Political

Historic Civic Center’s Fountain Broken, Could Be Dry All Summer

The city says work on the fountain will take at least 12 weeks

DULUTH, Minn. — One of Duluth’s oldest fountains in one of Duluth’s most historic places is still shut down from the winter, and it’s likely going to stay that way for the rest of the summer. We’re talking about the decades-old Priley Fountain in the Civic Center.  The 1970 structure usually has multiple sources of water shooting into the air,…

High-Speed Internet Is A Necessity, President Biden Says, Pledging All US Will Have Access By 2030

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday said that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but an “absolute necessity,” as he pledged that every household in the nation would have access by 2030 using cables made in the U.S. “These investments will help all Americans,” he said. “We’re not going to leave anyone behind.” Biden announced that more…

Minnesota League of Cities Holds Annual Conference in Duluth

DULUTH, MINN. –More than 700 Minnesota city officials gathered at the DECC over the past few days. It was the League of Minnesota Cities’ Annual conference. Mayors, council members and other city officials were there to network, learn, and celebrate the work that’s been done over the past year. The conference theme this year was “city love.” The new president…

Biden Will Sign An Order Seeking To Protect Birth Control Access A Year After Roe Was Overturned

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is banking on reproductive rights to be a galvanizing issue for voters in the 2024 election as he collects three top-level endorsements, hosts a rally and issues an executive order seeking to bolster access to contraception as the nation marks a year since the Supreme Court decision overturning federal abortion protections. Biden and Vice President…

Hunter Biden Will Plead Guilty In A Deal That Likely Averts Time Behind Bars In A Tax And Gun Case

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter will plead guilty to federal tax offenses but avoid prosecution on a separate gun charge in a deal with the Justice Department that likely spares him time behind bars. Hunter Biden, 53, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement made public Tuesday. The agreement will also avoid prosecution on…

Trump Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump, who is making his first court appearance Tuesday after being indicted on 37 charges related to the mishandling classified documents. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces criminal charges by the federal government he once oversaw. ___ TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal…

Trump To Appear In Court Over Charges He Mishandled Secret Government Documents

MIAMI (Fox 9)- Donald Trump was set to make his first court appearance Tuesday in a historic criminal case charging the former president with hoarding top secret government documents, boastfully displaying them to visitors and trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back. Trump approached his Miami court date with characteristic bravado, insisting as he has done through years…

Lester Park Golf Course Loses Last Chance To Reopen; Costs, Failing Infrastructure To Blame

Enger Park Golf Course will partially open in 2024 while significant upgrades get underway

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city councilors voted unanimously Monday night against reopening Lester Park Golf Course for one last time next year. This comes after projected operating losses for 2024 more than doubled to at least $1.2 million. The original plan was to reopen Lester next season so the city’s other municipal golf course at Enger Park could close down…

Donald Trump Says He’s Been Indicted On Charges Of Mishandling Classified documents

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump and his aides are bracing for a potential indictment in the classified documents investigation as prosecutors handling the probe were spotted Thursday at a Miami courthouse where a grand jury has been hearing from witnesses. The former president’s lawyers have been told he is a target of the investigation, the clearest indication yet…

Pence Opens Presidential Bid With Denunciation Of Trump Over Jan. 6 Insurrection And Abortion

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence opened his bid for the Republican nomination for president Wednesday with a firm denunciation of former President Donald Trump, accusing his two-time running mate of abandoning conservative principles and being guilty of dereliction of duty on Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, launching his campaign in a suburb of Des Moines, became the first vice president in…

Army Corps Pulls Key Permit For Copper-Nickel Mine Near Hoyt Lakes

A key permit for a proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes, known as the NorthMet Project, has been revoked by the Army Corps of Engineers. The announcement was made Tuesday in a 27-page report. The Army Corps said the proposed mine “does not ensure compliance with water quality requirements of the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa.” NewRange…

Former Vice President Pence Files Paperwork Launching 2024 Presidential Bid In Challenge To Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork on Monday declaring his campaign for president in 2024, setting up a challenge to his former boss, Donald Trump, just two years after their time in the White House ended with an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Pence fleeing for his life. Pence, the nation’s 48th vice president, will formally launch…

Man Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Rep. Angie Craig Of Minnesota In DC Apartment Building

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in the elevator of her Washington apartment building in February, according to court records. Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers, according to the court docket. Hamlin was also accused of assaulting…

Biden Trips And Falls On Stage At Air Force Graduation; White House Says He’s ‘Fine’

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — President Joe Biden fell on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation Thursday and the White House said he was “fine” after tripping over a sandbag. Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he…

Changes To Food Aid In Debt Bill Would Cost Money, Far From Savings GOP Envisioned

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase federal spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years — far from the cuts GOP lawmakers had promised. A compromise on the food aid requirements between House Republicans and President Joe Biden as the nation nears a disastrous government default may…

Debt Ceiling Deal: What’s In, What’s Out Of The Bill To Avert US Default

WASHINGTON (AP) — The details of the deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were released Sunday in the form of a 99-page bill that would suspend the nation’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending. The Democratic president and Republican speaker are trying to win over lawmakers to the plan in time…

Cleveland Cliffs Secures Mineral Leases To Keep Hibtac Open For Decades

A dispute over mineral leases has ended in favor of Cleveland Cliffs, and Cliffs says the leases will allow it to keep Hibbing Taconite open for at least another two decades. The five-member Minnesota Executive Council chaired by Gov. Walz awarded the company leases for 2,600 acres near Nashwauk. Another company owned by Essar had also been trying to get…

Duluth Councilor Arik Forsman Changes Mind, Wants To Keep At-Large Seat

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman said he wants to keep his council seat in November after saying in February that he was ready to spend more time with family. Forsman made the announcement to run for re-election Thursday outside City Hall. He said labor leaders, business leaders and co-workers — Republican and Democrat — ultimately convinced him…

Gov. Walz Vetoes Higher Pay For Lyft, Uber Drivers

(Associated Press) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have mandated higher pay and job security for Lyft and Uber drivers in Minnesota, saying the legislation wasn’t ready to become law. “Rideshare drivers deserve fair wages and safe working conditions,” Walz said in a statement announcing his first veto ever in his…

Sen. Grant Hauschild Talks Historic Successes Of Minnesota’s Legislative Session

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Sen. Grant Hauschild is celebrating the end of the legislative session with what he calls the “largest tax relief package in the history of the state.” Hauschild said the package includes social security tax relief to 85 percent of seniors and child tax credit to families that’s expected to reduce child poverty by 33 percent. His…

DEDA Terminates $2.35M TIF Agreement With Lincoln Park Flats, Company Responds

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Economic Development Authority, or DEDA, voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate its multi-million dollar agreement with the owners of the newly built Lincoln Park Flats. This means roughly $2.3 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) through 2048 is no more. The move comes after the property’s owner, P&R Companies, said it was forced to make plans…

Duluth’s Street Outreach Worker Of Nearly 30 Years Talks Housing, Homeless Crisis

DULUTH, Minn. – Homeless advocates in Duluth say the struggle to get the homeless off the streets and into stable housing is at its worst. But at the same time, those advocates say the communication and weekly mission to tackle the problem is stronger than ever between advocates, the city, county, police, and the list goes on. More than 600…

‘Northern Lights Express’ Lands Full Funding In Final MN Transportation Bill

The reality of a passenger rail line between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis is closer than ever with full funding in the state’s final transportation budget bill. The amount is roughly $194 million, which is the state’s 20-percent share of the project. The remaining 80-percent would come from the Federal Infrastructure Law, which Amtrak has officially endorsed. The train would…

State Of City: Superior Mayor Jim Paine ‘Not Satisfied,’ Expects More

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior Mayor Jim Paine held his State of the City address Thursday evening at the Richard I. Bong Veteran’s Historical Center. Mayor Paine called the past year possibly the best ever for Superior, but he said he’s not satisfied. After six years as mayor, he said the next four will be all about raising the stakes and…

Essentia Health Calls MN Nurse Staffing Bill Flawed

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health is speaking out against a nurse staffing bill at the Minnesota Legislature. The Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act would establish committees to set specific staffing levels at hospitals. The levels would include a limit on the number of patients a nurse should safely care for. The bill’s sponsors believe it will help the crisis around…

Minneapolis City Council Nomination Brawlers Could Be Expelled From Minn. Democratic Party

Courtesy: FOX 9 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Democratic Party will consider expelling anyone involved in a brawl that broke out at a political event to nominate candidates for a Minneapolis City Council seat. At least two people were injured in Saturday’s confrontation. The head of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Chair Ken Martin, said on Twitter that he plans to…

AP: Trump Digs In On Election Lies, Insults Accuser During CNN Town Hall Event

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming. Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused…

Nurses Week Comes Amidst Legislative Debate

Duluth Nurses Push Current Bill; Oppose Any Changes by Hospitals

DULUTH, Minn. – The stakes are high in Minnesota as national Nurses Week continues. A legislative fight is underway at the state capitol over what is called the “Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act.” That fight came to the Duluth Labor Temple Tuesday. Nurses and their union representatives said Minnesota hospitals are not following parts of the agreement reached during…

Duluth DFL Party Sticks with Larson, Makes Endorsements for Fall Elections

DULUTH, Minn. – With the next Duluth mayoral election set for later this year, there was no surprise with who the Duluth DFL Party selected to endorse. During their convention at Denfeld High School Saturday, the party is sticking with current Mayor Emily Larson.  She is seeking her third term, after being first elected to the position in 2015.  She…

UMD Graduate Osei-Tutu Honored for Her Work on Voting

DULUTH, MINN. — A UMD Graduate has been recognized as part of the 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. Her name is Olivia Osei-Tutu, ALL IN’s Student Voting Honor Roll recognizes college students at participating campuses who have gone above and beyond to advance nonpartisan student voter registration, education and turnout efforts in their communities. Nationwide, Just 175 students…

Evers Promises To Veto GOP Local Aid Increase Plan

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers promised Thursday to veto a wide-ranging Republican plan to bolster aid to local governments, saying the measure moving rapidly through the GOP-controlled Legislature doesn’t give enough unrestricted money to communities struggling to pay for police, fire and other services. Republican authors of the bill said at a hearing Thursday they remained open to making…

Congressional Hearing on Minerals on Iron Range

Republican lawmakers advocate for permitting reform

The mineral deposits in Northeastern Minnesota brought congressional lawmakers to the area Tuesday. Representative Pete Stauber brought members of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to Mountain Iron for a hearing. Stauber said it was a chance for members to hear directly from the community. Congressman Rob Wittman of the state of Virginia said the entire country had an…

Duluth Mayoral Race: Reinert No On Party Endorsements; Larson Says ‘Show Up’

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth mayoral candidate Roger Reinert, who has been endorsed by the DFL party in previous political elections, is bypassing any political party endorsements for his run for mayor. Reinert made the announcement Monday through a video release. He said the office of mayor should be non-partisan and open to all political views. Reinert said he’s had nearly…

Duluth Celebrates The Life Of Judge Sally Tarnowski

A day of fond memories, professional achievements, and deep friendships

DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth born-and-raised attorney and judge was remembered by friends, family and colleagues Thursday during a memorial at the DECC. Judge Sally Tarnowski died unexpectedly in March when she was struck by a vehicle while jogging on vacation in Florida. Tarnowski was 63 years old. Thursday’s reflections included her Duluth public school roots, her going to law…

MN House, Senate Pass ‘Northern Lights Express’ Funding In Transportation Bills

DULUTH, Minn. — For the first time ever, the Northern Lights Express project now has financial backing from the Minnesota House and the Senate. The Senate has approved $50 million toward the passenger rail service between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis. This comes after the House Transportation Committee set aside full funding for NLX in its omnibus bill and was…

Washington, Minnesota Become Trans Refuges, Shield Abortions

SEATTLE (AP) — Democratic governors in Washington state and Minnesota on Thursday signed into law legal protections for people who travel to those states seeking reproductive and gender-affirming procedures and treatment. They are the latest blue states to enact safeguards against bans or limits on transgender and abortion healthcare in Republican states. In Seattle, Gov. Jay Inslee wore a pink tie…

House Republicans Pass US Debt Bill, Push Biden On Spending

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans passed sweeping legislation Wednesday that would raise the government’s legal debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for steep spending restrictions, a tactical victory for Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he challenges President Joe Biden to negotiate and prevent a catastrophic federal default this summer. The bill passed by a razor-thin 217-215 margin. Biden has threatened to veto the Republican package, which…

Biden Announces 2024 Reelection Bid: ‘Let’s Finish This Job’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally announced that he is running for reelection in 2024, asking voters to give him more time to “finish this job” and extend the run of America’s oldest president for another four years. Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting his first-term legislative achievements and more than 50 years of experience in Washington…

Therese Wisocki Joins List Of Candidates For Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. – Another candidate has announced her run for the Duluth City Council. Therese Wisocki told FOX 21 on Sunday that she’s a retired telecommunications professional who has never run for political office before. Wisocki said she’s hoping to focus on improving public safety downtown and bringing new development there. Rising property taxes and low wages are also on…

Wisconsin GOP Lawmakers Working On Medical Pot Legalization

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — After years of opposition to any form of marijuana legalization in Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers are now working privately to build support for a medical cannabis program that could win bipartisan backing and be enacted into law later this year, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press on Thursday. For now, the group of lawmakers — whom Vos…

Mayor Again Asks Duluth Council To Avoid Budget Cuts, Use ‘Rescue Plan’ Funds

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson is speaking up — through an email to councilors — about this year’s $383,000 in city wide budget cuts. She’s urging them to avoid the cuts by using American Rescue Plan funds. The $383,000 handles the one-percent levy cut the council made last December in Larson’s proposed property tax levy increase, which she said…

Minnesota Gov. Walz Draws Sharp Contrasts With Red States

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz drew stark contrasts between Minnesota and Republican-led states Wednesday night, using his State of the State speech to highlight how he and his fellow Democrats have used their new control over state government to push through an ambitious liberal agenda. Walz, now three months into his second term, told lawmakers and other…