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FBI asks agents to travel to Minneapolis for temporary assignments amid protests, sources say

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FBI asks agents to travel to Minneapolis for temporary assignments amid protests, sources say


The FBI has asked agents from field offices across the United States to voluntarily travel to Minneapolis for temporary assignments as the city reels from anti-ICE protests and the fatal shooting of Renee Good, according to two sources.

The request was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by a law enforcement official familiar with the messages and another source familiar with the requests who has seen the messages.

The messages sent to agents and field offices were not clear about what the exact assignment would be for volunteers who do relocate. The second source told NBC News that the agents will investigate “AFO” cases — an FBI designation to identify and charge suspects accused of assault on a federal officer. Agents are also needed to investigate vandalism and theft of property from FBI vehicles, the second source added.

There has been a surge of federal immigration personnel in Minnesota, and protests have rocked the state in outrage over the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Good in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

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At the moment, the request call is voluntary, and there’s not a mass surge of FBI agents to Minneapolis, the sources said. And so far, one source said, the response has been minimal.

A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment.

The scale of the immigration enforcement presence in Minneapolis — with roughly 3,000 federal immigration officers — appears to be greater than in previous operations in blue cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles.

Residents have described the swell of officers as “an invasion,” with agents seen in unmarked cars idling on neighborhood streets, at stores and in parking lots and going door to door.

Local officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have called for ICE to leave the city. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump last week threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to protesters, calling them “professional agitators and insurrectionists.”

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis City Council votes to extend eviction notice period

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Minneapolis City Council votes to extend eviction notice period



The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted to temporarily extend the eviction notice period for renters in an effort to help support residents impacted by Operation Metro Surge.

Under the ordinance, which was approved 7-5, landlords would need to wait 60 days — not the typical 30 — before bringing an eviction notice to a renter. If approved by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the 60-day requirement would stay in effect until Aug. 31.

Supporters of the ordinance said Operation Metro Surge left residents out of work and relying on mutual aid networks to pay rent.

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“Preventing eviction is always more cost-effective than trying to re-house someone who has been evicted,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley, who represents Ward 2.

Wonsley, alongside members Elliott Payne, Jamal Osman, Aisha Chughtai, Soren Stevenson, Jason Chavez and Aurin Chowdhury voted in favor of the resolution. Council member Jamison Whiting abstained from voting.

The city estimates Operation Metro Surge led to an additional $15.7 million in monthly need for rental support. Last month, council members approved $1 million in rental assistance for Hennepin County to help families impacted by the surge. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis man arrested in Manchester after allegedly trying to meet minor for sex

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Minneapolis man arrested in Manchester after allegedly trying to meet minor for sex


A Minnesota man has been arrested in Manchester after police say he attempted to meet someone he believed was a minor for sexual activity.

The Manchester Police Department said Robert Fenn Eselby III, 23, of Minneapolis was arrested Feb. 27 following an undercover investigation.

According to police, Eselby contacted an undercover officer posing as a juvenile through several social media platforms. Authorities said he was informed multiple times that the person he was communicating with was underage.

Investigators say Eselby sent explicit photos and videos and later arranged to travel to Manchester to meet the supposed minor for sexual activity.

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Police said Eselby was taken into custody immediately after arriving in Manchester and was transported to the Delaware County Jail.

Authorities also said Eselby allegedly attempted to ask an arresting officer out on a date during the booking process.

Eselby faces one count of grooming, a Class D felony, and one count of disseminating obscene material to a minor, a serious misdemeanor.

Court records show he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.



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Minneapolis, MN

What is a data center?

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What is a data center?


What exactly is a data center and why are so many being proposed across Minnesota? Professor Manjeet Rege, chair of Software Engineering and Data Science and director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, joins us to explain how these massive facilities store and process the world’s data and what the economic, environmental, and infrastructure questions are as Minnesota considers hosting more of them.



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