Man involved with Feeding Our Future fraud gets 3 years in prison

An electric transmission line in northeast Minnesota is facing opposition from people fighting a proposed data center. The state Public Utilities Commission is holding hearings on the proposed power line from Grand Rapids to Hermantown. Google wants to build a massive data center where the line would end.A man who operated a banquet hall that was a key part of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme is heading to prison for more than three years. Abdullahe Jesow used a fake nonprofit called Academy for Youth Excellence to siphon $4.3 million from taxpayer funded child nutrition programs by falsely claiming to have served millions of meals to kids during COVID.

The Minnesota National Guard is assisting officials in Winona County as they respond to a cyberattack.And Minnesota mayors were at the state Capitol today asking for money to help businesses recover from the immigration agent surge.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Foster youth advocates will testify Wednesday in support of a bill protecting Supplemental Security Income and Survivor Benefits for those in the foster care system. Survivor benefits are intended to support children who have lost a parent, and SSI supports foster youth with disabilities. Current practice allows counties to use these funds to reimburse foster care costs.Minnesota's electrical grid is in the midst of a massive expansion. Renewable energy advocates and utilities say new transmission lines are needed to make the grid more reliable. Xcel says that the proposal will face a lengthy environmental review, and they likely won't break ground until 2030.

A federal judge has declined to stop the Trump administration from halting more than $240 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota. And state lawmakers return for the last leg of their session today after a holiday break.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The Legislature returns Tuesday after a weeklong break. So far, this year's session has been heavy on conflict. The narrowly split Legislature came into session with a lot of pressing matters to address: immigration enforcement actions, gun violence, fraud and a tight budget. Lawmakers have six weeks to finish their work.The first defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme to admit his involvement is avoiding prison because of his cooperation with investigators. After the FBI raided Feeding Our Future's offices and two dozen other locations in early 2022, Bekam Merdassa was the first conspirator to come forward. He pleaded guilty later that year.Many farmers across Minnesota will soon start planting their crops. While some ordered the fertilizer and fuel they’ll need ahead of time, those who didn’t now face huge price increases due to the war in Iran.

Some Twin Cities school districts that offered virtual learning during increased federal immigration enforcement operation are bringing students back to in-person classes today. Minnesota's top judge is retiring in September. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson's planned departure gives Gov. Tim Walz one more major appointment to the Supreme Court.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Riverview, a dairy company, aims to expand one of its operations near the west-central city of Morris to house more than 18,000 animals, becoming the state’s largest livestock farm. Riverview officials say the proposal could help create jobs. But concerns remain.A federal judge in Minneapolis is deciding whether the government may use military attorneys to prosecute civilians. The Justice Department has sent Army lawyers to Minnesota after an exodus of federal prosecutors.The Trump administration is closing a globally recognized forest research center in Grand Rapids. The Forest Service is moving its headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City. It's also shuttering more than 50 research facilities around the country, including an office in Grand Rapids.

Winter continues to make an April comeback across much of Minnesota -- with another storm taking aim at the region from today through late tomorrow. It’ll bring rain and a few thunderstorms to the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota this evening. And St. Paul officials say an investigation into police actions during a November immigration operation is still underway.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

After more than two years of negotiations... a union representing more than 600 doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners at Allina Health clinics has reached a tentative first contract agreement.And for the first time since May of 2007, Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked up higher than the nation's.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.