By Max Nesterak | Deputy Editor
Good morning, Reformers.
President Trump endorsed “Pillow Man” Mike Lindell for governor on Truth Social this morning, calling him “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots.”
The endorsement is well-earned: Lindell went broke promoting the president’s lies about a rigged election in 2020. Trump acknowledged as much in his endorsement, writing “Nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity.”
Trump has an exceptional record as kingmaker in Republican primaries and remains popular among Republican rank-and-file here. He has the approval of 93% of Minnesota Republicans, according to the latest *inhales deeply* Star Tribune/KARE 11/Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication Minnesota Poll.
So this may be it for the tight three-way race between Lindell, House Speaker Lisa Demuth and GOP-endorsed candidate Kendall Qualls.
And yet, Lindell does have significant headwinds, especially in the fall. Namely, he’s a loose cannon without much money who would be running against political powerhouse Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who in her last Senate race handily beat another loose cannon without much money, Royce White. She is likely thrilled by this news. Then again, many Democrats were thrilled when Trump won the nomination in 2016.
Shortly after his Lindell endorsement, Trump posted that ICE vehicle stops are back on after reports the agency halted the practice in the wake of two fatal shootings in a week.
“The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job,” he wrote on Truth Social. “We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!”
Meanwhile, deportations appear to be picking up again in Minnesota. ICE plane watcher Nick Benson counted 45 detainees loaded onto a flight out of Minneapolis on Tuesday, the highest single-day total since Feb. 4.
Mike Lindell cheers as then-President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a 2018 campaign rally in Fargo, North Dakota. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
By Alyssa Chen
In what could be a portentous signal for the fate of a healthcare mega merger, opponents from labor unions filled a St. Paul church this week to voice concerns — sometimes raucously so — about the proposed joining of two big nonprofit health systems: Allina Health and Sutter Health.
The Office of the Minnesota Attorney General held the first public forum this week on the proposed acquisition of the Upper Midwest’s health giant Allina by the even bigger California system, Sutter Health.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office was bestowed with expanded regulatory powers over healthcare mergers by the Legislature in 2023. It’s now able to analyze and sue to block hospital mergers if they are against the public’s interest — for example if they increase healthcare costs for patients.
By Ria Gupta
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area, for Tuesday through Friday, as wildfires in the northern parts of the state and Canada continue.
At extreme levels, smoke inhalation can lead to asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, so MPCA is advising at-risk Minnesotans to stay indoors.
The Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota indefinitely closed on Tuesday as more than 20 wildfires have broken out as a result of lightning strikes and dry air caused by the ongoing heat wave. Evacuations are currently underway in the Boundary Waters. At least 17 people have been rescued with no reported injuries.
By Anna Claire Vollers
As state and federal officials work to identify the source of the recent outbreak of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, Michigan health officials have identified lettuces or salad greens as one potential culprit. Federal and state officials are also investigating whether Taco Bell could be a source of infection, according to the Washington Post.
Officials cautioned they haven’t ruled out other food items as the source. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,645 cases in 34 states. The number of confirmed sickened people in Minnesota is 1 to 10, according to the CDC, although the real number is surely higher since many people recover without medical care.
Klobuchar sent a letter Tuesday urging the CDC to restore funding and staffing cuts to food safety inspection and foodborne disease surveillance.
“The recent actions taken by the administration have significantly weakened federal and state defenses and undermined nationwide coordination against foodborne illnesses, particularly when there is no longer a central location for reporting and comparing data across state lines,” Klobuchar wrote.
By Chuck Johnson
Chuck Johnson, former deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, examined how the state successfully rolled out the paid leave program. It’s important to pay attention to this success, he writes, since you typically only hear about government programs when things go sideways.
He interviewed leaders at the state Department of Employment and Economic Development responsible for launching the paid leave program and honed in on three factors leading to success: DEED worked closely with legislators to align policy with operations; focused on simple and efficient processes for customers; and leveraged existing technology and business strengths.
“Success in government is often overlooked, while failure is under a microscope,” he writes. “Success is kind of boring, which is why news crews aren’t out at the airport reporting on the modern miracle of airplanes landing safely one after another.”
IN OTHER NEWS
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