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News Bites: Minnesota Immigrants, ICE, and Politics

A noise demonstration is scheduled in Albert Lea Sunday on behalf of a 23-year-old man with serious health issues who has been in ICE-related detention for 14 months. And Keith Ellison updates campaign volunteers on cases against ICE agents.

Commentary: The Pervasive Smallness of Using Labels to Cause Harm

Whether it is Jewish people, Somalis, Indigenous, and the many others who have been labeled as inferior by those who see people by skin color and birthplace, our children are noticing the propensity toward racism and violence. Why speakers at a rally in support of Rep. Ilhan Omar Monday see Minnesota as the birthplace for a new promised land of unity and solidarity.

AP News: Trump’s $90 Medicare rebate rolls out, but millions aren’t eligible.

Less than one-third of all Medicare recipients are eligible for the payments, which are expected to be sent out this week. Not eligible are roughly 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, millions of other people with disabilities and low-income Medicare recipients.

EXPLAINER: Mining in Minnesota

Minnesota has mined iron for well over a century, and it is still the largest producer of iron ore and taconite in the United States. Now the state is at the center of a bigger question: should it open a second kind of mining, for copper, nickel and other metals, in some of its most water-rich landscapes? This Explainer is part of a series designed to help people understand how the government — and the people we elect to it — serve the common good with the decisions they make about policy and funding priorities that impact the interconnected whole.

Bulletin Board: A Running Tally of Posts From Other Sources

EXPLAINER: When Medicaid Changes Come Home to Minnesota (with flyer)

With the levels of misunderstanding about the systems we rely on day-to-day when we get hospital and clinic care, this Explainer is the first in a series designed to help people understand how the government — and the people we elect to it — serve the common good with the decisions they make about policy and funding priorities. #1: What Minnesotans need to know about how federal Medicaid cuts will impact everyone. Includes a one-page flyer of details.

DATA: Test Your Knowledge of the Numbers of Immigrants and Asylum Seekers in Minnesota

In Minnesota, an estimated 9,000 residents with temporary protections have lost their status or are at imminent risk of losing it. Roughly 13,000 asylum-seeker cases sit pending in Minnesota alone, part of a national backlog exceeding 1 million.

Hegseth Made the Fitness Test Harder: Most Female Marines Are Passing

“I think [Hegseth's] mandate is based on the belief that women can’t meet men’s fitness standards within combat arms." According to Marine Corps data, 91.38 percent of women and 96.53 percent of men in combat arms who have taken the test since January have met or exceeded that threshold.

A Tribute to Karen Clark

The memorial service for retired Minnesota legislator Karen Clark on September 18 reiterated how much she believed that everyone can plant seeds, literally and figuratively, setting the landscape for what is to come.

AP News: House passes bill aimed at addressing impact of data centers on energy costs

The House overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday that aims to have artificial intelligence data centers pay for their substantial energy needs.

What Data Says About Violence in Minnesota: A Reflection After the Latest Mass Shooting

“Despite widespread media attention to mass shootings committed by estranged people, the majority of homicides are committed by individuals known to the victims.”

Convergence: National Conversations About Defending Democracy Held in Minnesota

National leaders for defending democracy gathered at the Minneapolis convention center August 21 to 23, partly to talk about how Minnesotans organized to protect neighbors from federal agents, and partly to prepare for the next onslaught of federal occupation, likely related to the upcoming November elections. A central message: True power comes from cross-sector collaboration between labor, faith communities, nonprofits, and other community leaders.