Walz unveils plan to 'transform' Minnesota's human services system

Heavy snow and howling winds are in the forecast for Minnesota over the coming days. Up first, a storm late Thursday into Friday that’ll bring mainly rain for southern Minnesota with strong northwest winds statewide. They could gust to more than 60 miles per hour tonight. A federal judge in St. Paul heard arguments Thursday from the state of Minnesota and the Trump administration over a halt of $259 million in Medicaid payments to the state.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers were divided over a bill seeking to ban local governments from allowing ICE to use their jails for detention. The bill stalled in a House committee Wednesday on a tie vote. Some Republican legislators who voted no on the bill said many Minnesotans protesting ICE were not cooperative with law enforcement and defied federal law.Minnesota’s leaders of the national Target boycott say the economic blackout of the retail giant continues. Local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong says the main demand — for Target to reinstate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has not been met and so the boycott can not end.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed a proposal to extend the city’s eviction timeline. Instead, he proposed allocating $1 million in city funding to rental assistance as an alternative way to help residents pay their bills. Gov. Tim Walz is getting mixed reactions to his plan to overhaul the way the state administers Medicaid services.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers took up a bill to prohibit artificial intelligence companies from making chatbot services available to minors Monday. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee heard testimony about a bill that would direct AI companies to keep chatbot services away from minors or face civil penalties.A bill that would allow Minnesota voters to decide whether to limit the governor and lieutenant governor to two terms in office has cleared a state House committee. If the constitutional amendment were passed by voters, the change would go into effect in 2030.Townships across Minnesota will hold elections and annual meetings Tuesday. Township residents have a say in local affairs like taxes, new buildings and development, road upkeep and Tuesday — electing people to serve in town offices.

 Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday out rolled a plan to remake the way Minnesota provides Medicaid services that includes centralizing much of the work handled now by counties and the state’s managed health care organizations. A public meeting of the Minneapolis Community Commission on Police Oversight yesterday drew comments from several people -- who said police should have done more to protect residents during the federal immigration surge.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Todd Melby. Music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota lawmakers took up a bill to prohibit artificial intelligence companies from making chatbot services available to minors Monday. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee heard testimony about a bill that would direct AI companies to keep chatbot services away from minors or face civil penalties.A bill that would allow Minnesota voters to decide whether to limit the governor and lieutenant governor to two terms in office has cleared a state House committee. If the constitutional amendment were passed by voters, the change would go into effect in 2030.Townships across Minnesota will hold elections and annual meetings Tuesday. Township residents have a say in local affairs like taxes, new buildings and development, road upkeep and Tuesday — electing people to serve in town offices.

The jump in the cost of gas and diesel across the country comes just weeks ahead of the spring planting season in Minnesota — and that could have an impact on farmers in the region.Anglers on Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota will be able to keep three walleye this summer.Those stories and more in today’s evening update. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.

County leaders are lobbying Minnesota lawmakers for computer technology upgrades. They're coalescing around a goal of upgrading IT software that counties use to sign people up for Medical Assistance.Meanwhile, the Minnesota House will vote this week on renaming a state community solar garden program in honor of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated last year. Hortman advocated strongly for the program and got it passed.Travel by air and road are also getting more expensive in part because of war in the middle east. AAA reports the average gallon of regular gas will cost Minnesotans $3.25 Monday morning. That's up from $2.83 just a week ago. In the Twin Cities metro, prices are about 10 cents higher. The national average is about $3.48 a gallon.

Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith says President Donald Trump’s firing of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary is welcome news -- but she is skeptical about his pick to replace her. Trump says he’ll nominate one of Smith’s Senate colleagues, GOP Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Flags were at half-staff across Minnesota Friday in honor of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, who was killed in an airstrike in Kuwait.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Some Minnesota lawmakers are responding to the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. After news broke of Noem’s firing, Minnesota House Democratic Leader Zack Stephenson praised Minnesotans who he says showed the incompetence of immigration enforcement in the state. Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz says he believes President Donald Trump made a sound decision.Another federal judge is threatening to hold government officials in contempt of court for failing to return critical items including work permits and driver’s licenses to former immigration detainees. For the second time this week, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen promised a judge that ICE would replace missing personal items or pay compensation.