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George Floyd’s brother: ‘Make sure that he is more than another face on a t-shirt’
WASHINGTON — George Floyd’s younger brother, Philonise Floyd, pleaded with lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday to ensure that his brother didn’t die in vain. “I can’t tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch something like that. When you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life […]
George Floyd’s death renews complaints about Klobuchar’s record as veepstakes heat up
WASHINGTON — George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis this week has flared up criticisms of Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s record on responding to killings by police when she was Hennepin County Attorney. It could complicate her political prospects. Klobuchar has reportedly been asked by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to undergo vetting to be No. 2 […]
Trump’s critics warn his order to keep meatpacking plants open imperils workers
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators are accusing President Donald Trump of putting workers at risk by ordering meat and poultry processors to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Democrats — including Catherine Cortez Masto, Bob Casey, Sherrod Brown, Chris Van Hollen Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin are asking Trump to amend an executive order he signed […]
3M powers up in Washington as profile rises over PPE
Editor’s note: This story is the second in an occasional series looking at Minnesota companies’ lobbying presence in Washington. WASHINGTON — By March 11, public concern over the coronavirus pandemic had escalated dramatically in the United States. The NBA canceled its season. Actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife had tested positive for […]
St. Louis Park health care worker: “We don’t have any tests”
Brianne Bernini, an emergency department technician at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park was told when she arrived at work last Thursday that she’d get one face shield to use for her entire six-hour shift. A few hours later, she and her co-workers were informed they’d have to keep their masks safe because […]
Pandemic spurs U.S. Senate to pass historic aid package
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate late Wednesday night approved a $2 trillion spending bill that aims to provide economic relief for workers and businesses and to aid hospitals and states reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber voted 96-0 to pass the bill in an unusual display of bipartisanship. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested […]
Congress rebukes Trump’s bid to slash CDC funding amid outbreak
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers resoundingly rebuffed a Trump administration request to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the coronavirus crisis. The CDC director testified Tuesday before the House Appropriations Committee, where Republicans and Democrats alike said Congress won’t comply with the budget cuts requested in Trump’s fiscal year 2021 […]
Cargill spent $1.4M last year on lobbying in DC. Here’s where the money is going.
Editors note: This story is the first in an occasional series looking at Minnesota companies’ lobbying presence in Washington. WASHINGTON — The Minneapolis-based agriculture behemoth Cargill ranked as the largest private company in the United States for the 12th straight year in 2019, Forbes reported. It also beefed up its lobbying spending in Washington. The […]
U.S. Senate rejects two anti-abortion bills
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn’t allow many bills to get floor votes these days, but he made an exception Tuesday for two bills intended to curb abortion access. Two GOP-led anti-abortion bills failed on procedural votes Tuesday as expected. The politically charged bills have both failed during previous Senate floor votes and […]
Rep. Tom Emmer on the rise in Washington and winning friends on Wall Street
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer peered over the shoulders of his fellow GOP lawmakers to get a glimpse of President Donald Trump. It was May 2018, and the president was signing legislation that scaled back some of the banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. Emmer and other lawmakers who helped push the […]
Ex-Forest Service chief at House hearing: Don’t make Boundary Waters testing ground for acid mine drainage
WASHINGTON — In late 2016, just before the Obama administration exited, the chief of the Forest Service issued formal opposition to a mining company’s bid to renew a lease near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Then-Forest Service chief Thomas Tidwell, a 40-year veteran of the agency, determined that the potential environmental risk to the […]
Trump made his pitch for 4 more years. Pelosi ripped up the speech.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his third — and possibly final — State of the Union address Tuesday night on the floor of the U.S. House, where he was impeached in December. And the partisan animosity that has gripped Washington throughout the impeachment proceedings was on stark display throughout the annual speech by the […]