Election Day in Minnesota; Hormel announces layoffs

Today is Election Day. There are races for mayor, city council and school board in communities around the state, as well as ballot questions.A report released today flags issues related to internal controls in the governor's office. And Austin-based Hormel Foods Corporation announced it would cut around 250 jobs as part of a restructuring. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

It's Election Day across the state. Voters are selecting school board members, county commissioners and deciding other local races. In St. Paul, there's a mayoral election. Minneapolis voters also selecting a mayor today — and all 13 members of the City Council. Six candidates are facing off today over three seats on the Anoka-Hennepin school board, which oversees the state’s largest school district. Two slates of candidates — one conservative and one progressive — are vying to claim those seats. Groups have poured nearly half a million dollars into the races, far outpacing normal spending for a down-ballot election. Dozens of Minnesota school districts are asking taxpayers to OK operating levies.Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao is returning to Minnesota. Thao was released Monday from a federal prison in Kentucky after serving time for his role in the murder of George Floyd.Despite last week's deal with China, U.S. soybean farmers are still having to turn to domestic processing plants — including a handful in Minnesota — to offload their harvests.

Tomorrow is Election Day for many communities across Minnesota. Most polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Minnesota offers same-day registration, as long as you have proof of residence. Open enrollment for state health care plans started Saturday, and many Minnesotans are seeing steeper prices for coverage next year.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth is running for governor. In an interview with MPR News ahead of the announcement, the Cold Spring Republican described herself as being best positioned among a crowded Republican field to take on DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who is seeking a third term.Demuth climbed to the role of speaker earlier this year under a power-sharing deal in the tied House. Six other Republicans are in the governor's race so far. Demuth’s entrance into the race is drawing sharp reaction in both political parties.Tuesday is Election Day, but voter turnout is expected to be low. For presidential elections, Minnesota typically ranks as No. 1 in voter turnout. But for local elections — even with this year’s high-profile mayoral races in Minneapolis and St. Paul — fewer people will cast ballots. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says it’s important to vote in local elections because they tend to have a more-direct impact on people's lives.As the federal shutdown continues to jeopardize food assistance programs, local nonprofits are stepping in to help low-income Minnesotans. The Greater Twin Cities United Way has launched an emergency food relief campaign. And it is asking Minnesotans to donate or volunteer.The number of grey wolves around Voyageurs National Park has dropped significantly over the past two years, according to a new report by researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project.

Many Medicaid service providers have been scrambling this week to understand how a new Minnesota audit will play out. And China has agreed to buy soybeans from the United States again, ending its boycott of the American crop.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Some Minnesota disability service providers are concerned about the state's plan to pause payments during an audit of Medicaid program billings.And a closely watched case involving a Minnesota gun law won't get sped up to the state's top court.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The federal government shutdown could mean more than 440,000 Minnesotans will lose their SNAP food assistance benefits in a matter of days. That loss also will hurt the more than 3,600 retailers across the state that accept SNAP, including grocery stores, convenience marts and farmers markets. Officials say every dollar in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.50 in local economic activity.Minnesota is preparing to lay off around 100 state health workers amid the government shutdown. The Minnesota Association of Professional employees union says notices are going out Thursday at the health department with layoffs of workers in the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.Eleven people were arrested in a sit-in at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's office on Tuesday. They stayed in the building several hours after closing and were arrested around midnight for trespassing. Protesters are asking Frey to enact several policies strengthening the city's separation ordinance which bars local police from collaborating with federal immigration enforcement. They want a citywide ban on law enforcement officers wearing face coverings and arrests of federal officers who break that rule.

Gov. Tim Walz says his administration has hired a third-party entity to audit Medicaid programs to make sure money is being spent as intended. And TSA workers are continuing to work without pay during the government shutdown. Oct. 24 marked TSA's first pay period without a check.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Air traffic controllers spoke to travelers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Tuesday about going unpaid while working during the federal government shutdown. A St. Paul man is charged with threatening to kill U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Notices filed with the state show Minneapolis-based Target is laying off at least 815 of its corporate employees in the Twin Cities. That includes more than 500 workers at Target’s downtown headquarters and nearly 300 workers at its northern campus in Brooklyn Park. Target says the layoffs are set to take effect Jan. 3.Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected earnings in its third quarter as it seeks to regain its footing. Last spring, the company suspended its financial outlook for the year amid higher-than-expected medical costs from its customers. UnitedHealth is dropping some of its Medicare Advantage programs next year resulting in about one million fewer customers.Minnesota members of the Caribbean Disaster Relief Fund say they’ve been working nonstop since before Hurricane Melissa made landfall Tuesday as a Category 5 storm. The hurricane brought destructive winds and flooding rain. A community altar honoring the Mexican Day of the Dead opens this evening at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. It’s part of a larger project connecting art, ancestry and ancient traditions.