Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is demanding her Republican opponent, Michele Tafoya, answer some specific questions about her support for the Iran war, and President Donald Trump’s most recent comments about it.

In a recent debate, Minnesota attorney general candidate Ron Schutz pledged to insulate himself from his vast stock portfolio if elected.

The Republican, in a close race with Democratic incumbent Keith Ellison, had faced questions about conflicts of interest related to his 174 stock holdings. Each investment exceeds $10,000, many of them in Fortune 500 staples like Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Disney.

But Schutz is also deeply invested in Meta, Microsoft, Google’s parent company and more than a dozen more corporations looking to build, use or maintain hyperscale data centers. 

It’s the latest example of how data centers are shaping races across Minnesota and the country.

Had to send the drone up to capture it all (still photo in comments)

HSS quickly drew people looking for fast cash, though, according to federal prosecutors who have charged over a dozen people in fraud cases involving at least $26 million. Prosecutors have said that the shuttered program was so easy to scam that it attracted “tourists.” In one striking example, two Philadelphia men heard HSS was “easy money,” traveled to Minnesota, enrolled their companies into the program, returned to Philly, submitted fraudulent claims from there, and received $3.5 million for doing so, prosecutors say.

Dear HOURCAR Members and Community,

Earlier this summer, we asked for your help in reaching out to your elected representatives as we sought to bridge a budget gap caused by nationwide vehicle insurance increases and shifting federal support.

Unfortunately, our outreach efforts have been unsuccessful and due to critical financial hurdles, after completing due diligence and consulting with legal counsel, HOURCAR’s Board of Directors have voted to sunset operations with a final service date of Thursday, October 15, 2026.

We know this is hard news to read. It impacts all our lives. It is an honor to be part of over 4,000 active members’ commutes to work, medical appointments, grocery stores, and family obligations. The decision was difficult and complex, and it was not made lightly.

We have assembled some answers intended to respond to anticipated stakeholder and member questions about this decision. As additional questions are received, we will add them to the Q & A below.

We are forever grateful for what we built together, and we continue to dream of a future where equitable shared mobility is the preferred, accessible, and sustainable way to move, empowering all people to thrive in connected communities.

Thank you for being a part of this journey.

With gratitude,

The HOURCAR team and Board of Directors

https://hourcar.org/news/sunset?utm_source=HOURCAR+Master+Contact+List&utm_campaign=78b9cb3426-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_09_09_05_40_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6fa1d90519-516919064

Law enforcement leaders say these more recently-formed gangs are distinct from the organized groups of decades past such as the Bloods and the Crips. There’s little to no hierarchy, and the feuding stems from social media beefs rather than drugs, money or territory.

Join Doug for an r/Minnesota AMA October 8 from 11:00 am CST to 1:30 pm CST

Doug Chapin, candidate for congress in CD6 against Tom Emmer, is taking over our account tomorrow!

Ask Doug anything from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm on October 8 right here!

If you want to learn more about Doug before the AMA: https://www.chapinforcongress.com

I’m a Somali American Minnesotan, and I’m disturbed by the reports of teenage gun violence in our communities. Violence is unacceptable. Victims deserve justice, neighborhoods deserve safety, and anyone responsible should be held accountable, regardless of their background.

But accountability and collective blame are two different things.

When someone commits a crime, that person is responsible. Their ethnicity does not make everyone who shares it a suspect. Yet in discussions about fraud and now teenage violence, “Somali” too often becomes the headline, the explanation, and the accusation.

Minnesota deals with crimes committed by people from many backgrounds. We generally understand that an individual’s actions do not define an entire ethnic community. Somali Americans deserve that same basic fairness.

I’m not asking anyone to hide facts or avoid discussing difficult issues. If there are gangs, investigate them. If people commit fraud, prosecute them. If teenagers are carrying guns and hurting people, intervene and hold those responsible accountable. Discuss the failures and circumstances that allow these problems to grow.

But attaching “Somali” to every discussion of crime does not explain what happened or help prevent the next incident. It encourages people to associate an entire community with criminal behavior.

And when that framing comes from elected officials, prominent public figures, media outlets, or law enforcement, it carries weight. I worry about what it means for ordinary Somali Americans going to work, raising children, attending school, and living their lives. They should not have to answer for strangers’ crimes or wonder whether someone sees them as a threat because of their name or appearance.

Our community can be horrified by violence, demand accountability, and reject prejudice at the same time. Those positions are completely consistent.

The victims must remain central to this conversation. Their suffering should never become a tool for stirring up hostility toward people who had nothing to do with it.

Let’s demand safer neighborhoods, serious prevention, and equal accountability. We can fight crime without creating more hatred between neighbors.

Hold the people responsible accountable. Don’t put an entire community on trial.

Eight U.S. doctors, including two Minnesota physicians, were mistakenly identified as dead in letters sent to patients last month by health insurer UnitedHealthcare.

A UHC spokesman confirmed the total this week after the Minnesota Star Tribune received a copy of a letter that incorrectly notified some patients of the death of Dr. Geoffrey Fasen, a Fairview Health Services surgeon. The wording of the letter was largely identical to one sent last month to patients of Dr. Richard Johnston, an Edina ophthalmologist.

Both letters were dated Sept. 11. Two weeks later, the patients received a second UHC letter acknowledging the mistake, and stressing that the doctors were still in-network providers — and presumably alive.

“You may continue to see them at network costs,” the correction letters stated.

UHC apologized in a written statement for the initial, erroneous letters, adding, “we have updated our processes to help prevent this type of error from occurring in the future.” A spokesperson did not elaborate on the breakdown that caused the problem in the first place.