Good morning. The heartbreaking hot dog headlines coming out of Coney Island yesterday were hard to swallow.
Minnesota voters are split on U.S. support of Israel’s war with Hamas. According to the Minnesota Poll commissioned by MPR News, KARE 11 and the Star Tribune, the war doesn’t appear to be a deciding factor for Minnesotans in their November presidential vote. According to the poll, about 40 percent of respondents said they approved of Israel’s military action in Gaza, while 44 percent disapproved and 15 percent weren’t sure. When poll respondents were asked to identify their top issue in the 2024 election from a list, “protecting democracy” was at the top followed by “the economy and jobs” and “immigration.” One percent listed the Middle East conflict at the top of their list. Read more about the poll findings here.
The Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct will meet later this morning to weigh a complaint against DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell. GOP senators in the chamber filed a complaint against the Woodbury DFLer following her April burglary arrest in Detroit Lakes and they called for her expulsion from the chamber. The hearing was originally scheduled to follow an omnibus court hearing in Mitchell’s case, but the court hearing was rescheduled to next month. Mitchell’s attorney filed a letter with the subcommittee explaining the timeline and noting that they would have no updates or new information to present.
Hunter Biden was convicted on all charges in his federal gun trial yesterday. The jury found President Joe Biden’s son guilty of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, when, prosecutors argued, the president's son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. Hunter Biden faces up to 10 years in prison on the first count, five years on the second court and another 10 years on the third count. It’s not clear how long of a sentence he could receive — that’s left up to the judge. Hunter Biden’s lack of previous felony convictions will also play into the sentencing decision. President Biden has previously said he would not pardon his son if he was convicted.
The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor found that the Department of Labor and Industry approved frontline worker payments to ineligible applicants during the pandemic. MPR News health reporter Erica Zurek reports the Legislative Auditor found 140 fraudulent applicants out of the one million individuals that the state provided $487 payments to. OLA also concluded that the Department of Revenue did not verify the income of each applicant and contractors hired by Minnesota Information Technology Services did not keep all application data that was collected from frontline workers.
Some big names are backing Joe Fraser, a Republican candidate vying for Klobuchar’s seat who did not receive the party nom. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former U.S. Sens. Rudy Boschwitz and Norm Coleman have all endorsed Fraser . As the more traditional candidate, Fraser had been expected to receive the party endorsement at the GOP convention in St. Paul last month, but delegates endorsed Royce White instead. White’s spending from a past run for Congress, including on luxury items and strip club bills, has come under scrutiny. His endorsement at the GOP convention last month was a bit of an upset.
Four candidates are running for former state Sen. Kelly Morrison’s seat. The candidate filing period closed Tuesday at 5 p.m. Three candidates have filed under the DFL party, sending that race to an August primary. Among them is Ann Johnson Stewart, who was elected to the state Senate in 2020, but opted not to run again in 2022 after her district was redrawn to include much of the district represented by then-House member Morrison. Kathleen Fowke is the sole GOP contender for the seat. She ran against Morrison and lost in 2022.
Speaking of down-ballot races, the Democratic National Committee is spending some money in Minnesota to help Democrats on the ballot. The DNC is sending nearly $2 million in grants to state parties to help build down-ballot infrastructure in a presidential year. Minnesota is one of the states receiving a grant. The 11 states receiving funding are not seen as traditionally competitive states in this year’s election, but it’s part of the DNC’s commitment to a “50-state strategy.” The funding in Minnesota will pay two full-time staffers to focus on reaching apartment tenants in Minneapolis.
Last night, North Dakotans approved a ballot measure that amends the state’s Constitution to bar aging candidates from running for Congress. The amendment bars North Dakotans from being elected or appointed to serve in Congress if they would turn 81 by the end of their term. Experts believe North Dakota is the first state to impose such a requirement on members of Congress, although it will most likely be challenged in court. The measure would not have an effect on any of North Dakota’s three current members of Congress, all Republicans and ranging in age from 47 to 67. Criticism surrounding aging politicians has swirled this election cycle — if President Joe Biden wins in November, he will be 82 on Inauguration Day. If former president Donald Trump wins, he’ll be 78. The debate about a candidate’s age has not only been related to concerns of a lack of representation of younger generations in top political positions, but also regarding a candidate’s mental and physical fitness. | 
