>>Phillips drops out of race for Democratic presidential nomination, endorses Biden
(Minneapolis, MN) — Third District Congressman Dean Phillips today (Wed) suspended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, telling W-C-C-O Radio he’ll “do everything humanly possible to ensure Joe Biden’s re-election this November” because “Donald Trump, is a very dangerous, dangerous man.” Phillips’ announcement comes the day after the “Super Tuesday” primary, when he garnered less than eight percent of the vote in his home state — fewer votes than the “Uncommitted” campaign launched by progressives and Minnesota’s Muslim community. Phillips says President Biden is “still a man of competency, decency and integrity.” Former President Trump’s chief rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, also dropped out of the race today (Wed). Haley received 29 percent of the vote in Minnesota’s Republican presidential primary compared to Trump’s 69 percent.
>>Red Flag Warning Added for More Counties in Western and Southwestern Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for 27 counties in western and southwestern Minnesota effective from noon through 6:00 p.m. due to extreme fire risk conditions. Affected counties include Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Watonwan, Martin, McLeod, Nicollet, Nobles, Redwood, Renville, Sibley, Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, and Yellow Medicine. Residents should not burn in those counties where a Red Flag Warning is in effect and check any recent burning to ensure the fire is completely out. During the Red Flag Warning, the DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits for large vegetative debris burning, and campfires are discouraged.
>>”Uncommitted” grabs some Democratic National Convention delegates from Biden in Super Tuesday primary
**DIFFICULT PRONOUNCER**
(Various) — A push by progressives and Minnesota’s Muslim community in the Super Tuesday primary will send 11 “Uncommitted” delegates to this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with President Joe Biden receiving 75 delegates from Minnesota. Muslim community members are demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, and Imam Abdirahman Kariye rom Bloomington says about President Biden, “If he’s not paying attention, he’s gonna have a very difficult time in November, as this base is gonna keep on growing and growing.” Minnesota D-F-L Party Chairman Ken Martin says he’s “absolutely convinced that most of those uncommitted voters, if it were a choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, would in fact vote for Joe Biden.” But Hamline University analyst David Schultz says some of those people could also not vote in the November election, which could create a problem for Biden.
>>Major sporting, science events bringing over 200 thousand visitors to Minneapolis in next 10 days
(Minneapolis, MN) — Major events are expected to draw more than 200 thousand people to Minneapolis over the next week and a half. Meet Minneapolis C-E-O Melvin Tennant says the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is opening at Target Center today (Wed), and sold out for the first time because of N-C-A-A all-time scoring leader Caitlin Clark. Tennant says, “Caitlin certainly is an entity onto herself. She has really transformed the game and we’re so glad that she and her Iowa teammates are gonna be here.” An estimated 109 thousand fans are expected, and the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament is at Target Center next week. Meanwhile, the world’s largest gathering of physicists is at the Minneapolis Convention Center this week.
>>Bill moves ahead in MN House to require fertility treatment coverage in all health plans with maternity benefits
**PRONOUNCER**
(St. Paul, MN) — All health plans that provide maternity benefits in Minnesota would also have to cover infertility treatment, under a bill moving forward in the Minnesota House despite Republicans’ attempts to exclude religious organizations. Eden Prairie Democrat Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn said, “With all due respect to the religious communities across the state of Minnesota, it’s absolutely no one’s employer’s business how or when they decide to start a family.” Sartell Representative Tim O’Driscoll told fellow lawmakers that Republicans will continue pursuing the issue “at every step of the way… because the First Amendment [protecting religious freedom] is the First Amendment for an important reason.”
>>Bill at MN Legislature would prohibit some corporations from buying single-family homes
(St. Paul, MN) — Representatives Esther Agbaje of Minneapolis, Michael Howard of Richfield and Senator Liz Boldon from Rochester joined advocates at the State Capitol today (Wed) to unveil a bill that would prohibit certain corporations from buying single-family homes. Agbaje says after the housing market collapsed in 2008, corporations entered the single-family renters market, which has “proven detrimental across the country, specifically in Minnesota. She says “individual families are priced out of the buyer market because of all the cash bids that many of these corporations use to purchase large numbers of properties.” The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis says investors own more than 30% of single-family homes in the City of Lakes.
>>MN City Teenager Charged in Connection to DUI Injury Crash
(Rochester, MN) — A Winona County teenager, Cieara Gilbertson from Minnesota City, is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation and two misdemeanor DWI charges stemming from an injury crash last year. Officials say on August 24th Gilbertson, then 18 years old, was traveling south on Highway 52 in Rochester, reportedly lost control of her vehicle, crossed multiple lanes and hit a center median. A male passenger in the vehicle was injured. Gilbertson was arrested on suspicion of DWI, and a test confirmed methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system. Her first court appearance is next month.
>>Fire Destroys Shed in St. Martin
(St. Martin, MN) — A Stearns County shed and its contents are a total loss after a fire Tuesday. Emergency responders were called to the scene around 4:30 p.m., where they found the detached shed fully engulfed in flames. It contained various pieces of equipment including trailers, tractors, boats, and an ATV, all of which were destroyed by the fire. No injuries were reported as the property owner was not present at the time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
