News

UMD Welcomes First-Year Medical Students at White Coat Ceremony

DULUTH, Minn. — The annual White Coat Ceremony was held at the University of Minnesota Duluth Friday, welcoming first-year medical students to campus. At the ceremony, students receive their first white coat in front of family, friends and the medical school administration. After being “coated,” students recite a sacred pledge — dating back hundreds of years. The pledge states that…

Superior Dedicates Benches in Honor of Community Members

SUPERIOR, WI. — The first benches of Superior’s new “Bench Sponsorship Program” were dedicated to community members today. The program allows people to sponsor a city bench in honor of someone. On Friday, ceremonies were held to dedicate benches to three individuals, including Jean Kioski. Jean was a prominent member of the Douglas County Humane Society. She passed away in…

Walmart Expands Abortion Coverage For Employees

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, is expanding its abortion coverage for employees after staying largely mum on the issue for months following the Supreme Court ruling that scrapped a nationwide right to abortion. In a memo sent to employees on Friday, the company said its health care plans will now cover abortion for employees “when there is a…

US Announces New Military Aid, Drones For Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. for the first time Friday said it will give Ukraine Scan Eagle surveillance drones, mine-resistant vehicles, anti-armor rounds and howitzer weapons to help Ukrainian forces regain territory and mount a counteroffensive against Russian invaders. A senior defense official told reporters that a new $775 million aid package will include 15 Scan Eagles, 40 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles…

UPDATE: Minnesota Wilderness Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps Not Charged After YouTube Video

UPDATE (August 19, 2:00 p.m.) — Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps of the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness team will not face criminal charges regarding a YouTube video of him involved in a sting operation that surfaced in July. In 609.352, a Minnesota statute explains that solicitation of children for sexual conduct and sending sexually explicit materials to children is prohibited. The first…

Judge: Prosecutors Cannot Enforce Michigan’s Abortion Ban

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge on Friday blocked county prosecutors from enforcing the state’s 1931 ban on abortion for the foreseeable future after two days of witness testimony from abortion experts, providers and the state’s chief medical officer. The ruling comes after the state Court of Appeals said earlier this month that county prosecutors were not covered by…

Tig’s Smok’n Pig BBQ To Host Fundraiser Aug. 20 For Woman Battling Breast Cancer

DULUTH, Minn. – The owner of Tig’s Smok’n Pig BBQ, Troy Fralich, is helping put on a public benefit for a local woman, Andi Halligan, who is fighting breast cancer. Fralich is donating 100 percent of his food sales to Halligan. The BBQ fundraiser is Sat., Aug. 20 from noon until 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the Harley-Davidson…

Community Walks for Epilepsy

DULUTH, Minn.– It may have been gloomy outside, but that didn’t stop those with epilepsy and their supporters from coming out to Park Point to walk for the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, Duluth Walk. Dozens of people dressed in purple lined up in the Park Point Beach House. Getting ready to walk 1.26 miles, in honor of the 1 out…

Wisconsin Political Leaders Visit Superior Ports

SUPERIOR, Wisc.– Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and Governor Tony Evers stopped by the Superior Ports for a tour on Thursday. To discuss potential critical water infrastructure investments on the federal and state levels. Just under $8.5 million dollars was invested into to the city of Superior port to fund repairs for unutilized facilities. This money came from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment…

Farmer Doug Honored, Encourages Growers To Donate Extra Produce

DULUTH, Minn. — The Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank is recognizing the contributions from one local farmer in Duluth. The organization says farmer Doug Hoffbauer has donated more than 19,000 pounds of fresh produce over the past ten years. Farmer Doug says he’ll continue to donate, but wants to encourage other growers to do so as well, especially as…

Saudi Doctoral Student Gets 34 Years In Prison For Tweets

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi court has sentenced a doctoral student to 34 years in prison for spreading “rumors” and retweeting dissidents, according to court documents obtained Thursday, a decision that has drawn growing global condemnation. Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and a researcher at Leeds University in Britain,…

COVID-19: 82% Of Children In Minnesota Have Already Had It

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The majority of children in Minnesota have already been infected with COVID-19, according to new data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimates 82% of Minnesota children, ages 6 months to 17 years, have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The CDC’s antibody seroprevalence survey, which was updated this week, is based on…

Judge Appears Willing To Unveil Some Of Mar-A-Lago Affidavit

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to put forward proposed redactions as he committed to making public at least part of the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart gave prosecutors a week to submit a copy of the affidavit with…

Clip Of FOX 21’s Hanger, Slama Lands On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21’s Dan Hanger and Ken Slama ended up on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night during the opening monologue with guest host Nicole Byer. The clip shows Hanger and Slama bantering about Snoop Dogg’s new cereal line called Snoop Loopz. While there was no cattiness involved, Byer called the funny exchange “the cattiest moment in the history…

Bent Paddle Introduces Their THC Seltzer

DULUTH, Minn. – Bent Paddle is introducing a new alternative to alcohol with a brand new THC seltzer. Minnesota passed a law last month that legalizes cannabis edibles and THC-infused beverages. The passion fruit, orange, guava flavored drink was officially packaged Wednesday and set to sell Thursday in the taproom only. They will be sold in crowlers that consist of…

Duluth Fire Department Looking for New Recruits

DULUTH, Minn.– If you have ever considered the possibility of becoming a firefighter, but don’t know where to start. The Duluth Fire Department and Lake Superior College have partnered together to make that goal a reality. “So we usually test annually right now, so we will have another opportunity coming up in December at Lake Superior College. So classes are…

“Love Your Block” Grants to Clean Up Blight

DULUTH, Minn.– The city of Duluth is rewarding those willing to clean up blighted areas with grants from its “Love Your Block” program. Wednesday, four more community members were given the grants worth up to $1,500. This round of grants will support waste removal in the Central Hillside neighborhood, fixing a property’s front entrance on West Fourth Street, making repairs…

Lifehouse to hold Back-to-School Barbecue for Youth

DULUTH, Minn. — A back-to-school barbecue will take place at Lifehouse on Friday. Lifehouse is a homeless shelter for teens and young adults in Duluth. They’ve been collecting school supplies for kids in need. At the barbecue, backpacks, notebooks, folders, and more will be given out. “There’s a lot of youth who maybe have parents to provide school supplies for…

Subaru Holds “Love a Pet” adoption event

HERMANTOWN, Minn.– Some furry friends got the chance to go home with new loving families Wednesday, thanks to the Miller Hill Subaru’s “Love a Pet” adoption event. Tails were wagging Right in-front of the Subaru dealership in Hermantown. Where about a dozen cats and dogs, from the Babinski Foundation animal shelter in Pequot Lakes, got the chance to find their…

Trump Supporters’ Threats To Judge Spur Democracy Concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of federal judges face the same task every day: review an affidavit submitted by federal agents and approve requests for a search warrant. But for U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the fallout from his decision to approve a search warrant has been far from routine. He has faced a storm of death threats since his signature…

Wisconsin School Board Votes In Favor Of Pride Flag Ban

WALES, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin school board voted in favor of a policy that prohibits teachers and staff from displaying gay pride flags and other items that district officials consider political in nature. The Kettle Moraine School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to keep a code of conduct in place that the superintendent recently interpreted as forbidding district employees from displaying political…

Monkeypox Can Spread To Pet Dogs, Doctors Report

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials are warning people who are infected with monkeypox to stay away from household pets, since the animals could be at risk of catching the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for months has had the advice in place as monkeypox spreads in the U.S. But it gained new attention after a report from France, published…

US Retail Sales Were Flat In July As Inflation Takes A Toll

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged last month as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates forced many Americans to spend more cautiously. Retail purchases were flat after having risen 0.8% in June, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Economists had expected a slight increase. Still, Wednesday’s report contained some positive signs: Excluding autos and…

Proctor’s ‘Beyond The Yellow Ribbon’ Looking For Supporters

Jennifer Cady stopped by the morning show to talk about Proctor’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon initiative to support local veterans.   Proctor became a yellow ribbon community by the state of Minnesota in 2017. “Our mission is to support veterans, military members and their families here in our community – but we can’t offer our support if people don’t know we…

Ex-Cop Lane Will Report To Colorado Prison In Floyd Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, who was sentenced to 2 1/2 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, will do his time at a low-security federal prison camp in Colorado. A court order Tuesday directs Lane to report to the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in the Denver suburb of Littleton on Aug. 30. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson…

Trump Foe Cheney Loses Wyoming GOP Primary, Ponders 2024 Bid

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Donald Trump’s fiercest Republican adversary in Congress, soundly lost a GOP primary, falling to a rival backed by the former president in a rout that reinforced his grip on the party’s base. The third-term congresswoman and her allies entered Tuesday downbeat about her prospects, aware that Trump’s backing gave Harriet Hageman considerable lift in…

Minnesota Nurses Association And Twin Ports Hospitals Talk About Strike Authorization

DULUTH, Minn. – On Monday night, the Minnesota Nurses Association voted to authorize a strike after contract negotiations with major hospitals in the Twin Ports have dragged out for months, leading to a stalemate. “We are here today, the nurses here behind me, the nurses that are working in our hospitals today, bargaining units across the state. We are here…

St. Louis Co. Sheriff’s Office Primary To Have Partial Recount

ST. LOUIS CO., Minn. — A “partial discretionary recount” will happen for the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office this Thursday. The county board clerk says the auditor will hold this recount for votes cast on primary election day last Tuesday. The 3rd, 6th, and 8th precincts will be covered. The public is welcome to observe the recount this Thursday inside…

UPDATE: Man Accused Of Causing Fatal Head-On Crash While Drunk Charged

UPDATE (August, 16, 4:40 p.m.) — The man accused of driving drunk and killing a woman after crashing into her car head-on has been charged. Michael Kenneth Miller from Virginia has been charged with Criminal Vehicular Homicide – Operating a Vehicle with Negligence Under the Influence of Alcohol, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened Friday…

Biden Signs Massive Climate And Health Care Legislation

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change…

Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids Expected This Fall In US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Americans will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription later this fall, under a long-awaited rule finalized Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration said the new regulation cuts red tape by creating a new class of hearing aids that don’t require a medical exam, a prescription and other specialty evaluations. The devices will…

Minnesota Denies 214,209 For Frontline Worker Bonuses

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The number of Minnesotans in line for a frontline worker bonus this fall will be much larger than state officials originally expected, even after issuing denials to 214,209 people on Tuesday. The bonus pool is capped at $500 million, meaning each approved person stands to get around $500. The state Legislature approved the bonus pay as a thanks…

Jill Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19, Has ‘Mild’ Symptoms

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing “mild symptoms,” the White House announced Tuesday. President Joe Biden continues to test negative after recently recovering from the virus but will wear a mask indoors for 10 days as a precaution. The Bidens have been vacationing in South Carolina since Aug. 10, and the 71-year-old…