House Republicans in Washington grill Governor Walz, “Harvey’s Law” aims to add security to childcare, and Minnesota honors Nicole Amor.
Transcript
I’M XAN HOLSTON WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE.
AFTER MONTHS OF SECRECY… GOOGLE IS OUTED AS THE COMPANY BEHIND A CONTROVERSIAL DATA CENTER…
AND … STATE FISHERIES WANT TO KNOW YOUR ANGLE …
BUT FIRST …
A MINNESOTA WOMAN IS ONE OF SIX ARMY SOLDIERS KILLED IN A DRONE ATTACK WHILE SERVING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY.
THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD SERGEANT FIRST CLASS NICOLE M. AMOR WAS FROM WHITE BEAR LAKE.
SHE WAS PART OF THE ONE-HUNDRED-THIRD SUSTAINMENT COMMAND UNIT OUT OF DES MOINES, IOWA.
ALL SIX SOLDIERS DIED IN A DRONE ATTACK ON SUNDAY IN KUWAIT
[MUSIC TRANSITION
--KRISTI NOEM--
[Q: WHEN YOU FAIL DO YOU ADMIT IT PUBLICLY? NOEM: ABSOLUTELY… PROTESTOR YELLING IN BACK]
A PROTESTOR HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM A SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING WHILE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM WAS BEING QUESTIONED BY SENATORS.
NOEM REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO APOLOGIZE FOR CALLING ALEX PRETTI “A DOMESTIC TERRORIST”.
[NOEM: I DID NOT CALL HIM A DOMESTIC TERRORIST. I SAID IT APPEARED TO BE AN INCIDENT OF.]
THIS WAS NOEM’S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APPEARANCE SINCE FEDERAL AGENTS KILLED RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI.
MEANWHILE … IN RESPONSE TO HENNEPIN COUNTY’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT IS PURSUING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST SOME FEDERAL OFFICERS INVOLVED WITH OPERATION METRO SURGE … NOEM’S DEPARTMENT RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING THAT’S UNLAWFUL AND THE OFFICERS ARE IMMUNE.
--GOOGLE DATA CENTER--
AFTER MONTHS OF SECRECY, WE NOW KNOW GOOGLE IS THE TECH GIANT BEHIND THE CONTROVERSIAL DATA CENTER PLANNED FOR HERMANTOWN.
GOOGLE’S REVEAL COMES AFTER IT ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR ANOTHER DATA CENTER IN PINE ISLAND LAST WEEK.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES … AS WELL AS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS.
COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WERE REQUIRED TO SIGN NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS TO NEGOTIATE THE HERMANTOWN CENTER WITH DEVELOPERS … A HIGHLY UNUSUAL STEP THAT KEPT GOOGLE’S NAME OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW.
MEANWHILE … SOUTH METRO SUBURB EAGAN RECENTLY INSTITUTED A ONE-YEAR BAN ANY NEW DATA CENTERS.
--THOMPSON REUTERS--
ALSO IN EAGAN … SOME THOMSON REUTERS EMPLOYEES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS ARE USING ONE OF THE COMPANY’S DATA TOOLS.
THEY SAY ICE IS USING THE COMPANY’S ‘CLEAR’ DATABASE TO ACCESS ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, VEHICLE RECORDS AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION.
THOMPSON REUTERS’ WORKERS SAY THEY’RE WORRIED THE DATABASE IS BEING USED TO TRACK AND DETAIN IMMIGRANTS … INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH NO CRIMINAL HISTORY.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT LICENSES THE DATABASE FOR LEGAL AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES … AND IT’S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW INFORMATION IS USED.
--TARGET Q4--
TARGET REPORTED ANOTHER DROP IN SALES THIS QUARTER.
BUT THE MINNEAPOLIS-BASED RETAILER SAYS IT IS TURNING A CORNER … AND POINTS TO RECENTLY IMPROVED SALES AND NEW PLANS TO INVEST MORE IN STORES … PREDICTING MODEST GROWTH THIS YEAR.
--HIBBING STRIKE AVERTED--
CLASS IS IN SESSION IN HIBBING AFTER SCHOOL WORKERS HIT PAUSE ON A POTENTIAL STRIKE FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE WEEKS.
DISTRICT LEADERS AND AFSCME LOCAL 480 AGREED TO KEEP NEGOTIATING AN ONGOING CONTRACT DISPUTE.
MEDIATION ON MONDAY EASED IMMEDIATE CONCERNS OF A STRIKE… AND BOTH SIDES PLAN TO RETURN TO THE TABLE MARCH SEVENTEENTH.
--BEMIDJI SCHOOL CLOSURE--
THE BEMIDJI SCHOOL BOARD IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO CLOSING J-W SMITH ELEMENTARY … AFTER A UNANIMOUS VOTE MONDAY TO ADVANCE THE PLAN.
THE DISTRICT FACES A THREE-POINT-FIVE MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTFALL … DRIVEN BY DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND RISING COSTS.
THE PRINCIPAL URGED BOARD MEMBERS TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN … CITING ITS ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
[BRUCE GOODWIN: JW SMITH ELEMENTARY IS NOT JUST A SCHOOL. JW SMITH IS INTERTWINED INTO THE FABRIC OF BEMIDJI.]
THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION AFTER ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING … AS IT WORKS TO FINALIZE THE DISTRICT BUDGET.
--FOND DU LAC MICRO GRANTS--
THE FOND DU LAC AGRICULTURAL DIVISION IS OFFERING MICRO-GRANTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD PRODUCERS.
THE DIVISION WILL AWARD TEN GRANTS OF UP TO ONE-THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH … TO HELP WITH PLANTING, HARVESTING, PROCESSING AND OTHER FOOD PRODUCTION NEEDS.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE APRIL NINTH … APPLY AT THE FOND DU LAC WEBSITE.
--DNR FISHERY SURVEY--
AND FINALLY …
ANGLERS … WHAT’S YOUR ANGLE?
THE MINNESOTA D-N-R IS UPDATING FISHERY PLANS FOR NEARLY TWO-HUNDRED LAKES THIS YEAR … AND IS ASKING FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
ANGLERS FROM AITKIN TO YELLOW MEDICINE CAN SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON FISH HABITATS … POPULATIONS … AND THE KIND OF FISHING THEY WANT.
THE DEADLINE TO WEIGH IN IS MARCH THIRTY-FIRST.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.