Good morning. Time to feast on a bounty of political news. (You may want to hold on to some leftovers, though - the Digest won’t return until Monday.) Happy Thanksgiving! 1. Final rally tally is in. It cost the city of Minneapolis roughly $542,000 for security and other expenses surrounding President Trump’s Oct. 10 campaign rally at the Target Center, according to city officials, who said they’re seeking reimbursement. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released the updated figures at a City Hall press conference Tuesday, noting the costs are slightly higher than an original estimate of $530,000. Ahead of the rally, AEG Worldwide, which runs the city-owned Target Center, asked the campaign to cover the costs in order to secure the facility, but the campaign threatened legal action. Frey said cities like Minneapolis should not have to cover extra expenses for events like these alone. “The city alone should not bear the costs of keeping residents, visitors and the president safe for a campaign rally, and we will continue to seek reimbursement for the event on behalf of Minneapolis residents and taxpayers,” Frey said. “Additionally, this should provide some fodder for some conversations with an annoying uncle over Thanksgiving.” MPR New 2. Slow and steady keeps Klobuchar in the game. For months, Senator Amy Klobuchar has been the Democratic presidential candidate turning down the music at the party. As Senator Elizabeth Warren promised “big, structural change,” and Senator Bernie Sanders offered his brand of “political revolution,” Ms. Klobuchar was steadily reminding voters of the factors that have long mattered in national politics, at least before the election of a certain current president: expense, experience and electability. Now, as the moderate wing of the party reasserts itself in the primary campaign, her message of plain-spoken politics is drawing greater attention. “What was happening early on was that there was this belief that only those guys had bold ideas,” Ms. Klobuchar, of Minnesota, said in an interview, as she campaigned across New Hampshire this weekend. “I have plans, too. I have bold plans, too. And no one has a monopoly on good ideas.” As her rivals falter, Ms. Klobuchar has outlasted some national figures, like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former Representative Beto O’Rourke, and she is one of just six candidates, so far, to have qualified for the next debate in December. Enough money has flowed in for her to expand her operation; she has doubled her offices in Iowa and her staff in New Hampshire at a time when many of her rivals are worried about contracting. After months stuck toward the bottom of the polls, she has earned around 5 percent in several recent surveys of early-voting states, as voters give her a second look. New York Times 3. The state isn't playing with toxic toys. The Minnesota Department of Commerce ordered three prominent online retailers Tuesday to remove toys for sale in the state after harmful toxins were detected. Commissioner Steve Kelley used a decades-old law to halt sales of a series of off-brand toys on Amazon.com, liExpress.com and Wish.com. The 15 popular spinning battle toys were found to have toxic levels of lead and cadmium. “Young children and families who may be attracted to off-brand prices are some of the most vulnerable populations in Minnesota,” Kelley said at a Capitol news conference. “As such, the fact these toy manufacturers were so careless is particularly upsetting.” The banned toys are knockoffs of legitimate Beyblade spinner toys from reputable manufacturers. The order gave the retailers 24 hours to comply. They were told to stop selling 15 products, post disclaimers about them and set up a system for customer returns and refunds. If they don’t comply, Kelley said he’s prepared to go to court. MPR News 4. Duluth council approves bag charge. Duluth now is poised to become the second city in the state requiring retailers to charge a fee for single-use bags they dispense to customers. By a 6-2 vote Monday night, the Duluth City Council approved an ordinance that mandates stores to charge shoppers a nickel per plastic bag they provide. The ordinance largely mirrors a similar measure passed by the Minneapolis City Council just three days previous, except that down there the fee will apply to both plastic and paper bags. The fee is intended to encourage shoppers to turn to reusable tote bags, thereby reducing the waste stream and slowing the accumulation of plastic particles in the Great Lakes. Councilor Em Westerlund, who brought forward the ordinance, said: "This ordinance, for me, is not about taxation." The fee would be collected and retained by businesses, and none of the funds would flow into city coffers. But she said a modest fee has been shown to be an effective tool for changing behavior in other cities, prompting people to make use of reusable bags. Duluth News Tribune 5. Cleared suspect in Cold Spring cop shooting has his claims dismissed. Claims against Stearns County officials made by Ryan Larson after his arrest following the 2012 shooting death of Cold Spring Police Officer Tom Decker have been dismissed. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson dismissed all claims with prejudice on Nov. 13, according to court records. Larson claimed Stearns County officials entered his apartment illegally, searched and destroyed his property and "falsely arrested, maliciously prosecuted, defamed, and retaliated against him," according to court documents. St. Cloud Times
| 