Sept. 13, 2021 The leader of an Illinois anti-government militia group who authorities say was the mastermind behind the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque was sentenced Monday to 53 years in federal prison. A federal jury had convicted Emily Hari, previously known as Michael Hari, last December of hate crime and explosives charges for the firebombing of the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington.
U.S District Judge Donovan Frank said he was compelled to take Hari's intent into account. “It was clearly an act of domestic terrorism against a religious group,” Frank said.
The fate of a ballot question that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety is uncertain after a hearing in Hennepin County District Court this morning. A lawsuit is challenging the language of the ballot question approved by the Minneapolis City Council, which opponents argue is misleading. But the city of Minneapolis and supporters of the amendment argue that the language clearly identifies the ballot question as required by law, and that opponents of the referendum want to insert language that wrongly speculates about the impacts of the charter amendment. Advocates and opponents of the amendment have repeatedly challenged the ballot question in the last month. Judge Jamie Anderson said she'll release her decision as soon as possible. Both sides could appeal her decision. Early voting starts Friday. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson, MPR News | 