Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday.
Former President Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, with the Justice Department acting to hold him accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power and threaten American democracy. The Associated Press reports the four-count indictment, the third criminal case against Trump, provided deeper insight into a dark moment that has already been the subject of exhaustive federal investigations and captivating public hearings. It chronicles a months-long campaign of lies about the election results and says that, even when those falsehoods resulted in a chaotic insurrection at the Capitol, Trump sought to exploit the violence by pointing to it as a reason to further delay the counting of votes that sealed his defeat.
The Minnesota State Patrol released body-worn camera footage Tuesday of a police-involved fatal incident that took place early Monday morning on I-94. MPR News reports with the car doors open on both sides and a trooper yelling for Ricky Cobb to get out of the car, the video shows Cobb speeding off, tossing the troopers to the ground. Before the trooper on the passenger side falls, he appears to fire several shots into the car. The troopers get in their squads and give chase. Roughly 30 seconds later they come upon the vehicle moving slowly by the Jersey barriers. They box it against the median near the 42nd Avenue bridge over the interstate and come out guns drawn before realizing the man has been shot. They call for paramedics. State Patrol Chief Colonel Matt Langer said troopers attempted to take Cobb, 33, into custody for allegedly violating a protection order — which is a felony. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined Cobb died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Members of Cobb’s family said they are hurt and confused. Cobb’s mother, Nyra Fields-Miller, spoke at a rally outside the governor's residence in St. Paul Tuesday after a pastor said Cobb's family had been allowed to see video from the incident. “I'm hurting so incredibly bad, for my heart, my soul and my body,” she said. “And the impact it has on his children, his siblings, is devastating. It's very devastating.”
The Red Lake Nation opened its marijuana dispensary to adult users Tuesday, marking the first time in state history that cannabis has been sold legally without a doctor’s OK. MPR’s Melissa Olson reports people passionate about cannabis brought camping chairs and coffee mugs and waited in line. The mood outside the dispensary was celebratory, as personalities from Red Lake’s radio station pumped music from giant speakers beneath a canopy in the parking lot. Tribal Secretary Sam Strong said he sees it as an economic opportunity for the tribe, and a spur to the tourist industry on the reservation. He also said it's a chance to rectify past wrongs. "I think it's been a long time coming, not only for the tribe, but for the state. The end of prohibition, the end of this war on drugs that was really meant to oppress minorities. So it is only fitting that the Native American tribes are participating in this industry. We have been harmed most by the war on drugs and now it's time to flip that script and create an economic development venture that can heal our community." State law recognizes tribal nations' authority to regulate cannabis. Other dispensaries in Minnesota will take much longer to get up and running.
One hundred and fifty people have applied to lead the agency that will oversee Minnesota’s newly legal marijuana market, according to Gov. Tim Walz’s office. The deadline to apply to be the first Office of Cannabis Management Director was Monday. Walz will make the selection, which he has previously said would come by early fall. The director will build out the new regulatory agency, which will be pivotal in setting the guidelines for the eventual retail market for cannabis.
A 13-member commission will soon begin trying to agree on a replacement for the Minnesota state flag and state seal. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports: Minnesota’s State Emblems Redesign Commission is almost set and will begin its process soon. The final commission selections were due this week, with the initial picks eager to get going. “I can’t tell you how excited I was when I got the call to be part of this,” said Anita Talsma Gaul, a community college history instructor from southwestern Minnesota. “I thought, ‘Wow, what a chance to be part of history.’” Luis Fitch, a Minneapolis-based design and branding expert who moved to Minnesota from Mexico 25 years ago, said he’s had his sights on a flag rework since attending a presentation by the director of the Smithsonian Latino Center during a visit here, which began with a slide depicting the current flag. “I hadn't ever paid attention. And I was like in shock to hear his point of view in having a person with a rifle working the land and then a Native American in the back half-naked and a horse in the distance and the story that tells or communicates,” Fitch said, recalling how he fired off emails soon after to begin pressing for a replacement. “I got involved right away when I saw there was an opening.” | 