>>Minnesota Senator Tina Smith Hospitalized in Washington, DC
(Washington, DC) — Her staff says U-S Senator Tina Smith spent the night at George Washington University Hospital. A statement from her office Wednesday evening said, “while at work at the Capitol today, Sen. Smith started to not feel well. She went to the Capitol physician who recommended she undergo more thorough examination at GW hospital.” They say she was kept overnight out of an abundance of caution. Smith expects to be back at work “very” soon.
>>Klobuchar Opposes Bill Rescinding $ 1.1 Billion for Public Broadcasting
(Washington, DC) — A bill that would rescind nine-billion dollars in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting passed the U-S Senate and is headed back to the House. Senator Amy Klobuchar says the “claw back” eliminates funds for P-B-S and N-P-R, but the primary impact is going to be on 15-hundred local radio and T-V stations. Klobuchar says communities relied on public broadcasting for alerts and coverage during the devastating storms in the Bemidji area. Some Senate Republicans said it was a “no-brainer” to cut more than a billion dollars in funding for public radio and t-v.
>>Boelter Plans to Plead Not Guilty in State Lawmakers Shootings
(Minneapolis, MN) — The man charged in the killings of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shootings of Senator John Hoffman and his wife plans to plead not guilty. The attorney for Lance Boelter says he’s expected to enter a not guilty plea at a federal arraignment hearing on September 12th. Boelter was indicted by a federal grand jury this week of six counts for murder, stalking, and firearms violations. His public defender in a statement said, “the indictment starts the process of receiving discovery which will allow me to evaluate the case.” Investigators say Boelter was disguised as a police officer when he shot the victims.
>>Prosecution Rests, Defense Calls Witnesses in Senator Mitchell’s Burglary Trial
(Detroit Lakes, MN) — The defense now has the case in the burglary trial of state Senator Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury in Becker County. The prosecution rested Wednesday afternoon and Mitchell’s attorney started calling witnesses. Defense attorney Dane DeKrey says they don’t know yet whether Senator Mitchell will be called to the stand. Mitchell pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for an April 2024 break-in at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home.
>>Minnesota Housing Fraud Investigation Prompts Calls for Inspector General
(St. Paul, MN) — Federal authorities raided several locations Wednesday as part of an investigation to defraud Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services of Medicaid payments. Republican Senator Michael Kreun (kroon) of Blaine says this is another reason why it’s so disappointing that the legislature did not pass the Office of Inspector General bill in the last session. He says, “The level of fraud happening in Minnesota is simply unacceptable. And we needed to do something very meaningful on that. And I’m asked all the time by my constituents why can’t you guys work together in a bipartisan way, and that’s exactly what we did with this bill.” The bill passed the Senate by a 60-7 margin, but the House failed to bring the measure up for a vote on the final day of session.
>>Report Shows 100K Minnesota Households Rely on Federal Rental Assistance
(St. Paul, MN) — A new report from the Minnesota Housing Partnership shows federal assistance has kept more than 100,000 Minnesota households safely housed. Executive director Anne Mavity says 20 percent of those are seniors and people with disabilities and more than half are families with children. Mavity says potential cuts to federal rental assistance could be devastating and a 43 percent decrease in funding could impact over 40,000 families across Minnesota. In 2023, Minnesota received $782 million in federal rent support.
>>Services for L-G-B-T-Q+ Youth End on Suicide Crisis Prevention Hotline
(Undated) — Today (7/17) marks the day L-G-B-T-Q+ Minnesotans lose access to specialized services on the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline. According to a Trump administration directive, starting today people contacting the 9-8-8 number will still have access to crisis services, but there won’t be a “press three” option for the specialized line. The Trevor Project, which provides services through the hotline, says the administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible. The sub-network was launched in 2022, and more than 14.5 million callers have used the line since then.
>>Man Dies in Grain Bin Accident in Redwood County
(Milroy, MN) — Authorities in southwest Minnesota are investigating a deadly grain bin accident near Milroy. The Redwood County Sheriff’s Office says crews responded to a report of a man trapped in a grain bin Wednesday morning around 9:30. Paramedics tried to save the man, but he died at the scene. The victim hasn’t been identified.
>>Gopher Football to Hold Open Practice August 2nd
(Minneapolis, MN) — The University of Minnesota football team will hold an open practice on Saturday, August 2nd in front of Golden Gopher fans. The event called F.A.M.I.L.Y Day is a popular event under head coach P-J Fleck. The free practice begins at 6:00 pm with gates opening a half hour before the start. Fans are encouraged to bring a decorated oar. The oars will be added to the tunnel where the Gophers run onto the field on game days.
>>Wolves Beat Suns to Finish Las Vegas Summer League 4-0
(Las Vegas, NV) — The Minnesota Timberwolves went 4-and-0 in Summer League play in Las Vegas. The Wolves topped the Phoenix Suns 89-85 Wednesday in the final matchup. Rob Dillingham led Minnesota 23 points and Leonard Miller finished with 22. Young guys like Dillingham and Terrance Shannon are expected to get more playing time for the Wolves next season.
