a Still-High 900,000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 900,000, still a historically high level that points to ongoing job cuts in a raging pandemic. The Labor Department’s report underscored that President Joe Biden has inherited an economy that faltered this winter as virus cases spiked, cold weather restricted dining and federal rescue aid…

Biden to Sign Virus Measures, Requires Mask Use to Travel

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is putting into play his national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel. He’ll sign 10 virus-related executive orders on Thursday as the nation is deep in the deadliest wave…

On Day One, Biden Targets Trump Policies on Climate, Virus

WASHINGTON (AP)-On his first day in office, President Joe Biden is moving to dismantle Donald Trump’s legacy by signing a series of executive actions that reverse course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The new president signed the orders just hours after taking the oath of office at the Capitol, pivoting quickly from…

Minnesota Vaccine Pilot Program Spots for First Week Filled

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials on Wednesday announced that all 6,000 spots in a coronavirus vaccine pilot program reserved for Minnesotans over 65 have been filled after issues with the registration website caused it to crash on Tuesday. The 12,000 doses reserved for the program this week — half of which are reserved for teachers and child care workers…

Wisconsin Lawmakers Introduce Police Reform Package

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Three Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at reforming police use-of-force policies and investigations. Republican Sens. Van Wanggaard and Alberta Darling along with Democratic Sen. Lena Taylor unveiled the package on Wednesday. The legislation would create a board that could investigate officer-involved deaths, require annual reports tallying use-of-force incidents, prohibit training on the use of chokehold,…

Pharmacist Charged in Attempt to Ruin COVID-19 Vaccine

(Ozaukee County Sheriff via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin pharmacist accused of trying to spoil dozens of vials of COVID-19 vaccine has been charged with attempted misdemeanor property damage. Online court records indicate Steven Brandenburg was charged Tuesday in Ozaukee County Circuit Court. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have warned more serious charges could follow if tests show…

The Latest: Harris Gives Sendoff to Pence on Capitol Steps

WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Kamala Harris has now taken on a role that would have typically been performed by the outgoing president. Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, stood on the U.S. Capitol steps Wednesday to bid farewell to her predecessor, former Vice President Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen. The two couples stood and chatted for…