ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota is on its way to triple the number of people who voted early in the state’s August primary election. The Capitol View reports that figures from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office show that nearly 29,700 people had already cast their ballots by July 26 using the state’s “no-excuse absentee” voting option. That’s up…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump denied Friday that he knew in advance about a Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 between a Russian lawyer, his eldest son and other campaign aides that had been convened to hear dirt on his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump tweeted, “NO,” he “did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr.”…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Rep. Tim Walz says he’d push to raise the state’s gasoline tax if elected governor to pay for infrastructure improvements. The Democratic congressman included that measure as part of a broader policy package he released with mayors and leaders from across Minnesota on Thursday. Walz called Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s failed push for a hike…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court says a lawsuit that claims school segregation denies some students the right to an adequate education can move forward in the courts. Wednesday’s ruling comes in a class-action lawsuit filed by parents of children who attend Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. The parents claimed that schools segregated by racial and economic factors…
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many farmers remain critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the damage done to commodity prices and markets but were appreciative Tuesday that he offered to provide some cash to help offset their losses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $12 billion three-part plan that would borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay…
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is firing back at his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen after the release of a recording Cohen secretly made of a conversation between the two men. “What kind of lawyer would tape a client? So sad!” the president says Wednesday on Twitter. The tape, made two months before the 2016 presidential election, captures…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lori Swanson is standing by her running mate, Rick Nolan, despite pressure from liberal groups to dump him over his handling of a top aide accused of sexual harassment. Lori Swanson’s statement reads: “Sexual harassment has no place in the workplace or society. Congressman Nolan has apologized to the women who were harassed by…
TwitterDULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A former legislative director of Congressman Rick Nolan has been accused of sexual harassment by three women. The women were former employees of Nolan’s congressional office and accuse Jim Swiderski of alleged groping, inappropriate touching, inappropriate messages, and demeaning comments. Nolan is now facing questions about his handling of the former staffer, Swiderski, accused of harassing…
Duluth, Minn- A big change is coming to the Mayor’s office in Duluth. After nearly ten years in his position, Chief Administration Officer Dave Montgomery is retiring. Montgomery is the longest serving Chief Administrative Officer in Duluth for 30 years. The farewell crowd at City Hall included former Mayor Don Ness, members of the Fire Department, and various other city…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he meant the opposite when he said in Helsinki that he doesn’t see why Russia would have interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections. Back at the White House on Tuesday, the president told reporters that he said he meant he doesn’t see why Russia “wouldn’t” be responsible. He also said he accepts the…
DULUTH, Minn. – There’s a new Duluth city councilor. Arik Forsman will begin serving in August when the council comes back from break. Forsman, who has never held public office before, will be the new councilor-at-large on the Duluth City Council. He will take the seat of Councilor Elissa Hansen, who announced her resignation in June so she could take…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A City Council candidate in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been arrested on suspicion of violating the state’s revenge porn law after a topless picture of his estranged wife was posted to his campaign website. Police say David Martinez was arrested at his office Monday, two days after a post on his website that included the…
(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)HELSINKI (AP) — President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin opened their long-awaited summit Monday with a wink and slouch, respectively, then talked one on one behind closed doors for two-plus hours before the American leader declared their meeting was off to a “very, very good start for everybody.” Neither leader revealed what was discussed. But in…
DULUTH, Minn.- Hundreds attended a campaign rally in that featured Senator Bernie Sanders rallying support for state Attorney General candidate Keith Ellison. Ellison is running in a contested DFL primary against four other candidates, three Republicans are also running for the position. “We elect an attorney general that has the history and the courage to stand up to powerful special…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh, a solidly conservative, politically connected judge, for the Supreme Court, setting up a ferocious confirmation battle with Democrats as he seeks to shift the nation’s highest court ever further to the right. A favorite of the Republican legal establishment in Washington, Kavanaugh, 53, is a former law clerk…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council voted unanimously to repeal two ordinances. One made it illegal for people to sleep in their cars, the other banned panhandling in the city. It will now be legal to panhandle and sleep in cars in the city of Duluth. The council voted 8-0 to repeal both ordinances with Councilor Jay Fosle not…
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has accepted the resignation of scandal-plagued Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. Pruitt had become a constant source of embarrassment to a president who had entered Washington promising to “Drain the Swamp.” Pruitt has faced an array of ethical questions about his travel spending, security costs, dealings with industry…
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, giving President Donald Trump the chance to cement conservative control of the high court. The 81-year-old Kennedy said in a statement he is stepping down after more than 30 years on the court. A Republican appointee, he has held the key vote on…
NEW YORK (AP) – The 28-year-old political newcomer who upset U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s Democrat primary says she brings an “urgency” to the fight for working families. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former organizer for Bernie Sanders, spoke Wednesday on the MSNBC “Morning Joe” show. Ocasio-Cortez says her father died when she was a teenager and her mother cleaned…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers can’t be forced to contribute to labor unions that represent them in collective bargaining, dealing a serious financial blow to organized labor. The justices are scrapping a 41-year-old decision that had allowed states to require that public employees pay some fees to unions that represent…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SEATTLE (AP) — Seventeen states, including Washington, New York and California, sued President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday in an effort to force officials to reunite migrant families who have been separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The states, all of which are led by Democratic attorneys general, joined Washington, D.C., in filing the lawsuit in U.S. District Court…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from several mostly Muslim countries, rejecting a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority. The 5-4 decision Tuesday is the court’s first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by his…
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Wisconsin’s top Republican leaders are not criticizing President Donald Trump’s trade policy or Harley-Davidson’s decision to shift the production of motorcycles headed for Europe from the U.S. to factories overseas. The Milwaukee-based company said Monday it’s making the move because of a spike in European Union tariffs on its motorcycles exported from the U.S. A spokeswoman for…
photo: andygronik.comMADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik is ending his campaign for governor. Gronik announced Thursday he was dropping out of the race. That leaves nine Democrats in the field looking to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Gronik got into the race nearly a year ago, in July 2017. A political newcomer, he was not able…
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee is on the short list to host the Democratic National Convention in 2020. Wisconsin’s largest city was among four cities to make the cut Wednesday by the DNC site selection committee. But the Denver Post is reporting that city, which also made the cut, is planning to withdraw its application. The two other cities are Houston…
DULUTH, Minn.-President Trump made his first stop in Duluth for what the White House is calling a roundtable discussion. “We’re very proud of what we’ve done, we’re very proud of Minnesota, and the people of this state, they’re incredible people,” President Trump said. “The people that you see in this room right now and the people you see up here…
DULUTH, Minn. – Local leaders spoke at President Trump’s rally in Duluth. Congressman Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) was among the elected officials who took the podium before the president. “Donald Trump is jacked to be in Duluth, Minnesota. And I’ve got to be honest with you guys, I told him the best thing about Duluth is you can see Wisconsin from…
DULUTH, Minn. – A historic day in Duluth as the city had its first presidential visit since 2004. President Trump covered a lot of ground at his rally at a full Amsoil Arena. Thousands of people were there to hear President Trump speak about a lot of issues including his meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un earlier this…
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON (AP) – Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is drafting an executive action for President Donald Trump that would direct DHS to keep families apprehended at the border together during detention. That’s according to two people familiar with her thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the effort before its official announcement. It’s unclear whether…
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)DULUTH, Minn. – Large crowds and long lines are expected for the Trump Rally at the Amsoil Arena on Wednesday. To help things go a little smoother for attendees DECC officials have released a list of security details for the event: SCHEDULE: Doors open at 3:30pm. Rally begins at 6:30. President Trump will speak for approximately one hour….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has joined with 20 other Democratic attorneys general nationwide in demanding that the Trump administration end a “zero tolerance” policy that has resulted in children being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The state prosecutors say in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security…
DULUTH, Minn. – To prepare for President Trump’s visit, a group of Duluthians are helping organizations plan peaceful demonstrations in reaction to his presence. They call themselves “Forward Coalition” and are making banners tonight to promote what they call “Duluth Values.” They do not support the president’s actions. “As a coalition what we’re interested in is not protesting Trump and…
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is going to jail. Paul Manafort was ordered into custody Friday after a federal judge revoked his house arrest, citing newly filed obstruction of justice charges. The move by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson came after prosecutors accused Manafort and a longtime associate of witnesses tampering. Prosecutors say…
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING (AP) — China’s government responded quickly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hike on Chinese goods by announcing Friday it will immediately impose penalties of “equal strength” on U.S. products. The Commerce Ministry said it also was scrapping deals to buy more American farm goods and other exports as part of efforts to defuse a sprawling dispute…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Fox News Channel’s top–rated morning show “Fox & Friends” will be broadcasting live from Duluth next Thursday — the day after President Donald Trump holds his first rally at the DECC since the summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The location for the broadcast is Uncle Loui’s Café on East 4th Street. The owner of Uncle Loui’s says having this exposure is an opportunity…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department has issued a stinging rebuke to the FBI for its handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. The report released Thursday calls former FBI Director James Comey “insubordinate” and says his actions were “extraordinary.” But the report, by the department’s watchdog, does not find evidence that Comey was motivated by political bias or preference…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has struck down a Minnesota law that restricted what voters can wear to polls. The justices ruled Thursday that the law violates the First Amendment. Still, the justices’ 7-2 ruling suggested that some restrictions on what people can wear to vote are permissible. Most states have laws restricting what voters can wear to cast…
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) LAS VEGAS (AP) — Pimp Dennis Hof, the owner of half a dozen legal brothels in Nevada and star of the HBO adult reality series “Cathouse,” won a Republican primary for the state Legislature on Tuesday, ousting a three-term lawmaker. Hof defeated hospital executive James Oscarson. He’ll face Democrat Lesia Romanov in November, and will be…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SINGAPORE (AP) — President Donald Trump rocked the region with the stunning announcement Tuesday that he was halting annual U.S.-South Korean military drills — and wants to remove the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South as a deterrent against North Korea. Trump’s surprise, almost offhand comments, made during a news conference after his summit with North…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council planned to vote on changes to the city’s Comprehensive Land Use plan but, over the weekend, residents and members of the golf community voiced their concerns about part of the city’s “Imagine 2035” plan that would have recommended city golf courses be re-zoned in the future. Recommendations that could have led to city…
DULUTH, Minn.-A DFL candidate for governor made a stop at Monaco Air in Duluth earlier today. Current Attorney General Lori Swanson and her running mate Eighth District Rep. Rick Nolan stopped by to share their vision for Minnesota. Swanson said one of her main goals is to end some of the divisiveness in Minnesota’s politics. “Before we take office, we…
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)DULUTH, Minn. – President Donald Trump will be rallying in Duluth next week. According to his official website, the President will be hosting his MN Rally at the DECC Arena on Wednesday June 20. The doors will open for ticket holders at 3:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Trump’s re-election campaign announced the rally…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)MILWAUKEE (AP) – President Donald Trump plans to attend the Foxconn Technology Group groundbreaking ceremony later this month and attend a luncheon fundraiser. The Milwaukee Business Journal reports that prominent Milwaukee business executive Ted Kellner is hosting the June 29 fundraiser. It comes before Trump is to attend the Foxconn event in Mount Pleasant with Gov. Scott Walker…
DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin has been reelected for another four years. 63-year-old Rubin is right now in his 8th year as the county’s chief prosecutor of crimes. Rubin says he thought about retiring for the past eight or nine months, but in the end, he felt he and his team still have unfinished work to…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two candidates with familiar names are running for Rep. Keith Ellison’s seat in Congress. There was a rush to file for Ellison’s Minneapolis-area district Tuesday as the six-term congressman launched a late bid for Minnesota attorney general. Eight Democratic candidates registered to run Tuesday ahead of a 5 p.m. deadline. Julie Sabo and Kim Ellison…
DULUTH, Minn. – Harry Welty, a former Duluth school board member, has announced he is running for the 8th Congressional District seat as a Republican. This is Welty’s third time running for the seat. The previous two times he ran he was listed as an Independent candidate. Welty is anti-Trump and running as a Republican to give 8th District voters a…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is getting into the state’s crowded race for governor. The announcement Monday marks a shift for the Democrat, who in January said she intended to seek a fourth term as attorney general rather than run for governor. But she changed her mind after party activists at the state convention this…
photo: loriswanson.comST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Two people familiar with the discussions say Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Lori Swanson has asked retiring U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan to be her running mate in a possible last-minute entry into the governor’s race. Two Democratic political operatives tell The Associated Press that Swanson approached Nolan about joining a campaign and he’s seriously considering….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota State Auditor Rebecca Otto is ending her campaign for governor. Otto, a Democrat, says in a Facebook post Monday that she came to the decision after dropping out of the endorsement race at this weekend’s Democratic state convention. Party activists ultimately endorsed state Rep. Erin Murphy for governor. Murphy will have at least one…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican Gov. Scott Walker is calling Democratic challenger Tony Evers “pathetic” for using a curse word in his Democratic Party convention speech over the weekend. Walker reacted on Twitter Monday to Evers’ comments. Evers told about 1,300 convention attendees in a speech Friday night that he was “goddamn sick and tired of Scott Walker gutting our…
