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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Minnesota

Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

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As part of its Climate and Resilience Action Plan, the city of St. Paul plans to convert the Como Zoo Conservancy building to geothermal heating and cooling. (Flickr)

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

St. Paul Climate Action Plan aims for net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050

By Frank Jossi for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Netwo…

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Researchers with North Star Policy Action say Minnesota has more ambitious clean energy goals than neighboring states, but lags behind some of them in output. Permitting issues in Minnesota are cited as a big factor. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 25, 2024

MN tinkers with policy to speed up wind and solar projects

Minnesota has about 15 years to achieve its mandate of 100% carbon-free electricity from utilities. To get there, clean energy voices say the …

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During the pandemic, the federal government rolled out a temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Policy experts say it helped many families temporarily escape poverty. Supporters of Minnesota's new credit hope for similar results. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 25, 2024

New MN Child Tax Credit aligns with economic justice efforts

With tax season winding down, efforts continue to spread the word about Minnesota's new Child Tax Credit. Outreach leaders say it's another way to …

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Minnesota officials said not only climate-fueled storms are driving up homeowner insurance costs. They said economic factors, such as higher labor and material supply costs, also play a role. (Adobe Stock)
MN sees spike in complaints related to homeowner insurance claims

While there's snow in the immediate forecast, the spring storm season has arrived in Minnesota and state officials said with complaints related to …

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According to national data, traffic deaths increased by 10.5% in 2021 and traffic fatalities rose by<br />14% for drivers 65 and older. (Adobe Stock)
In making MN roads safer, law change sought for safety course

Traffic deaths are trending higher in Minnesota this year after a decline the previous year. Groups pushing for safer roads are convinced a small …

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The American Biogas Council says there are more than 2,300 sites producing biogas across all 50 states. Of these, 332 anaerobic digesters are on farms and process agricultural waste into forms of cleaner fuel. (Adobe Stock)
CA emission credits not well received by Midwest farm advocates

Community and conservation groups in the Midwest worry that a change in California's carbon emissions policy could hurt the quality of life in the nat…

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Supporters of a Minnesota proposal say striking workers deserve the same access to jobless benefits as any other member of the workforce. Current state law offers these benefits only to workers who are
MN debates jobless benefits for striking workers

Minnesota is among the states taking a closer look at extending unemployment benefits to workers who go on strike. A bill making its way through the …

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A team of experts is planning for a potential spillover of chronic wasting disease from deer to humans. They're focusing on public health surveillance, lab capacity, prion disease diagnostics, surveillance of livestock and wildlife, and education and outreach. (Adobe Stock)
Possibility of wildlife-to-human crossover heightens CWD worries in MN

By Jim Robbins for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service …

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Federal policies, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are ushering in a wave of public works projects across the country. That's prompting more demand for jobs within the building and design trades, and industry leaders hope more young people take notice. (Adobe Stock)
Galvanizing efforts to prepare more builders and designers in MN

Representatives from the building and design trades will gather this weekend to showcase their professions to Minnesota youth. Organizers want to …

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In a 2019 survey from the Minnesota nonprofit CTUL, 48% of respondents reported having experienced wage theft while working in the construction trades. (Adobe Stock)
MN standards program could deter wage theft in construction trades

Non-union construction workers rallied in the Twin Cities on Thursday over renewed concerns about wage theft. In the push to build more affordable …

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Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, the founder of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and co-founder of Tree-Range Farms. These entities have created an
Midwest network of regenerative farmers is rethinking chicken

By Twilight Greenaway for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

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