Category: The Upper-Midwest

Parents, Catholic School Sue Michigan Officials over ‘Gender Identity’ Law

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (SHJP) Catholic school filed a lawsuit Thursday against Michigan state officials after the state’s civil rights laws were changed to include gender identity and sexual orientation as protected categories, which the school argued the change would force it to violate its religious beliefs.

In July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Michigan’s Civil Rights Act must include sexual orientation and gender identity under its protections from discrimination. SHJP and families who attend the school filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel over the court’s decision from forcing the school to hire and promote LGBTQ lifestyles in conflict with traditional Catholic teachings.

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Minnesota Economist: Broadband Grants Ought to Generate a Return on Investment

The Center Square

Minnesota will award $27 million in state funding and $42.6 million in federal funding to broadband expansion projects across the state.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on Monday launched a request for proposals for the funding. The funding supports the state’s goal that all homes and businesses have access `to broadband with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second by 2026, the news release said.

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Wisconsin Congressman Gallagher Calls Marine Corps Report on Gender ‘Insane’

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8) this week responded scathingly to news that the Marine Corps is considering a report recommending the branch ditch gendered identifiers for drill instructors.

The Corps commissioned a study per a $2 million contract with the University of Pittsburgh. The report broadly recommends “direct, sustained training from drill instructors of both genders” to emphasize that “men and women are equally respected and authoritative leaders of their Service.” A section of the study addresses allegedly discriminatory language and suggests that the Corp may want to consider instructing personnel to call their superior officers  by their ranks and last names rather than “Sir” or “Ma’am.” 

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Sen. Ron Johnson Argues to Eliminate $9.8 Billion in Earmarks From $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill

Susan Berry, PhD

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R) joined with his colleagues Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Rand Paul (R-KY) to oppose the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill and argue for an amendment that would eliminate all earmarks.

“Thousands of individual projects here, both Democrat and Republican,” Johnson said Tuesday during a press conference

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Black Militia Members Claim Minneapolis Police Unlawfully Arrested Them at Protest

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Several members of an armed black militia known for their ad hoc security at Minneapolis protests are accusing city police officers of violating their constitutional rights by arresting them without probable cause.

According to a complaint filed two months ago in U.S. District Court, eight members of the Minnesota Freedom Fighters are suing 10 officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), claiming they engaged in “unreasonable seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution at a protest last year.

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Wisconsin Republican Congressmen Denounce Omnibus Spending Bill

Bradley Vasoli

While a $1.66 trillion omnibus spending bill passed the Democrat-run Senate 75-20 this week with the support of many Republicans, House GOP members, including those representing Wisconsin, are voicing their disappointment. 

Republicans point to exorbitant spending as the major driver of inflation which reached a 40-year high this year and now stands at 7.11 percent, well above the long-term average of 3.27 percent. The party likely cannot prevent the new spending legislation’s passage insofar as the GOP will not take control of the House of Representatives until January. 

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Minneapolis Doctors Defend Gender Transitions for Kids

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Earlier this month Minneapolis doctors defended what they perceive as the moral and scientific legitimacy of child gender transitions, which typically involve puberty blockers, “hormone therapy,” and even surgical intervention.

Their remarks came at a Dec. 2 press conference where Mayor Jacob Frey signed an executive order that protects access to “services, supplies, drug therapies, and other care that an individual may receive to support and affirm their gender identity,” including minors who do not live with their parents.

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Michigan Mom, Denied Ethnicity and Gender Class Course Materials, Will Appeal Judge’s FOIA Ruling

The Center Square

Carol Beth Litkouhi isn’t done.

Unhappy with the board of the Rochester Community Schools in Michigan, she won election to a six-year seat with them in November. On Monday, she told The Center Square last week’s ruling by an Oakland County Circuit Court judge denying her Freedom of Information Act request for the district’s ethnicity and gender class course materials will be appealed.

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Wisconsin Senator Baldwin Wants Student Debt Forgiveness for Farmers

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Tina Smith (D-MN) filed legislation this week to forgive student-loan debt for new members of the agriculture industry. 

Their bill, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act, would cancel significant educational debt for those qualifying as “a beginning farmer or rancher” as well as minority, women, and veteran farmers. 

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Senate Fiscal Hawks Johnson, Scott, Lee, and Paul Call for an End to Pandemic Spending

M.D. Kittle

While hagglers appeared to have reached a bipartisan framework agreement on a full-year omnibus spending plan, fiscal hawks like Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are asking an important question: Why haven’t we gone back to normal spending now that the pandemic is over?

On Thursday, the Senate easily passed a a one-week continuing resolution, keeping the government funded through December 23. A worked-over spending plan is expected to be unveiled Monday, as negotiations continue in the shadow of another government shutdown threat in the days before the Christmas break.

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Michigan Taxpayers Footing $57 Million in Private Business Subsidies

The Center Square

Taxpayers will spend at least $57 million to retain or create jobs via Michigan Economic Development Corp. subsidies and local grants that they say will create or retain 1,846 jobs.

The subsidies include $29.4 million for a paper mill expansion, $13.2 million for a Monroe brownfield site redevelopment, $6.9 million for an electric vehicle supplier, $1.5 million for an Underwriter’s Laboratory, $3 million for Hoponassu OZ LLC, and $1.5 million to redevelop a property in Detroit.

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Minneapolis Mayor Convenes Workgroup After String of Downtown Closures

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey convened a “Vibrant Downtown Storefronts Workgroup” this week following a string of recent high-profile closures.

“Cities that see the most success post-pandemic won’t cling to the old ways that are now changed forever,” Frey said in a press release. “Here in Minneapolis, we will step boldly into the future, guided by the top experts in our region, prepared to innovate and adapt. Minneapolis has always been a hub of commerce and innovation, and I am confident that this workgroup will help ensure we continue carrying that legacy forward.”

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Michigan Senator Received $55,600 from FTX Employees Before Leading Crypto Bill

The Center Square

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, received at least $55,600 in donations this year from employees of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange platform that declared bankruptcy after allegedly misusing client funds.

Then, Stabenow, who as Agriculture Committee Chairwoman oversees the Commodities Future Trading Commission, a cryptocurrency regulator, sponsored legislation to regulate cryptocurrency.

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Minnesota Department of Health Pushes COVID-19 Vaccine for Infants but Parents Are Resisting

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The Minnesota Department of Health is once again urging parents to get children as young as six-months old vaccinated against COVID-19, citing low vaccination rates among kids.

According to MDH, fewer than 17% of children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years have received at least one dose and fewer than 5% of kids in this age group are up to date on their vaccines.

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Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Gov. Whitmer Kidnapping Plot

Just the News

Three people, including a man and his son-in-law, were sentenced to prison Thursday for assisting the leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. 

Pete Musico received a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison while his son-in-law Joe Morrison was sentenced to 10 years, The Associated Press reported. A third person, Paul Bellar, received seven years behind bars during the sentencing hearing for all three men in Jackson County, Michigan.

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Incoming Minnesota Republican Says Vaccine Mandates Are ‘Like’ Slavery

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Rep.-elect Walter Hudson is doubling down on comments he made comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandates to slavery at a Mask Off Minnesota event in Bloomington earlier this week.

“I’m not saying that vaccine mandates are like slavery. I’m saying they are slavery because it is a claim of ownership over the life and body of another human being,” Hudson told Alpha News over the phone this week.

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Wisconsin Attorney General: Agreements with CVS and Walgreens Over Opioid Crisis Finalized

Bradley Vasoli

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) announced on Thursday that his and numerous other states have finalized an agreement whereby the CVS and Walgreens pharmacy companies will pay $10.7 billion to those jurisdictions over opioid-epidemic concerns. 

The deal comes as a result of litigation by prosecutors across the nation alleging that the corporations failed to ensure that their pharmacies properly dispense painkillers, resulting in illegal trafficking and use of the drugs that has contributed to widespread deadly addiction. 

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Minneapolis Police Ask Kia, Hyundai Owners to Take Precautions amid 900 Percent Increase in Thefts

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Minneapolis police are urging the owners of Kias and Hyundais to protect their vehicles after reporting a nearly 900% spike in thefts of those makes from last year.

In a Monday press release, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) reported that 2,166 thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles have taken place in 2022, up from 218 at this time last year.

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Minnesota Student Made ‘Murder List’ of Classmates, Suspended for One Day, Police Report Says

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A fifth-grade girl who allegedly wrote the names of several of her classmates on a whiteboard and called it her “murder list” was suspended for just one day and has been back in the classroom since Nov. 11, according to a police report obtained by Alpha News.

According to the report, Isanti Intermediate School Principal Mark Ziebarth confirmed a 10-year-old student had written the names of several children she said she was going to kill on a Chromebook whiteboard.

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Teachers Union Wants $5 Billion from Minnesota’s Budget Surplus

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The state’s teachers union, a top ally of and donor to Minnesota Democrats, who now control the whole of state government, said it wants a $5 billion chunk of the budget surplus.

Minnesota Management and Budget announced in an economic forecast this week that state lawmakers will have a projected $17.6 billion surplus to work with when crafting a budget for the 2024-2025 biennium next session. That’s up from an estimated $9.2 billion surplus projected in February.

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Wisconsin Congressman Gallagher: Nationwide TikTok Ban to Be Introduced This Month

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8) this week touted an emerging effort in both houses of Congress to ban the video-sharing application TikTok nationwide. 

Gallagher and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) penned an opinion piece for The Washington Post last month insisting Americans should not have access to the app. In a discussion with WISN CHANNEL 12 on Monday, Gallagher said he will introduce bipartisan legislation to that effect this month and he anticipates it will get a vote early next year. 

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Election Integrity Volunteers ‘Afraid’ to Attend Recount after Michigan AG Threatens Prosecution

Just the News

An apparent threat by Michigan’s Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel to arrest and prosecute local activists promoting election integrity and anti-voter fraud efforts caused many of them to steer clear of a contentious monitoring effort out of fear of being targeted by the government, according to a Michigan attorney deeply involved in the situation.

Across Michigan on Wednesday, dozens of counties and hundreds of precincts began a recount for two controversial ballot proposals that were approved by voters on Nov. 8.

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Minnesota Ranks in the Top Five States for Cigarette Smuggling

The Center Square

A new study released by The Tax Foundation this week reports high tax rates on cigarettes induce smuggling of tobacco products from low-tax states or foreign sources into high-tax states.

“States and municipalities have spent millions to combat cigarette smuggling. Recent policy responses include greater law enforcement activity on interstate roads, differential tax rates near low-tax jurisdictions, banning common carrier delivery of cigarettes, and cracking down on tribal reservations that sell tax-free cigarettes,” the “Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State, 2020” report said. “However, the underlying problem persists. High cigarette taxes act similarly to a ‘price prohibition’ on the legal product in many U.S. states, incentivizing smuggling and illicit activity.”

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Legislature Approval of $85 Million for QLine Trolley Elicits Negative Responses

The Center Square

Prominent free-market proponents in Michigan are speaking out against the $85 million appropriation approved Thursday to fund Detroit’s QLine trolley over the next 17 years.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has indicated she will sign the $5 million annual QLine subsidy passed by the Legislature during its last session of 2022 – before Democrats exercise their newly-elected majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The free trolley service transports riders along 12 stops on Woodward Avenue from Motor City’s cultural center to downtown Detroit.

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Minnesota Regulators Sue Companies Selling THC-Laced ‘Death by Gummy Bears’

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The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy is accusing three companies of selling THC-saturated edibles in violation of state law.

In a Monday news release, the state pharmaceutical regulators announced a civil lawsuit against Northland Vapor Moorhead, Northland Vapor Bemidji, and Wonky Confections. The pharmacy board claims the companies are producing and selling edibles with levels of THC “far in excess” of state law, which limits THC levels to five milligrams per serving and 50 milligrams per package.

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Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Minnesota School District over Grant Excluding White Students

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Faribault’s public school district is facing a federal civil rights complaint over a drug abuse prevention grant that appears to exclude white students.

Alpha News has learned that a Title VI complaint was filed against Faribault Public Schools less than 48 hours after the school board approved a $1.1 million grant to fund anti-drug abuse programs specifically aimed at “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color” (BIPOC).

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Michigan Residents Win Injunction Against Mayor, Free to Speak as They Wish

The Center Square

Residents shouted down by a Michigan mayor during public comment in a Sept. 6 meeting have won a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit allowing them to speak freely.

Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens had claimed that residents’ criticism of her was akin to “assaulting” her. Video from the meeting shows Owens repeatedly interrupting and silencing constituents at the podium expressing support for Councilman Harvey Curley, who has been involved in an ongoing dispute with Owens.

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Doctors Allege Corruption and Mismanagement of COVID Pandemic Leaving Americans at High Risk for Vaccine Injury and Death

Susan Berry, PhD

Doctors and scientists who participated in Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson’s (R) COVID-19 roundtable Wednesday shared their personal experiences of the federal government’s alleged corruption and mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic that they say have likely caused many more examples of serious vaccine injury for which Americans have no recourse.

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Wisconsin Senator Johnson and Colleagues Urge White House to Reverse Major Climate Policies

Bradley Vasoli

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson wrote jointly with several colleagues to President Joe Biden this week urging him to reverse major elements of his anti-fossil-fuel agenda. 

The letter from the senators takes issue with several actions the White House has taken to hinder investment in and use of oil, natural gas and coal in an effort the administration insists is important to lessening global warming. 

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Minnesota Projects $17.6 Billion Surplus

The Center Square

Minnesota’s Management and Budget estimate a general fund budget surplus of $17.6 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25 biennium.

“Strong collections and lower-than-projected spending add to the FY22-23 surplus,” the agency said. “Economic headwinds lower expected growth but large leftover surplus and healthy net revenues in FY24-25 create estimated $17.6B available for budget.”

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