Good morning. Exactly 11 more months until Election Day 2026, so pace yourself people.
First Pentagon briefing under new media rules brings friendly questions
The Pentagon press secretary has held her first briefing since most nonpartisan news outlets were replaced by friendly media representatives willing to accept new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A switch in Washington has been flipped and it means a white-hot spotlight on Gov. Tim Walz. The Walz-led state government is suddenly in the focus
of investigations, funding threats or other actions by several federal agencies. It comes amid his increasingly personal feud with President Donald Trump. The scrutiny of Walz administration actions is perhaps just a taste of what’s in store for the next 11 months as he seeks another term. The 2024 vice presidential nominee is a frequent target of Trump, who has lobbed insults at Walz and whom Walz has accused of misdeeds and hiding health problems. Walz is raising money off the new level of Trump administration attention. His campaign put out a donation appeal yesterday under the subject line: “Donald Trump is coming for Minnesota.” In it, his campaign wrote of Trump: “He’s always
been petty. This just isn’t the behavior of someone who’s focused on serving the American people. This is a President who’s unwell.” Trump and other cabinet officials called Walz incompetent or worse at a White House meeting on Tuesday.
The Trump administration also reportedly is planning an ICE enforcement operation primarily targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota. The New York Times was first to report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was waging an intensive operation targeting undocumented Somali immigrants
, according to documents obtained and interviews done by the Times. The story says around 100 officers and agents from around the country have been brought in for the operation. Minneapolis and St. Paul leaders decried the move and noted that most of Somali descent here have citizenship or other legal status. They said it would still lead to community fear and harassment. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting that some who came to Minnesota might have falsified visa applications and her agency would remove those who were found to have done so.
At the same time, Minnesota is facing another threat of federal funds being withheld over immigration issues, this time for truck driving programs. Federal officials say about 44 percent of the country’s truck driving programs are not complying with minimum requirements. The U.S. Transportation Department said Monday it plans to revoke the licenses of around 3,000 schools unless they comply
with the requirements within the next month. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold $30.4 million from Minnesota if it doesn’t address shortcomings and revoke licenses that he says should not have been issued, either because the state did not verify the driver’s immigration status or because they were valid beyond a driver’s work permit. Every state threatened so far is a Democratic-led state, according to the Associated Press. Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, said: “We take safety on our roads seriously and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has already worked to ensure we are in compliance with federal law.”
Across the border, a competitive governor’s race is shaping up as a prominent Democrat has joined the race. Wisconsin’s former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate previously, has jumped into the crowded statewide race Tuesday to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who decided not to run for a third term. Barnes lost his Senate bid in 2022 by 1 percentage point. The Associated Press reports the Democrat is a presumptive front-runner
in the race, with strong name recognition and a statewide funding network. The AP’s Scott Bauer writes, “with an eye toward independent and swing voters, who will be key in the general election, Barnes pitches a moderate stance focused on the economy.” Wisconsin voters backed President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024, but supported President Joe Biden in 2020. The politically divided state could see a leftward shift, as recently redrawn legislative election maps could be friendlier to Democrats in 2026.
A new paid family leave signup portal is open today for people who welcomed a new child in 2025. Economic development leaders announced the early application option
yesterday during a news conference at a Minneapolis deli. They said opening up the application in a more gradual fashion could help stave off any hiccups when the paid family and medical leave program gets off the ground in January. They said around 300 workers from two of the state’s biggest employers had already applied during a beta testing phase. And roughly 5,000 more could apply since they welcomed children this year and could be eligible for paid leave next year.
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