>>Minnesota Files Civil Lawsuit Against Gun Manufacturer Glock
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office is suing Georgia-based weapon manufacturer Glock Inc. for turning what he said is a “blind eye, again and again” to the carnage in recent years connected to tiny “switch” devices that can easily convert the company’s semi-automatic handguns into fully-automatic machine guns. Ellison’s office makes several claims against Glock, including that the “switch” or “sear” violates Minnesota’s Deceptive Trades Act and laws connected to public nuisance, negligence, and product liability. Ellison said the “switches” are as small as a coin, typically cost less than $10, and can be installed on Glock handguns with the ease of changing batteries in a remote control. He says they can also be made with a 3D printer in less than 30 minutes. He wants the company to stop manufacturing the device. At a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Ellison said Glock manufactures 2/3s of all handguns sold in the U.S.
>>Three Minnesotans Granted Pardons
(Washington D.C.) — Three Minnesotans are among the 39 who were granted pardons today by President Joe Biden. The White House calls it the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Among the Minnesotans, 38-year-old Kelsie Becklin of New Brighton, who, at age 21, was convicted of providing false information to police in connection with her role in a bank robbery in Otsego in 2007. 49-year-old Sarah Carlson of Coon Rapids, who pleaded guilty to a nonviolent drug offense, and 51-year-old LeShawn Walker, who pleaded to a nonviolent drug offense in her 20s. Another 1,500 had their sentences commuted by the president.
>>Two Minnesota Autism Centers Raided by the FBI
(Minneapolis, MN) — The FBI raided two Minnesota autism centers, one in Minneapolis and one in St. Cloud, as part of a federal investigation into medical fraud that has ties to the $250 million Feeding Our Future child meal fraud case. Smart Therapy Center, LLC in Minneapolis and Star Autism Center LLC in St. Cloud, both registered with the Minnesota Department of Human Services in the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) health care program funded by taxpayers to offer medically necessary services to people under 21 living with autism spectrum disorder. Federal investigators say they have found evidence that both centers have submitted fraudulent claims for EIDBI. No one has yet been criminally charged.
>>Cass County Authorities I-D ATV Riders Who Broke Through Ice
(Longville, MN) — Authorities in Cass County are naming the two A-T-V riders who broke through the ice Monday night on Blackwater Lake. The sheriff’s office says the body of 18-year-old Blake Herman of Brainerd was recovered from the water Tuesday afternoon. Deputies say 20-year-old Dylan Wheeler of Longville was rescued that night and is expected to make a full recovery. Herman and Wheeler were riding on the same A-T-V when it sank. First responders used 9-1-1 mapping technology to locate the victims.
>>Some Colleagues Say Congresswoman Angie Craig Is Strong Candidate To Chair Agriculture Committee
(Washington, D.C.) — Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig is reportedly a strong contender to head the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Democrats are scheduled to vote next week on the ranking member. Two others are in contention for the position of chairman, including incumbent Georgia Representative David Scott and California Democrat Jim Costa.
>>Deer Harvested Near Minnesota-South Dakota Border Tests Positive for CWD
(Wheaton, MN) — The Minnesota D-N-R is confirming chronic wasting disease for the first time in a deer along the state’s western border with South Dakota. Officials say a deer harvested near Wheaton in Traverse County during the opening weekend of the firearms season tested positive for C-W-D. Before this fall, no wild deer with the disease had been detected in that permit zone or area. Minnesota’s Conservation officials will work with South Dakota and North Dakota counterparts to coordinate C-W-D surveillance and management activities.
