WASHINGTON, June 2 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * Unemployment rates under 3.0 percent in 77 metropolitan areas in April 2025 Unemployment rates were higher in April 2025 than a year earlier in 286 of the 387 metropolitan areas, lower in 72 areas, and unchanged in 29 areas. A total of 77 metropolitan areas had unemployment rates of less than 3.0 percent and 8 areas had rates of at least 8.0 percent  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * Daines, Smith, Larsen, Zinke Introduce Bill to Combat Drug Trafficking in Montana's Tribal Communities * U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Representative Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) today announced the bipartisan "Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act" to   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 6 -- The Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus issued the following news release on June 5, 2025: * * * DFL Lawmakers Thank MPCA for Beginning Process to Revoke Northern Iron Permit Yesterday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced it has taken the first steps to revoke Northern Iron's operating permit. This action was only taken because Northern Iron has repeatedly failed to provide MPCA with information required under state law to write a   more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Finstad's Legislation Passes House, Protecting Small Businesses from Harmful Sanctuary City Policies * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Committee on Small Business, released a statement following House passage of H.R. 2931, the Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act, with bipartisan support : "By circumventing federal law and encouraging illegal immigran  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Five Highs Gang Members Convicted by Jury of RICO Conspiracy, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Offenses * Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted five Minnesota men today for their involvement in the Highs -- a violent Minneapolis street gang -- and in gang-related murders, shootings, and narcotics distribution. According to court documents and evidence presented at tri  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: [VIDEO] Rep. Omar Condemns Trump's Travel Ban * WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) joined a press conference in front of the United States Capitol Building to condemn President Donald Trump's travel ban and to reintroduce the NO BAN Act. The Congresswoman emphasized how disastrous Trump's racist travel ban will be. It will keep families separated and endanger lives. Rep. Omar also   more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, issued the following news release on June 4, 2025: * * * Klobuchar Highlights Negative Impacts of Proposed Republican Cuts to SNAP At Spotlight Forum WASHINGTON--Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, emphasized the importance of SNAP and the risks it faces due to the House Republic  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 (TNSFR) -- Mercyhurst University, Erie, Pennsylvania, has issued a notice of inventory completion, a type of rule, through the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service. This action, taken in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, signifies that the university has completed an inventory of human remains and established a cultural affiliation between these remains and various Indian Tribes. The inventory identifies human remain  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 6 -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued the following news on June 5, 2025: * * * Wiste's Meat Market Recalls Blueberry Wild Rice Summer Sausage and Original and Cheddar Beef Sticks Due to Improper Processing No reports of adverse reactions or illness due to consumption * Wiste's Meat Market of Janesville, MN is voluntarily recalling three meat products that may have become adulterated due to improper processing procedures and which were produced withou  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, June 6 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service issued the following news on June 5, 2025: * * * NOAA Satellites Monitor Canadian Wildfires and Smoke Since mid-May, NOAA satellites have been closely monitoring heat signatures and thick plumes of smoke (some stretching thousands of miles) from wildfires burning across Canada. Driven by heat, drought, and dry conditions, more than 160 fires k  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSFR) -- The Office of Personnel Management is proposing a rule to abolish the Hennepin, Minnesota, nonappropriated fund Federal wage system wage area. This action is necessary due to declining NAF FWS employment and the inability of local activities to conduct wage surveys in the area. The proposed rule would redefine most of Hennepin's counties to the nearest NAF FWS wage areas, with counties lacking NAF FWS employment no longer being defined to a NAF wage area. Currentl  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following news release on June 5, 2025: * * * Ranking Member Angie Craig Opening Statement at Conservation Subcommittee Hearing Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) delivered the following opening statement at a Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee hearing titled "Supporting Farmers, Strengthening Conservation, Sustaining Working  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release on June 4, 2025: * * * U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Presses Trump's Head of the Small Business Administration to Support Tariff Exemptions for Small Businesses Rep. Morrison questions Small Business Administrator Loeffler * WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) questioned the United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler at a hearing of the U.  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minnesota, issued the following floor remarks on June 3, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2025. I will start by thanking my friend and colleague from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey) for introducing this bill and for his hard work in getting this bill to this poin  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minnesota, issued the following floor remarks on June 3, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act. I want to begin by thanking my colleagues from California, Missouri, and New Hampshire, Representatives Simon, Alford, and Pappas, for their support of thi  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Reps. Craig, Levin Reintroduce Legislation to Require Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Hotel Rooms and Short-Term Rentals * WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig (MN-02) and Mike Levin (CA-49) reintroduced legislation to require that carbon monoxide detectors be installed in every hotel and motel room and short-term rental across the country. Rep. Craig originally introduced the Stay  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Jesus Garcia, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Reps. Garcia, Davis, Tlaib Demand Answers from HHS on Chaotic and Sudden Closure of Head Start Offices * CHICAGO -- Representatives Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Danny Davis (IL-07), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) led 22 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers about the abrupt decision to close all Head Start offices in R  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the following news release on June 5, 2025: * * * Sanctuary Governors to Testify at Oversight Committee on June 12 WASHINGTON--House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today announced "A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors." Governors of Illinois, Minnesota, and New York will testify at the hearing on their states' sanctuary poli  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate Award to Repair Flood Damage from Rapidan Dam Failure * ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced a grant for Southeastern Minnesota to survey and repair damage done by severe storms in May 2024, which caused flooding and damage to road infrastructure in 42 counties. One notable example is the Rapidan  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * Zinke, Daines, Smith, Larsen Introduce Bill to Combat Drug Trafficking in Montana's Tribal Communities * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Representative Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), today announced the bipartisan "Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act  more