DETROIT (AP) – Nissan is recalling 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S., Canada and other countries to fix a problem with backup camera displays. The recall covers most of the Nissan and Infiniti model lineups from the 2018 and 2019 model years. The company says in government documents posted Tuesday that owners can adjust the camera displays so the image…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota court says R.J. Reynolds Tobacco has wrongfully failed to pay the state millions of dollars it owes under Minnesota’s landmark 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry. The attorney general’s office says the court will enter a judgment in the coming months for the amount that Reynolds owes. Attorney General Keith Ellison said late…
(Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP) NEW YORK (AP) – Jennifer Lopez and Shakira are going to bring the heat to the 2020 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced Thursday that the superstar performers, who have released music in Spanish and English, will perform on February 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Both Lopez…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bipartisan proposal making it a felony to trespass or damage oil or gas pipelines Wisconsin is moving through the state Legislature. Opponents testified at an Assembly hearing Thursday that the bill is a violation of free speech rights. The measure builds upon a 2015 state law that made it a felony to intentionally trespass or…
APPLETON, Wis. (AP) – Appleton police have asked prosecutors to charge a suspect with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of a 60-year-old woman. Police gave few details Thursday but said the suspect is a male “who had a close relationship” with the victim, Lee Ann Dorn, who was found dead in her Appleton apartment in February. The police statement…
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff says President Donald Trump’s actions detailed in a newly released whistleblower complaint read like “a classic organized crime shakedown.” Schiff on Thursday opened a hearing with acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. Maguire released the complaint to Congress and the public this week after weeks of delay. The complaint details…
HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii police have identified a body recovered from a Honolulu canal as a woman visiting from Minnesota. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday that the body of 51-year-old Shannon Bartholomew of Minneapolis was discovered Monday in the Ala Wai Canal. Police say the death has been classified as suspicious due to the position the body was in upon…
NEW YORK (AP) – Al Franken is returning to the public sphere with a new weekly radio show on SiriusXM that will blend politics, humor and other topics. The former Minnesota senator says the show is not part of any attempt to return to politics. It is Franken’s most prominent project since he was forced to resign from the U.S….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Human Services says it underestimated the amount of money it overpaid two Native American tribes for substance abuse treatment covered under Medicaid. The agency reported last month that it overpaid the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Nation by more than $25 million. The Pioneer Press reports that…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A final report from the Wisconsin Legislature’s bipartisan suicide prevention task force calls for quicker release of $110,000 a year to fund a suicide prevention hotline, unlike an earlier draft that proposed passing a bill to make the money available. The money was included in the state budget passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by…
MISHICOT, Wis. (AP) – The season for hunting ruffed grouse in the northwestern two-thirds of Wisconsin has been shortened by more than three weeks. The state Department of Natural Resources board voted Wednesday to make the change over concerns about a dwindling population. The ruffed grouse season currently runs from mid-September through Jan. 31 in that part of the state….
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) – At least one confirmed tornado touched down as severe storms ripped through western Wisconsin, damaging homes and other structures near the Chippewa-Dunn county line. Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk told WEAU-TV that no one he knew of was unaccounted for after Tuesday night’s storms, with only a few people having suffered minor injuries. Emergency managers…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The memo summarizing President Donald Trump’s call with the Ukraine leader shows the president’s lingering fixation on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Trump flippantly refers to the ex-FBI director as a “man named Robert Mueller” and says he turned in “a very poor performance.” The memo also shows that the president made reference to the private…
NEW YORK (AP) – Juul Labs will no longer promote its e-cigarettes in print, digital and TV advertisements and is replacing its CEO amid an escalating backlash against vaping nationwide. The nation’s largest e-cigarette maker also pledged Wednesday not to lobby against a sweeping ban on vaping flavors proposed by the Trump administration earlier this month. Juul announced its CEO,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to announce a formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump over allegations that he pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s family. Pelosi’s likely decision was described to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the decision who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Law enforcement officials say they’ve seized 75,000 vaping cartridges in Anoka County. The Department of Public Safety says the cartridges are believed to have come from out of state for distribution in Minnesota. Lung illnesses tied to vaping have become a major health concern in recent months, with hundreds of people stricken nationwide and at…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A second Republican has announced he’s running for a northern Wisconsin congressional seat to replace U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy. Army veteran Jason Church announced his candidacy Tuesday, a day after Duffy resigned his seat. Church joins fellow Republican state Sen. Tom Tiffany as the only announced candidates in the race. Numerous others, including many Democrats, are…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The special election in Wisconsin to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy will be held Jan. 27. Gov. Tony Evers on Monday announced that will be the general election date, with a primary on Dec. 30. The 7th Congressional District covers mostly rural central, northern and northwest Wisconsin. Duffy was resigning effective Monday, citing concerns with…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A disease spread by insects has killed a wild deer near Caledonia in Houston County of southeastern Minnesota and is suspected in the death of another deer nearby. The Department of Natural Resources said Monday that Houston County is the second county in Minnesota where wild deer have contracted epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD. The…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – As Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy spends in his final day as a member of Congress, the focus shifts to whom else will run to succeed him. Duffy’s resignation Monday also clears the way for Gov. Tony Evers to announce when the special election will be to fill the seat. The Democratic Evers has said he…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Authorities say the body of a teenager reported missing while swimming with others in a western Minnesota river has been found. The Star Tribune reports the body of 16-year-old Thunder W. Brothersofall, of Redwood Falls, was located about 6:10 p.m. Saturday in the north-flowing Redwood River. Redwood Falls police say three men in kayaks searching for Brothersofall…
(AP) – The New England Patriots have released receiver Antonio Brown after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct. The team announced the move Friday in a statement emailed to reporters. The statement said: “We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota food pantry officials are opposing a federal proposal that could take away food stamp benefits from more than 35,000 state residents. The Trump administration in July proposed closing what it calls “a loophole” that that enables people receiving only minimal benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to be eligible automatically…
NEW YORK (AP) – Walmart says it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam’s Clubs following a string illnesses and deaths related to vaping. The nation’s largest retailer said Friday that it will complete its exit from e-cigarettes after selling through current inventory. It cited growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity regarding vaping products. More…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Three legislators have introduced a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin. Sens. Jon Erpenbach and Patrick Testin along with Rep. Chris Taylor introduced the bill Friday. Erpenbach and Taylor are Democrats. Testin is a Republican. The bill would require patients to get a doctor’s recommendation. State health officials would have to create a registry…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A group of lawmakers is introducing a bill that would allow American Indians from anywhere in the United States to pay resident tuition at University of Wisconsin System schools. The bill’s chief sponsors, Democratic state Rep. Nick Milroy, Republican Rep. Jeff Mursau and Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith, say they hope the bill will encourage more American…
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – A ceremonial send-off is being held for 700 Minnesota National Guard members headed for Western Asia. The St. Paul-based 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade will provide Army helicopter, airplane and drone support to U.S. and coalition forces. The unit flies Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache helicopters and twin-engine turboprops for reconnaissance, transportation and medical evacuations….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Senate Republicans want to require drug makers to provide free insulin to qualifying residents who can’t afford the high cost of the life-saving medication. Senate GOP leaders unveiled the plan Thursday, a week ahead of when House Democrats plan to announce their own proposal. The clock ran out on the 2019 session before the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s schools chief says a nearly $600 million boost in education funding is a “down payment” on equity and closing the state’s persistent achievement gap. State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor calls that gap a “crisis.” She delivered the message Thursday during her first state of education address at the Capitol. Taylor took over as state superintendent…
(AP Photo) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says he would consider mandatory buybacks for assault weapons. Democratic presidential candidate and former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke has been pushing for mandatory buybacks on the campaign trail. Republicans have balked at the idea. Asked if he supports mandatory buybacks during a news conference Thursday to introduce a red flag…
UPDATE: FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) – Officials say three people have died in a fire at a group home for people with disabilities in eastern Wisconsin. One victim was found not long after firefighters responded to the Fond du Lac home about 6 a.m. Thursday. Two others were found later and all victims were on the second floor of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota police say a man who was leaving a Bible study with his young daughter and father was fatally shot outside his church in St. Paul. The homicide Wednesday night is the sixth fatal shooting in St. Paul this month. Police don’t believe the latest shooting outside St. Albans Church of God in Christ was…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minneapolis man is charged with attempted murder and assault after he allegedly strangled his girlfriend and set her on fire. The criminal complaint says the woman escaped and drove herself to the hospital while her hair and body were still smoldering. She’s now in a medically induced coma after Monday’s attack. Prosecutors charged 46-year-old Richard Bullock…
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan has joined New York in banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes as federal health officials investigate the cause of hundreds of serious breathing illnesses in people who have used vaping devices. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released details of the ban Wednesday and gave retailers, including online sellers,…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s new task force on the opioid crisis will hold its first meeting next week on how best to spend $20 million from new licensing fees on the pharmaceutical industry. The Department of Human Services on Wednesday announced the 19 members of the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council. They include legislative and tribal leaders; health…
SPOONER, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin National Guard unit based in Spooner will deploy to the Middle East this fall. About 150 soldiers from the 829th Engineer Company, which has a detachment in Ashland, will mobilize as a construction unit in support of an engineer battalion from Indiana. The Journal Sentinel says the 829th deployed to Afghanistan in 2013-2014 and…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Health officials are urging Minnesotans to get flu shots as soon as possible. Jennifer Heath of the Minnesota Department of Health tells Minnesota Public Radio the flu season could begin anytime. Only about half of the people eligible get the flu vaccine. If more people got immunized, she says, fewer people would get sick –…
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) – Police in southern Michigan are on the lookout for suspicious activity after a Nazi flag was raised on an elementary school flag pole. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports construction crews at Riverside Elementary School in Battle Creek discovered the flag Saturday. They alerted Lakeview School District employees, who called police. Superintendent Blake Prewitt says in…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to take up challenges by tribal and conservation groups to the environmental review of Enbridge Energy’s proposal for replacing its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. The court rejected the requests in a one-page order Tuesday. The project could have faced a long delay if the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Health officials say at least 11 people got sick with E. coli infections after visiting the Minnesota State Fair this summer. The Minnesota Department of Health says six of the ill people were hospitalized, and one developed a potentially fatal complication. One person is still hospitalized. Cases range in age from 2 to 43 years…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – With Minnesota’s archery deer season underway, hunters in the state’s hot zones for chronic wasting disease are figuring out where to drop off the heads of their deer for testing. The science for detecting the fatal brain disease is making progress. But tissue samples must be sent out of state, and results take a few…
UPDATE: ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The University of St. Thomas has given the all clear after several buildings were evacuated on its St. Paul campus following a bomb threat. The university tweeted the four buildings evacuated have been search and cleared, including the John Roach Center, the Anderson Student Center, the O’Shaughnessy Science Center and the Facilities Design Center….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A defense attorney says a former Wisconsin nurse is prepared to plead guilty to hurting infants in a Madison hospital’s intensive care unit. Forty-three-year-old Christopher Kaphaem faces 19 felony child abuse counts involving nine infants. WKOW-TV reports Kaphaem’s attorney, Jonas Bednarek, notified the court of the plea in a letter Monday. Bednarek wrote that his client…
(courtesy: twitter) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is running for Congress to succeed retiring longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner. Fitzgerald announced his bid Tuesday on WISN-AM. He is the first Republican to enter the race. His newly launched campaign website prominently features a picture of Fitzgerald next to President Donald Trump, who is giving…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin dairy industry is raising a stink about potential new regulations governing where factory farms can store manure. State agriculture officials are crafting new farm standards to serve as a template for local ordinances. The standards would expand setbacks for manure storage. New farms with 1,000 or more animals as well as farms looking to…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child pornography. Thirty-seven-year-old Nicholas Campbell, of Otsego, was also given 25 years of supervised released during sentencing last week in federal court in St. Paul. Prosecutors say FBI agents seized a large volume of electronic evidence from Campbell’s home…
(AP Photo) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers has created a task force to study issues facing the growing number of retired people in Wisconsin, particularly the amount of money they have saved. Evers signed an executive order Monday creating the group that is led by state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and include members of Evers’ administration, Republican and Democratic…
DETROIT (AP) – More than 49,000 members of the United Auto Workers union went on strike early Monday as contract talks with General Motors broke down. Union members walked out of factories and set up picket lines at 33 plants across the nation as well as 22 parts warehouses. UAW Vice President Terry Dittes says a strike is the union’s…
BOSTON, Mass.-“Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman says she takes full responsibility for her role in the college admissions scandal and deserves her punishment. A federal judge in Boston sentenced the actress on Friday to 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and a year’s probation. Huffman was stoic in court, telling U.S. District Judge Indira…
MADISON, Wis.-The chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party says there are no plans to cancel the presidential primary in the state next year. Wisconsin GOP Chairman Andrew Hitt said Thursday that he has not received any pressure from the Republican National Committee or President Donald Trump to cancel the April 7 primary. At least four other states have done that….
