DULUTH, Minn.- In a 6-2 vote Monday night, the Duluth city council voted in favor of raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21. “I know people will say this is a complex issue. But the lives of our children–is simple,” said Tonya Sconier, principal at Denfeld High School, before the vote was made. About a…
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to give his State of the Union speech on Feb. 5. Trump said in a letter to Pelosi on Monday that it is his “great honor” to accept her invitation to speak before a joint session of Congress next week. He writes, “We have a great…
WASHINGTON -White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the arrest of former Donald Trump campaign adviser Roget Stone in the special counsel’s Russia probe has nothing to do with the president. Sanders’ comments came hours after Stone was arrested Friday during a pre-dawn raid at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home. Stone was charged in a seven-count indictment that includes…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says President Donald Trump will not accept a short-term deal to reopen the government unless it includes “a large down payment” for his promised border wall. The statement from White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday came as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer were meeting to try…
DULUTH, Minn. – Stu Lourey took the win Tuesday night over Michelle Lee in the primary for the DFL State Senate Dist. 11 race. Lourey will now face off against GOP candidate and current State Rep. Jason Rarick and Legal Marijuana Now candidate John “Sparky” Birrenbach in the general election on Feb. 5. Lourey is the son of current Dist….
(AP) – Democrats Stu Lourey and Michelle Lee are vying in a primary for an open state Senate seat. The District 11 seat opened when Lourey’s father, Tony Lourey, was named state Human Services commissioner earlier this month. Tuesday’s winner will face Rep. Jason Rarick, a Republican from Pine City, and Legal Marijuana Now candidate John Birrenbach of Pine City…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to go ahead with its plan to restrict military service by transgender people while court challenges continue. The high court on Tuesday reversed lower-court orders preventing the Pentagon from implementing its plans. But the high court for now declined to take up cases about the plan. The…
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kamala Harris is running for president. The California Democrat tells ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she’s entering the increasingly crowded field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination. If successful, she’d be the country’s second African-American president and the first woman to hold the office. Harris is a daughter of immigrant parents who grew up in Oakland, California….
DULUTH, Minn. – Former news personality Michelle Lee took a win Saturday for the DFL endorsement for Minnesota’s Dist. 11 Senate seat. The primary is Tuesday, Jan. 22. Lee received 59.6 percent of the delegate votes on the first ballot at the convention held in Barnum on Saturday. Sixty percent is needed for an endorsement. DFL candidate Stu Lourey immediately conceded…
DULUTH, Minn.- As businesses across the Northland continue to offer discounted or free services to unpaid federal workers during the shutdown, Dapper Jack’s barbershop on 47th Avenue East offered free haircuts to federal workers. If you’re wondering how many people really need it, the barber there says he had folks lined up before he even opened. He says the feeling after…
MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Tony Evers has picked the Wisconsin State Patrol’s next leader. Evers named patrol Maj. Anthony Burrell as superintendent on Friday. He will take over on Sunday. Burrell has served as a state trooper since 1990. He was promoted to sergeant in 2006, lieutenant in 2012 and captain of the patrol’s 11-county Northeast Region in 2015. He…
DULUTH, Minn.- The TSA at the Duluth International Airport also continues to work without pay. Currently representatives at the airport say they have not experienced any operational disruptions with TSA The airport’s leadership say they are very grateful the employees come in everyday to continue to do their jobs. “Their morale, their attitude is the same from our standpoint,”…
DULUTH, Minn.- It’s day 23 of the partial government shutdown, about 800,000 employees are either working without pay, or furloughed. Businesses are stepping forward to help those workers with the financial difficulties. Ignite Studio in Duluth is trying to help ease the worries of those affected by the shutdown by offering free classes so they can exercise–improving moods, boosting energy,…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (DFL) were at the University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday sharing their vision for moving Minnesota forward. Days after their inauguration, the Minnesota state executives spoke to students, supporters, and community members in Duluth. “We have a charge and we have an opportunity to find common ground and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify publicly before Congress next month. Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee will be the first major public hearing for Democrats, who have promised greater scrutiny of Trump. Cohen is a pivotal figure in investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller into potential coordination between Russia and…
MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Tony Evers says he will be sending a letter to Attorney General Josh Kaul this week calling for Wisconsin to “change our stance” in a multi-state lawsuit seeking repeal of the federal health care law. Evers campaigned on withdrawing from the lawsuit, but after he won the lame-duck Republican Legislature changed the law to require legislative…
DULUTH, Minn. – Republican Party nominee Jason Rarick is advancing to the special election on February 5. Republican candidates Justin Kyrch, Matthias Shir and Carl Pederson dropped out of the race earlier this week. Former Duluth news personality and Democrat Michelle Lee has entered the race for the Minnesota District 11 state senate seat that represents Carlton and Pine Counties….
(Twitter)ST. PAUL, Minn. -The 2019 Minnesota Legislature is in session. The House and its new Democratic majority were called to order around noon Tuesday, while the Senate, where Republicans hold a two-vote majority, convened soon afterward. The opening day floor sessions were devoted to formalities and organizational matters, including the election of Democrat Melissa Hortman as House speaker. Dozens of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Democrats will take control of the Minnesota House when the 2019 Legislature convenes at noon. Democrats gained 18 seats in the November elections to win the House with a 75-59 majority. Senate Republicans hold a narrow two-seat majority going into the session. Their leaders plan a news conference Tuesday morning to unveil their first five bills…
WASHINGTON – With no breakthrough in sight, President Donald Trump is set to argue in a prime-time address that a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the wall he’s demanding before ending the partial government shutdown. Trump’s speech on Tuesday night will be followed by his visit Thursday to the southern border. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota is remembering the life of longtime Minnesota politician and Northland leader Tom Rukavina who particularly always fought hard for Iron Range workers. The 68-year-old from Virginia died Monday after a battle with leukemia. Rukavina, who was known for his passion and feistiness at times, served on the Minnesota House of Representatives for 26 years. He most…
ST. PAUL, Minn. -New Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is using his inaugural address to stress the need for better education and health care for everyone. Walz spoke at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul after taking the oath as Minnesota’s 41st governor since statehood. Walz told the crowd of dignitaries and supporters that disparities in the state’s educational system are…
(AP Photo/Andy Manis)MADISON, Wis. – Newly sworn-in Gov. Tony Evers is calling for a rejection of “the tired politics of the past” in his first speech as Wisconsin governor, saying “we’ve become content with division.” Evers delivered his inauguration speech Monday at a packed Capitol rotunda ceremony attended by five former governors and other dignitaries. Evers says the people of…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Tim Walz is preparing to take the oath to become Minnesota’s 41st governor since statehood. The Democratic former congressman from Mankato says he’s ready to hit the ground running after Monday’s ceremonies at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. He’s already named all but one of his state agency heads. Minnesota’s other constitutional officers…
CLOQUET, Minn.- In this Cloquet house, dinner is becoming limited to a few options. “We have leftover Hamburger Helper, there’s pork chops. There’s hotdogs, mommy bought plenty of hotdogs,” the mother tells her children. “It’s pasta dishes, it’s things that you can get dirt cheap,” said Andrea Hawkins. “Y’know, it’s like living on a college kid’s income all over again.”…
DULUTH, Minn.- With the government shutdown entering its third week, effects are already being seen in the Northland. The shutdown hasn’t reached SNAP benefit recipients just yet, but that safety only lasts this month. President Trump’s recent declaration that he is prepared to keep the shutdown going for months, or even years, spells out danger for SNAP Food Stamp recipients…
(photo: Twitter)ST. PAUL, Minn. – The son of a Minnesota state senator appointed to incoming Gov. Tim Walz’s administration says he’ll run for his father’s seat. Stu Lourey, who has worked as an aide to Sens. Al Franken and Tina Smith, declared his interest in the seat after his father Tony was named Human Services commissioner on Thursday. Both Loureys…
(AP)WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court is siding with the Trump administration in a case about the Pentagon’s policy of restricting military service by transgender people. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that a lower-court judge was wrong to block the Pentagon from implementing its preferred policy. The unsigned ruling will…
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON — The House has elected Nancy Pelosi as its speaker as Democrats take command of the chamber for the new Congress. The near party-line majority vote makes her the country’s most powerful Democrat as the party begins two more years of confronting President Donald Trump. Except now, Pelosi’s Democrats will be able to set the House’s legislative…
DULUTH, Minn. — With the partial Government Shutdown still underway the affects are being felt here in the Northland, even by local Meteorologists as they forecast this winter weather. First things first says Fox 21’s Meteorologist Brittney Merlot, “As a Meteorologist an important reading we need this time of year is the water temperature. It helps us determine lake effect…
DULUTH, Minn.- The New Year will bring some big changes for businesses, including an increase in the Minnesota minimum wage. Starting in January, the minimum wage will increase to $9.86 for large employers, and $8.04 for small employers. This will be the 4th year the wage has increased, but only the second where it has increased based on inflation, going…
WASHINGTON – Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan is bemoaning America’s “broken politics.” He’s also using a farewell speech to say that Washington’s failure to overhaul costly federal benefit programs is “our greatest unfinished business.” The Wisconsin Republican is ending his two-decade House career. He says in prepared remarks that the country’s problems are solvable “if our politics will allow it.”…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Trump Administration has officially banned bump stocks in the U.S. It’s an equipment which allows semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like automatic firearms. Meanwhile, the owner of Superior Shooters Supply in Superior tells us this ban really doesn’t affect her business. She’s never sold bump stocks, and said they are barely effective, hurt accuracy, and are limited…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth City Council passed a TIF increment financing package for developers, who plan to build a luxury apartment complex downtown. $6.2 million of the $70.4 million cost will come through public financing. A packed city hall Monday night illustrates the urgency presented by this issue. The developers for the high rise presented their plans for the construction. The…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov-elect Tim Walz is preparing to announce his first round of state agency heads who will serve in his administration. Walz and Lt. Gov.-elect Peggy Flanagan have called a news conference for Tuesday to announce the first out of 23 new commissioners. Walz’s transition team received over 500 applications for the leadership positions….
DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth City Council approved a new budget for the city Monday night. The budget is expected to be $3 million bigger than 2018’s. Councilors said the amount of cuts in this budget are minimal at best. Changes include adding $280,000 for park maintenance. At the council meeting they also had the first reading of an amendment that…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers says he’s not optimistic that outgoing governor Scott Walker will veto bills approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature that would limit the new governor’s power. Evers told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he spoke by telephone with Walker and appealed to him to veto the legislation, but says Walker was noncommittal. Walker…
DULUTH, Minn.- Hot off his election victory against Republican Jeff Johnson, DFL Governor Elect Tim Walz and his running mate Peggy Flanagan made a stop in Duluth for a listening session. And Duluth surprised the event organizers, who had to switch locations from City Hall to the DECC to accommodate the numbers. After visiting the Silver Bay Veterans Home and…
DULUTH, Minn.- Joy, reverence, and nostalgia fill the small room of the St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church. “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us!” The room unifies in one voice, booming what many call the black national anthem: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. All the people, and all the libations, to…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Twenty months as Superior mayor has come and gone for Jim Paine but he believes his work is far from over which is why he has decided to run for re–election. Mayor Paine kicked off his campaign in a bit of an unconventional space, the Superior–Carnegie library located on Hammond ave. But he chose this location for good…
HOUSTON (CNN)- According to his spokesperson, former President George H.W. Bush has died in Houston Friday night. The 41st President was born into privilege and a tradition of service. Bush was a son of a senator, celebrated World War II combat pilot, student athlete, Texas oilman, Republican congressman, national party chairman, pioneering diplomat and spy chief. After his own 1980…
DULUTH, Minn.-The American Indian Community Housing Organization or AICHO is releasing their 2019 calendar, with creations from some unlikely artists. Much of the calendar is made up of photos taken by kids from “In Progress,” a program for indigenous youth from the Twin Cities. Over the last year, the children were given access to high end cameras and took pictures…
DULUTH, Minn. – It was about a month ago when Duluth Mayor Emily Larson announced the resignation of Heather Rand — the city’s Director of Business and Economic Development. At the time, Larson said the city would be looking for Rand’s replacement. But just weeks later – almost 30 days to the day on Tuesday – Larson announced that Rand’s…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth joined the nation in honoring lives lost in the transgender community. A crowd gathered downtown at the Minnesota Power Plaza on Tuesday night, as part of the 19th Annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance. They shared poems, words of encouragement, and raised awareness about violence that transgender and non-gender conforming people can face. “The connection that we…
DULUTH, Minn.-Many voters lined up to cast ballots for the 2018 elections. Some may have questioned how accurate the voting machines are during the election process. St. Louis County conducted a post-election review to check the ballots from the general election. Every general election six precincts are randomly selected for a hand recount by the County Canvassing Board. This verification…
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced his decision following a hearing in Washington. The judge said Acosta’s credentials would be returned immediately and reactivated to allow him access to…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Lakeside neighborhood had been dry of alcohol sales for more than 100 years. But alcohol may soon flow there once more. After lifting the ban on liquor in 2016, multiple liquor stores could pop up there in the near future. Whether or not alcohol can be sold off sale in that neighborhood, comes down to the city council’s…
DULUTH, Minn. – More than two dozen Northlanders spent this Veterans Day in Washington, D.C. The group of men, women and veterans are from Duluth, Ely, Virginia, Hibbing and Wyoming. The trip was organized by the owners of the Boat Club Restaurant. Co-owner Jeff Anderson is a veteran of the Army National Guard. The group took a visit of places…
DULUTH, Minn.- Anti-Trump protesters took to the steps outside the St. Louis County Courthouse. The group was not happy about President Trump’s firing of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Overall, the protesters were making their voices heard because they say the Trump Administration is not above the law. Thursday night’s cold weather didn’t stop more than a dozen men and…
DULUTH, Minn. – There were some surprises and significant changes in the 2018 midterm elections. UWS Assistant Professor of Political Science, Alisa Von Hagel tells us the results showed some democratic momentum but it was not as wide spread as some thought. Von Hagel believes one very significant local election was the Wisconsin gubernatorial race where Democrat Tony Evers beat…
