Good morning. Nothing beats spring nights.

The man suspected of killing Melissa and Mark Hortman and wounding John and Yvette Hoffman won’t face the federal death penalty. The Star Tribune confirmed earlier reporting by KSTP-TV that the U.S. Department of Justice has decided against making a capital murder case against Vance Boelter. If convicted, he is still expected to face life behind bars and it’s possible there are plea bargain talks in the works. The Star Tribune quoted an unnamed Justice Department spokesperson that the case didn’t meet the criteria for pursuit of the death penalty. “Bringing justice to the families and loved ones of victims of violence is the Number One priority of the Department of Justice,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. “Prosecutors worked hard on this case to make sure [Boelter] was held accountable to the fullest extent possible. 

DFL candidate for governor Amy Klobuchar rolled out her proposal to address Minnesota's housing shortage on the front lawn of a Twin Cities starter home. Klobuchar said the state needs to build out about 100,000 new houses, condos and apartments to fill the gap. To do that, Klobuchar, Minnesota’s senior U.S. senator, said the state should work with cities and counties to lift requirements that can add time and project expenses. The plan would also create incentives for communities that build more housing, including multi-family units. And it would prohibit companies from using AI algorithms as part of their rent-setting practices. She said the approach pulls on pieces of several bills that have come up short at the Capitol, along with some looking to mirror federal policy she’s worked on and leverage new funding that could help build more homes. “This is based in reality, the reality of the fact that the first federal housing bill in decades is finally moving, and reality in the fact that we've got state legislators on both sides that are interested, that the business community is interested, that labor is interested, that we've got residents that have been crying out for something to get done,” Klobuchar said. “I think we should look at this as one of our win-wins, and something we can accomplish without busting the budget in Minnesota.” 

Attorney General Keith Ellison plans to review two healthcare company mergers. Under a 2023 law , the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has the power to review health mergers and sue to block them if they could increase healthcare costs for patients, decrease competition, reduce care to underserved populations or other factors. Last night, the Attorney General’s Office hosted a public forum in Robbinsdale on one proposed merger between Sanford Health, a South Dakota-based organization, and North Memorial Health. Attorney General Keith Ellison spoke with Minnesota Now’s Nina Moini yesterday about how his office evaluates each proposed merger and how the public can weigh in. A merger between California-based Sutter Health and Allina Health is also in progress.

A new GOP-crafted congressional report places blame on state and human services leaders for allowing fraud to fester in Minnesota-run programs. The 205-page report, released by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, delves into fraud cases going back several years . It includes documents and interviews with current and former state officials. The report says leaders missed warning signs of fraud, failed to use their authority to stop payments and silenced those who were warning about fraud. It examines the Feeding Our Future cases, as well as other fraud cases over the last several years. “The failure to act decisively in the face of known fraud allowed criminal schemes to flourish and diverted resources away from eligible recipients: the vulnerable populations these programs were intended to serve,” the staff for the Republican-led U.S. House committee wrote. The committee, which has been holding hearings on the issue dating back to last year, has been criticized for partisanship. Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Gov. Tim Walz, said, “This committee has proven time and time again to be nothing more than a joke. They continue to rehash COVID-era fraud to distract from endless wars, gas prices, ICE, and the president’s insider trading.” The Trump administration and several political campaigns have seized on fraud as an issue to push in the midterm elections.

Primary ballots are now set for the Legislature. Today, we’ll focus on the state Senate primaries. Three GOP incumbents face primaries as do three DFL incumbents (as noted by the asterisks). There are 16 primaries overall, with the DFL having 10 of them. Of note: Republican candidates in Rochester withdrew by Thursday’s deadline to give former Rep. Nels Pierson a clear path to the GOP ballot line for the seat being left open by Sen. Carla Nelson’s retirement. He’ll face Simon Glaser in November. Senate primaries are listed below. Tomorrow we’ll have a House primary chart.

The Republican side of the U.S. Senate contest hasn’t made it to the TV ad stage yet, but it will before long. Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya has placed her initial ad reservations. For now, those 30-second spots won’t start until the week of July 20 and continue through the leadup to the Aug. 11 primary. It’s possible that the timeline will be sped up. So far, endorsed Republican candidate Adam Schwarze hasn’t locked in any time. Outside groups could also opt to get involved, as has happened on the DFL side. By the way, those pro-Angie Craig ads airing during the NBA Finals are going for $4,000 to $13,000 per spot. The primary winners in both parties will advance to November’s ballot. 

Remember last October’s fire at the Department of Human Services building in downtown St. Paul? A restoration project is expected to cost more than $400,000. Bid documents posted ahead of a contractor meeting next week call for various demolition and rebuild of affected floors at the Elmer L. Andersen Building. Ceilings, floorings, mechanical and electrical systems are among the aspects that need work. The fire started on the fifth floor and a microwave was pinpointed as the source. The building’s sprinkler systems were triggered, which led to water damage on several floors.

On Friday, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must resume processing asylum claims. John J. McConnell Jr., a federal judge in Rhode Island, said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, violated the law by halting asylum claims and placing an indefinite pause last year on processing immigration cases of people from 39 countries. “The Court is reminded of a line often repeated in discussions around immigration policy: If people wish to immigrate to the United States, they ought to ‘follow the law’ and ‘do things the right way,’ the opinion reads. “USCIS has neither ‘followed the law’ nor ‘done things the right way.’ Indeed, the agency has violated the very immigration laws that Congress has charged it with administering.” Minnesota Now’s Nina Moini spoke to Corleen Smith, with the International Institute of Minnesota, and lawyer Michelle Drake about how Minnesota residents have been navigating today’s immigration system.