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  • AP Decision Notes: What to Expect in Minnesota on Election Day

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The two-term mayor of Minneapolis who led the city during the murder of George Floyd is seeking reelection Tuesday against more than a dozen challengers, including a democratic socialist advocating for a change to the “status quo.”

    Beyond the mayoral race, voters will fill two vacancies in state Senate districts — one seat previously held by a Democrat who resigned after a burglary conviction, the other by a Republican who died in office. Democrats currently hold a one-seat majority in the chamber.

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, is one of 15 candidates on the ballot. His best-funded and highest-profile challenger is state Sen. Omar Fateh, who describes himself as a democratic socialist.

    Minneapolis implemented ranked choice voting in 2009, allowing voters to choose up to three candidates in order of preference on their ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidates with the weakest performance are dropped — including the candidate with the lowest number of first-choice rankings and those with no mathematical path to win. The votes from those eliminated candidates are reallocated to voters’ next-highest choices. That process continues until a candidate receives 50% of the vote.

    Frey has been the top fundraiser in the race and has support from a political action committee that is funding digital ads criticizing Fateh. Frey also has backing from Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

    Fateh has framed his campaign as a fight against the “status quo” and asked his supporters to rank DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton as their two other top choices. All three are running as Democrats. Fateh has been endorsed by Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis in Congress.

    Fateh, the son of Somali immigrants, could make inroads with the city’s sizable Somali American population in neighborhoods like Cedar-Riverside. His Senate district includes the heart of the city’s Somali American community.

    Every mayoral race since 2013 has gone to at least a second round of ranked-voting. In 2021, Frey won after two rounds of tabulation, in a reelection race that put a spotlight on his leadership after Floyd’s killing. In 2017, when Frey ousted an incumbent, it took six rounds of tabulation. In 2013, it took 34 rounds to declare Betsy Hodges the winner of the mayoral race.

    District 47 is vacant after its former senator, Democrat Nicole Mitchell, resigned. She was convicted of burglary for breaking into her estranged stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home.

    The Democratic nominee, state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, won the nomination with 82% of the vote. The Republican nominee is Dwight Dorau, who ran unopposed in the primary. Then-Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried the district with about 60% of the vote in 2024 and Mitchell last won with 59% of the vote.

    Most of the suburban district falls in Washington County, with a small portion stretching southward into Ramsey County. In Minnesota, each state Senate district is divided into two state House districts, and Hemmingsen-Jaeger represents half of District 47 in the state House.

    Hemmingsen-Jaeger’s House district includes parts of Maplewood and Woodbury. She won her seat in 2022 and won her 2024 reelection with about 60% of the vote.

    State Sen. Bruce Anderson, a Republican who was first elected to the Legislature in 1994, died in July, prompting a special election. Most of District 29 falls into Wright County, with smaller slices of the district stretching into Meeker and Hennepin counties.

    The Republican nominee, Michael Holmstrom Jr., won the August primary with 73% of the vote. He’s campaigned as a Buffalo business owner with a background in Republican activism, including opposition to abortion. He faces Democrat Louis McNutt, who ran unopposed in the primary. Past results indicate that the district favors Republicans. Anderson won his last several reelection campaigns with upwards of 60% of the vote, and Republican Donald Trump carried the district in 2024 with about 65%.

    Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:

    Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, which is 9 p.m. ET.

    The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the Minneapolis mayoral race and in the two state Senate special elections. Municipal elections will be held for local offices across the state, such as the Minneapolis City Council, St. Paul mayor and Duluth School Board, but those contests will not be included in AP’s vote tabulation.

    Any eligible voter in Minneapolis may participate in the mayoral general election. Eligible voters in state Senate districts 29 and 47 may participate in the special elections in their district.


    What do turnout and advance vote look like?

    As of June, there were about 253,000 registered voters in Minneapolis. In the 2021 mayoral election, turnout was about 54% of registered voters. About 20% of ballots in that election were cast before Election Day.

    As of Oct. 28, a total of 15,525 ballots had been cast in Minneapolis before Election Day.

    Both state Senate Districts 29 and 47 had about 59,000 registered voters as of June. About 68% of registered voters in District 29 voted in the 2022 general election, with about 16% of those voters casting ballots early or by absentee. In District 47, turnout in 2022 was about 69% of registered voters, with about 32% of voters casting ballots early or by absentee.


    How long does vote counting usually take?

    In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported results in Hennepin County at 9:34 p.m. ET, or 34 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 2:59 a.m. ET with more than 99% of total votes counted.

    In the 2022 general election, the AP first reported results in state Senate District 29 at 10:10 p.m. ET and in District 47 at 10:49 p.m. ET.

    Vote tabulation in District 29 stopped for the night at 1:22 a.m. ET with about 91% of total votes counted. In District 47, the election night vote tabulation stopped at 12:10 a.m. ET with nearly 100% of the vote counted.

    As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.

    Associated Press writer Robert Yoon contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • What to Know as Federal Food Help and Preschool Aid Will Run Dry Saturday if Shutdown Persists

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    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. A halt to SNAP benefits would leave a gaping hole in the country’s safety net. Vulnerable families could see federal money dry up soon for some other programs, as well.

    Aid for mothers to care for their newborns through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, could run out the following week.

    Here’s a look at what would happen.

    Tuesday’s legal filing from attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia, plus three governors, focuses on a federal contingency fund with roughly $5 billion in it – enough to pay for the benefits for more than half a month.

    President Donald Trump’s Department of Agriculture said in September that its plan for a shutdown included using the money to keep SNAP running. But in a memo last week, it said that it couldn’t legally use that money for such a purpose.

    The Democratic officials contend the administration is legally required to keep benefits going as long as it has funding.

    The agency said debit cards beneficiaries use as part of SNAP to buy groceries will not be reloaded as of Nov. 1.

    With their own coalition, 19 Republican state attorneys general sent Democratic U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a letter Tuesday urging passage of a “clean continuing resolution” to keep funding SNAP benefits.


    SNAP benefits could leave millions without money for food

    Most SNAP participants are families with children, more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability, and close to 2 in 5 are households where someone is employed. Most have incomes that put them below the poverty line, about $32,000 in income for a family of four, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

    The average monthly benefit is $187 per person.

    People who receive the benefits say that without the aid, they’ll be forced to choose between buying food and paying other bills. Food banks are preparing for a spike in demand that they’ll have to navigate with decreased federal aid themselves.

    The debit cards are recharged in slightly different ways in each state. Not everyone receives their benefits on the first day of the month, though many beneficiaries get them early in the month.

    States expect retailers will be able to accept cards with balances on them, even if they’re not replenished.


    Some states seeking to fill void of SNAP benefit cuts

    State governments controlled by both Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to help recipients, though several say they don’t have the technical ability to fund the regular benefits.

    Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia have pledged to provide some type of backup food aid for recipients even while the shutdown stalls the federal program, though state-level details haven’t been announced.

    More funding for food banks and pantries is planned in states including New Hampshire, Minnesota, California, New Mexico, Connecticut and New York.

    The USDA advised Friday that states won’t be reimbursed for funding the benefits.


    Early childhood education

    More than 130 Head Start preschool programs won’t receive their annual federal grants on Nov. 1 if the government remains shut down, according to the National Head Start Association.

    Centers are scrambling to assess how long they can stay open, since nearly all their funding comes from federal taxpayers. Head Start provides education and child care for the nation’s neediest preschoolers. When a center is closed, families may have to miss work or school.

    With new grants on hold, a half dozen Head Start programs have already missed federal disbursements they were expecting Oct. 1 but have stayed open with fast-dwindling reserves or with help from local governments. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.


    Food aid for mothers and young children

    Another food aid program supporting millions of low-income mothers and young children already received an infusion to keep the program open through the end of October, but even that money is set to run out early next month.

    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples such as fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and infant formula.

    The program, known as WIC, was at risk of running out of money in October because of the government shutdown, which occurred right before it was scheduled to receive its annual appropriation. The Trump administration reassigned $300 million in unspent tariff proceeds from the Department of Agriculture to keep the program afloat. But it was only enough for a few weeks.

    Now, states say they could run out of WIC money as early as Nov. 8.

    Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • A List of Notable Shooting Attacks on Houses of Worship in the US in the Past 20 Years

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    A gunman opened fire inside a Michigan church during Sunday services, inflicting casualties after ramming his vehicle into the front door of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.

    It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Here’s a list of some of the most notable attacks.

    August 27, 2025: Two children were killed and several others were injured in a shooting that happened during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. The shooter, who authorities say died of a self-inflicted gunshot, was a former student at the parish’s school.

    June 16, 2022: A gunman opened fire at a potluck dinner at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, killing three people. He was stopped from doing further damage when another diner struck him with a folding chair and held him until the police arrived.

    Oct. 27, 2018: Eleven Jews attending services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh were fatally shot by a white supremacist with a history of antisemitism. The gunman, Robert Bowers, faces execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

    Nov. 5, 2017: A family feud is believed to have prompted the deadliest mass shooting in modern Texas history. Twenty-five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

    Sept. 24, 2017: A gunman opened fire at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, killing one person and injuring several others, including the minister. The shooter, who previously attended the church, was sentenced to life without parole in 2019.

    June 17, 2015: A young man walked into a Bible study session at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. and killed nine people. The victims included the senior pastor, Clementa Pinckney. The shooter, Dylann Roof, was an avowed white supremacist; he is awaiting execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

    August 5, 2012: Six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the town of Oak Creek were shot to death by a 41-year-old white supremacist who had discussed a racial holy war. One of the injured victims died in 2020 from his head wound, becoming the seventh fatality.

    July 27, 2008: A gunman fired a sawed-off shotgun during a children’s performance at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, killing two people and wounding several others. Police said the shooter targeted the church because of its liberal leanings.

    Dec. 9, 2007: A man killed two people and wounded three at Colorado Springs’ New Life Church before taking his own life. Earlier the same day, he killed two people and injured two at a Youth With a Mission Center in the Denver suburb of Arvada.

    March 12, 2005: Terry Michael Ratzmann killed seven fellow congregants at the Living Church of God in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a Milwaukee suburb. He killed himself after the shooting. Prosecutors never determined an exact motive, although they said he blamed the church for his depression and financial problems.

    Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Sept. 2025

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  • Minnesota bill to legalize marijuana gets major rewrite | Politics: Your Voice Your Vote – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Minnesota bill to legalize marijuana gets major rewrite | Politics: Your Voice Your Vote – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Legislation to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Minnesota underwent a major rewrite Tuesday with the addition of new language to regulate and protect the state’s burgeoning industry in low-potency edibles and drinkables.

    Low-potency products containing THC derived from industrial hemp instead of full-strength cannabis have been legal in Minnesota since last year. But the law that legalized them, which quietly slipped through with many lawmakers apparently unaware of what it did, lacks much of a framework for regulating products such as gummies and seltzers with dosages capped at 5 milligrams of THC.

    The hemp provisions were added to the version traveling through the Senate when it stopped in the State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday. A similar amendment will be added to the House version of the bill next week when it returns to the Commerce Committee, said the lead House author and committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Zack Stephenson, of Coon Rapids.

    “The prohibition of cannabis is a failed system that has not achieved the desired goals,” the other lead author, Democratic Sen. Lindsey Port, of Burnsville, told the state and local government panel. “It has had incredible costs for our communities, especially for communities of color.”

    The 142-page amendment adopted Tuesday deals extensively…

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