It’s High School State Championship hockey time, Minnesota farm evictions rise, and tensions are high at the Mni Owe Sni prayer camp.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND MINNESOTA, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON GRILL GOVERNOR WALZ OVER FRAUD … AND A FATHER’S CALL TO MAKE CHILDREN SAFER.....
BUT FIRST …
--SOLDIER KILLED--
[ADMIRAL BRAD COOPER/COMMANDER U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: FIRST I’D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES AND TEAMMATES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ACTION.]
THE MILITARY IS RELEASING NEW INFORMATION ABOUT NICOLE AMOR … THE ARMY RESERVIST FROM WHITE BEAR LAKE KILLED IN A DRONE STRIKE THIS WEEKEND.
THE MAYOR OF WHITE BEAR LAKE ORDERED FLAGS BE FLOWN AT HALF-MAST IN HONOR OF AMOR ... AND ASKED THE COMMUNITY TO PRAY FOR HER FAMILY.
SERGEANT AMOR WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER OF TWO … AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON AND NINE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
SHE WAS REPORTEDLY DAYS AWAY FROM COMING HOME.
ONE OF HER FELLOW SOLDIERS TELLS NORTH STAR STORIES SHE EARNED MANY AWARDS ... AND THAT SHE WAS DEDICATED, SHARP AND LOYAL … AND ANOTHER SOLDIER SAYS THAT SHE WAS A ROCK STAR.
[NAT SOUND MUSIC TRANSITION]
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS BLASTED GOVERNOR WALZ AND A-G ELLISON OVER THE STATE’S RESPONSE TO FRAUD … INCLUDING THE FEEDING OUR FUTURES CASE.
[COMER: BECAUSE YOU DO NOTHING ABOUT FRAUD EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE IN AMERICA SEES WITH THEIR OWN EYES...]
[WALZ: OUR MEDICARE ERROR RATE IS LOWER THAN YOUR STATE.]
[COMER: YOU HAVE BEEN DEFRAUDING. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYERS’ DOLLARS.]
WALZ AND ELLISON TESTIFIED BEFORE THE U-S HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY ABOUT FRAUD IN MINNESOTA SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS … AND SOME CALLED FOR THEM TO RESIGN OR BE IMPEACHED.
WALZ SAYS HE WANTS A STRONGER FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP FOR PROSECUTIONS … BUT RECENT TURNOVER AT THE U-S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE HAS UNDERCUT THAT EFFORT.
AT LEAST FOURTEEN U-S ATTORNEYS HAVE RESIGNED SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR.
[WALZ: THOSE LEAD INVESTIGATORS AND BASICALLY WHOLE TEAM, HAS LEFT THAT OFFICE AND THEY’VE NOT BEEN FILLED BACK IN. IF WE PARTNER TOGETHER IN THIS OUR CHANCE OF DEFEATING THIS FRAUD IS THAT MUCH HIGHER. BUT FIGHT NOW IT’S STYMIED.]
--IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES--
ECHOING WASHINGTON, A SMALL GROUP OF MINNESOTA HOUSE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCED ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WALZ AND ELLISON THIS WEEK.
THE RESOLUTIONS ACCUSE BOTH OF CORRUPT CONDUCT … AND FAILURE TO TACKLE FRAUD IN STATE PROGRAMS.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PREVIOUSLY TRIED TO IMPEACH WALZ IN 2021 OVER HOW HE HANDLED THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
--DEMOUTH THREATS--
PROSECUTORS CHARGED A HUGO WOMAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING MINNESOTA HOUSE SPEAKER LISA DEMUTH.
FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD RACHEL WELSCH LEFT A SERIES OF THREATENING VOICEMAILS … INCLUDING ONES WHERE SHE SAID SHE WAS “GETTING REALLY GOOD AT SHOOTING” … AND THAT SHE WOULD FIND DEMUTH.
THE COURT ORDERED WELSCH TO UNDERGO MENTAL HEALTH SCREEnING … SUBMIT TO G-P-S MONITORING … AND HAVE NO CONTACT WITH DEMUTH WHILE SHE AWAITS TRIAL.
--DAN O’DONNELL APOLOGY--
MILWAUKEE-BASED I-HEART-RADIO HOST DAN O’DONNELL APOLOGIZED AFTER POSTING A PICTURE OF GOVERNOR WALZ WEARING A TURBAN, CALLING HIM “SUPREME LEADER,” AND SAYING IF SOMEONE TOOK HIM OUT … THEY’D BE GREETED AS A LIBERATOR.
--CHILDCARE – HARVEY'S LAW - ACCESS --
[HUNTER MUKLEBUST: WE WANT EVERYONE'S HELP IN PASSING HARVEY'S LAW SO THAT NO OTHER CHILD CAN BE ABUSED AND MURDERED AT DAY CARE]
THE FATHER OF A BABY KILLED IN CHILDCARE IS URGING LAWMAKERS TO BACK A PROPOSED BILL NAMED FOR HIS SON.
“HARVEY’S BILL” HONORS 11-MONTH-OLD HARVEY MUKLEBUST, WHO DIED IN 2025.
HARVEY’S PARENTS SAY VIDEO CAMERAS WOULD HAVE SAVED HARVEY’S LIFE BECAUSE SAFETY CAMERAS WOULD HAVE CAUGHT A CHILDCARE EMPLOYEE WHO HARMED TWO CHILDREN PRIOR TO HARVEY.
[HUNTER MUKLEBUST: NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO WONDER WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. NO FAMILY SHOULD LIVE WITH THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WE CARRY.]
HARVEY’S LAW CALLS FOR CAMERAS IN INFANT AND TODDLER AREAS AT DAYCARES THAT TAKE STATE FUNDING ... WITH VIDEO FOOTAGE SAVED FOR 60 DAYS.
THERE ARE TWO OTHER PIECES OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOCUSED ON YOUNG CHILDREN ...
ONE WOULD INCREASE SECURITY FOR CHILDREN AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF IMMIGRATION AGENTS ... RESTRICT ACCESS TO CHILD CARES AND REQUIRING A JUDGE-SIGNED WARRANT AND I-D.
ANOTHER FOCUSES ON FRAUD PREVENTION, OVERSIGHT, AND INSPECTIONS.
--DISABILITY LAW--
AND FINALLY …
MINNESOTANS WITH DISABILITIES SAY HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS IS ALREADY DIFFICULT … A NEW BILL AT THE CAPITOL WOULD GIVE THEM STRONGER LEGAL GROUNDS IF THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEVER HAPPEN AT ALL.
SUPPORTERS SAY THE PROBLEM ISN’T ALWAYS A FORMAL DENIAL WHEN ASKING FOR ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE ACCESSIBLE EQUIPMENT OR OTHER SUPPORTS AT WORK OR SCHOOL … SOMETIMES EMPLOYERS, LANDLORDS OR SCHOOLS SIMPLY DON’T ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS AT ALL.
[REP HICKS: I'M LITERALLY JUST TRYING TO GET PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO BE HEARD WHEN THEY SAY WE ARE AFRAID. WE ARE SCARED. WE DO NOT FEEL LIKE WE CAN CONSISTENTLY ENGAGE IN THE ACCOMMODATION PROCESS AND WE'RE ASKING FOR PROTECTION.]
THE BILL WOULD CLARIFY THAT REFUSING TO EVEN DISCUSS AN ACCOMMODATION REQUEST MAY COUNT AS DISCRIMINATION UNDER STATE LAW.
THE BILL ADVANCED OUT OF COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY AND NOW HEADS TO THE HOUSE FLOOR.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.