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Accused Minnesota assassin wildly claimed in ‘incoherent' letter that Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar: report

Accused Minnesota assassin wildly claimed in ‘incoherent' letter that Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar: report

New York Post4 hours ago

Accused Minnesota political assassin Vance Boetler wrote a deranged letter addressed to the FBI in which he wildly claimed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar, according to a report.
Boetler, 57, alleged in the rambling, conspiratorial letter that the former Democrat vice presidential candidate directed him to murder Klobuchar (D-MN) as part of a supposed plot for Walz to take her spot in the Senate, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported, citing people familiar with the writings.
The letter, which is one and a half pages long, is mostly incoherent and gives insight into the muddled mind of the Minnesota madman, those sources told the outlet.
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5 Boetler is accused of killing Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Vance Boelter/Linkedin
5 Boelter was arrested on June 15, 2025.
via REUTERS
Neither Walz nor Klobuchar responded directly to the information contained in the letter but each issued statements on the shootings following the report.
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'Governor Walz is grateful to law enforcement who apprehended the shooter, and he's grateful to the prosecutors who will ensure justice is swiftly served,' Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann told the Star Tribune.
Klobuchar said in a statement, 'Boetler is a very dangerous man and I am deeply grateful that law enforcement got him behind bars before he killed other people.'
Boetler is accused of killing Minnesota House rep Melissa Hortman and her husband and shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in an early morning targeted attack on June 14 during which the alleged killer donned a creepy latex mask and wore a police officer's uniform.
5 A copy of notes the suspect allegedly wrote in his notebook.
District Court of Minnesota
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5 Boetler alleged that he was ordered to murder Sen. Amy Klobuchar
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5 Neither Walz nor Klobuchar responded directly to the information contained in the letter.
AP
At the home of Hoffman, investigators got into a shootout with Boetler who fled — leaving behind a 'manifesto' that listed the names of 70 politicians to kill – including Gov. Walz who once appointed the 57-year-old to a state-wide board.
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Boetler was captured in a wooded area in Sibley County on Sunday following the largest manhunt the Land of 10,000 Lakes has ever seen — with SWAT teams swarming after getting a tip from a local resident who spotted the fugitive on a trail cam, the Star Tribune reported.
The maniac faces federal murder and stalking charges in addition to state charges and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.

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Skiers Consider Boycotting Utah
Skiers Consider Boycotting Utah

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time35 minutes ago

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Skiers Consider Boycotting Utah

As always, skiers on Reddit have all kinds of opinions, however wild they may or may not be. This week, r/skiing's keyboard warriors have decided to address the current reconciliation bill up for debate in the US Senate and the provision to it, which amongst other things, would mean the potential sale of a few million acres of US public lands. One particularly fired-up skier has taken to r/skiing to say that in light of the bill, Utah skiers should start boycotting the state. For context, the bill's provision that concerns the sale of public lands was published by the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is led by Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee."It's time to boycott Utah. Utah Sen. Mike Lee wants to sell millions of acres of public land. He needs to feel it where it hurts the most: his economy," the post by Reddit user Hobbitsliketoparty, is titled. Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. The post details that, indeed, up to 3.3 million acres of US public lands would be sold across 11 western states, including Utah. In Utah specifically, this could include land near Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, Millcreek, Parley's, and more BLM land close to some of Utah's National Parks like Zion and Arches. Under the provision, National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Fish Hatchery Systems, Wilderness Preservation Areas, and 'nearly every other protected designations,' would be excluded from the sale. Land sold under the bill would be for the purpose of building housing in order to ease housing shortages in the US. u/Hobbitsliketoparty has done their research, because they also state that 'but there's no requirement that the land be used for affordable housing. Developers and private buyers could snap up access points, trailheads, and wild spaces. That access could be gone for good.'The bill's provision has some vague language about proposals to purchase the land would need to include a description of how intended development would address local housing needs, including supply and affordability. However, there's no stipulation on holding the proposer to that once the sale is carried out. Considering Utah Senator Mike Lee's creation and support of the bill, u/Hobbitsliketoparty is proposing a boycott of funding to Utah's outdoor economy in protest. "If we let this happen, it sets a dangerous precedent. Politicians should not be allowed to auction off public land with almost no public input. And Utah has a history of this. From shrinking Bears Ears to resisting wilderness protections, they've been chipping away for years. If Utah's leadership insists on selling out our public lands, we should stop funding their outdoor economy. That means skipping the ski trips. Skipping the canyoneering. Skipping the visits to the Mighty 5. In 2017, Outdoor Retailer pulled its convention out of Salt Lake City after similar attacks on public land. It worked. Maybe it's time we acted again," reads the post. Several commenters point out and thank u/Hobbitsliketoparty for doing their research and reiterate the fact that while many of Utah and other state's ski areas are on public lands, often managed by USFS, the permits they operate on also exempt them from the sale. But that doesn't mean that trailheads and access points for other, non-inbounds skiing recreation wouldn't be threatened by the sale. It's hard to say whether boycotting skiing in Utah and the rest of its outdoor tourism economy would send the right message to Sen. Lee. For one, the Senate vote is slated to take place sometime in the next few weeks, which means, by the time ski season rolls around, there will already be a decision. Also, food for thought—boycotting Utah's outdoor tourism economy as a revenue source for the state would potentially fuel supporter's of the bill's fire by giving them more ammunition to sell off public lands. But I get it, u/Hobbitsliketoparty is angry like a lot of Americans right now about this potential attack on our public lands, but rather than boycotting a local tourism industry, the best course of action would be to call your local senators and let them know you oppose the bill, or use a handy form from an organization like the Outdoor Alliance or Protect Our Winters to do Consider Boycotting Utah first appeared on Powder on Jun 20, 2025

Divided Oregon panel sends massive transportation funding bill to House floor
Divided Oregon panel sends massive transportation funding bill to House floor

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Divided Oregon panel sends massive transportation funding bill to House floor

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Under House Bill 2025 funding, 'by the time you get to 2029-31, it's roughly a 550- to 600-year replacement cycle. We're able to pick up two to three more bridges a year, which is significant,' he said. The bill would provide counties an average of 40% more money for transit projects, according to Mallorie Roberts, a lobbyist for the Association of Oregon Counties and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors. She said it would allow counties to invest in long-overdue capital projects on roads and transportation infrastructure rather than just operations and maintenance. Taxes on car and bike sales and payroll taxes are allowed to go to pedestrian pathways, bike trails and rail transit. The privilege taxes on new car sales would provide an extra $1 million per year in funding for bike and pedestrian pathways. Additional revenue from the higher payroll tax would provide up to $400 million per year in new funding for rail operations and projects. The package includes the directive to undertake a number of studies, including a study of the costs and benefits of providing all Oregonians 22-years or younger with free access to public transit, and the costs and benefits of expanding the Westside Express Service, a commuter rail line serving parts of Portland, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, to include Salem and Eugene. Seven years ago, lawmakers poured more than $5 billion into the Oregon Department of Transportation to improve roads, bridges and public transit. Some of those projects have been criticized for being ineffective, and investigations by the Malheur Enterprise and the Capital Chronicle found two rail centers meant for cargo shipments that cost taxpayers $70 million are still nonoperational. Between 2019 and 2025, transportation officials agreed to $296 million in voluntary budget cuts, Strickler told lawmakers Tuesday. Strickler said they have been paying for those cuts in employee morale. 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VP Vance says US troops still 'necessary' in Los Angeles
VP Vance says US troops still 'necessary' in Los Angeles

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US Vice President JD Vance said on Friday that the thousands of troops deployed to Los Angeles this month were still needed despite a week of relative calm in the protest-hit city. President Donald Trump has sent roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, purportedly to protect federal property and personnel, after demonstrations over immigration raids. "Unfortunately, the soldiers and Marines are still very much a necessary part of what's going on here because they're worried that it's going to flare back up," Vance told reporters in Los Angeles. He was speaking the day after an appeals court ruled that Trump could continue to control the California National Guard, which would normally fall under Governor Gavin Newsom's authority. California officials have heavily criticized Trump over his use of the military, saying it escalated protests that local law enforcement could have handled. The demonstrations were largely peaceful and mostly contained to a small part of Los Angeles, the second-largest US city, although there were instances of violence and vandalism. "If you let violent rioters burn Great American Cities to the ground, then, of course, we're going to send federal law enforcement in to protect the people the president was elected to protect," Vance said, adding that Trump would deploy them again if needed. The Republican further accused Newsom -- a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 -- and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging protesters. Newsom and Bass have both condemned rioting and violence towards law enforcement while accusing the Trump administration of manufacturing a crisis in the city. Bass hit back at Vance during a news conference on Friday, accusing him of openly lying and saying that local law enforcement agencies handled crowd control. "How dare you say that city officials encourage violence. We kept the peace. You know that the federal officials that were here protected a federal building -- they were not involved in crowd control," she said. Bass said that even when there was vandalism, at its height "you are talking about a couple of hundred people who are not necessarily associated with any of the peaceful protests." "Los Angeles is a city that is 500 square miles and any of the disruption that took place took place at about 2 square miles in our city," she said, accusing Vance of adding to "provocation" and sowing "division." - 'Jose Padilla' - Many in Los Angeles are angry about immigration raids carried out as part of Trump's ambition to deport vast numbers of undocumented migrants around the country. Outrage at the use of masked, armed immigration agents also sparked protests in other cities, including San Francisco, New York, Chicago and San Antonio, Texas. Tensions spiked when California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, was handcuffed and forcibly removed last week when attempting to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem questions during her news conference. Vance misnamed the senator when referring to the incident, saying: "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater." Bass reacted to the comment with outrage. "How dare you disrespect him and call him Jose. But I guess he just looked like anybody to you," she said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had said Padilla's treatment "reeks of totalitarianism," while the White House claimed -- despite video evidence to the contrary -- that Padilla had "lunged toward Secretary Noem." bjt-rfo/dhc/pbt

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