Latest news with #Minnesotans
CBS News
5 minutes ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Minn. State Patrol to have 3rd party assess Capitol security in wake of lawmaker shootings, Senate chamber breach
The Minnesota State Patrol, which oversees state Capitol security, said it will contract with a third party for an independent security assessment of the complex in St. Paul following a breach of the Senate chamber over the weekend and the shooting attacks on lawmakers in their homes last month. A 36-year-old man is now charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into the Minnesota Senate chamber late last Friday when the building was closed off to the public. Charging documents say he was found naked sitting in the Senate president's chair, claiming he was the governor, around 11:15 p.m. He was caught on surveillance video earlier in the day, according to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday, and investigators believe he used a wooden edge to prop open an exterior building door so he could get back inside later that night. Anyone can enter during normal business hours and there are no security checkpoints or metal detectors required for those visitors. Colonel Christina Bogojevic, the chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said officers believed the man was experiencing a mental health episode and took him to a nearby hospital Friday. He then again appeared on the Capitol grounds twice on Saturday before he was arrested that evening. There's a "comprehensive review" underway to review what happened and make any necessary changes to Capitol security protocols, she said. That's in addition to the third-party expert analysis, for which a contract is being finalized. "This is about bringing fresh eyes and objectivity to a place that holds great meaning for Minnesotans," Bogojevic said in a news conference Tuesday. She told reporters her agency increased staff at the Capitol building — which is part of a larger 140-acre complex that includes other state government buildings — and implemented other policy changes in wake of the killing of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in what authorities call a politically motivated assassination. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were wounded and the gunman had a hit list targeting other Democratic elected officials. "Many of these changes were already happening in the wake of June 14 lawmaker shootings, but we are now redoubling our efforts following this past weekend's incident," Bogojevic explained. That the Capitol intruder propped open a door to get inside was "alarming," she said. But while many doors have alarms that notify security if left open for an extended period of time, the door he entered did not have that feature. She declined to say how the man later entered the Senate chamber, citing the ongoing investigation. The chamber is usually locked and only accessible by a few, and sergeants-at-arms are out front during the legislative session. Separately, there will be an independent after-action report looking into law enforcement's response to the June 14 attacks, said Bob Jacobsen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. That is a collaboration with his agency and the Brooklyn Park police, who encountered the accused assassin at the Hortman home that night. "What I believe that law enforcement did during the hours after and during this investigation — did admirable work in finding, investigating, finding and arresting [suspect Vance] Boelter within 43 hours from the time that those first shots were fired at Mr. Hoffman and his wife," Jacobsen said. "Can there be things that we can do to improve? Absolutely. And that's why we were asking for that independent review to take a look at the communications that have been coming through, the criticisms that have been coming through, and the successes that have been coming through." The shootings have shattered lawmakers' sense of safety and have sparked a debate about state capitol security well before the security breach over the weekend. Some are calling for measures like metal detectors, while others fear that will limit access to Minnesotans' seat of government. Jacobsen said that they are considering the number of public entrances to the building, but that his agency and Minnesota State Patrol want to work with "legislative partners" before making any final decisions. A special advisory committee, which includes a bipartisan slate of lawmakers across both chambers that makes recommendations on improvements, is set to meet next month. "We need to walk that balance between having an open capital and that security and safety that people would expect," he said. WCCO first reported last week that the Legislature would tap into state funds in each chamber's respective budgets to help cover the costs for security upgrades at the homes of concerned lawmakers if they request the assistance.
Axios
14 hours ago
- Health
- Axios
140K Minnesotans could lose Medicaid under new law
An estimated 140,000 Minnesotans could eventually lose access to their government-funded health care under sweeping federal Medicaid changes President Trump signed into law this month. Why it matters: That's about 12% of all people currently using the state's Medicaid program, known as Medical Assistance (MA). The big picture: The prediction is a top takeaway from a new preliminary analysis from the state Department of Human Services saying that Minnesota will lose upwards of $1.4 billion in federal heath care funding over the first four years of implementation. Catch up fast: The federal tax and spending package, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aims to reduce Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion through new work reporting requirements, twice-yearly eligibility checks and other provisions shifting costs to state and hospitals. Follow the money: DHS estimates that coverage losses related to the work reporting requirements alone will cut federal funding flowing to the state by $200 million a year. Local state, and tribal governments also face an additional $165 million in annual administrative costs related to implementation, and hospitals could eventually lose $1 billion a year under changes to the provider tax. What they're saying: John Connolly, a deputy DHS commissioner and state Medicaid director, said Monday that the law represents a "dramatic change for Minnesota" that will hit low-income adults without children, those parenting teenagers and rural hospitals particularly hard. A top concern, he said, is that people who are eligible for Medicaid will still "lose coverage because they can't complete the paperwork" required by the law. Others who still have coverage may see their out-of-pocket costs rise, he warned, leading fewer Minnesotans to seek preventative care. The other side: House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) defended the changes as "common-sense work requirements for able-bodied adults without children" that "strengthened program integrity measures to make sure only those who are eligible are receiving benefits." "In a state with such a massive fraud problem, these changes are a welcome step in the right direction to make sure Medicaid is strong for those who need it," she added. What we're watching: Officials are still assessing the direct impact on the state budget, which already faced a projected deficit down the road. Gov. Tim Walz says he probably won't need to call a special session to address the fiscal impact, since many of the Medicaid changes don't take effect until 2027 or later. But he predicted to Axios last week that lawmakers will face "very difficult decisions" when they return to St. Paul in February. 🍽️ Low-income residents may feel cuts to federal food assistance, while owners of high-priced homes could see tax breaks. 🧑🧑🧒🧒 Other tax deductions 🚘 People who gamble, give to charities or take out new car loans could also see changes to their tax bills.
The Hill
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Sydney Sweeney ‘good genes' ad courts controversy
An ad campaign from American Eagle featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked backlash over what users on social media have deemed racist undertones — or overtones, some say. Much of the criticism has swirled around the campaign's title: 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' a play on 'good genes.' 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color,' she says in one video. 'My jeans are blue.' As part of the campaign, American Eagle is launching a pair of jeans produced in collaboration with Sweeney to raise awareness for domestic violence. The proceeds from each pair's sale, the company says, will go towards a volunteer crisis intervention text line. Many online commentators, however, honed in on how the blond-haired, blue-eyed actress was repping a prominent American brand in such fashion at a time when the Trump administration has attacked diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and moved to aggressively deport immigrants. Sayantani DasGupta, a lecturer at Columbia University, said in a TikTok video that the campaign was 'really imbued with eugenic messaging' and compared its tagline to remarks President Trump made in 2020 about how Minnesotans had 'good genes.' 'It is both a testament to this political moment, and it's contributing to and reinforcing this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-people of color, pro-eugenic political moment,' she said of the campaign, adding that she planned to teach it in one of her courses in Columbia's narrative medicine program in the fall. DasGupta's video has garnered more than three million views. In another video, the reference to genes is overt: Sweeney, clad in denim, is shown painting over a mural of herself with the words 'Sydney Sweeney has great genes.' Despite the backlash, American Eagle stocks have jumped, up 20 percent over the past five days. Many observers have deemed it a meme stock. The campaign also bears similarities to a 1980s campaign by actress Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein, which also relied on plays between genes and jeans.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Canada won't play Minnesota's wildfire smoke blame game
Minnesotans are inhaling another plume of smoke from Canada this week, and an attempt to blame Canada's handling of wildfires is being met with eye-rolls north of the border. Why it matters: Experts say smoky summers are likely the new normal in Minnesota and many parts of North America unaccustomed to dealing with the haze as climate change turns the continent's forests into tinderboxes. "We need to learn to live with fire and, unfortunately, learn to live with smoke," Ed Struzik, a Canadian environmental journalist and wildfire expert, told Axios. Driving the news: Earlier this month, Minnesota's Republican Congressional delegation demanded the Canadian government deploy new technology and share its plans for mitigating wildfires and smoke. "Canada must take stronger action to manage its forests," U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber wrote on X. The letter didn't go over well in Canada. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called the letter's congressional authors " ambulance chasers." The big picture: Even if Canada's national government were to devote more time and money to wildfire prevention and response — as some of the country's fire chiefs recently demanded after a record-setting 2023 fire season — Canadian experts say the measures would probably not stop smoke from billowing over the U.S. border. Many of the lawmakers' critiques would be equally valid in the U.S., which has deployed a number of the same responses and a comparable amount of resources toward wildfire prevention, Struzik said. Between the lines: Fire is a healthy part of many ecosystems' life cycles, and a century of extinguishing even the smallest blazes in both countries means there is plenty of fuel on the ground ready to ignite, University of British Columbia forest ecologist Lori Daniels told Axios. Thanks to climate change, these lands are also rapidly becoming hotter and drier. Reality check: The Minnesota GOP delegation's letter identified arson as a key cause, but Struzik noted lightning starts the vast majority of all Canadian wildfires. "There's nothing you can do about lightning," Struzik said, especially when it lights a remote area that burns out of control — and belches a lot of smoke. Yes, but: Canada has been slower than the U.S. to embrace prescribed burns — one of the most effective ways to protect against future wildfires, University of British Columbia assistant professor Mathieu Bourbonnais told Axios. These strategically set, carefully managed fires thin forests that are likely to burn. North America's Indigenous peoples used these burns for generations to maintain forest health. Canada does fewer burns because more land there is publicly owned, and it's trickier to set such fires on public land, said Bourbonnais. (He's now helping create a prescribed burn training program.)
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Air quality alert issued across Minnesota: ‘Unhealthy for everyone'
The Brief The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for northwest, north central and northeast Minnesota due to continued wildfire smoke from Canada. Fine particle levels are expected to reach the purple air quality index category, meaning it is considered very unhealthy for everyone. The alert begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and ends at 9 a.m. on Monday. (FOX 9) - An air quality alert has been issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for northwest, north central and northeast Minnesota due to continued wildfire smoke from Canada. Minnesota air quality alert What we know Beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, heavy surface smoke from Canadian wildfires will drift south into Minnesota. Affected areas will include Brainerd, Hinckley, Bemidji, East Grand Forks, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the Tribal Nations of Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, White Earth, Red Lake, Grand Portage and Fond du Lac. According to the MPCA, smoke will initially impact far northern Minnesota early Saturday afternoon and then spread south and east through the rest of the day. Smoke will linger across the region on Sunday and then exit to the north through Monday morning. The highest smoke concentrations are expected to be across far northern Minnesota and the Arrowhead region. Why you should care Fine particle levels are expected to reach the purple air quality index category, which means it is considered "very unhealthy" for everyone. The MPCA recommends that Minnesotans in the affected areas avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and stay indoors. The Source Information provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Solve the daily Crossword
