Authorities concerned for safety of missing Wadena man Samuel Waln
According to the Wadena County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Samuel Waln was last seen Saturday, heading eastbound on Highway 10 in the city of Wadena.
Waln was driving a white 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Minnesota plates reading SCV975.
Authorities described Waln as a 5-foot-8, 130-pound White man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a green long-sleeved shirt, gray baseball cap, dark pants and white Nike tennis shoes when last seen.
"The authorities are concerned for Samuel's safety," said an alert from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Anyone with information about the missing man is asked to call the Wadena County Sheriff's Office at 218-631-7600, or dial 911.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How and why to conduct a DEI audit in construction
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. This feature is a part of 'The Dotted Line' series, which takes an in-depth look at the complex legal landscape of the construction industry. To view the entire series, click here There's a saying when it comes to making hit movies in Hollywood: No one knows anything. While Tinseltown is pretty far afield from construction, attorneys in the building space are now borrowing that underlying sentiment when approaching diversity, equity and inclusion. 'I've got to be honest with you,' said Jason Tremblay, a partner and labor and employment practice vice chair in the Chicago office of law firm Saul Ewing, 'anybody who says they know 100% what they're talking about in this area, they don't. You just don't know what's going to happen or how it's going to evolve.' This is especially true when navigating DEI in 2025, given the stance of President Donald Trump's administration to root out what it refers to as 'illegal DEI' in federal agencies as well as the private sector. Soon after taking office, Trump issued a raft of executive orders directing federal agencies to stop promoting diversity while requiring federal contractors to certify they aren't running illegal DEI programs or engaging in other workforce balancing efforts. Those changes are particularly relevant in construction, an industry that has proactively tried to shed its White-guys-only image. For example, the sector's Construction Inclusion Week is aimed at bringing more workers into its labor force, with an emphasis on diversity. It is set for its fifth running this October. But attorneys say this area is now rife with potential issues for builders. Federal contractors that certify they aren't running illegal DEI programs could face stiff False Claims Act penalties — up to three times a contract's value — if they are in fact doing so, according to Andrew Turnbull, an attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Morrison Foerster who co-chairs the firm's DEI Strategy + Defense Task Force. 'Every time that you're submitting a payment, there can be damages related there,' Turnbull said. 'They have a big sledgehammer.' And though DEI requirements have been struck from federal contracts, many still exist at the state level. That means a contractor trying to satisfy one client may run afoul of another. 'Some of these things are going to be red flag issues,' said Turnbull. 'You've got a real risk here.' Against that backdrop, attorneys recommend that firms conduct DEI audits. This level-setting process can help companies understand what policies they have in place and where they might conflict with the new rules. They should also apply a business lens to the undertaking. 'The first thing you want to do is take a look at your book of business,' said Trent Cotney, a partner and construction team leader in the Tampa office of law firm Adams & Reese. 'Clearly if you're a larger, national contractor or doing public work, federal work, there's probably additional scrutiny there.' What to look for With the exception of veterans and disabled persons, Trump's illegal DEI orders specifically target affirmative action-type programs. That means efforts where quotas or goals are set using specific, protected-class characteristics for inclusion, such as gender or race. 'It's programs that look for what's known as workforce balancing,' said Cotney. 'It's taking criteria, typically race or sexual preference or any protected classes and looking to hire specifically to check boxes or make sure you've got more of those individuals, regardless of performance-based criteria.' Other types of educational, cultural or historical initiatives, such as celebrating Black History Month, are likely not an issue. Yet additional efforts, including recruiting from historically Black colleges and universities, if done exclusively, could draw the administration's ire. 'The more that it is determined that you are only dedicating your recruitment efforts toward historically Black colleges, the more you'd be increasing your chances under this administration that you are implementing an unlawful, non-merit-based DEI program,' said Tremblay. Instead, he suggested that if, for instance, companies recruit from Howard University, which is historically Black, they should also roll out a program at Georgetown University, which is not. Doing so could provide more of a legal shield. Contract review From a contract standpoint, lawyers recommend reviewing whatever agreements you might already have that include DEI language — especially those based on standard industry form contracts. 'Some primes will flow this down to their subs who just have kind of their form contracts,' said Turnbull. 'They need to review those and make sure these things are all struck out.' When signing on to a state-level contract that may still contain DEI language or even workforce requirements, be sure to know what you're signing. 'We get a lot of questions about, 'I can't do it in the federal context, but at the state level, there's still an obligation,'' said Turnbull. 'There's not a clear answer on that, but technically, if your state contract requires it, that is still good law at this point in time. At the very least, those are things to look at.' For Cotney, contractors should seek to put any conflicting requirements back on the owner or job sponsor requesting they be in place. 'If there's anything questionable, I'd put in a statement that says the owner or whoever is providing me with this contract has determined that it is compliant with all federal rules and regulations,' said Cotney. 'Shift the burden, to the extent possible, upstream.' Deciding a path forward Once you've completed an audit — which, when conducted under the direction of legal counsel, will be protected by attorney-client privilege — companies should determine a path forward from there. 'I have companies I represent who have welcomed this, and have scrapped any mention of any type of affirmative action,' said Tremblay. 'I have others who have dug in their heels and said, 'Absolutely not. We're going to stay the course and keep our programs. If they come at us, we'll deal with it.'' Most clients, though, have taken a more evaluative approach, determining which programs they can continue to implement while reducing the chance of triggering an audit. The reason why is because it's not only the government that is looking at these programs — employees do, too. Attorneys say contractors who discard DEI wholesale not only risk alienating the employees they have — while triggering potential discrimination claims from within — they put themselves at a disadvantage for bringing new talent into their workforce. 'The one message I want to send is don't abandon your diversity policies just because of this focus on illegal DEI,' said Cotney. 'You should still have a good anti-harassment policy and encourage diversity. It brings a significant amount to the table both internally, and in changing your overall viewpoint. Diversity is a great thing.' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
CNN
12 hours ago
- CNN
5 things to know for July 29: Mass shootings, Extreme weather, SNAP lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, Ghislaine Maxwell
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During rush hour, a gunman shot five people, killing four of them, inside a Park Avenue skyscraper that houses numerous corporate offices, including the NFL. The shooter was later found in a stairwell on the 33rd floor, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. A dangerous line of storms roared across the northern Plains and upper Midwest overnight, unleashing large hail and wind gusts over 90 mph. Several tornadoes were also reported in parts of rural South Dakota and Iowa, the National Weather Service said. The thunderstorm complex weakened before it could meet the distance criteria to be classified as a derecho, but the end result was the same: damage to homes and businesses, hundreds of trees down and more than 250,000 customers without power. The severe storm threat has lessened to a Level 2 of 5 risk today as the system shifts south and east into the central Plains and Great Lakes. The Weather Prediction Center has also identified a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain across the region. Twenty states are suing the Trump administration, alleging that the Department of Agriculture is improperly attempting to gather sensitive personal information about the low-income families who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy groceries. 'This unprecedented demand that states turn over SNAP data violates all kinds of state and federal privacy laws and further breaks the trust between the federal government and the people it serves,' California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. When announcing the effort in May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the government needs access to information about the people who use food stamps because SNAP 'has been on autopilot, with no USDA insight into real-time data.' In a new preliminary injunction issued Monday, a federal judge has blocked the nationwide enforcement of a provision in President Trump's sweeping domestic policy law that would defund Planned Parenthood's healthcare services. The measure, which he signed on July 4, bars Medicaid users from coverage with a health care provider that also provides abortion services. Last week, US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the administration couldn't enforce the funding ban against some Planned Parenthood organizations, but now she has widened the block. 'Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable. In particular, restricting Members' ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs,' Talwani wrote in her ruling. 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17 hours ago
5 people charged in 'vicious' brawl in Cincinnati that sparked safety debate in the city
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five people have been charged in a bloody, late-night brawl in downtown Cincinnati over the weekend that involved dozens of people and raised concerns about crime in the Ohio city. A video of the fight early Saturday shows a crowd milling about before several people start throwing punches. One man falls to the ground and was repeatedly punched and kicked by bystanders. Another woman is punched in the face and falls to the ground, lying motionless before another woman helps her. She can be seeing bleeding from the mouth. 'I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown,' Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement. 'It is horrifying to watch, and this is unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community.' Three days after the brawl, the city has released little information about it other than to say it was not related to a Cincinnati Reds game, a basketball tournament or a jazz festival that attracted over 150,000 people to the city. It said five people have been charged in the brawl but only two had been arrested as of Tuesday. Police Chief Teresa Theetge said more people would be charged, warning that anyone who 'put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences." She also suggested some bar owners may be culpable for over-serving participants in the confrontation, which occurred about 3 a.m. Saturday. Theetge appeared on the defensive during the news conference, complaining the brawl was getting all the attention and 'undoing all the good stuff that happened this weekend.' She also complained that bystanders took many videos but that only one person called 911. Police responded to the scene after the fight was over, about six minutes after the call. 'For us to get one phone call about this incident is unacceptable in this city,' she said. The video of the brawl quickly turned political. Vice President JD Vance's half brother Cory Bowman, who is running to be Cincinnati's mayor, flagged the fight on social media on Saturday and blamed city leadership for creating an unsafe environment. 'For many, these images sparked shock and disbelief,' he said in a statement. 'For residents within our city limits, they serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing crime and lawlessness we've had to endure this summer.' Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at U.S. Justice Department, posted on X above an image of the video that 'EVERY American is entitled to the equal protection of our laws. Federal law enforcement is on it and we will ensure that justice is done.' The videos also became a flashpoint among conservatives online, despite a lack of available details about the incident. Political influencers pointed to it as an example of apparent Black-on-white violence and criticized media coverage of the fight. 'Why zero stories?' billionaire X owner Elon Musk wrote on his social platform on Sunday. Grok, Musk's AI chatbot, fanned the flames, claiming in an X post the same day that the 'media blackout' of the story was 'telling.'
