>>Golden Valley Man Pleads Guilty in $250M FOF Scheme
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Golden Valley man pleaded guilty today for his role in the two hundred fifty million dollar Feeding Our Future (FOF) fraud scheme. 40-year-old Ahmed Artan is the 46th conviction in the exploitation scheme of a federal nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Artan acquired non-profit Stigma-Free International. He and his co-defendants used the entity to open multiple FOF sites across Minnesota. They claimed to serve tens of thousands of children a day, ultimately causing a loss of nearly $1.7 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims. Artan and his co-conspirators put the funds in a shell company, then bought Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park. It will be forefeited ot the state. His sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
>>Manhunt in Hennepin County After Man Threatened Authorities with Crossbow
(Hanover, MN) — A manhunt in Hennepin County after a man allegedly pointed a crossbow at authorities in Hanover on Wednesday. Deputies are looking for 27-year-old Randy Matthews. He’s described as Black, 222 pounds, 6 feet 7 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. The incident happened around 3 p.m. when deputies responded to a rural home for an argument over a car being towed. Other people in the home came outside when told, and authorities got a search warrant. They found the crossbow, but Matthews had fled. Anyone who sees him is asked to call 911.
>>Local Muslim, African Groups Condemn Trump’s Travel Ban
(Undated) – President Trump’s newly implemented travel and immigration ban partially or fully bars people from nineteen countries into the U.S. Yann with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee calls the executive order “blatant, racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic propaganda.” They state, “The most vulnerable populations are being denied rights by the U.S. government after enduring systemic injustice, and to that we say shame. No one chooses where they are born, and no one should be denied respect or basic human dignity based on where they are from.” In response, local organizations like CAIR-Minnesota (Council on American-Islamic Relations) are expanding their legal services, offering free immigration consultations and Know Your Rights education.
>>Rep. Morrison Calls for Exemption from Tariffs for Small Businesses
(Undated) – New legislation in Washington would exempt small business owners from paying the high tariffs from the Trump Administration. Democratic U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison is pushing for passage of the Small Business Liberation Act, saying many small businesses “don’t personally have millions of dollars to lobby the President. But they are the backbone of our economy and deserve a level playing field.” The bill is being introduced in the House today. It began its journey in the Senate last month.
>>AG Ellison, 22 States Oppose Pres. Trump’s Deployment in CA
(St. Paul, MN) — Attorney General Keith Ellison and 22 other states oppose President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in California for the riots in Los Angeles. Ellison argues, “By calling forth troops when there is no invasion to repel, no rebellion to suppress…sets a chilling precedent that puts the constitutional rights of Americans in every state at risk.” Protests and riots began on Friday after ICE agents raided several locations to make illegal immigration arrests. The coalition says this is an unlimited claim of presidential authority to deploy the National Guard of any state for the next 60 days.
>>No One Injured in Faribault Train Derailment
(Faribault, MN) — No one was injured in a train derailment this morning in northwest Faribault. Police responded to the incident around 8:23 and found several railroad cars off the tracks. Railroad representatives say there was no spillage and that the cars only contained vegetables. A Faribault Foods representative came onto the scene, but it’s unknown if the produce was theirs.
>>WNBA All-Star Voting Now Open
(Minneapolis, MN) – You can now vote for your favorite Minnesota Lynx players to appear in the WNBA All-Star Game. Voting began this afternoon and runs until Saturday, June 28th. Fans can submit one full ballot each day on the WNBA website or app. Lynx players include Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, who both have appeared in four all-star games. All players on WNBA rosters are eligible for selection. The game will be played Saturday, July 19th, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
>>Gopher 5 Jackpot Ticket Worth $1.7M Sold in Finlayson
(Finlayson, MN) — A lucky lottery player in Pine County hit the Gopher 5 Jackpot on Wednesday. A ticket worth over $1.6 million was sold at Petry’s Bait Company on Highway eighteen in Finlayson for the June 11th drawing. This is Minnesota’s second $1M Gopher 5 jackpot win in two months. The last $1M jackpot was sold at a Kwik Trip in Woodbury on April 9th. The store will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
