>>Governor Discusses Federal Surge Impacts on Small Businesses
(St. Paul, MN) – Governor Tim Walz is meeting with small business owners this morning(11 am) to discuss how the federal immigration surge is impacting their businesses. The business owners are reporting reduced foot traffic, staffing disruptions, lost wages and revenue, and business closures. The Department of Employment and Economic Development will join the governor.
More than 38,000 have Applied for New Paid Leave Program
(Undated) – Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program has drawn more than 38-thousand applications since launching at the start of the year, and state officials say they’ve already stopped multiple cases of attempted fraud. Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe says red flags include false identities, fake medical documentation, and misrepresented reasons for leave. He says all concerns submitted through the whistleblower system have been reviewed, with several cases referred to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Rowe adds that some applications have also been denied because workers were supposed to file through an employer’s private or equivalent plan.
>>School Leaders Fear Declining Attendance During ICE Surge Could Reduce State Funding
(Undated) — School leaders across Minnesota worry that falling attendance during ICE’s Operation Metro Surge could lead to reduced state funding.
Some parents are keeping their children home, fearing federal immigration officers could detain them. Because Minnesota ties school funding directly to attendance, officials say prolonged absences could translate into significant financial losses for districts. While schools can provide instruction to students who aren’t physically in the classroom, districts must prove that learning is happening. If they can’t, state funding could be cut.
>>Michigan Woman Sentenced to Probation in Fatal Moorhead Drive-by-Shooting
(Moorhead, MN) — A Michigan psychiatrist charged in connection with her then-boyfriend’s fatal drive-by shooting last April in Moorhead has been sentenced to probation. Thirty-three-year-old Abby Fredrickson pleaded guilty in October to one count of aiding an offender in the death of 39-year-old James Hamilton. Her boyfriend, 35-year-old Jerome Thomas, is accused of firing the shots that killed Hamilton. In Clay County Court on Monday, Fredrickson received a three-year stayed sentence, meaning she’ll serve probation instead of prison time unless she violates its terms. Investigators say Thomas and Fredrickson fled Minnesota after the shooting and were arrested the following day in Michigan. Thomas is charged with first-degree murder. A trial date has not yet been set.
>>MN Flag Sales Soaring During ICE Surge
(Undated) — Minnesota flag sales are surging amid ICE’s Operation Metro Surge. Some residents are buying flags to show state pride and to signal their opposition to the influx of federal immigration officers. Lee Harold, owner of Herold Flags in Rochester, says Minnesota flag sales have jumped 75 percent since the operation began. The owner of Alamo Flags reports they’ve sold out of all handheld Minnesota flags and had to rush in a new order from distributors on Monday. Activists critical of the unprecedented enforcement sweep say they want the thousands of ICE agents involved to leave Minnesota.
>>After Enhancing Safety Efforts, a Stretch of Highway 7 Saw Zero Deaths in 2025
(Minneapolis, MN) — A stretch of Highway 7 recorded zero traffic deaths in 2025, a dramatic improvement after years of safety concerns. The 18-mile stretch from Hopkins to just west of St. Bonifacius saw five fatal crashes in 2024. In response, the Highway 7 Safety Coalition invested in a new AI-powered camera enforcement system, funded through a state grant. The technology detects drivers holding phones or failing to wear seat belts, allowing for quicker intervention and enforcement. Coalition members also reviewed each fatal crash to identify both immediate and long-term safety improvements. Those combined efforts, they say, contributed to the highway’s fatality-free year.
>>Duluth Curlers Going for the Gold in Winter Olympics
(Cortina, Italy) — Duluth curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin are headed to the gold medal game in the Olympic finals for mixed doubles curling. Thiesse and Dropkin made history when they advanced to the semi-finals on Monday morning. They’d lost to Italy in the final game of the round robin competition, but then defeated them in the semifinal, sending Italy to the bronze medal game as Team USA secured its place in the final. The mixed doubles final starts at 11 a.m. on USA Network.
>>MN Native Lindsey Vonn Says She’ll Need Multiple Surgeries After Complex Leg Fracture
(Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy) — Minnesota native and skiing legend 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn says she’ll need multiple surgeries after suffering a complex tibia fracture. Vonn shared on Instagram that she has no regrets about her run and emphasized that her previous ACL rupture did not contribute to the fall. She explained that she was too tight on her line when her right arm caught the inside of a gate, twisting her body and triggering the crash. It’s believed Vonn has already undergone two surgeries in Italy to stabilize her condition following the accident.
