A political row over a controversial streamer in Minneapolis, Twin Lakes’ City Council wants answers over a thrown rat, and the horns blow for UMN’s Homecoming.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[UMN MARCHING BAND ON PARADE]
HOMECOMING HITS THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS TONIGHT...
PLUS...
REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR SPEAKS OUT ON M-S NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AGENTS RAIDED HER D-C HOME...
BUT FIRST... OMAR IS ALSO AT THE CENTER OF A DIFFERENT CONTROVERSY.
AN UPCOMING PUBLIC CAMPAIGN EVENT IS CREATING BACKLASH WITHIN HER OWN PARTY... AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
OMAR AND STATE SENATOR OMAR FATEH ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR MONDAY WITH POLITICAL STREAMER HASAN PIKER... A FAR-LEFT POLITICAL COMMENTATOR WITH A MASSIVE FOLLOWING... AND A HISTORY OF DIVISIVE COMMENTS
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA AND THE DAKOTAS AND SOME STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERS ARE CONDEMNING THE EVENT...CALLING IT A BETRAYAL ... ACCUSING PIKER OF A HISTORY OF ANTISEMITIC AND HATEFUL RHETORIC.
NOT EVERY JEWISH DEMOCRAT AGREES ...
[ELI SHERMAN, MPLS DFL: WHETHER YOU LIKE HIM OR NOT, HE TURNS OUT YOUTH VOTERS, AND THAT SHOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.]
MINNEAPOLIS D-F-L VICE-CHAIR ELI SHERMAN CALLS PIKER A “SHOCK JOCK” WHO’S MADE SOME REGRETABLE COMMENTS … BUT DOESN’T THINK HE’S ANTISEMETIC … AND SAYS DEMOCRATS SHOULD RECOGNIZE HIS INFLUENCE.
[ELI SHERMAN, MPLS DFL: TO ME IT FEELS LIKE A WEAPONIZATION OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN A VERY GROSS WAY, IN ORDER TO CAUSE CONTROVERSY FOR MUSLIM ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT YOU DON’T LIKE.]
SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR... CONGRESSWOMAN ANGIE CRAIG... AND THE D-F-L FEMINIST AND JEWISH CAUCUSES HAVE EACH CRITICIZED PIKER'S APPEARANCE OR OMAR'S DECISION TO APPEAR ALONGSIDE HIM...
--OMAR MSNOW INTERVIEW--
IN HER FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE THE RAID ON HER D-C HOME... … ON M-S-NOW... U-S CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR SAYS THE RAID WAS AN ATTEMPT SHOW MAGA SUPPORTERS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS FULFILLING HIS PROMISE TO INVESTIGATE HER..
AND TO STOP DEMOCRATS FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION..
[ILHAN OMAR: I THINK ULTIMATELY THEIR GOAL IS TO INTIMIDATE AND LIKE SCARE PEOPLE FROM WANTING TO PARTICIPATE AND VOTE.]
OMAR SAYS THE AGENTS TOOK PHONES FROM MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY... AND HER HUSBAND'S CAMERA... AS AGENTS EXAMINE WHETHER DECADES-OLD IMMIGRATION RECORDS CONTAIN FALSE INFORMATION...
--AG VOTER INCIDENT REPORTING--
MINNESOTA VOTERS HAVE A NEW WAY TO REPORT THREATS RELATED TO VOTING OR DECEPTIVE ELECTION MESSAGES.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS LAUNCHED AN ONLINE FORM FOR VOTER INTIMIDATION ... THREATS AGAINST ELECTION WORKERS ... AND DEEPFAKES.
THE FORM IS ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S WEBSITE ...
THE A-G SAYS THREATS OR DECEPTION AT POLLING PLACES SHOULD ALSO BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY ... TO AN ELECTION JUDGE AND POLICE ...
--TWIN LAKES CITY COUNCIL RAT THROWING--
IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA ... SOMEONE THREW A DEAD RAT AT THE TWIN LAKES CITY COUNCIL DURING A MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH...
NOW.. THE COUNCIL IS ASKING THE FREEBORN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE ... WITH ANY CRIMINAL COMPLAINT REFERRED TO COUNTY PROSECUTORS ...
ONE COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS THE INCIDENT ALSO CREATED A POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD ...
THE 'RAT-THROWING INCIDENT' COMES AFTER MONTHS OF BITTER DISPUTES ABOUT THE TWIN LAKES' GOVERNMENT ...
--86-YEAR-OLD BUS DRIVER IN SAINT CLOUD--
IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA ... POLICE SAY AN EIGHTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD SCHOOL BUS DRIVER HIT A WOMAN IN A SAINT CLOUD CROSSWALK TUESDAY ...
HER INJURIES WERE LIFE-THREATENING ... NO STUDENTS WERE HURT ...
MINNESOTA SETS NO MAXIMUM AGE FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ... BUT REQUIRES MEDICAL EXAMS AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS ...
IF A DRIVER FAILS THAT PHYSICAL ... THE STATE CANCELS THE ENDORSEMENT ALLOWING THEM TO DRIVE A SCHOOL BUS ...
--COOK COUNTY YMCA--
PLANS TO CLOSE CHILD CARE SERVICES AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AT THE Y-M-C-A IN COOK COUNTY ON MINNESOTA’S NORTH SHORE HAS PARENTS ASKING COUNTY LEADERS FOR HELP.
THE Y PLANS SAYS IT IS CLOSING CHILD CARE BECAUSE OF STAFFING AND ENROLLMENT PROBLEMS.
PARENTS SAY GRAND MARAIS’ OTHER LICENSED PROGRAMS HAVE NO OPENINGS FOR CHILDREN UNDER TWO.
[LAUREL WILSON, YMCA PARENT: COOK COUNTY IS IN A CHILDCARE CRISIS. HOW ARE EMPLOYERS SUPPOSED TO ATTRACT OR KEEP STAFF IF THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE NOWHERE TO SEND THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN?]
STATE LABOR OFFICIALS SAY WORKER SHORTAGES LIMIT CHILD CARE CAPACITY ACROSS MINNESOTA
COOK COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE MEETING TODAY/FRIDAY WITH Y-M-C-A LEADERS ... AND EXPECT TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AT TUESDAY’S BOARD MEETING ...
--3M LAYOFFS--
AND... 60-JOBS WILL BE ELIMINATED AT 3-M'S FAIRMONT PLANT IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT WILL CLOSE THE LOCATION BY THE END OF DECEMBER.
EMPLOYEES LEARNED OF THE CLOSURE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR...
THREE-M SAYS IT'S OFFERING WORKERS SEVERANCE ...
--U OF M HOMEOMING--
AND FINALLY….
[UMN MARCHING BAND]
MAROON AND GOLD WILL TAKE OVER UNIVERSITY AVENUE IN MINNEAPOLIS TONIGHT ...
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA’S HOMECOMING PARADE STEPS OFF AT SIX-THIRTY ... WITH THE MARCHING BAND ... FLOATS ... STUDENT GROUPS ... AND PLENTY OF GOPHER SPIRIT ...
THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION ALSO MARKS THE UNIVERSITY’S ONE-HUNDRED-SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ...
THE PARADE RUNS EAST FROM TWELFTH AVENUE TO WALNUT STREET ...
AND THAT’S ONE WAY TO MARCH INTO THE WEEKEND ...
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I'M XAN HOLSTON.