Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 9h

Commentary: With the feds looking to approve dangerous mining in the watershed, it’s up to Minnesota to protect the Boundary Waters minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/08/i...

It’s up to Minnesota to protect the Boundary Waters • Minnesota Reformer

Just when we were in the homestretch for permanently protecting canoe country, the Trump administration vowed to greenlight sulfide-ore copper mining in its headwaters.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 17h

Gov. Tim Walz said he anticipates President Donald Trump will send troops to the Twin Cities as part of the president’s campaign to target Democratic-led cities under the pretext of stamping out violent crime.

Walz: I anticipate Trump will send troops to Minnesota • Minnesota Reformer

Gov. Tim Walz said he anticipates President Donald Trump will send troops to the Twin Cities as part of the president’s campaign to target Democratic-led cities under the pretext of stamping out viole...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 1d

Bondi declined to answer Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse when he asked, “What became of the $50,000 in cash that the FBI delivered evidently in a paper bag to Mr. Homan?” minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/07/r...

A combative AG Pam Bondi confronts US Senate Judiciary over Trump crackdown • Minnesota Reformer

A laundry list of controversial incidents trailed Bondi into the committee room for the oversight hearing.

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Reposted by Minnesota Reformer

ArchPundit @archpundit.bsky.social · 2d

Minneapolis Drinking Liberally this Thursday: The One About Minneapolis Local Elections!

6:00 - 9:00 at the 331 Club with

Patrick Coolican of the Reformer @minnesotareformer.com

Deena Winter of the Strib @deenawinter.bsky.social

Talk starts at 7. Come before 6 for a pretty good happy hour.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 1d

Minnesota Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in nearly 20 years, and a panel of past and present elected Republicans on Tuesday said that emulating President Donald Trump is not a winning formula, at least in Minnesota.

Republicans: The Trump show won’t sell in Minnesota • Minnesota Reformer

Minnesota Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in nearly 20 years, and a panel of past and present elected Republicans on Tuesday said that emulating President Donald Trump is not a winning formul...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 2d

Commercially insured Minnesotans, on average, spent more on health care despite using health care services less in 2023 compared to 2019, according to a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Minnesotans’ health care cost more even as usage dropped from 2019 to 2023 • Minnesota Reformer

The increase in spending was driven by cost increases, not people receiving more care, according to the report. Health care prices were up 20%, but per-person health care utilization — the volume of h...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 2d

Very normal thing here: Trump administration wants to remove wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Eswatini minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/06/r...

Trump administration wants to remove wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Eswatini • Minnesota Reformer

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to produce evidence within 48 hours on its efforts to again deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, this time to the southern African country of Eswatin...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 2d

Rep. Zack Stephenson on gun violence, Democratic priorities and leading after Hortman.

Rep. Zack Stephenson on gun violence, Democratic priorities and leading after Hortman • Minnesota Reformer

“Our caucus is entirely constituted of survivors of gun violence,” Stephenson said.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 5d

Renewal of health subsidies backed by big majorities in poll, including Trump voters minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/03/r...

Renewal of health subsidies backed by big majorities in poll, including Trump voters • Minnesota Reformer

The vast majority of Americans, including Republicans and those who identify as strong supporters of President Donald Trump, want Congress to renew the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their he...

minnesotareformer.com

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 5d

About two dozen residents gathered at Marydale Park Thursday to show solidarity with a group of Latino roofers who were detained by federal agents while on a job in the North End neighborhood of St. Paul.

Federal raid in St. Paul neighborhood a ‘rude awakening’ for community leaders • Minnesota Reformer

The roofing job looked as if its entire crew had abandoned it, with a ladder still leaning against the house, tarps covering the yard and materials sitting at the peak prepared for a productive day.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 5d

Commentary: Becoming an ultra-marathoner on a tiny patch of concrete inside MCF Lino Lakes.

Becoming an ultra-marathoner on a tiny patch of concrete inside MCF Lino Lakes • Minnesota Reformer

The -40° F windchill or 106° F heat index did not stop me last year.

minnesotareformer.com

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 6d

Chris Schmitter, who has served as Walz’s chief of staff since he took office in 2019, will leave the governor’s office at the end of this month and become a senior advisor to Walz and his reelection campaign.

Walz’s chief of staff to transition to campaign • Minnesota Reformer

Gov. Tim Walz’s closest advisor, who helped the second-term Democrat manage an array of crises and shepherd through progressive wins during the 2023 legislative session, will leave his government role...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 6d

Commentary: It's time to eliminate the state’s home mortgage interest deduction and reinvest those funds directly into down payment assistance and the production of affordable homes.

Minnesota should end inefficient mortgage interest tax break, spend directly on housing instead • Minnesota Reformer

Instead of subsidizing debt, we could directly attack the real barriers to homeownership.

minnesotareformer.com

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Minnesotans who get health insurance on the individual marketplace are expected to face double-digit rate increases next year — and that's not counting the impact of an expiring federal subsidy. minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/01/m...

Minnesota health insurance rates ballooning in 2026 • Minnesota Reformer

Premiums for most health insurance plans purchased on the individual market will increase by 22% on average when open enrollment for 2026 begins Nov. 1. The Minnesota Department of Commerce, which re...

minnesotareformer.com

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Federal shutdown furloughs thousands of Minnesota workers minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/01/f...

Federal shutdown furloughs thousands of Minnesota workers • Minnesota Reformer

A federal government shutdown has Minnesota’s 18,000 civilian federal workers facing furloughs, reassignments, work without pay and threats of being fired. Republicans need a handful of Democratic vot...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Louisiana issues arrest warrant for California doctor who allegedly sent abortion pills minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/30/r...

Louisiana issues arrest warrant for California doctor who allegedly sent abortion pills • Minnesota Reformer

The existence of the arrest warrant, first reported by the Associated Press, was revealed in court documents filed earlier this month in a lawsuit that aims to push federal regulators to reinstate in-...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Fifteen years after a 1,600-bed private prison in Minnesota shuttered, the Trump administration is considering reopening the facility as an immigrant detention center. Dozens of faith leaders and residents gathered in Appleton, MN, Tuesday to protest the plan. minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/01/p...

Possible opening of ICE detention center in Minnesota sparks protest • Minnesota Reformer

Fifteen years after a 1,600-bed private prison in west central Minnesota shuttered, the Trump administration is considering reopening the facility as an immigrant detention center. Internal Immigrati...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Commentary: If Minnesota Power falls into BlackRock’s hands, higher bills, less accountability, and broken promises could be part of the governor’s legacy. minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/01/d...

Does Gov. Walz stand with Minnesotans or with BlackRock? • Minnesota Reformer

The public, numerous experts, and the state administrative law judge are telling the the PUC that this deal is bad for Minnesota.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Robbie Sequeira, one of our reporting partners at Stateline, wrote about this last year: minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/15/w...

Working-class people rarely have a seat ‘at the legislative table’ in state capitols • Minnesota Reformer

Just 116 of the nearly 7,400 state legislators in the United States come from working-class backgrounds, according to a biennial study conducted by Nicholas Carnes and Eric Hansen, political scientist...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Clarification: Craig is running for *Senate

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 7d

Minnesota DFL Rep. Kaela Berg is running to replace Rep. Angie Craig, who is running for Congress.

Berg is a single mom, flight attendant and union activist — one of the only working class members of the state Legislature.

minnesotareformer.com/briefs/dfl-r...

DFL Rep. Kaela Berg announces campaign for 2nd Congressional District • Minnesota Reformer

“I have had to fight to be in every room that I have been in,” Berg said in a Reformer interview.

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 8d

Republicans don't want to talk gun control, so there'll be no special legislative session. minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/30/g...

Gun control, school safety negotiations break down between Minnesota legislative leaders • Minnesota Reformer

Dueling press releases and news conferences from Minnesota Democrats and Republicans Tuesday can only mean one thing: Negotiations for a special legislative session on gun violence and school safety h...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 8d

We interviewed Secretary of State Steve Simon about the Trump administration's attempts to obtain Minnesota's voter registration list. Read his responses here: minnesotareformer.com/briefs/a-q-a...

A Q & A with Secretary of State Steve Simon, who the Trump administration is suing over voter rolls • Minnesota Reformer

The U.S. Department of Justice is asking Minnesota to hand over its voter registration list. Secretary of State Steve Simon is refusing — and now the DOJ is suing Minnesota and five other states that ...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 9d

Republican lawmakers face the prospect of angering their own base, which could lead to GOP convention and primary challenges, especially because many gun rights voters are single-issue voters who can be activated to oppose Republicans deemed insufficiently supportive of 2nd Amendment rights.

Key obstacle to Minnesota assault weapons ban: Republican voters don’t want it • Minnesota Reformer

The majority of Minnesotans in recent polling want lawmakers to reconvene for a special session on gun control and pass a ban on so-called assault weapons, but that may not ultimately matter as Gov. T...

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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 9d

Trump asks US Supreme Court to take birthright citizenship case minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/29/r...

Trump asks US Supreme Court to take birthright citizenship case • Minnesota Reformer

In two cases brought to the high court, lower courts kept in place a preliminary injunction against President Donald Trump’s executive order that ended birthright citizenship.

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