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Officials: US To Send Rocket Systems, Other Aid To Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, U.S. officials said Thursday. The latest package will include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and is expected to be announced later Thursday. The first four HIMARS that the U.S. previously sent have already gone into…

LGBTQ Students Would Get New Protections Under Biden Plan

(AP) — The rights of LGBTQ students would become enshrined in federal law and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections under new rules proposed by the Biden administration on Thursday. The proposal, announced on the 50th anniversary of the Title IX women’s rights law, is intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by Education…

Coffee Conversation: Folk Rock Musician Gina Lee

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth musician Gina Lee performed two covers on the morning show Thursday — “Black Water” by The Doobie Brothers and “Long Cool Woman” by the Hollies.  For more on her music career, click here.  Part 1: Part 2:     Categories: Coffee Conversation, Community, Entertainment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News

Coffee Conversation: ‘Project Joy’ Donates $30K To Feed Kids Through CHUM, YMCA, Gospel Mission

DULUTH, Minn. – Laura Plys, the co-founder of Project Joy Northland, which is a charity with a goal of ending childhood hunger, stopped by the morning show Thursday to talk about the non-profit and its latest donations to CHUM, YMCA and the Union Gospel Mission worth $10,000 each to help feed local children. Project Joy Northland was started in 2012…

Feds Want 25 Years For Chauvin For Violating Floyd’s Rights

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal prosecutors asked a judge on Wednesday to sentence a former Minneapolis officer to 25 years for violating the rights of George Floyd, saying Derek Chauvin’s actions were cold-blooded and needless as he knelt on the Black man’s neck while Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to violating Floyd’s rights, admitting for the first time…

Supreme Court Expands Gun Rights, Striking New York Limits

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major expansion of gun rights, the Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public. The justices’ 6-3 decision follows a series of recent mass shootings and is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities — including New York, Los Angeles…

FDA Bans Juul E-Cigarettes Tied To Teen Vaping Surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping. The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after…

Duluth Police Department Holds Press Conference to Address Recent Gun Violence in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn.–There has been a recent spike in shootings in Duluth, and the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office has been assisting law enforcement with investigations. So far this year, there have been 20 shooting incidents in Duluth. The latest occurred at Ace’s Bar when a fight broke out on June 18. The incident is currently under investigation and police are…

Grains to Glass: How a Farm Helps a Grantsburg Brewery Thrive

GRANTSBURG, Wis. – What role can a dairy farm play to help a small town brewery thrive?  Once can figure that out in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.  The largest village in Burnett County has been the home to Brickfield Brewery since 2018. “Our welcoming staff will serve you up a pint, a 10-ounce, a flight of four,” says owner Nicki Peterson.  “We also…

Ribfest Set to Return

DULUTH, Minn.– If you’re craving some barbecue this summer, the Lake Superior Ribfest returns this Friday. Set up for the event is already under way at Bayfront Festival Park. Put on by Twin Ports Entertainment, this is the third year of the fest and features a variety of ribs to try with flavors that include pineapple and teriyaki, as well…

Munger Boat Landing Closing For Cleanup Project

DULUTH, Minn.– The Munger boat landing, located on the St. Louis river, will be closing for a two year environmental estuary clean-up project. Starting July 5th and continuing through the fall of 2024. The Munger boat launch, and its parking lot, will no longer be available to the public. Crews will be working to improve the estuary habitat by removing…

St. Louis River Alliance Hosts Woodstock Bay Landing Cleanup

SUPERIOR, Wis.– The St. Louis River Alliance hosted a “Water Wednesday” clean up event to celebrate the ‘adoption’ of the Woodstock Bay Public Landing. The Adopt Program allows for residents and organizations to improve and maintain parks, beaches, and boat landings across Superior. This is the first clean-up they’ve hosted at Woodstock this summer. Gathering the community together clean the…

Power Line Crews In Hopes Of Full Restoration By Friday

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. — Lake Country Power line crews have been working to restore power after severe thunderstorms occurred Monday night. The crews have already restored electric service to over 13,000 members. There are currently 3,100 members without power at 187 outage points in St. Louis County and Itasca County. Other areas impacted are parts of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Lake,…

Powell: Fed Aims To Avoid Recession But Says It’s Possible

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought Wednesday to reassure the public that the Fed will raise interest rates high and fast enough to quell inflation, without tightening credit so much as to throttle the economy and cause a recession. Testifying to the Senate Banking Committee, Powell faced skeptical questions from members of both parties about the Fed’s ability…

US Importing Baby Formula From Mexico To Ease Shortage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to ease nationwide supply shortages caused by the closure of the largest U.S. manufacturing plant. The Department of Health and Human Services is expediting the…

Coffee Conversation: Dirtbike Boyfriend Performs

DULUTH, Minn. – Local musician Bret Holland, known as Skateboard Boyfriend, made his first live TV performance Wednesday on the morning show.  Holland has only been doing live performances since April and is continuing to master his craft. Take a listen below! Part 1:  Part 2:   Categories: Coffee Conversation, Entertainment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News

Biden To Call For 3-Month Suspension Of Gas And Diesel Taxes

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday will call on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months — an election year move meant to ease financial pressures at the pump as the public is increasingly concerned about high gas prices and inflation. The Democratic president will also call on states to suspend their own gas taxes or provide similar…

Crews Continue To Restore Power In The Northland

MINNESOTA — Storms from Monday night have been keeping Minnesota Power crews busy from storm-related outages. At the height of the storm, 11,000 customers were without power during a bad time with extreme heat. The largest outages happened in the Nisswa area and in Deerwood, where strong winds knocked down trees. This caused significant damage to infrastructure including 38 downed…

Premiere Screening Event for The Great Minnesota Recipe’s Final Episode

DULUTH, Minn. – A premiere screening for WDSE’S final episode of The Great Minnesota Recipe took place Tuesday at Clyde Iron Works. In the last three weeks, the first three episodes of The Great Minnesota Recipe aired, with each episode focusing on a different cook in Minnesota all coming from unique cultural backgrounds. At Tuesday’s event, hosts and cooks from…

Blatnik Bridge Public Meeting

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation held a public forum Tuesday to discuss plans for the Blatnik Bridge project. Held at the Superior Public Library, the meeting presented the latest plans and allowed the public to ask questions and share feedback. Right now the project is in its first phase with documents and planning. Designs will be drawn…

Downtown Duluth To Add Pop-Up CoLab Businesses

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Greater Downtown Council is bringing back their pop-up program to help entrepreneurs get a foothold in the physical business world. Those selected will fill three vacant storefronts on the 300 block of West Superior Street for three months free of charge.  The program is considered a co-lab, where multiple businesses can share a storefront depending on how…

MNA Nurses Held an Informational Picket Outside of Twin Ports Hospital’s

DULUTH, Minn. — Today, Twin Ports nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association Union marched with signs outside of the two largest hospitals in the area. It’s not a strike, but an informational picket as their current contract is a little more than a week away from expiring. This, as Essentia Health and St. Luke’s say they are continuing negotiations in…

Corktown To Move to New Lincoln Park Location

DULUTH, Minn. – A popular restaurant in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District is planning to move to a different part of the neighborhood. Corktown Deli and Brews first opened in 2018 inside the Frost River Marketplace.  After surviving and thriving during the pandemic, Co-owner Jeff Petcoff says the reason for the move is simple. They need more space.  “We want one level…

DTA Needs 15 New Drivers to Resume All Routes

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Transit Authority wants to hire 15 more bus drivers so they can operate all their routes. “We’ve struggled with this for the last several years,” says General Manager Rob Fournier.  “Keeping in mind that we really want to just provide the best, most reliable service that we can.” A shortage due to retirements and other reasons…

Texas Top Cop: Uvalde Police Response An ‘Abject Failure’

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Law enforcement authorities had enough officers on the scene of the Uvalde school massacre to have stopped the gunman three minutes after he entered the building, and they never checked a classroom door to see if it was locked, the Texas public safety chief testified Tuesday, pronouncing the police response an “abject failure.” Police officers with…

Coffee Conversation: Steve’s “Overpopulated” One-Man-Band

DULUTH, Minn. — Steve Solkela, of Steve’s “Overpopulated” One-Man Band, showed off his talents, humor, and wacky antics Thursday morning with two original songs off his accordion.  When he’s at full capacity, he’s a 17-piece ensemble. Click the videos to take a listen!  And for more on Steve, click here. Song 1: Song 2: Categories: Coffee Conversation, Entertainment, Minnesota, News,…

Hiccup Helps Grandma’s Marathon Reach Sustainability Goal with Reusable Cups

DULUTH, Minn. – Grandma’s Marathon is trying to make itself more sustainable and reach a net-zero greenhouse gas emission goal by 2040.  This year’s race saw a relatively new company step up to help reduce the trash that quickly piles up with any race. A company called Hiccup provided 26,000 silicone cups at one of the mile marker stations.   All…

Hot Day in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth encountered the hottest day of the year thus far, reaching temps in the mid 90s. In search of a cooler space, some folks decided to spend their day down by the water at Brighton Beach, paddle boarding, skipping rocks, jumping in the lake, or just sitting and basking in the sun. “It was really hot up…

Community Gardens for Duluth Residents

DULUTH, Minn. — There are 21 garden sites available for rent around Duluth where locals can grow their own produce. The Duluth Community Garden Program provides a plot of land to those who may not have the space at home, or for people who just want to garden and converse with neighbors while doing so. The renters can plant, tend,…

Duluth Reflects on the 2012 Historic Flood

DULUTH, Minn. — On this day a decade ago, heavy rains that hit the northland and Duluth experiencing record-breaking flooding. It started the day before, on June 19th, when waves of heavy storms began to drape across Northern Minnesota. Over the next two days, Duluth would nearly drown under seven inches of rain. Former Mayor Don Ness, said that, “the…

No COVID-19 ‘Hero Pay’ Upsets Minnesota Child Care Providers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Child care providers across Minnesota are upset that they’re not eligible for the state’s COVID-19 “hero pay” program. Gov. Tim Walz signed the program into law in April. It enables people who were employed for at least 120 hours in at least one front-line sector job outside their homes between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021…

DTA Pausing Bus Routes Starting Sunday

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) announced they are pausing certain bus routes starting Sunday. Route 5, which connects West Duluth to the Miller Hill area will be paused as well as the Port Town Trolley by the waterfront. This is due to the DTA facing a lack of bus drivers. With Route 5 pausing this will impact…