MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, April 4 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on April 3, 2024: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Minneapolis-St. Paul's Express Consignment Facility intercepted a shipment filled with 364 pieces of counterfeit designer bracelets, earring, rings, and necklaces on April 2. The shipment arrived from Hong Kong and contained jewelry bearing the trademarks of famous luxury brands, incl  more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following working paper on April 3, 2024, by economist Ayushi Narayan and Assistant Vice President Ryan Nunn, all from the Community Development and Engagement division. Here are excerpts: * * * Abstract Labor market inequality encompasses both dispersion in earnings and employment. While earnings dispersion is relatively straightforward to assess, employment dispersion presents difficulties. We offer a n  more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, April 4 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following Economic Research report (No. 605) on April 3, 2024, entitled "How Do Voters Respond to Welfare vis-a-vis Public Good Programs? An Empirical Test for Clientelism." The report was written by senior research economist Anusha Nath, Pranab Bardhan from the University of California, Sandip Mitra from the Indian Statistical Institute and Dilip Mookherjee from Boston University. Here are excerpts:  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 4 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on April 3, 2024: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today led a coalition of six attorneys general in filing a Supreme Court amicus brief supporting the respondents in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. The brief argues that the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment prohibits punishing people for sleeping on public property when they have no other place to lawfully sle  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued the following news: Demand is high for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's (MDA) new Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant. The MDA recently awarded 81 grants to individual producers, producer groups, and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. The grants total over $2.35 million. Interest far outpaced available funding. The MDA received 284 applications for $8.4 million in requests   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 (TNSres) -- The Minnesota Department of Health issued the following news release on April 3, 2024: New data released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today showed mixed results regarding health insurance coverage in the state during 2023. Minnesotans who went without care due to costs and those who expressed concerns about the financial protection of health insurance both increased, but the percentage of state residents without health care coverage remain  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 3, 2024: Yesterday Senate Democrats passed a partisan, mandate-heavy education policy omnibus bill. The legislation fails to address the three areas where schools need the most support: increasing academic success, providing mandate relief and improving school safety. "Democrats have focused on passing education bills loaded with unfunded mandates, and our districts cannot afford this - th  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 3, 2024: Today Senate Democrats passed a partisan, mandate-heavy education policy omnibus bill. The legislation fails to address the three areas where schools need the most support: increasing academic success, providing mandate relief and improving school safety. "Just last week, we got the latest report showing graduation rates are slipping for Minnesota students. Combined with the fact   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news: Small cities, towns, and townships across Minnesota could soon get an infusion of $25 million for street and road repairs under legislation authored by State Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault) that is moving through the Senate. The bill, Senate File 4899, provides funding to address a gap before a new dedicated funding stream for smaller municipal road projects kicks in next year. The proposal wa  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 3, 2024: Senate Democrats today passed a labor policy omnibus bill (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3852&ssn=0&y=2024) that does little to increase employment opportunities or make Minnesota a competitive place to grow a business. Instead, it contains burdensome policies that will ultimately increase costs for businesses and result in job loss and decreased earnings f  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news: Today Senate Republicans voted to repair last year's tax bill that wrongly moved the date to end the Net Operating Loss (NOL) to 2023 instead of 2024, causing higher taxes for small businesses and entrepreneurs earlier than expected. "When we make mistakes, it's our job to fix them," Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne) said. "I'm glad we are finally taking up the bill today to repair the damage from la  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 4 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following newsletter on April 3, 2024, by State Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe: * * * Friends and neighbors, As you know, Democrats in the legislature this session have indicated they wanted to legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota. As I have written before, this is a terrible idea. It sends a tragic message to our most vulnerable loved ones not only that they are disposable, but that by remaining alive they   more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, April 4 -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued the following news: Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announces, along with 13 other state Attorneys General, a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor calling for more detail on payroll forms submitted by contractors regarding workers on public projects. The existing forms do not require comprehensive information to be provided regarding pay, deductions, and benefits -- which makes it easier for  more