Severe heat hits Minnesota, deadly motorcycle accidents are up, and Inver Grove Heights votes to hold off on data centers.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP …
[SPEAKER DEMUTH: THE MOTION PREVAILS … THE HOUSE STANDS ADJOURNED SINE DIE.]
SOME NEW LAWS PASSED DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION GO INTO EFFECT THIS WEEK ... BUT FIRST
--HEAT WARNING --
DANGEROUS HEAT IS MOVING INTO MINNESOTA TODAY … AND PARTS OF THE STATE ARE UNDER AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING ... REACHING INTO THE TRIPLE DIGITS.
WHILE THIS ISN’T ‘UNHEARD OF’ IN MINNESOTA... THE AVERAGE HIGH FOR LATE JUNE IS 82 DEGREES.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE HEAT INDEX ... WHICH IS HOW HOT IT FEELS … COULD CLIMB AS HIGH AS 110 IN PARTS OF CENTRAL, SOUTHERN, AND EASTERN MINNESOTA.
TODAY IS EXPECTED TO BE THE HOTTEST DAY … BUT FORECASTERS SAY HIGH HUMIDITY COULD KEEP HEAT LEVELS HIGH FOR ALL WEEK.
HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY PEOPLE SHOULD DRINK PLENTY OF WATER … AVOID INTENSE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY … AND CHECK ON OLDER ADULTS, CHILDREN … AND NEIGHBORS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
WARNING SIGNS OF HEAT ILLNESS IN PEOPLE INCLUDES DIZZINESS … NAUSEA …CONFUSION … OR A FAST PULSE.
[HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY PLAY IT SAFE: STAY IN AIR CONDITIONING WHEN YOU CAN … AVOID THE DIRECT SUN … BRING PETS INDOORS … AND NEVER LEAVE KIDS OR PETS IN A PARKED CAR.]
FARMERS ARE ALSO URGED TO WATCH LIVESTOCK CLOSELY.
--INVER GROVE HEIGHTS DATA MORATORIUM--
AFTER A LAST-MINUTE CITY COUNCIL MEETING … AND WITH A POSSIBLE LAWSUIT LOOMING … INVER GROVE HEIGHTS IS HITTING PAUSE ON DATA CENTERS.
THE SOUTH-METRO CITY COUNCIL VOTED THREE-TO-TWO FRIDAY TO STOP NEW DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT FOR ONE YEAR.
THE MORATORIUM ALSO APPLIES TO A PROPOSED DATA CENTER BY A COMPANY CALLED QLEVR … WHICH HAS THREATENED TO SUE THE CITY FOR 150-MILLION DOLLARS IF IT DENIES THE PROJECT.
COMMUNITY MEMEMBERS TURNED OUT IN FORCE TO A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING … RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE, WATER USE, AND REPRESENTATION.
[INVER GROVE HEIGHTS RESIDENT: WHO IS THIS BENEFITING? NO ONE IN HERE WANTS THIS. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY YOU SERVE US?]
CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE PAUSE GIVES THEM TIME TO STUDY THE ISSUE ... AND WRITE LONG-TERM RULES FOR DATA CENTERS.
--NEW LAWS IN EFFECT JULY 1--
SOME NEW LAWS TO WATCH OUT FOR TAKE EFFECT ON JULY FIRST...
MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO START DEVELOPING ANONYMOUS THREAT REPORTING SYSTEMS ... WITH POLICIES THAT WILL GIVE STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF GUIDELINES AND TOOLS TO REPORT DANGEROUS OR THREATENING ACTIVITY.
MEANWHILE … LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE TO ALERT TEACHER LICENSING BOARDS WHEN A TEACHER IS CHARGED WITH CERTAIN SERIOUS CRIMES.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WILL NOW HAVE TO SHOW USERS A MENTAL HEALTH WARNING EACH TIME THEY LOG ON … AND LINK TO RESOURCES INCLUDING THE --9-8-8-- NATIONAL SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE.
MINNESOTA IS ALSO PUTTING NEARLY 48-MILLION DOLLARS INTO PUBLIC SAFETY … INCLUDING CAPITOL AND COURTHOUSE SECURITY … AND MONITORING THREATS AGAINST JUDGES AND COURT STAFF.
--ONLINE HATE--
WHILE THE STATE SPENDS MORE TO PROTECT PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN PERSON … A NEW REPORT SAYS ABUSE AIMED AT THEM ONLINE IS GETTING WORSE.
REPORTER MIKE MOEN REPORTS THE CENTER FOR COUNTERING DIGITAL HATE ANALYZED NEARLY EIGHT-MILLION FACEBOOK COMMENTS … AFTER META RELAXED ITS RULES ON HARASSMENT AND VIOLENT LANGUAGE LAST YEAR.
THE GROUP SAYS VIOLENT THREATS AGAINST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS QUADRUPLED IN THE SIX MONTHS AFTER THE CHANGE.
C-E-O IMRAN AHMED SAYS ONLINE ABUSE CAN DRIVE PEOPLE OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE:
[IMRAN AHMED: WE HAVE TO LOOK OURSELVES IN THE FACE AND SAY, ‘WELL, IS THIS THE COUNTRY THAT WE WANT FOR OURSELVES?’ BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE THREATEN OR TERRORIZE A POLITICIAN OUT OF OFFICE, OUR DEMOCRACY DIES A LITTLE BIT.]
THE STUDY SUGGESTS SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES NEED TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW THEY TRACK THREATS, HARASSMENT AND ABUSE.
--MOTORCYCLE DEATHS--
MINNESOTA IS SEEING A SHARP JUMP IN DEADLY MOTORCYCLE CRASHES THIS YEAR.
32 MOTORCYCLISTS HAVE DIED IN FATAL ACCIDENTS AS OF JUNE 18TH … COMPARED WITH 14 AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.
CARVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S LIEUTENANT TYLER STAHN SAYS HIS COUNTY EXPERIENCED ITS FIRST A MOTORCYCLE FATALITY THIS MONTH … AND HE SAYS RIDERS AND DRIVERS BOTH NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.
[LT. TYLER STAHN: ESPECIALLY WITH MOTORCYCLES BEING ALLOWED TO DO WHAT’S CALLED LANE SPLITTING NOW, WHERE AT LOW SPEEDS AT STOPLIGHTS THEY’RE ALLOWED TO MOVE BETWEEN OTHER CARS, IT CAN INCREASE THE RISK TO THEM.]
THE LANE-SPLITTING LAW WENT INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR... IT ALLOWS 'LANE-SPLITTING' UP TO 25 MILES AN HOUR … AND NO MORE THAN 15 OVER SURROUNDING TRAFFIC.
STATE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS HAVE NOT LINKED THE NEW LAW TO THE SPIKE … BUT OFFICIALS SAY BOTH RIDERS AND DRIVERS NEED TO LOOK TWICE.
--BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AWARD--
AND FINALLY …
A SAINT CLOUD STUDENT IS TAKING HER STORY FROM MINNESOTA TO THE NATIONAL STAGE.
A MEMBER OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA HAS BEEN NAMED THE 2026 MIDWEST ‘YOUTH OF THE YEAR.’
SHE’S ONE OF FIVE REGIONAL FINALISTS NOW COMPETING FOR THE NATIONAL TITLE THIS FALL IN NEW YORK.
THE TEENAGER HAS BEEN PART OF THE CLUB FOR 12 YEARS … SHE SAYS SHE’S AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WITHOUT A VOICE … AND IS GOING TO COLLEGE TO BECOME A PROSECUTOR AND FAMILY ATTORNEY.
THE AWARD GIVES HER MORE THAN 42-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SCHOLARSHIPS.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.