The Associated Press, Author at Fox21Online

Amy Klobuchar Ends Presidential Bid, Now Endorsing Biden

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar Will Now Endorse Former Vice President Joe Biden

March 2, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) – Amy Klobuchar is ending her Democratic presidential campaign and is set to endorse Joe Biden. The Minnesota senator announced the decision Monday, calling it quits after a bid that broke briefly into the top tier with a third-place finish in New Hampshire but failed to sustain that energy further into the Democratic nomination fight. The three-term senator…

Owner of Iconic St. Cloud Bar Arrested on Suspicion of Arson

March 2, 2020

The Associated Press,

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – Federal investigators say the owner of a historic St. Cloud bar has been arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting fire to the business. A release issued Saturday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives says 40-year-old Andrew Welsh, of St. Joseph, is being held in the Stearns County Jail on…

One Person Killed, 2 Escape Orono House Fire

March 2, 2020

The Associated Press,

ORONO, Minn. – Officials say one person has died in a house fire in Orono, while two others escaped from the burning home. Firefighters say flames were shooting from the house when they arrived shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday. The two people who made it out told police a third person remained in the house. Long Lake Fire Chief James…

Klobuchar Cancels Minnesota Rally

March 2, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has canceled a rally in her home state after protesters took over the stage shouting for her to drop out of the presidential race. Klobuchar was scheduled to speak Sunday at St. Louis Park High School ahead of Tuesday’s primary. But dozens of protesters took the stage chanting “black lives…

House Approves Bill to Ban the Sale of Flavored E-Cigarettes

February 28, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has approved a bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. Lawmakers say the bill will stem a vaping epidemic among young people. The bill would place new restrictions on the marketing of e-cigarettes and ban flavors in tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. It also would place a new excise…

Wisconsin Court Overturns Ruling Ordering Voter Purge

February 28, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin appeals court has overturned a ruling that ordered the removal of up to 209,000 people from the state’s voter rolls. The court last month put the ruling, and the purge, on hold while it considered the case. The 4th District Court of Appeals’ ruling Friday overturned the decision of an Ozaukee County judge who…

Milwaukee Police ID Brewery Shooter as 15-Year Electrician

February 27, 2020

The Associated Press,

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Authorities on Thursday identified the man who gunned down five co-workers at one of the nation’s largest breweries before taking his own life a 51-year-old electrician who had worked at the Milwaukee Molson Coors complex for 15 years. Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales identified the shooter as Anthony Ferrill during a news conference. He also identified the…

Minnesota’s Projected Surplus Grows to Over $1.5 Billion

February 27, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s projected surplus has grown to over $1.5 billion, state budget officials said Thursday. The new estimate from Minnesota Management and Budget is $181 million higher than the agency’s last budget forecast in November. And it means lawmakers will have more money available to spend, save or cut taxes. The agency attributed the larger surplus…

Gunman Kills Five at Milwaukee Brewery Before Taking Own Life

February 27, 2020

The Associated Press,

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee police say they have cleared out more than 20 buildings at one of the nation’s largest breweries after a gunman killed five employees there. Authorities identified the assailant who attacked the Molson Coors complex on Wednesday as a 51-year-old Milwaukee man who worked there. Police say he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooting occurred…

Minnesota House Proceeds on Insulin, Voter Privacy and Guns

February 27, 2020

The Associated Press,

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota House Democrats are moving full speed ahead on some of their top priorities for the 2020 session. They’re holding floor votes on insulin affordability, voter privacy, and gun violence prevention, just two weeks into the legislative session. House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler told reporters Wednesday that some things can’t wait. The…

Trump to Detail US Coronavirus Efforts, Schumer Seeks $8.5B

February 26, 2020

The Associated Press,

(NOTE: News conference to be streamed on Fox 21’s Facebook page.) WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is pushing back against criticism that his administration isn’t doing enough to meet the coronavirus threat. Trump plans to hold a news conference late Wednesday to talk about what the U.S. is doing to prepare for the virus. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are…

Report: Shooting Leads to Multiple Fatalities at Molson Coors in Wisconsin

February 26, 2020

The Associated Press,

UPDATE: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says multiple people have been killed in a shooting on the Molson Coors Brewing Co. campus. Barrett did not give an exact number of people killed in Wednesday’s shooting. He called it “a horrible, horrible day for the employees here.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that at least seven people are dead, including the suspected gunman,…

Evers Vetoes Republican-Authored $250 Million Income Tax Cut

February 26, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis.-Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed a Republican-authored $250 million income tax bill. Evers vetoed the bill Wednesday at an elementary school in Wauwatosa, arguing that the Legislature should instead back his plan to spend more on education. Evers had proposed spending $250 million on K-12 schools, with $130 million to reduce property taxes, but Republicans ignored his proposal….

Delta Reduces Flights to Korea as Virus Outbreak Spreads

February 26, 2020

The Associated Press,

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)-The new virus is taking a broader toll on airline travel. Most airlines have already stopped flying to China, and now Delta Air Lines is sharply cutting back on flights between the U.S. and Seoul, South Korea, because of the outbreak. Delta said Wednesday it will suspend flights between Minneapolis and Seoul beginning this weekend and lasting until at…

Pilot Killed in Plane Crash was Minneapolis Businessman

February 26, 2020

The Associated Press,

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The man who died in a small plane crash in Hennepin County was the co-owner of a Twin Cities gardening business. Wagners Greenhouses and Garden Center say 60-year-old Scott Wagner was flying his single-engine plane Saturday when it crashed in the Crow-Hassan Park Reserve and burst into flames. The Star Tribune reports an online flight plan shows…

Kaul Joins Multi-State Probe of Vaping Company Marketing

February 25, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined 38 other states in an investigation into electronic cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc.’s marketing practices. Kaul announced he was joining the probe Tuesday. He said the investigation will focus on whether JUUL targets youth, its claims about nicotine content and statements about the safety of its products. The National…

3 Snowmobile Fatalities Raise Total Deaths This Season to 17 in Wisconsin

February 25, 2020

The Associated Press,

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Authorities say three people died in snowmobile accidents last weekend, boosting the number of deaths to 17 for the season. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says all three of the victims were from Illinois. The Journal Sentinel reports that two of them died after striking trees and one person was killed after being struck by another…

Minnesota Investigating Ex-Hockey Assistant Sex Allegations

February 25, 2020

The Associated Press,

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The University of Minnesota is investigating allegations that a former men’s hockey assistant sexually abused players more than 30 years ago. The move comes after The Athletic reported on sexual abuse allegations against former assistant Thomas “Chico” Adrahtas over many years, including the season Adrahtas spent with the Gophers in 1984-85. The website reported that several people…

Weinstein Found Guilty of Criminal Sex Act and Third Degree Rape

February 24, 2020

The Associated Press,

NEW YORK (AP) – Harvey Weinstein has been convicted at his New York City sexual assault trial. He was found guilty of criminal sex act for assaulting production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in 2006 and third-degree rape of a woman in 2013. The jury found him not guilty on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault that could…

Pioneering Black Mathematician Katherine Johnson has Died

February 24, 2020

The Associated Press,

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) – NASA says pioneering black mathematician Katherine Johnson has died. She worked on NASA’s early space missions and was portrayed in the film “Hidden Figures,” about black female aerospace workers. In a Monday morning tweet, the space agency said it celebrates her 101 years of life and her legacy of excellence and breaking down racial and social…

Weinstein Jury Indicates it is Split on Most Serious Counts

February 21, 2020

The Associated Press,

NEW YORK (AP) – The jury deliberating in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial indicated Friday that it is deadlocked on the most serious charges. In a note sent to the judge during their lunch break, jurors posed a question asking if it were permissible for them to be hung on two counts of predatory sexual assault while reaching a unanimous verdict…

Ellison: Mille Lacs Band Still has 61K-Acre Reservation

February 21, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota’s attorney general contends the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation still exists. In a legal filing this week, Attorney General Keith Ellison backed the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s assertion that the band has 61,000 acres across the south shore of Mille Lacs Lake. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Gov. Tim Walz supports fellow Democrat Ellison’s…

Nurse Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Harming Infants

February 21, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A nurse convicted of injuring nine infants at a Wisconsin hospital has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Christopher Kaphaem pleaded guilty in September to 19 felony counts, including child abuse, for injuries to the babies in the newborn intensive care unit at UnityPoint Health-Meriter hospital in Madison. Injuries ranged from bruises to broken bones…

Minnesota Records Second Child Death of Flu Season

February 21, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has recorded its second child death of the flu season, according to state flu data released Thursday. As of last week, Minnesota had 58 flu-related deaths, including two child deaths, the state Department of Health reported. The overall number of deaths is below average at this point when compared with prior flu seasons, the…

Wisconsin Legislature Sends $250 Million Tax Cut to Governor

February 21, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature has sent a $250 million income tax cut to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who appears likely to veto it. Both the Senate and Assembly voted to pass the tax cut Thursday on mostly party-line votes. Evers has not said whether he will sign the measure. Republicans introduced it after new estimates projected the…

Roger Stone Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison

February 20, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) – Roger Stone, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison on his convictions for witness tampering and lying to Congress. Thursday’s action in federal court comes amid Trump’s unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant that has led to a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations the president has interfered…

Recycling Plant Fire Burns for 3rd Day in Minnesota

February 20, 2020

The Associated Press,

(courtesy: Fox 9) BECKER, Minn. (AP) – Firefighters are battling a stubborn fire at a metal recycling plant in a small Minnesota community for a third consecutive day. The fire at the Northern Metals plant in Becker is unleashing noxious, billowing smoke. Firefighters on Thursday worked to extinguish the blaze in the Sherburne County city about 50 miles northwest of…

Air Force: Madison Preferred Location for F-35 Fighter Jets

February 20, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. – The U.S. Air Force says Madison’s Truax Field is the preferred location for the next squadron of F-35 fighter jets despite some negative environmental impacts. The Air Force’s study finds that about 1,019 households would be impacted by average daily noise levels about 65 decibels, which is considered incompatible with residential areas. The study also found the…

Wisconsin Lawmakers Consider Raising Smoking Age From 18 to 21

February 20, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Assembly is set to pass a bill that would raise the smoking age from 18 to 21. The bipartisan proposal would bar anyone younger than 21 from buying cigarettes as well as any tobacco or nicotine products. An initial version of the bill also barred anyone under 21 from purchasing vaping products but the…

St. Paul Man Dies on Lutsen Ski Hill

February 20, 2020

The Associated Press,

LUTSEN, Minn. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials say a St. Paul man has died on a ski hill in northeastern Minnesota. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office says 70-year-old David Skog was found unresponsive and bleeding from the face on a ski hill at Lutsen Mountains ski area Wednesday afternoon. It wasn’t immediately clear how Skog was fatally injured. The ski patrol…

Trump Ousts Top Defense Official Who Certified Ukraine Aid

February 19, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump has ousted the Pentagon’s top policy official who had certified last year that Ukraine had made enough anti-corruption progress to justify releasing congressionally authorized aid. The Trump administration’s delay in releasing that aid was central to the president’s impeachment by the House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate voted to acquit…

Minnesota Task Force Takes Aim at Prescription Drug Prices

February 19, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has unveiled a task force report that makes 14 separate recommendations for lowering prescription drug prices. They range from new legislation to stronger enforcement action. Ellison said at a news conference Wednesday that the pharmaceutical market is “opaque and dysfunctional.” And he says the confusion has been a barrier to fixing the problem….

Fire at Minnesota Recycling Plant Possibly Affecting Air Quality

February 19, 2020

The Associated Press,

(courtesy: Bill Keller/FOX 9) BECKER, Minn. – Officials are monitoring the air quality in a small Minnesota community where a fire at a metal recycling plant has burned for more than 24 hours. Firefighters in the Sherburne County community of Becker continued to fight the stubborn blaze Wednesday after working all day and through the night Tuesday at Northern Metal…

Milwaukee Man Charged With Lighting Girlfriend on Fire

February 19, 2020

The Associated Press,

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A Milwaukee man is charged with trying to kill his girlfriend by dousing her with gasoline while she slept and lighting her on fire. Bond for 28-year-old Javante Jefferson was set at $500,000 during a court appearance Tuesday. The 23-year-old woman suffered life-threatening, third-degree burns to 60% of her body. Jefferson is charged with attempted first-degree intentional…

President Trump goes on Clemency Spree, and the List is Long

February 18, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting what he called a “ridiculous” 14-year prison sentence for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former New York Police Department commissioner Bernie Kerik, among a long list of others. Others who got a break from Trump include financier Michael Milken, who served two years in prison…

Boy Scouts Seek Bankruptcy, Urge Victims to Step Forward

February 18, 2020

The Associated Press,

(Associated Press) –The Boy Scouts of America urged victims to come forward Tuesday as the historic, 110-year-old organization filed for bankruptcy protection in the first step toward creating a huge compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders. The Scouts resorted to Chapter 11 in hopes of surviving a…

Wisconsin Assembly to Vote on Bill Targeting Drug Prices

February 18, 2020

The Associated Press,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Assembly is slated to vote on a bipartisan bill designed to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The measure that’s up for a vote Tuesday is part of a growing call nationwide to do something about rising prescription drug prices. A lack of transparency has created a system in which drugmakers, middlemen called pharmacy…

HealthPartners Union Workers Reach Tentative Contract Deal

February 18, 2020

The Associated Press,

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The union representing 1,800 HealthPartners workers in Minnesota says it has reached a tentative labor agreement and averted a strike that was scheduled to begin Wednesday. The Service Employees International Union says the agreement was reached early Tuesday after 17 hours of negotiations. Union members will vote on it next week. Members include nurses, physicians assistants, dental…

Suspect Sought in Fatal Bemidji Shooting

Authorities are Still Searching for the Suspect

February 18, 2020

The Associated Press,

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Authorities in northern Minnesota are searching for a suspect in a fatal shooting. Beltrami County sheriff’s dispatchers got a call about a man who had been shot outside a residence Monday night. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the body of a 20-year-old man. According to reports, another victim in the shooting, a 17-year-old male,…

Firefighters in St. Cloud Battled a Blaze at a Downtown Bar

February 17, 2020

The Associated Press,

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Firefighters in St. Cloud battled a blaze at a downtown bar. Several area streets were closed as smoke billowed from a fire at the Press Bar early Monday. St. Cloud Fire Chief Dean Wrobbel says firefighters were pulled out of the building because of structural concerns and have gone into defensive firefighting mode…

Virus Renews Safety Concerns About Slaughtering Wild Animals

February 16, 2020

The Associated Press,

BEIJING (AP) — China cracked down on the sale of exotic species after an outbreak of a new virus in 2002 was linked to markets selling live animals. The germ turned out to be a coronavirus that caused SARS. The ban was later lifted, and the animals reappeared. Now another coronavirus is spreading through China, so far killing 1,380 people…

Minnesota Senate Panel Passes GOP Insulin Affordability Bill

The Passing Comes As Patients and Parents Urged Senators to Keep Working on a Compromise Between Parties

February 14, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The long-running debate at the Capitol over insulin affordability has shifted to the Minnesota Senate. Patients and parents urged senators Thursday to keep working toward a compromise between competing Senate Republican and House Democratic proposals. Helping diabetics afford insulin is one of the main pieces of unfinished business left over from the 2019 session, when…

Minnesota Agency Appeals Court Ruling Against PolyMet Mine

February 12, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn.-The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has asked the state Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that rejected some of the most important permits for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine. The agency says the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ decision last month could affect future mining proposals, the state’s existing iron mines and a wide range of…

Sen. Bernie Sanders Wins New Hampshire Primary

February 12, 2020

The Associated Press,

MANCHESTER, N.H.-Bernie Sanders has won New Hampshire’s presidential primary election, narrowly edging moderate rival Pete Buttigieg and scoring the first clear victory in the Democratic Party’s chaotic 2020 nomination fight. In his Tuesday night win, the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist beat back a strong challenge from the 38-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor. Sanders and Buttigieg represent different generations and…

U.S. Open Jobs Fall Sharply for 2nd Straight Month

February 11, 2020

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses sharply cut the number of jobs they advertised in December for the second straight month, an unusual sign of weakness in an otherwise healthy job market. The number of available positions dropped 5.4% to 6.4 million, a historically solid number, the Labor Department said Tuesday. There are still more open jobs than there are unemployed people,…

Minnesota’s Divided Government Experiment Will Get New Test

February 11, 2020

The Associated Press,

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Passing a bonding bill is the top job when the 2020 session of the Minnesota Legislature convenes this week. And it will be an important test in Minnesota’s experiment with divided government of whether both parties can cooperate for a second year in a row. Minnesota has the only Legislature where Democrats controls one house and Republicans control…

Klobuchar Pushes to Defy Expectations in New Hampshire

February 11, 2020

The Associated Press,

MANCHESTER, N.H.-Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she’s plans to keep defying expectations heading into Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Though she’s spent the last year behind the front-runners, Klobuchar has enjoyed a burst of momentum in the last few days thanks to a strong debate performance and infusion of cash. At a rally at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester on…

Six-Year-Old Killed, Sibling Hurt While Waiting to Board Bus in Wisconsin

February 11, 2020

The Associated Press,

PLAINFIELD, Wis.-School district officials in Waushara County say a kindergarten student was killed and her sibling was injured when they were struck by a vehicle just before boarding a bus. The Tri-County Area School District says the children were hit along Highway 73 southeast of Plainfield just after 7 a.m. Monday. WLUK-TV reports district administrator Anthony Marinack says the bus…

6-Year-Old Killed, Sibling Hurt While Waiting to Board Bus

February 10, 2020

The Associated Press,

PLAINFIELD, Wis. – School district officials in Waushara County say a kindergarten student was killed and her sibling was injured when they were struck by a vehicle just before boarding a bus. The Tri-County Area School District says the children were hit along Highway 73 southeast of Plainfield just after 7 a.m. Monday. WLUK-TV reports district administrator Anthony Marinack says…

Snowmobile Driver Rescued From Lake in Northern Minnesota

February 10, 2020

The Associated Press,

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (AP) — A man has been rescued after his snowmobile broke through thin ice on a lake in northern Minnesota. The Becker County Sheriff’s Office says the 36-year-old Milaca man was traveling on Rice Lake Saturday morning when he approached open water where water flows between Rock and Rice Lake. He tried to avoid the open water,…

Author: The Associated Press

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar Will Now Endorse Former Vice President Joe Biden

Authorities are Still Searching for the Suspect

The Passing Comes As Patients and Parents Urged Senators to Keep Working on a Compromise Between Parties

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