Scientists are warning that climate change is already compounding the extreme heat battering the Pacific Northwest and will do so even more as the planet continues to warm.
Oregon and Washington saw record-setting triple-digit temperatures this week, bringing many aspects of daily life to a grinding halt.
In Portland, a mass transit company canceled service because of melting cables, while highway pavement in the Seattle area buckled in the extreme heat. Continue reading.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson dropped a bombshell allegation on his Monday night show: The National Security Agency, he said, was “monitoring our electronic communications and is planning to leak them in an attempt to take this show off the air.”
He added: “We have confirmed that.”
Has it, in fact, been confirmed? Throughout the day Tuesday, many observers noted that the serious accusation seemed surprisingly absent from the dominant narratives on the rest of Fox News, even though it would seem to be a major story of interest beyond just the single hour Carlson hosts if it were true. But it appeared the news division of the network — traditionally considered separate from opinion shows like Carlson’s — couldn’t back up the claim. Continue reading.
Neighbors,
The 2021legislative session adjourned early Thursday morning with the successful passage of our two-year budget. We worked hard to negotiate a fair budget to help Minnesotans recover from the past year and thrive in the future. Our compromise budget invests in all Minnesotans but aims to help those most hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic – students, businesses, workers, and families. Earlier today, Gov. Walz signed the remaining budget bills into law. You can read my statement here.
Our budget made historic increases in funding for public schools and preservation of all day pre-K for 4,000 preschoolers. As vice-chair of the Early Childhood Committee and a negotiator of the final Education budget, I am proud of the collaborative, compromise final product. The positive impact the budget will have on our students cannot be overstated. Historic investments in our students now and going forward will give our students a bright future, no matter where they live or what they look like. You can read my news release here.
Here are some other highlights of the budget:
Continue reading “Rep. Laurie Pryor (HD48A) Update: July 1, 2021”
A man arrested this week for participating in the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol building demanded that former President Donald Trump pay his legal bills.
As reported by Reuters legal affairs journalist Jan Wolfe, MAGA rioter Zvonimir Jurlina was arrested in Austin, Texas this week and charged with inciting violence against members of the media who were covering the rioting Trump supporters and with encouraging the theft of media equipment.
In a video posted shortly after his court appearance Jurlina complained about being a “political prisoner” who was being persecuted for being a “patriot.” Continue reading.
Hi Neighbors,
From some extraordinary new Minnesota State Fair foods to the upcoming holiday weekend, there’s a lot to look forward to this week. Patriotism has been on my mind lately, and as we near the 4th of July, I wanted to share a few reasons to celebrate our United States of America:
1. A women’s olympic gymnastic team with 2 Minnesotans
2. Our dedicated servicemen and women and our principled military leadership who keep us safe (and refuse to play political games)
3. The bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators that proved the naysayers wrong and found common ground on a bipartisan infrastructure deal our country desperately needs
Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) Update: July 1, 2021”Former Vice President Mike Pence says he was “proud” to certify the 2020 election results.
Former Attorney General William Barr says he knew former President Trump’s claims of election fraud were “bullshit.”
And former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will come out with a new book later this year arguing that the Republican Party needs to push back against conspiracy theories and grievance politics — a clear shot at Trump and his most hardcore MAGA fans. Continue reading.
Russian propagandists see a new opportunity to reach out to supporters of former President Donald Trump by pitching their country as the last refuge for besieged white people.
The Daily Beast’s Julia Davis reports that the Kremlin appears intent on “turning Russia into the land of ultimate political incorrectness, the world’s anti-woke capital” where aggrieved conservatives can escape to feel “normal” again.
Russian propagandists have found that Fox News host Tucker Carlson is particularly useful to their initiative, as his show portrays white Americans as under dire and persistent threat from minorities. Continue reading.
Dear Neighbors,
We’ve just begun debate on the Taxes budget bill in the House, and today is the last day of this special session. It’s been a long couple of weeks (and a long year and a half!) but we’ve made a lot of progress and put forward a bipartisan state budget that will help Minnesotans bounce back from the struggles of the Covid-19 pandemic. With historic investments in education, an orderly end to the peacetime emergency, support for workers and small businesses, funding for childcare, measures to provide housing security, and so much more – everyone can find something to like in this budget.
As the only divided state legislature in the nation, compromise was necessary, but we also proved that coming together for the betterment of our state is still something that can be done in today’s political climate.
There’s a lot to cover in these bills – what’s in them, what’s not – so I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining Sen. Cwodzinski and Rep. Pryor for a District 48 Town Hall to take your questions and talk about our budget. We’ll be holding the event virtually, streaming live on our Facebook pages on Tuesday, July 6, from 9:30-10:30am. Grab a cup of coffee and tune in to start the short holiday week!
As we’ve done in the past, you can submit questions ahead of time here. We do ask that you provide your name and address, that way we can be sure we’re hearing from and prioritizing constituents’ comments and concerns.
If you’d like to get caught up on the bills we’ve passed the last two weeks, you can find nonpartisan summaries of the bills and the process around them here:
More Minnesotans have been getting vaccinated and COVID cases are going down, but it was also the recent compromises reached in St. Paul that enabled us to safely and effectively vote to end the peacetime emergency. With a deal struck with the US Department of Agriculture on emergency food assistance, and an eviction moratorium off-ramp included in our Housing budget, we’re ensuring that ending this peacetime emergency doesn’t just gain us a new crisis.
The eviction moratorium off-ramp included in our Housing budget provides both renters and landlords with the time and resources they need to make them whole. If you or someone you know has been struggling with rent payments because of the pandemic, I recommend checking out renthelpmn.org.
We will celebrate Independence Day this coming weekend, and I wish you and yours a Happy Fourth of July! Our Eden Prairie Hometown Celebration is back after a 2020 hiatus, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the festivities Friday through Sunday at our community parks.
With the special session and the peacetime emergency over, we’re not scheduled to return to the House floor until the 2022 Legislative Session. Until then, I anticipate seeing many of you at school functions, on local parks and trails, enjoying restaurants and shops, or at your front door!
Please continue to reach out to me with any questions you may have on the bills we passed this year, the work that still needs to be done, or any ideas you may have for Eden Prairie and Minnesota. The best way to touch base is through email (rep.carlie.kotyza-witthuhn@house.mn) or phone (651/296-7449). I look forward to hearing from you.
Be well, and have a fun and safe holiday weekend!
Sincerely,
Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn
Hennepin Happening
Welcome to the District 5 July newsletter! I’m wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July. Scroll down to read more about
A D.C. police officer on Tuesday recalled fearing for his life when he was attacked outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a man using his fists and a flagpole. The officer also expressed the dismay he later felt on learning that the man charged with assaulting him is a former police officer and military veteran, Thomas Webster.
“Mr. Webster trained for years to show restraint in times of chaos, ensure public safety and protect public order,” the officer wrote in a statement read aloud by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hava Mirell during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington. “He deliberately chose to dishonor himself, as well as fellow former service officers, motivated by what we now know was political ignorance.”
Webster, 55, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent 20 years in the New York Police Department, according to court filings. He has been detained since his arrest in February, one of about 50 defendants jailed pending trial of the roughly 500 accused of participating in the riot at the Capitol. Continue reading.
