In the Know: October 15, 2020

Days to the November Election: 19

Early voting!
Check out iwillvote.com/mn to learn more about early voting in person or by mail!

Agriculture
MIDWEST LAND VALUES POISED TO MOVE HIGHERSuccessful FarmingU
SDA PAYS $1.5 BILLION A WEEK IN CORONAVIRUS RELIEFSuccessful Farming

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Looks like masks were optional at the Eric Trump rally in NorthfieldCity Pages
63 prosecutors pledge not to criminalize abortion even if Roe v. Wade is overturnedMSN News

Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
Biden campaign halts Kamala Harris’ travel after two people in campaign’s orbit test positive for coronavirusCNN
Jill Biden to visit Twin Cities, Rochester as Election Day nearsKEYC News
Biden’s Covid Response Plan Draws From F.D.R.’s New DealNew York Times
Biden to face voters in ABC News Town Hall from PhiladelphiaABC News
A small business argument for Joe BidenThe Hill
Report: Joe Biden’s Free College Plan Would Pay For ItselfForbes
Scientific journal ‘Nature’ endorses BidenThe Hill

Education
West central Minnesota school leaders say many factors weighed in changes related to COVID-19West Central Tribune
New Students at U.S. Colleges Drop, Worsening Campus CrisisBloomberg

Environment
A guide to climate change in the 2020 Presidential ElectionNew York Times
Bringing people together on climate change: Study shows engaging, high-quality media can change mindsScience Daily

Governor Tim Walz
Walz Urges Minnesotans to Remain Vigilant During COVID SpikeVoice of Alexandria 

Health Care
Biden campaigns on strengthening the Affordable Care Act as Trump undermines itCNN

Immigration News
Justices Lean Toward Relief for Longtime ImmigrantsBloomberg Law
Children From Immigrant Families Are Increasingly the Face of Higher EducationNew York Times

Minnesota Legislature 
$1.9 Billion Bonding Bill Passes In Minnesota HouseCBS Minnesota
GOP Minnesota Senator Suggests Racism Doesn’t Exist by Invoking Obama’s Presidency,Newsweek

Minnesota News 
George Floyd’s birthday celebratedStar Tribune
Minn. reports highest one-day COVID-19 death count since JuneStar Tribune
Minnesota keeps top spot for ACT scoresStar Tribune
‘They believe in us’: How local groups help Latinos survive the fallout of COVID-19Rochester Post Bulletin
‘Forever chemicals’ found in St. Croix River, says report by Minnesota Pollution ControlDuluth News Tribune
BSU pilots $580,000 success grant programBemidji Pioneer

Representative Angie Craig (CD2)
United States Representative Angie Craig Visits Inspired Spine Burnsville CampusPR Newswire
Congressional campaign waits for appellate court’s decision on date of election, KSTP

Representative Dean Phillips (CD3)
LETTER: Phillips truly represents the interests of the peopleHometown Source

Representative Jim Hagedorn (CD1, R)
Hagedorn, DJ deal could draw FCC inquiryMankato Free Press

Republican Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates Donald Trump and Mike Pence 
Trump’s lack of honesty on Covid hangs over his reelection bidCNN
Trump’s move to ban racial sensitivity training cements his desire to divide AmericansUSA Today
Fact check: Trump is still falsely claiming that Mexico is paying for his border wallCNN
As Coronavirus Spread, Reports of Trump Administration’s Private Briefings Fueled Stock Sell-OffNew York Times
Exclusive: Feds chased suspected foreign link to Trump’s 2016 campaign cash for three yearsCNN

Republicans
California GOP won’t comply with cease-and-desist order calling for removal of unofficial ballot drop boxesCBS News
GOP Senator, Facing Tough Election Fight, Will Make Joint Appearance With QAnon SupporterNewsweek
Florida GOP House Speaker Tells Fellow Members That State’s COVID-19 Deaths Are InflatedNewsweek
Trump is the symptom, the GOP is the diseaseBoston Globe
How Republicans will try to destroy a Biden presidencyWashington Post
Video Shows Conservatives Being Told Not To Fear ‘Voter Suppressor’ Label: ReportHuffington Post

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Amy Klobuchar keeps focus on election in Supreme Court BattleStar Tribune
Klobuchar Presses Barrett on Past Work During Bush v. Gore DecisionNBC4 Washington
Klobuchar presses Barrett on healthcareLos Angeles Times

Senator Tina Smith
Sen. Tina Smith holds rally with college students to discuss voter turnoutMN Daily

Supreme Court of the US
Notre Dame calendars show more events not listed on Amy Coney Barrett’s Senate paperworkCNN
Amy Coney Barrett’s Climate Dodge Isn’t Just Unscientific. It’s At Odds With Most Americans., Huff Post
Amy Coney Barrett’s opposition to Obamacare, explainedVox

U.S. News
Census whiplashed by changing deadlines, accuracy concernsAssociated Press News
Cameron Peak Fire becomes largest wildfire in Colorado history, growing more than 20,000 acres in a dayUSA Today
More than 5 million people with felony convictions can’t vote in this year’s election, advocacy group findsCNN
Americans Are Dying In The Pandemic At Rates Far Higher Than In Other Countries, NPR News
8 Million Have Slipped Into Poverty Since MayNew York Times

World News
London and Paris bring in strict new rules as cases surge across EuropeCNN
Kyrgyzstan’s president resigns, bringing political impasse to an endWashington Post
U.S. citizens released by Iran-backed Houthi militia in YemenNBC News
In Fight Between Two NATO Allies, Greece and Turkey Appeal to US as Conflict IntensifiesNewsweek
Post-Brexit trade talks expected to drag on despite Boris Johnson’s deadlineCNBC

DFL Headquarters Office Hours 
Looking to buy yard signs or Biden-Harris merchandise? WE ARE FULLY STOCKED WITH SIGNS IN ALL SIZES! Stop by the DFL Headquarters on 255 East Plato Blvd in St Paul, we are now open to the public from 12:00-5:00PM Monday-Friday.

Upcoming Events:

  • Today through November 2 — General Election Early Voting
  • October 15 — Prime time ABC Town Hall with Joe Biden, more specifics as it becomes available
  • October 19, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for more information.
  • October 21, 7:00 to 900 PM — CD3 DFL Central Committee Meeting, if you’re a member of the CD3 Central Committee or a representative of a DFL campaign in CD3, please email info@dfl3cd.org for virtual log in information.
  • October 22 — Presidential Debate, more information as it becomes available
  • October 31 — Halloween
  • November 1 — Daylight Saving Time ends
  • November 2 — Last day for in-person early voting
  • November 3 — Election Day
    • 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM — Polls open for in person voting. Not certain where to vote? Visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website here.
  • November 4, 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics
  • November 5, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
  • November 9
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics
  • November 10, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD40 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
  • November 12
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD36 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD48 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
  • November 16, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics.
  • November 18, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 DFL Virtual Central Committee Meeting, more information as it becomes available.
  • November 26 — Thanksgiving Day