>>Supreme Court Ruling Keeps Minnesota Mail Voting Rules in Place
(Washington, D.C.) — Minnesota’s mail voting system will remain unchanged for the November election after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s effort to impose new Postal Service requirements. The proposed rules would have required states to provide voter lists and use specially approved envelopes and barcodes. Minnesota was among 24 states challenging the changes. Secretary of State Steve Simon says Minnesotans can continue voting by mail under the state’s existing system. Absentee voting for the November election begins Friday.
>>Both Major Governor Candidates Call for Firings Over Minnesota Fraud Response
(St. Paul, MN) — Both major candidates for Minnesota governor say the state’s response to widespread fraud should result in firings. Republican Lisa Demuth is calling for the immediate dismissal of Assistant Education Commissioner Daron Korte and Children, Youth and Families Deputy Commissioner Leah Montgomery. DFL candidate Amy Klobuchar says the fraud should have been caught much earlier and, if elected, she would fire officials who were in charge and failed to stop it. The comments follow a Minnesota Star Tribune investigation detailing missed warning signs across state government.
>>National Voter Registration Day
(St. Paul, MN) – Today is National Voter Registration Day, and the man in charge of Minnesota elections is hitting the road. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon will visit high schools and colleges in Lake and St. Louis counties to raise awareness for voter registration and elections. National Voter Registration Day was created in 2012 to encourage more people to get involved in the election process. More than 6.5 million citizens have registered to vote on this annual holiday. Simon currently serves as honorary co-chair of the National Voter Registration Day Steering Committee.
>>xAI Asks Appeals Court to Block Minnesota AI Nudification Law
(St. Paul, MN) — Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is making another attempt to block Minnesota’s new AI “nudification” law. The company is asking the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to stop enforcement while its legal challenge continues. xAI argues the law is unconstitutional. A federal judge earlier rejected the company’s request for an injunction, allowing the law to remain in effect. Minnesota law prohibits technology platforms from allowing users to generate realistic, sexualized images of identifiable people without their consent.
>>Rural Ambulance Services Reach Critical Stage
(Barnesville, MN) – Rural ambulance service has reached a critical stage; without more funding, more of these services may close. Senator Rob Kupec (DFL- Moorhead) and Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL – Hermantown) toured the EMS station in Barnesville on Monday. Kupec says the two main problems for rural ambulance service are staffing and federal Medicaid reimbursement. Kupec says the state legislature needs to find more ways to fund rural ambulances. Last session, Kupec and Hauschild passed legislation to provide $30 million in emergency aid for rural ambulances.
>>Rising Costs Put Pressure on Minnesota Trucking Companies
(Brooklyn Center, MN) — Record-high diesel prices are putting more pressure on Minnesota trucking companies, but fuel isn’t the only expense climbing. Minnesota Trucking Association President and CEO John Hausladen says repair costs are up nearly nine percent, driver benefits almost seven percent, and tires more than six percent. Some carriers have reduced their fleets, merged or left the industry altogether. Hausladen says the impact is especially important in Greater Minnesota, where nearly 67 percent of communities rely on trucks for virtually everything moving in and out.
>>Worker Injured in Explosion, Fire at Duluth Fuel Facility
(Duluth, MN) — One worker is injured following an explosion and fire at a fuel transfer facility in Duluth Monday afternoon. The Duluth Fire Department says a mostly empty 17,000-gallon tank was being drained when it exploded and caught fire. Two workers were at the site. One was taken to a Duluth-area hospital. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze while using water and foam to protect two nearby tanks. No evacuations were needed, and no firefighters were injured.
>>Minnesota Man Sentenced for Sexual Assaults in Two Counties
(Duluth, MN) — A Minnesota man will serve prison time for separate sexual assaults in Carlton and St. Louis counties. Twenty-five-year-old Tarius Lovejoy was sentenced Monday to 48 months for the Carlton County assault and 76 months for the St. Louis County case. Lovejoy pleaded guilty in March to third-degree criminal sexual conduct in both cases. A judge rejected his request for probation and imposed the presumptive prison sentences. Lovejoy was also sentenced to lifetime conditional release and must register as a predatory offender for life.
>>St. Augusta Man Faces 20 Felony Charges in Child Exploitation Case
(St. Cloud, MN) — A St. Augusta man is facing 20 felony charges in an online child exploitation investigation. Thirty-nine-year-old Kyle Skow is charged with 19 counts of electronically soliciting children for sexual conduct and one count involving possession of child sexual abuse material. Investigators say cyber tips led them to Skow and that thousands of online chats were recovered. Court documents allege victims ranged in age from nine to 14 and were in several countries, including the United States. Skow was arrested and is due back in court on September 21st.
