Minnesota
See Why The Minnesota Dance Team Is “WOWING” The World
This weekend we’re dealing with the coldest weather we’ve had to experience this winter. Negative wind chills make being outside brutal to put it mildly.
But not everything to do with Minnesota is “cold” right now because the University of Minnesota Dance Team has people on TikTok and other social media sites on fire with their routine at the 2024 College Dance Team Nationals at Walt Disney World in Florida.
This morning I heard my wife commenting on something she was watching on her phone. Then she said to me “people on TikTok are going crazy over the Minnesota Dance Team”.
She loves dancing, so to be honest I was a little skeptical that the response was like what she was describing. But sure enough, I typed in University of Minnesota Dance Team and their routine was the first thing that popped up.
Actually, the first four things that came up on my search were this routine.
The group dances to Aerosmith’s “Dream On” which has dramatic instrumentation throughout the song. Their synchronized movements to the song are beautifully choreographed and it seems that each member of the group has their own special moment or moments during the routine.
To keep the timing and precision takes not only immense focus but also terrific physical stamina. The work that college dance and cheer teams put into their competition rivals the teams they are featured around.
Congratulations to the University of Minnesota Dance team, and their families on the exposure they’re getting and the inspiration this routine is likely to create.
Bits O Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
A man suffered serious injuries on Sunday when he hit two cows in the road while driving in central Minnesota, authorities said.
The man was on Kandiyohi County Road 29 near 13th Street Northwest in Lake Andrew Township when he struck the animals just before 11 p.m., the sheriff’s office there said.
The 22-year-old from Pennock, Minnesota, then went into the ditch and hit a tree before his vehicle rolled onto its side. He was treated at the scene and then taken to a hospital. The sheriff’s office said his injuries were not life-threatening.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Sunday was the deadline for Minnesota to complete the revalidation of thousands of Medicaid providers in “high-risk” programs as the state fights with the federal government over about $2 billion in funding.
What is Minnesota Revalidate?
The backstory:
Earlier this year, state leaders announced an effort to revalidate more than 5,500 providers in Minnesota’s Health Care Programs. The revalidation was part of an effort to combat fraud and to satisfy demands from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has withheld up to $2 billion in Medicaid funds from Minnesota.
The deadline to finish the revalidation was on Sunday, May 31.
What we know:
As of last month, state officials said only 550 providers have had applications approved, site inspections completed and been re-enrolled.
At that point, 1,510 applications were incomplete, and 160 providers had been disenrolled. State officials said mostly because they had failed to respond to state inquiries.
There were an additional 990 who had been submitting claims but failed to respond to state notices.
Medicaid funding lawsuit
Local perspective:
In January, Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would withhold $2 billion in Medicaid funding for Minnesota.
The decision followed an audit by the centers of Minnesota’s Medicaid programs. The funding suspension also followed a new batch of federal Medicaid fraud charges that came down in December. During a news conference, as prosecutors announced new charges and guilty pleas related to fraud, federal prosecutors estimated that fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid programs could total as high as $9 billion since 2018.
The other side:
Since that press conference, the $9 billion figure has been heavily disputed by state leaders who say there is currently no evidence that fraud in Minnesota is that rampant. Gov. Walz and other state leaders say that while fraud is an issue, President Trump has weaponized it to commit political retribution against the state.
What’s next:
FOX 9 has reached out to state officials to see how many providers are facing disenrollment as the deadline hits on Sunday.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit over the pulled Medicaid funds. This month, a judge granted a mutual motion for a stay in the case – a 120 pause – to give the federal government and Minnesota time to resolve the funding issue. An update is due to the court by early September.
A 29-year-old man drowned at a lake in northern Minnesota on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said the man drowned at the swimming area at Little Emily Lake Park. The man was at the park with family and friends at the time.
First responders arrived at the scene to try and rescue him, but he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Little Emily Lake is about 40 miles north of Brainerd.
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