>>Testimony In Feeding Our Future Indicates Defendant Compared Her Nonprofit To The Mob
(Minneapolis, MN) — The federal Feeding Our Future fraud trial is now in its fifth week. FBI agent Travis Wilmer testified this morning that a text from defendant Aimee Bock compared her nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, to the mob. He also stated that Bock continued to pay fraudulent food distribution operators even after her employees raised concerns about her practices. Prosecutors expect to conclude their case by tomorrow or Wednesday before the defense begins. There has been no indication yet whether Bock will take the witness stand.
>>Suspected OD Kills Man in Rochester
(Rochester, MN) — A 20-year-old man is dead after a suspected drug overdose in Rochester. Police responded to a report of a body found around 3:30 p.m. Sunday at an apartment building. The man’s body was found in an apartment.
>>State Staff At St. Peter Facilities Protest Working Conditions
(St. Peter, MN) — Workers at behavioral services facilities in St. Peter are protesting several workplace concerns. Employees in the Forensic Mental Health Program report that the radios they rely on for emergencies frequently malfunction. Additionally, staff members at a nearby Minnesota Sex Offender Program are frustrated that new construction has forced them to use an outdoor port-a-potty or walk in freezing temperatures to access restrooms in another building. Recently, workers staged a protest at the St. Peter’s Forensic Mental Health Program, which serves individuals with serious mental illnesses as well as those in the sex offender program. In response, the Minnesota Department of Human Services issued a statement affirming their commitment to the safety of the nearly 1,300 employees at their St. Peter campus.
>>New Minneapolis Stripper Union Is Building Solidarity Among Downtown Dancers
(Minneapolis, MN) — Employees at downtown Minneapolis strip clubs are organizing a union. The newly formed Stripper Guild will hold the Stripper Awards Gala tonight with a focus on a membership drive. It currently has 200 members and plans to recruit more of the city’s dancers. The Guild looks to educate dancers about their rights under the Minneapolis Adult Entertainment Ordinance. The union is also searching for ways to collectively buy health insurance.
>>Minnesota House To Consider Bill Banning Trans Athletes From Girls’ Sports
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota House is expected to vote this afternoon on legislation that would ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. The bill is called The Preserving Girls’ Sports Act. Supporters of the bill argue that girls should compete on a level playing field, as they believe biological differences give transgender girls an unfair advantage. A rally is scheduled for this morning in support of the bill. On the other hand, advocates for transgender rights say that trans girls should be allowed to play where they feel comfortable, highlighting that they have been part of Minnesota sports teams for at least a decade.
>>Senators Klobuchar, Smith Name Guests for Trump’s Joint Address to Congress
(Washington, D.C.) — Minnesota’s U.S. senators are naming their guests for President Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night. Senator Amy Klobuchar says Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish of Renville County is joining her in the U.S. House Chamber for Trump’s speech. Senator Tina Smith invited fired Voyageur’s National Park Ranger Kate Severson from Minnesota. Severson is one of more than a thousand National Park Service employees terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
>>Dam Store to Open for Season Come May 1st
(Mankato, MN) — Blue Earth County’s famous Dam Store will be back in action in Mankato come May 1st. After last summer’s historic flooding caused the Rapidan Dam to fail, the store had to move due to its vicinity to the Dam. The Hruska family will open for the season Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at their new location in downtown Mankato at the former Wagon Wheel Cafe.
