By Madison McVan | Reporter
Good morning, Reformers.
The Consumer Price Index jumped 3.8% in April, marking the fastest rise in consumer prices in years. Fast-rising fuel prices, a consequence of the war in Iran, were the largest contributor to the year-over-year rise in inflation.
Wages, for the second month in a row, are failing to keep up with inflation.
Gasoline prices are up more than 40% compared to this time last year, per our colleagues in D.C., which signals more bad news to come for grocery and airfare costs.
At the state Capitol, we’re in a holding pattern as we wait for legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz to reach a deal on some outstanding issues: an infrastructure spending package, money for Hennepin County Medical Center and school safety, among others.
Remember that Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth holds many of the cards here, as the DFL needs Republican votes to pass bills in the tied House.
To the rest of the news:
A border patrol agent stands with other federal agents near the scene of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue, where federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti on Jan. 24, 2026, the third shooting in as many weeks. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Michelle Griffith
The Minnesota Senate on Monday approved a package of bills aimed at reining in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, though it is unlikely to pass the tied House.
The package of bills would ban law enforcement from wearing face masks, and create a “civil right of action” in shootings in which a person can be held civilly liable if they shoot someone and fail to provide aid to the victim.
It also prohibits federal immigration agents from schools, hospitals, childcare centers and courthouses.
By Anna Brennan
Miss Twin Cities 2026 Anna Brennan, who works to make teens safer online, writes in support of a bill that would require parental consent for younger social media users; limit addictive design features for children; and restrict targeted advertising aimed at minors.
“As I grew up online, the intentionally addictive features did not just keep me engaged; they kept me stuck. I would scroll for hours, exposed to misinformation, unregulated mature content, and even private messages from strangers asking for money,” Brennan writes.
By Kevin Hardy and Jonathan Shorman
The Trump administration has begun wielding federal resources as a weapon against states, using dollars to cajole and threaten them into complying with its political agenda. Instead of working with Congress to nudge states, Trump is moving unilaterally, bypassing lawmakers and speaking plainly about punishing political rivals — defining an era in American history that scholars call “punitive federalism.”
This is the second article in The 50 vs. The One, an occasional series from Stateline examining the current fraught moment and what evolving — and often deteriorating — state-federal ties mean for the country..
IN OTHER NEWS
Trump nominates ousted FEMA chief to return | Reformer via States Newsroom D.C. Bureau
Why I left The Athletic | Aaron Gleeman, in his new publication
OH BY THE WAY
Wolves are back in San Antonio tonight for Game 5.
And, a song for your Tuesday from the new Kacey Musgraves album, which I’ve had on repeat since it came out earlier this month.
That’s all from me! Have a great week.
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