Good morning, and welcome to a cold Friday at the end of a long week. Hey, at least the pledge drive is over. Here’s the Digest.
1. President Trump defiant on impeachment, slams Biden and Omar. President Trump aired a host of grievances Thursday at a downtown rally, vowing to win Minnesota in 2020 and blasting opponents in front of thousands of supporters as he faces rising calls for his impeachment. In his first campaign appearance since the House formally began an impeachment inquiry against him, Trump directed his ire at the media, Democrats in Congress and the “dirty political establishment.” Trump railed against Democratic presidential challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, accusing them without evidence of using the vice presidency for financial gain. Democrats launched an impeachment investigation after it came to light that Trump sought political dirt from Ukraine on Biden and his son. At one point, Trump said Biden was “only a good vice president because he understood how to kiss Barack Obama's ass." With pressure rising for his impeachment and possible removal, the stakes were high for Trump as he worked to energize his base, holding a rally in the district of DFL Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent Trump critic who’s been the target of Trump’s invective. “She is a disgrace to our country and she is one of the big reasons that I’m going to win and the Republican Party is going to win Minnesota in 13 months,” he told the cheering crowd during a speech that ran more than 90 minutes with three short interruptions from protesters. MPR News
2. Checking some of the president’s claims. For 102 minutes Thursday, the president railed against investigations into his presidency, attempts to derail his agenda and his political critics. The president spoke in glowing terms about his stewardship of the economy -- the strongest in history, he said. He proclaimed the country to be safer. And he cast himself as the 2020 candidate with “the only positive vision for America.” Trump’s cascade from one topic to the next meant he often didn’t complete his thoughts. And he laid down fewer statistical markers that can be scrutinized than past speeches in Minnesota. Here are some Trump remarks worthy of more examination, beginning with his opening comments to a roaring crowd. MPR News
3. Protests get more violent as night goes on. Boisterous protesters packed the streets Thursday evening around Target Center in downtown Minneapolis where the president held his rally. The night was largely peaceful until disturbances flared in fits and starts as attendees left the arena and were confronted by agitated demonstrators. The protesters appeared to end up at an impasse with police at S. 6th Street and Hennepin Avenue. Officers on bicycles and horses held a line while officers marched through in riot helmets and batons. At the intersection, the tone of protesters’ ire turned away from Trump and toward the police. Shortly after 9 p.m., protesters began burning Trump memorabilia in the street, including flags and “Make America Great Again” hats. According to the Unicorn Riot livestream, vehicles leaving the area were confronted by protesters, and a flag was snagged from one car as it crept past. One man in an SUV calmly handed a protester his “MAGA” hat. Police employed pepper spray in an effort to quell one disturbance, and members of a pro-Trump militia-style group a few blocks away were confronted by police as they left their hotel. Star Tribune
4. First Avenue donates profits to Planned Parenthood. President Trump’s Thursday night rally at Target Center shut down streets around the arena and brought tens of thousands of supporters and protesters to the area. Some nearby businesses, like Kieran’s Irish Pub, closed for the day. But that wasn’t the case for First Avenue. “We never considered closing,” said general manager Nate Kranz. “We considered how we were going to react.” On Tuesday night, First Avenue CEO Dayna Frank announced the nightclub’s reaction. It would donate all of Thursday’s profits from First Avenue as well as its smaller stage 7th Street Entry and bar/restaurant the Depot Tavern to Planned Parenthood North Central States, a move that earned First Avenue national headlines .Kranz said the club would announce the amount of the donation at some point on Friday. “The Depot has been so busy all day, I assume it’s the busiest day we’ve had in our restaurant,” Kranz said. “We’ve had people buying merch from all over the country, calling our office line, calling our restaurant line, stopping in. It’s been an incredible reaction.” Kranz also said he anticipated the concerts in the mainroom and Entry would hit capacity attendance. Pioneer Press
5. University to put brakes on tuition increases for non- residents. After a string of double-digit tuition increases for out-of-state students, the University of Minnesota has met a goal of moving from the bottom to the middle of the Big Ten pack for nonresident costs — a move meant to curb cost increases for Minnesota students. Now, amid dips in nonresident enrollment, the university plans to hold off on further major price hikes, officials told the U’s governing board Thursday. The U is bringing in considerably more from out-of-state student tuition, despite the enrollment decline and new investments in financial aid and national recruiters. Student leaders have argued that the nonresident tuition hikes have already gone too far and are turning off talented students from other parts of the country. But during a Thursday discussion, regents said the U’s strategy has worked well. “If we have been generous in the past, it has been at the expense of Minnesota students and Minnesota taxpayers and families,” Regent Steve Sviggum said. Star Tribune | 