State health officials are on alert after finding four cases of teens and young adults with severe lung disease possibly related to vaping. State epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield says the cases here are similar to cases recently reported in Wisconsin and Illinois, though it is too early to say whether they are connected. She says […]

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman today announced criminal sexual conduct charges against singer-musician R Kelly involving an underage girl in Minneapolis. The charges involve two counts: one for engaging in prostitution with an individual under 18 years of age, and one for hiring or offering to hire for sexual purposes a person under 18. Freeman […]

The State Legislative Auditor is starting an investigation after discovering the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) overpaid the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Nation by more than $25 million for therapy treatments covered under Medicaid. Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles says his office is “in a very preliminary stage of gathering […]

Starting today, the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in most workplaces and all public places where smoking is already banned. Laura Smith with Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation says the law will be beneficial for everyone–especially children and teens. She says there’s a “youth nicotine epidemic” and says “it’s really concerning because we know that […]

The Trump administration is considering importing some lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada. State Senator Michelle Benson of Ham Lake applauds the idea and says “it would reduce the need for Minnesotans to go and caravan to Canada, but more importantly, it impacts the entire drug system so the pharmaceutical companies will treat Minnesotans fairly as […]

Two months after the end of the legislative session, state lawmakers now say they’re very close to a bipartisan deal to help lower insulin costs. Democratic Senator Matt Little of Lakeville says “the only piece that really needs to be resolved is a funding mechanism. Otherwise, I guess I would say we’re 95% there, we […]

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified this week that the nation’s election systems are targets of tampering from Russia. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says “it has really brought renewed attention to this issue. Robert Mueller said at one point, ‘they’re doing it as we’re sitting here,’ that as he and they were sitting […]

Workers at Amazon’s Shakopee warehouse plan to go on strike today to push for improved work conditions. Warehouse worker Meg Brady says about a hundred workers will be striking. She says “in the warehouse facility, one person leaving can have an impact on production and by doing this on Prime Day and having many workers […]

The number of Minnesotans who died from opioid overdoses decreased in 2018. It’s the first time in nearly a decade that the number has gone down. There were 331 opioid overdose deaths last year, down from 422 in 2017, according to preliminary data released today by the state Health Department. Commissioner Jan Malcolm says the […]