GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Sept. 9 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary: * * * Amazon leaves Becker in the lurch with loss of data center * Today, the Minnesota Star Tribune 's Walker Orenstein published an assessment of the challenges facing Becker after Amazon abandoned its planned data center : For now, the land will remain vacant. In May, the tech   more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Sept. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota posted the following news release on Sept. 9, 2025: * * * Defendant Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal Judge Ivers was arrested after exhibiting concerning behaviors at a library and church * Robert Phillip Ivers, age 72, was charged by complaint with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Ivers was previously convicted fe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration has issued a notice regarding its final environmental actions for the Metro Blue Line Light Rail Extension Project in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The project will extend the Metro Blue Line by approximately 13.4 miles, connecting Downtown Minneapolis to the cities of Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park. The project is a collaboration between the Metropolitan Council, the City of Saint Paul and   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Finstad Leads Charge to Hold Minnesota Accountable on SNAP * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, led his colleagues in sending a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, raising serious concerns about the state's administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), consider  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: * * * ICE St. Paul assists in arresting 2 Minnesota men for funding and directing kidnappings, bombings, and killings overseas * MINNEAPOLIS -- A federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment charging naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with organizing, directing, and financing kidnappings, bombings,  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Hearing on Meta's Neglect of Children's Online Safety * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee hearing titled "Hidden Harms: Examining Whistleblower Allegations that Meta Buried Child Safety Research." Testifyi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- U.S. Term Limits issued the following news release: * * * Mike Holmstrom Pledges to Support Congressional Term Limits Delano, MN - U.S. Term Limits (USTL), the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation. Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress. 2025 Minnesota state senate candidate, Mike Holmstrom  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- The Minnesota Home Care Association (MHCA) has issued a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), urging the agency to halt proposed cuts to home health payment rates for the calendar year 2026. The association warns that these reductions could greatly threaten access to essential care and the financial sustainability of home health agencies. According to MHCA, CMS's projected 6.4% reduction in payments may, in reality, translate to an a  more

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Sept. 9 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary: * * * Omar Fateh shilled for HSS * KARE-11 TV is out with a report, KARE 11 Investigates: Ethics questions emerge over Sen. Fateh's housing bill and wife's company ties. Sen. Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) is by some accounts the front-runner to be elected Minneapolis mayor in Nov  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (TNSFR) -- The Office of Personnel Management is abolishing the Hennepin, Minnesota, nonappropriated fund Federal Wage System wage area. The final rule will redefine most of the counties within that area to the nearest nonappropriated fund Federal Wage System wage areas. Counties that do not have nonappropriated fund Federal Wage System employment will no longer be part of a wage area. The changes were recommended by the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee due to a de  more

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Sept. 9 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary: * * * Property tax hikes: Its the spending * One of the most common complaints about property taxes is that they function like a wealth tax, where the increase in the notional value of an asset -- stocks or bonds in your usual wealth tax proposal, your house in the case of property   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 9, 2025: * * * Ranking Member Angie Craig Opening Statement at Nutrition Subcommittee Hearing Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) delivered the following opening statement at a Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee hearing titled "Exploring State Options in SNAP." [As prepared for delivery.] Thank you  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. McCollum Joins with Rep. Baird in Reintroducing the Bicarmeral and Bipartisan Part Act * Today, Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN), Chair of the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conversation, Research, and Biotechnology, and Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Dean of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, re-introduced the Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts (PART) Act to curb the theft of catalyt  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Statement Condemning Israel's Illegal Strike on the Nation of Qatar * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement on Tuesday in response to reports of an Israeli strike on Qatar: "I unequivocally condemn Israel's attack on Qatar, a neutral nation that has mediated peace talks for nearly two  more

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Sept. 9 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary: * * * Third-grade reading proficiency has dropped for the 4th consecutive year * Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is not only critical for a child's future educational outcomes but also future career opportunities, earning potential, and economic mobility. Statewide,  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Lead Push to Reinstate Energy Projects for Farmers, Small Businesses * Sixteen Senators are demanding the Trump Administration reverse canceling the bipartisan Rural Energy for America Program WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led fourteen colleagues in demanding the Tru  more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Sept. 9 -- Xcel Energy issued the following news release: * * * Xcel Energy Offers Free Home Energy Assessments to Help Qualified Residents Save on Energy Bills Eau Claire, Wis. (Sept. 8, 2025) - Xcel Energy is launching a new initiative aimed at helping income-qualified customers improve their home energy efficiency and reduce their energy bills. Beginning this month, Xcel Energy is offering free home energy assessments to qualified customers. The assessments are con  more