Political

Duluth’s Largest Employee Union Reaches Tentative Deal With City

The vote comes after tense negotiations that lasted months.

DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth’s largest employee union, AFSCME Local 66, reached a tentative agreement Monday night with the city of Duluth that includes “no major concessions,” according to the union. The union announced the news to its nearly 500 members at 9 p.m. after 12 hours of “long, hard negotiations.” The tentative agreement came after historic tensions…

Former President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in…

Death of Longtime Local Lawmaker Mary Murphy

DULUTH, Minn. – After suffering complications from a stroke, Former State Representative Mary Murphy, died while in Hospice on Christmas. The local lawmaker began her career in 1977, and held the same seat until 2022, when she lost to current Representative Natalie Zeleznikar, by only 33 votes. During her 45 years in office, Murphy served on various committees, focusing on…

Former Minnesota Rep. Mary Murphy Dies Christmas Day

DULUTH, Minn. — Former Minnesota Representative Mary Murphy died on Christmas morning. Mary Murphy recently suffered a stroke, which led to several complications. She was preparing to enter hospice care. Murphy was a longtime DFL member and made history as Minnesota’s longest-serving female lawmaker and the second-longest serving lawmaker overall. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar shared her thoughts on Twitter last…

Former MN Rep. Mary Murphy Moving To Hospice Care After Stroke

Former Minnesota Rep. Mary Murphy, the state’s longest-serving female lawmaker, will soon be placed in hospice care after suffering a stroke last week, according to Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman. Hortman shared the news Monday evening on social media. She said Murphy’s family felt hospice was the best path forward after the stroke left Murphy with a series of…

Court Ruling Could Tip Majority To Republicans In Minnesota House

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota House Republicans could start the 2025 legislative session in the majority after a judge ruled Friday that a Democratic candidate didn’t meet the residency requirements for his suburban district. Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro ruled that Curtis Johnson didn’t live in the Roseville-area district for the required six months ahead of the election and…

DECC Dir.: Managing Bayfront Again Ensures Non-Competing Events Among All DECC Venues

DULUTH, Minn. – DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman is pleased management at Bayfront Festival Park is coming back under the DECC’s control in a new five-year contract agreement beginning in January 2025. The council approved the RFP process Monday night lead by city staff who chose the DECC as Bayfront’s next manager. The contract is worth around $443,000 over five…

Mayor’s First Budget Goes to Council for Vote

The last council meeting of the year will see the city attempt to put a bow on planning for 2025

CITY HALL – Mayor Roger Reinert’s first budget is up for a vote at the last city council meeting of the year. Mayor Reinert making an appearance at the final city council meeting of 2024, as the council considers his budget proposal. The 2025 budget is the first budget the mayor’s created since assuming office. Before Monday’s meeting, Mayor Reinert…

Mayor Wants ‘Visit Duluth’ Back In Control Of Tourism Marketing After Arizona Firm

DULUTH, Minn. – As the city of Duluth gets ready to welcome in its new tourism marketing agency, Madden Media of Arizona, for the next two years, Mayor Roger Reinert told FOX 21 Monday that the goal during this new contract is to build Visit Duluth back up to a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) that will once again handle all…

Sen. Hauschild Asks President To Rescind Clemency Of Former Duluth Headshop Owner Jim Carlson

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) is calling on President Joe Biden to rescind his clemency ruling for former Last Place On Earth owner Jim Carlson. Carlson is among roughly 1,500 people whose sentences have been commuted by Biden — people who were “serving sentences in home confinement during the pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their…

Management Of Bayfront Festival Park Set To Return To DECC

DULUTH, Minn. — Management of Duluth’s premier entertainment venue, Bayfront Festival Park, is headed back to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center for the next five years if the council signs off on Monday. For the last year, Winterfell Management has handled all promotions, productions and management of Bayfront with a one-year agreement with the city. Newly elected Mayor Roger Reinert…

AFSCME Local 66 Takes Duluth Mayor To Task Over Contract Offer

DULUTH, Minn.– Following a vote Tuesday, AFSCME Local 66 overwhelmingly authorized a strike as early as mid-January if the city of Duluth does not come back with an offer that they feel is fair and equitable. Union members held a press conference Wednesday to voice their frustrations, calling the city’s latest offer “insulting, inadequate, and unacceptable.” “We are being asked…

City Of Duluth’s Largest Employee Union Authorizes Strike Mid-January If Needed

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth’s largest employee union, AFSCME Local 66, voted Tuesday to authorize a strike, demanded “fair wages and dignity” and called on Mayor Roger Reinert to fix it. AFSCME called the city’s next contract offer “insulting, inadequate and unacceptable,” according to a news release. The union said the police and fire departments got 8% market…

Staff Oppose Duluth Federal Prison Camp Closure

Prison camp staff object to closure of Duluth facility, site lack of warning

DULUTH, Minn. – Workers from Duluth’s Federal Prison Camp meet to discuss next steps, after the FBOP announced they will close or ‘deactivate’ multiple facilities across the country. A flurry of emotions at tonight’s workers’ union meeting over what comes next, after being informed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that Duluth’s camp will be among the facilities to either…

City Council Approves $3.6 Million Tourism Marketing Contract to Arizona Firm

Expressing uniform frustration with the selection process and lack of information, councilors still vote 8-1 to approve the multi-million-dollar contract

CITY HALL – Duluth City Councilors approve a $3.6 million tourism marketing contract to Arizona-based Madden Media, in an 8 to 1 vote at Monday’s meeting. Councilors made it known that they felt their “hands are tied” before voting on Duluth’s 2-year tourism marketing contract. Arizona-based Madden Media was the winner of the city’s request for proposal process earlier this…

Scores Released For Top 5 Finalists Of Duluth’s Next Tourism Marketing Contract

Council to vote for or against Madden Media of Arizona at Monday night's city council meeting (Dec. 9)

DULUTH, Minn. — We now know the scores for the top five marketing agencies that applied for Duluth’s next multi-million dollar tourism marketing contract. Below are the scores based off a 100-point scale: Madden Media of Arizona: 81.65 Hailey Sault of Duluth: 78.31 AIMCLEAR of Duluth: 78.29 Lawrence & Schiller of South Dakota: 75.20 Swim Creative of Duluth: 73.55 Any…

Councilors’ Hands Tied in Tourism Agency Decision

DULUTH, Minn. – Despite an angry public, councilors will need to certify the city’s decision of tourism marketing firm or possibly face legal repercussions. At tonight’s committee of the whole meeting, council members heard from representatives of Madden Media, the Tuscon-based firm that is likely to secure the city’s tourism marketing contract. Madden Media came out on top of about…

Duluth Federal Prison Shutting Down

DULUTH, Minn. — The decades-old Duluth Federal Prison is shutting down. The Federal Bureau of Prison said Thursday that it’s one of six prisons across the country being “deactivated.” The agency said the decision is being made to help deal with significant challenges, including a critical staffing shortage, crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources. The Duluth camp is not only…

Majority Of Supreme Court Seems Reluctant To Block State Bans On Medical Treatments For Minors

Outside U.S. Supreme Court Dec. 4 (AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, a majority of the Supreme Court seemed reluctant Wednesday to block Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives…

Trump Vows To Block Japanese Steelmaker From Buying US Steel

President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump said during the campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a Monday night statement. President Joe Biden…

Biden Pardons Son Hunter Despite Previous Pledges Not To

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members. The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his…

Tim Walz Accepts Turkey Presentation As He Eases Back Into His Duties As Minnesota’s Governor

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — As feathers flew, Tim Walz accepted the symbolic presentation of a turkey Tuesday as he eases back into his duties as Minnesota’s governor following the Harris-Walz ticket’s defeat in the presidential election. Unlike the Minnesota-grown turkeys that President Joe Biden pardoned at the White House on Monday, Walz didn’t pardon this turkey, he said, “because in Minnesota we know…

Joe Biden Begins Final White House Holiday Season With Turkey Pardons For ‘Peach’ And ‘Blossom’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden kicked off his final holiday season at the White House on Monday by issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in southern Minnesota. The 82-year-old president welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach”…

CAO: Arizona Firm’s Win For Duluth’s Tourism Marketing Is ‘Tremendously Fair’; Local Finalist Disagrees

In March, Mayor Roger Reinert said he believed Duluth talent was best to tell Duluth's story.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Chief Administrative Officer David Montgomery talked publicly Sunday for the first time since the Star Tribune broke the news Friday that a committee he appointed had chosen an Arizona firm to handle Duluth’s next multi-million-dollar tourism marketing contract – something Mayor Roger Reinert said earlier in the year should be handled by Duluth talent. “We feel…

Update: Duluth Tourism Marketing Finalist Chosen; Name Announced Dec. 5

DULUTH, Minn. (Nov. 21) — The city of Duluth announced Thursday that a special selection committee has determined its finalist for Duluth’s next two-year tourism marketing contract. The top-scoring finalist will be announced at a committee of the whole meeting on Dec. 5 before the council makes a vote to deny or approve during the council meeting Dec. 9. The…

Gaetz Withdraws As Trump’s Pick For Attorney General, Averting Confirmation Battle In The Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go…

WI Agency Issues First Round Of Permits For Enbridge Line 5 Reroute Around Reservation

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Enbridge’s contentious plan to reroute an aging pipeline around a northern Wisconsin tribal reservation moved closer to reality Thursday after the company won its first permits from state regulators. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials announced they have issued construction permits for the Line 5 reroute around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation….

Trump Expected To Choose Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As Health Secretary, AP Sources Say

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity. HHS is a massive Cabinet agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical…

Trump to Nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to be Attorney General

Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation’s top prosecutor. In selecting the congressman, Trump passed over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned as being…

E-Mailed Bomb Threats Target Minnesota Election Offices

E-mailed bomb threats have targeted more than half of Minnesota’s election offices since Nov. 8. St. Louis county has not been targeted, though, according to a county spokesperson Tuesday night. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon issued the following statement: “Threats of violence against election workers, aimed at disrupting our democracy, are absolutely unacceptable. Although election day is over, election…

Judge Delays Ruling On Whether To Scrap Trump’s Conviction In Hush Money Case

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Tuesday put off a key ruling in President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case as his lawyers argued for dismissing it so he can run the country. New York Judge Juan M. Merchan had been set to rule Tuesday on their earlier request to throw out Trump’s historic conviction for a different reason — because of a U.S. Supreme…

Results Are In For Ordean East Middle School Mock Election

DULUTH, Minn. — The results are in for a mock election by Ordean East Middle School students. The mock election is a program run with the Secretary of State’s Office. Over 400 schools participated in Minnesota. The whole process included 6th through 8th grade students researching candidates before Election Day to compare issues and determine who they would vote for….

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin Pledges To Work With Trump And Calls For Less Division

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin pledged during her reelection victory speech Thursday to work with President-elect Donald Trump when possible, but she also vowed to fight him to protect the national health care law and abortion rights. Baldwin narrowly won reelection to a third term over Republican businessman Eric Hovde, who was endorsed by Trump….

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Baldwin Wins Reelection By Defeating A Trump-Backed Opponent

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin won a third term, delivering a victory for Democrats in the swing state that President-elect Donald Trump carried on Tuesday. Baldwin defeated Republican challenger Eric Hovde, a bank owner and real estate investor endorsed by Trump. Hovde has not conceded the race, which was within the 1-percentage point margin that would allow…

Democrats Hoped Harris Would Rescue Them, On Wednesday, She Called Trump To Concede

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory, according to a senior adviser to the vice president. The aide, who declined to be identified discussing a private conversation, said Harris talked about the need for a peaceful transfer of power. Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party…

Donald Trump wins US presidency, GOP reclaims Senate majority

Republican Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

  WASHINGTON, D.C.– Republicans reclaimed control of the Senate, picking up seats in West Virginia and Ohio. Top House races are focused in New York and California, where Democrats are trying to claw back some of the 10 or so seats where Republicans have made surprising gains in recent years. With their victories, several candidates are set to be firsts….

FOX 21’s Local Election Coverage

FOX 21’s Emily Halling, Lucretia Free and Maria Vollom covered key races in Minnesota for the 2024 election. Below are clips of brief interactions with each candidate.   United States Representative District 8 JEN SCHULTZ PETE STAUBER State House District 3B NATALIE ZELEZNIKAR MARK MUNGER County Commissioner District 3 ASHLEY GRIMM   JANET KENNEDY   State Representative District 8A MARK…

Minnesota General Election Results

Below are the results of the key candidate races for the 2024 Minnesota General Election. The results are coming from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. United States Senator race: Republican Party: Royce White 1,287,409 votes, 40.46% Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party: Amy Klobuchar (Incumbent) 1,788,632 votes, 56.21% United States Representative District 8: Republican Party: Pete Stauber (Incumbent) 247,513 votes, 58.28% DFL Party:…

Wisconsin General Election Results

Below are the results of the key races happening in the 2024 Wisconsin General Election. Results are coming from the Douglas County, Ashland County, Bayfield County, and Iron County Wisconsin’s websites. United States Senator: Republican Party: Eric Hovde 1,635,021; 48% Democratic Party: Tammy Baldwin (Incumbent) 1,662,072 votes 49% United States Representative District 7: Republican Party: Tom Tiffany (Incumbent) 274,110 votes 63%…

Superior Middle School Hosts First Mock Election

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Young students got to experience what it is like to head to the polls on Election Day. Superior Middle School hosted its first mock election. The younger voters getting to experience what the voting process is like and just how important it is to make your voice heard. Students were able to fill out the exact same…

Investigation of Superior Police Officer Leads to Dismissal of 40 Criminal Cases

Dist. Atty. Mark Fruehauf said he discovered serious inconsistencies between the officer's written report and body camera evidence.

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A Superior police officer is no longer on the force after Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf discovered the officer may have intentionally lied on a police report to raise a suspect’s charges to a felony. As FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports, Fruehauf has been forced to dismiss 40 criminal cases because of credibility concerns involving the…

Duluth Tenant Advocacy Group

Advocacy group holds public launch at City Hall

DULUTH, Minn. – A tenant advocacy group holds a launch event at Duluth City Hall on Wednesday. Duluth Tenants, a group stemming from the Super PAC TakeAction Minnesota, held an event on steps of City Hall to announce their launch. Activists and community members shared their own experiences struggling with high rent, insecure housing, and uncaring landlords and property management…

City Of Duluth Statement Ahead Of First Measurable Snowfall Of Season

“The City of Duluth is monitoring the winter weather forecast. Street maintenance crews will be out plowing snow and clearing ice from roadways as conditions demand. Roads are expected to become slippery with the mixed precipitation forecast for the region in the earlier morning. While currently only one to three inches of snow seem most likely for the City of…

Former Two Harbors Mayor Dies

Randy Bolen, former mayor of Two Harbors, has died. Bolen, 48, died Oct. 22 with his parents by his side. His cause of death has not been published. According to his family, Bolen filled his life with service to his community, he was a part of the Two Harbors City Council, worked as an engineer for the Canadian National Railroad…

Coffee Conversation: Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert was on the FOX 21 morning show Tuesday to talk about his 10 months on the job.  Click the videos below to hear the wide-ranging conversation of topics and issues. Part 1: Part 2:       Categories: Coffee Conversation, Community, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Political, Public Safety

Coffee Conversation: St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay was on the morning show Tuesday to talk about his nearly two years on the job, including what changes he believes needs to happen at the state capitol to make it easier to recruit talent. Part 1:   Part 2: Categories: Coffee Conversation, Crime, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Political,…