Walz will meet with Biden; new federal legislation to prevent drug trafficking

The endorsed Minnesota Republican Party candidate for U.S. Senate is coming under fire for comments regarded as antisemitic. A nonprofit in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood said today that it’s canceling its partnership with Justin Sutherland after prosecutors charged the celebrity chef with making violent threats toward his girlfriend. Sutherland’s attorney says the charges are “riddled with false truths.”Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister

Minneapolis Parks workers began a week-long strike Thursday with a kickoff party, rally and march. The union represents about three hundred workers, and it says the strike follows seven months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. Workers say they’re asking for better pay and safety protections.And the Bloomington Police Department is looking into how artificial intelligence can help them, after the Mall of America announced it will start using AI facial recognition.Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.Hundreds of Minneapolis park workers poised to strike for a week beginning July 4Bloomington police chief discusses police car karaoke and AI facial recognition at Mall of AmericaRead the latest edition of the AM Update newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Several drug companies filed lawsuits in federal court this week challenging a Minnesota law governing the price of medication. And Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit today alleging that tobacco companies underpaid the state by nearly $58 million.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister

Gov. Tim Walz meets with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors Wednesday.  The president invited the governors to the meeting after the state leaders held a conference call this week — following the president's poor performance in last week's debate.Walz also visited the damaged site of the Rapidan Dam Tuesday and shared updates on disaster relief for the area.Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.Biden’s candidacy remains a discussion point for Walz, other Democratic governors‘Minnesotans are resilient’: Flooding assessments continue; Walz visits flood-damaged Rapidan Dam siteRead the latest edition of the AM Update newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Gov. Tim Walz is due to meet with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors tomorrow. And new federal legislation co-sponsored by Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig aims to stop drug trafficking on social media.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister

More rain moving through the state during the overnight hours. Some of it heavy. On Tuesday, Gov. Walz is in southern Minnesota to visit the Rapidan Dam and provide an update on flood conditions across the state. And Minnesota's e-bike rebate application program open again today at 11 a.m. Round one of the online effort ended last month when the website crashed.Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.Minnesota e-bike rebates: Window set to reopenFloodwaters receding, cleanup continues across much of Minnesota; more heavy rain possibleRead the latest edition of the AM Update newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Many thousands of state birth records become available to adopted people for the first time Monday.Minnesota’s congressional delegation is politically split over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to provide former President Donald Trump more legal protection against criminal charges.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in Minnesota, ordering federal aid to assist with flood recovery. A court hearing set for Monday for State Sen. Nicole Mitchell on burglary charges has been postponed. In April, she was arrested at her stepmother’s home in Detroit Lakes. Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.More Minnesota counties may get disaster declarations, feds will pick up most of the clean-up tabRead the latest edition of the AM Update newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz still expects Pres. Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee after his performance heightened anxiety within the party.And authorities in North Branch say a police officer fatally shot a woman last night.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The peacetime emergency declared by Gov. Tim Walz has been extended. Minnesota's Executive Council voted to extend the emergency from five to thirty days due to severe flooding.And the University of Minnesota's faculty senate gave a vote of "no confidence" yesterday to interim president Jeff Ettinger and provost Rachel Croson in protest of their actions regarding the hiring of a director of the U's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Kelly Bleyer. Music by Gary Meister.