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Minnesota: Police threaten to charge grandmother for filming traffic problems at mosque NOV 27, 2019 3:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER The police there know who is in charge and who they must not allow to become offended or enraged. And it isn’t Sally Ness. “Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed by Grandmother Threatened with Prosecution for Filming Mosque Violations,” American Freedom Law Center, November 12, 2019 (thanks to the Geller Report): (Minneapolis, Minnesota)—On November 12, 2019, the American Freedom Law Center filed a civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on behalf of Sally Ness. The...

Country superstar Garth Brooks says Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is why he's adding a second concert when he visits Minneapolis. Brooks and Dayton made the concert announcement after the governor asked the country superstar to schedule another performance when tickets for his May 4 concert in Minneapolis sold out in less than an hour. The governor's office says at least 50,000 people were in line, on the phone or online Friday when the last ticket was sold for the concert at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Former Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) said he hadn't ruled out the possibility of running for public office again during an interview with a CBS Minnesota television station on Monday. Franken attended the dedication of Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. He sat on the Indian Affairs Committee in the U.S. Senate and helped secure $12 million in funding for new facilities to replace the old one, which was in dismal condition. "That means a lot to me. It was very moving for me. It was very gratifying. I put my heart in the job," Franken said....

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced he is running for governor Thursday, attempting a restoration after eight years out of office that saw his DFL successor move the state in a more progressive direction at odds with Pawlenty’s tenure. Pawlenty, a longtime Eagan resident, served two four-year terms beginning in 2003. The South St. Paul native built an image of a hockey-playing “Sam’s Club Republican” who could win suburban, middle-class voters in a Democratic-leaning state. “My campaign for governor will focus on charting a better way forward for Minnesota families who see health care premiums skyrocketing, paychecks not increasing very fast,...

At the 32nd Annual State of Minnesota Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration in St. Paul, Gov. Mark Dayton discussed the need for more progress in combating racism. This year's theme for the ceremony, held at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, was based on a statement the activist once made: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" State Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL) and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter both served as keynote speakers. During the ceremony, Dayton expressed his concerns that indecency was gaining the upper hand. "Here in...

The highly publicized vote recount in the Minnesota Senate race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman is shining a light on Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the state’s chief election officer. Ritchie is chairman of the Minnesota Canvassing Board, which on Monday certified that Franken received 225 more votes than Coleman did. Ritchie gave partial credit for his 2006 election to a liberal 527 group, the Secretary of State Project, which says its goal is to “ensure fair, clean elections” by replacing conservative secretaries of state with liberal Democrats. “I want to thank the Secretary of State...

A prominent donor to the Democratic Party says she is considering withdrawing support for senators who urged their colleague Al Franken to resign after he was accused of sexual misconduct. The donor, Susie Tompkins Buell, has been one of the Democratic Party’s most generous supporters for decades. In particular, she has been a champion of female politicians, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Maria Cantwell of Washington. Last month, those senators were among the dozens who called for Franken to resign from the Senate after at least six women accused him of sexual harassment...

Pro-life activist group Operation Rescue announced last week that U.S. President Donald Trump has won its 2017 Pro-Life Person of the Year Malachi Award for his work in "protecting the pre-born.""Operation Rescue is grateful Pres. Trump for having the courage to keep promises made during the campaign that provide greater protections for the pre-born and deny Federal funds from those who commit abortions," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman in the press release."He has proven to be the most pro-life president we have had in modern history and has backed up his pro-life rhetoric with action like no other before him."The...

Well, after giving one of the most non-introspective speeches on the Senate floor regarding his sexual harassment allegations, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is now a private citizen. The Minnesota Democrat was hit with sexual misconduct allegations around the Thanksgiving holiday last year. He’s been accused of groping multiple women, forcibly kissing one as well. As of today, Stuart Smalley has left the building. Here’s his formal resignation letter: Here's Franken's letter of resignation, which took effect at noon CST. #mnsen pic.twitter.com/UpofdVrtiN— Kyle Potter (@kpottermn) January 2, 2018 The Franken allegations arose just as the Alabama special election was winding down....

Those who bet on Al Franken changing his mind had better prepare to hear from their bookies. The Star Tribune reported earlier this afternoon that Franken formally submitted his resignation to Gov. Mark Dayton as promised, two months after a series of allegations regarding sexual misconduct emerged. His replacement will join the Senate tomorrow as planned: U.S. Sen. Al Franken is quitting the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.A spokesman for Franken said he had formally submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Mark Dayton. A copy of the letter was not immediately available, but the spokesman said the resignation would take...

ormer Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is considering running for the recently vacated U.S. Senate seat held by Al Franken. “I’ve had people contact me and urge me to run for that Senate seat,” Bachmann said recently on televangelist Jim Bakker's television show. “And the only reason I would run is for the ability to take these principles into the United States Senate and to be able to advocate for these principles.”

Sen. Al Franken officially resigned on Jan. 2, nearly a month after he announced his plans to step down from Congress amid numerous sexual misconduct allegations that began in November of last year. Aides to the senator told Fox News that Franken has provided his letter of resignation to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, who is replacing Franken, is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday. Franken, a Minnesota Democrat who has been in office since 2009, was plagued by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct over the past month and faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation....

Former Minnesota congresswoman and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said she is considering a run for Al Franken's Senate seat. Background: Franken is officially resigning from Congress on Tuesday following a string of sexual misconduct allegations, with Minnesota's Democratic Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to take over the seat on Wednesday. Smith plans to run for the remaining two years of Franken's term in a special election in November. Bachmann told televangelist Jim Bakker last week that she has received calls about the race and is praying on whether to return to Washington at a time when "the swamp is...

U.S. Sen. Al Franken said goodbye to staff members and supporters in Minneapolis on Thursday night, in his first public appearance in Minnesota since being accused of sexual harassment. Franken will officially step down from the Senate on Tuesday, with his successor – Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith – scheduled to be sworn in Wednesday to complete Franken’s term, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. The Democrat, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer, said he didn't know what to expect when he first ran for office, “and of course, neither did Minnesotans.”

Days before his resignation from the U.S. Senate, Sen. Al Franken thanked family, staff and his constituents for support that allowed him to fight for issues for Minnesotans. "Serving the people in the U.S. Senate has been the honor of my life," the senator said. "And I'm here tonight to say thank you." Franken's speech to supporters and friends comes after he resigned earlier this month amid a storm of sexual misconduct allegations. He will officially step down on Tuesday. During his speech, Franken talked about how thankful he was to be able to grow up in a middle class...

Luther Strange isn’t the only current US Senator on his way out the door. In a few days, Al Franken will submit his resignation as promised last week, and Tina Smith will take his seat at least until a special election in November chooses his successor. As it turns out, Minnesota voters aren’t entirely happy about Franken’s resignation — and half of them want Franken to renege on his pledge to resign, according to a new PPP poll: -50% of voters think he should not resign, to only 42% who think he should go through with his planned resignation. There...

Sen. Al Franken will step down on Jan. 2, a spokesman for the Minnesota Democrat said Wednesday.

Emma Akpan is a faith leader at her North Carolina African Methodist Episcopal Church. She also volunteers for Planned Parenthood. Akpan wrote a column for Bustle this week trying to justify her abortion advocacy with her Christian faith by claiming that she wants to end violence against women. Akpan described herself a minister at her church. “I am a clinic greeter because of my faith, which teaches me how important it is to provide care for my community,” the Raleigh, North Carolina, woman wrote. “For me, that means ensuring that women have safe access to their health care facilities.” Akpan,...

Activist Zephyr Teachout, who ran for governor in 2014 and Congress in 2016; she lost both times, is troubled by Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) resignation. Mind you, the Minnesota Democrat has not packed up his bags and left. He said he would resign in the near future. It was one of the most soporific and non-introspective resignation speeches—and it wasn’t just conservatives who noted this. Some journalists noted that Franken never apologized for his actions. True. He also called his accusers liars, which is also true. The man didn’t want to go, possibly because he thought his party affiliation could...

The drama between Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and President Donald Trump has reached absurd heights. First, there was that rather tweet from the president, which was not out of the ordinary. He accused Gillibrand of doing “anything” for campaign contributions. Gillibrand said this was a sexist smear, despite the president using that line on pretty much everyone. This all is part of the ongoing sexual harassment reckoning on the Hill and elsewhere. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) is gone, and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has signaled his intention to leave…whenever that may be. Gillibrand has called on Trump to resign, as...