Political

Gov. Tim Walz tells a House panel the Trump immigration crackdown hampered Minnesota’s fraud fight

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in St. Paul, denounces President Donald Trump for calling Minnesota’s Somali community “garbage” and dismissing the state as a “hellhole.” Minnesota’s governor and attorney general on Wednesday defended their efforts to combat fraud and told a U.S. House committee that their efforts have been hampered by…

Hegseth says a torpedo from a US submarine sank an Iranian warship

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a torpedo from a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship. In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the…

Noem defends her portrayal of killed Minneapolis protesters as agitators, in her Senate hearing

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department’s immigration enforcement tactics in front of a Senate committee on Tuesday and pushed back against criticism from Democrats who say she wrongly disparaged two…

Noem testifies in the Senate in her first appearance since 2 Minneapolis protesters’ deaths

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee.(CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified in the Senate on Tuesday in her first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration was executing its mass deportation agenda. Noem’s appearance in front of the Judiciary Committee also…

Trump says Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but could go longer

Satellite image from Airbus shows smoke billowing from the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but that he’s prepared “to go far longer than that.” Trump spoke Monday at a White House ceremony. THIS IS A BREAKING…

Trump says that Iran’s supreme leader is dead

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (AP) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, saying his passing is “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” The death occurred after a joint U.S. and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump in his…

US and Israel launch a major attack on Iran and Trump urges Iranians to ‘take over your government’

Satellite image from Airbus shows smoke billowing from the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, and President Donald Trump called on the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” by rising up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979….

Federal judge extends order protecting refugees in Minnesota from being arrested and deported

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday extended an order protecting refugees in Minnesota who are lawfully in the U.S. from being arrested and deported, saying a Trump administration policy turns the “American Dream into a dystopian nightmare.” U.S. District Judge John Tunheim granted a motion by advocates for refugees to convert a temporary restraining order that he issued in January into a…

Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House before signing an executive order regarding childhood cancer and the use of AI, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without offering any details on…

St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki to seek second term

Kim Maki DULUTH, Minn. —  St Louis County Attorney Kim Maki has announced she is running for a second term. In a press release on Friday, Maki said she was seeking reelection to continue her commitment to preserving and defending the rule of law, prosecuting crime without fear or favor, protecting vulnerable citizens, and providing sound legal counsel to the…

Attorney general announces indictments against 30 more people who protested at a Minnesota church

Cities Church is seen in St. Paul, Minn. where activists shut down a service claiming the pastor was also working as an ICE agent, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that 30 more people have been indicted for allegedly taking part in an anti-immigration…

Bill Clinton tells lawmakers he ‘did nothing wrong’ and saw no signs of Epstein’s abuse

FILE – Former President Bill Clinton speaks in the Cash Room of the Treasury Department during an event for the anniversary of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund,, Nov. 21, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton started his deposition before members of Congress investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday by telling them he “did…

Scouting America will alter its policies to maintain support from the US military, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scouting America will alter several policies at the urging of the Pentagon, including a requirement that members use “biological sex at birth and not gender identity,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Defense Department in January, which included discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge and introducing a…

Walz unveils anti-fraud package after Trump administration threatens to halt Medicaid funds

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in St. Paul, denounces President Donald Trump for calling Minnesota’s Somali community “garbage” and dismissing the state as a “hellhole.” ST. PAUL, Minn., (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz denounced the Trump administration’s latest threat to withhold federal funds from Minnesota as another step in a “retribution”…

Judge rejects request to block Trump White House from building its $400 million ballroom project

Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a preservationist group’s request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished…

Hillary Clinton testifies she has no information on Epstein’s crimes and doesn’t recall meeting him

FILE – Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told U.S. House lawmakers on Thursday that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s or Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes at the start of two days of depositions…

Duluth Schools Superintendent court filing points to ICE vehicle ‘near’ school

John Magas DULUTH, Minn. – A statement from Duluth Schools Superintendent John Magas filed in federal court points out one specific incident of ICE officers near a Duluth School. Magas’s filling reads, “On December 19, 2025, an ICE vehicle was observed near one of our high schools for approximately an hour. The school district received a call from community members…

Texas grand jury rejects indictments in deadly shooting of US citizen by federal immigration agent

US Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent badge (AP) – A grand jury on Wednesday rejected indictments over the fatal shooting last year of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration agent during a traffic encounter in Texas, prosecutors said. The shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025, by a Homeland Security Investigations agent wasn’t publicly disclosed by the Department…

Prosecutors charge Wisconsin legislator with misdemeanor after blowup over Hispanic resolution

Representative Sylvia Ortiz-Velez MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors charged a Wisconsin legislator with disorderly conduct Wednesday in connection with a feud over who was involved with drafting resolutions honoring Hispanics last year. Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, a Milwaukee Democrat, faces up to 90 days in jail if she’s convicted in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Online court records didn’t list an attorney for her…

Army Corp of engineers approve permit for line 5 relocation

FILE – Pipeline used to carry crude oil sits at the Superior, Wis., terminal of Enbridge Energy, June 29, 2018. DULUTH, Minn. & MADISON, Wis. — Energy company Enbridge has finally started work on rerouting an aging oil pipeline around a tribal reservation in northern Wisconsin after seven years of legal wrangling, moving ahead despite two new lawsuits that still…

Vance says administration is pausing some Medicaid funding to Minnesota because of fraud concerns

Vice President JD Vance arrives before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota…

Vice President JD Vance is making a post-State of the Union visit to a Wisconsin factory

Vice President JD Vance (AP) – Vance will deliver remarks “celebrating the Trump administration’s accomplishments” following Trump’s nationally televised address Tuesday night. The vice president’s office said he’ll do so at a to-be-named machining facility in Plover, Wisconsin.  Plover is near Stevens Point. High-level administration officials typically fan out across the country after the speech to promote the president’s message and…

Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard during review of Epstein ties, university says

FILE – Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University amid a campus review of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday. Summers, who has been on leave since November and…

Takeaways from Trump’s address: Sales mode on economy, heavy on patriotism, dark turn on Democrats

State of the Union Address (CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump started in sales mode, using his State of the Union address to deliver an upbeat vision of the U.S. economy. But that portrayal collides with the sentiment of Americans who remain anxious about their finances and feel they haven’t benefited from Trump’s policies. He took the high road to honor the gold…

5 questions heading into Trump’s State of the Union address

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House before signing an executive order regarding childhood cancer and the use of AI, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has a lot to talk about tonight. He’s returning to Congress to deliver a State of the Union address at a consequential moment in his…

Emotions run high at Duluth City Council Meeting

  Duluth City Council Meeting Gallery (2/23/26) DULUTH, Minn. — Monday’s Duluth City Council meeting continued discussions around civility in the chambers and respecting each other’s views. This was the first council meeting since some in the audience chose to jeer and speak over councilors two weeks ago. Some councilors took that meeting as a boiling point on issues of…

Congressman Pete Stauber invites Nick Shirley to State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman Pete Stauber has invited Conservative YouTube creator Nick Shirley as one of his guests at President Trump’s State of the Union address tomorrow. In a viral video last year, Shirley made claims that Somali-run day cares were committing fraud by inflating enrollment numbers to get more money from the state. However, some of his claims have…

Duluth Schools Superintendent: Budget reductions and realignment coming

John Magas DULUTH, Minn. – In a letter to parents, Duluth Schools Superintendent John Magas said budget changes will be coming. He wrote in the February 22, 2026, letter “some necessary budget reductions and realignment” will be happening.  Magas wrote that he will be discussing these issues in greater detail later in the week. Magas wrote, “When it comes down…

Armed man shot, killed after entering perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service says

FILE – This is an aerial view of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed man drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as another vehicle was exiting before being shot and killed early Sunday morning, according to a spokesman for the…

Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s sweeping tariffs

Formal group photograph of the Supreme Court as it was been comprised on June 30, 2022 after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the Court. The Justices are posed in front of red velvet drapes and arranged by seniority, with five seated and four standing.Seated from left are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices…

New Mexico reopens investigation into alleged illegal activity at Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch

FILE – Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s attorney general has reopened an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein ’s former Zorro Ranch. Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office made the announcement Thursday, saying the decision…

Wisconsin passes expanded Medicaid for moms, would leave Arkansas as only state without it

Democratic Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, surrounded by Democratic colleagues, speaks in support of measures to expand Medicaid coverage for new mothers and insurance coverage for breast exams at a news conference in the state Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Madison, Wis. MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Women in Wisconsin will soon be eligible to receive expanded Medicaid…

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew(CNN) LONDON (AP) — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to…

Police arrest man who ran toward the US Capitol building holding a shotgun

  WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., arrested an 18-year-old man Tuesday after he ran from his vehicle toward the west side of the Capitol Building armed with a shotgun. Capital Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the unidentified man parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol, got out and ran “several hundred yards” toward the building before…

Minnesota’s Legislature braces for a federal immigration fight as the enforcement surge winds down

  Minnesota State Capitol (Senate Media Services, Photo by A.J. Olmscheid) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democrats hope to rein in the power of federal immigration officers in Minnesota as the state’s legislative session gets underway Tuesday, while Republicans will focus on combatting fraud in taxpayer-funded programs that President Donald Trump cited to justify the recent immigration enforcement surge. While White House border czar Tom Homan said…

BCA: The FBI will not provide Minnesota evidence into the shooting death of Alex Pretti

A photo of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer over the weekend, is displayed at the shooting scene Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. ST. PAUL, Min. – Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans released a statement February 16, 2026: The FBI formally notified the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on…

Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty to civil rights charges in Minnesota church protest

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges Friday, following a protest at a Minnesota church where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. Four others also pleaded not guilty in the case. Lemon did not comment to reporters as he entered the courthouse accompanied by his attorney, Joe Thompson. Roughly…

Feds investigating whether 2 ICE officers lied about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis

Courtesy: Associated Press (file) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities have opened a criminal probe into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis last month. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said Friday that his agency had opened a joint probe with the Justice Department after video evidence revealed “sworn testimony…

Journalist Don Lemon is set to be arraigned in Minnesota church protest case

Don Lemon (CNN) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon and four other people are set to be arraigned on federal civil rights charges Friday, accused in a protest at a Minnesota church where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. Also scheduled for arraignment Friday is civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong. The prominent local activist was the subject…

Another scuffle at UMD Turning Point USA table leads to police call

Screen shot of Turning Point USA bottle throwing incident on UMD Campus 1/29/2026 DULUTH, Minn. — Two people have been ticketed for an incident that happened at a Turning Point USA table in the University of Minnesota – Duluth Kirby Student Union. On January 29, 2026, UMD police reports say student Lars Morris called one of the people sitting at…

Federal authorities announce an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota

White House border czar Tom Homan holds a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal building on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday. “As a result of our…

Protesters in multiple states press Target to oppose the immigration crackdown in Minnesota

FILE – U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino walks through a Target store Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. NEW YORK (AP) — Activists planned protests at more than two dozen Target stores around the United States on Wednesday to pressure the discount retailer into taking a public stand against the 5-week-old immigration crackdown in its home state of Minnesota. ICE…

Attorney General Bondi will face questions from Congress on Epstein and investigation of lawmakers

Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Donald Trump speaks at an event on addiction recovery in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert) WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi will face questions from lawmakers Wednesday over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein that have exposed sensitive private…

Safety, decorum concerns hit breaking point for some Duluth city councilors

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 has learned there are growing safety concerns among Duluth city councilors that involve online threats, personal attacks and continued disorder of Robert’s Rules of Order. The latest example of decorum happened Monday night when Council Vice President Janet Kennedy was repeatedly interrupted by some in the audience when it was her turn to speak –…

Duluth political expert speaks on the weight of modern-day endorsements

DULUTH, Minn. — With caucuses around Duluth now complete, all eyes are turning towards the next steps in political campaigns across the state, but in an era of diverse and divisive politics, how much does an organization’s endorsement really mean? “The Republicans tend to stick to them a little more than the Democrats,” said Dr. Cindy Rugeley, an associate professor…

Ukrainian skeleton athlete banned from wearing helmet honoring those killed in war

Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych starts a men’s skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych is allowed to wear a black armband at the Milan Cortina Olympics but the IOC says he cannot wear a helmet painted to honor Ukrainian athletes killed in…