Minnesota
EDITORIAL | Minnesota group rallies to stand with Ukraine
Opinion editor’s note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
•••
Minnesotans Maria Doan and several representatives from Stand With Ukraine MN are traveling to Washington, D.C., to join more than 500 advocates from 45 states to lobby Congress on backing Ukraine in its existential fight against Russia. In meetings that run through Tuesday, they’ll try to meet with Minnesota’s congressional delegation as part of the Ukraine Action Summit, which is advocating that the House match the bipartisan Senate vote to allocate about $60 billion that is so desperately needed for Ukraine’s survival.
That need is reflected in an analysis recently published in Foreign Affairs by Dara Massicot, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Russian advantages in manpower, materiel, and defense production have grown in the past year, whereas U.S. ammunition deliveries have been throttled and are at risk of being curtailed almost entirely because of an impasse over funding in the U.S. Congress,” Massicot wrote. That view was amplified on Wednesday by the top general for U.S. forces in Europe, who told Congress that in just a matter of weeks Ukraine will be outgunned by a 10-1 margin.
Doan, the policy and outreach director for Stand with Ukraine MN, which was formed right before Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, told an editorial writer that “it’s important to emphasize the fact that we’re talking about national security, we’re talking about global security, we’re talking about the fact that a Ukraine victory is going to enhance NATO security, American and allies’ security. It’s utterly important that this bill passes; failure to do so will have drastic consequences.”
But sadly, foreign policy debates on Capitol Hill these days seem to be more about domestic politics than the geopolitical stakes Doan rightly describes. That’s because House Republicans have hyper empowered members such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, the QAnon conspiracy theorist turned Republican representative from Georgia, to threaten House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job if he proceeds with a vote on funding Ukraine.
Gone, it seems, are the days when politics were supposed to stop at the water’s edge and the GOP was resolutely resistant to Soviet expansionism and Russian revanchism. Instead, Greene’s reckless rhetoric on Russia and Ukraine, which is echoed and amplified by several hard-right representatives, reflects Russian propaganda that has “infected a good chunk of my party’s base,” Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a recent interview with Puck News. McCaul also called out “some more nighttime entertainment shows” on conservative cable outlets where “it’s almost identical” to Russian propaganda. Not stopping there, McCaul added “these people that read various conspiracy-theory outlets that are just not accurate, and they actually model Russian propaganda.”
McCaul isn’t the only prominent House Republican reckoning with rhetorical echoes from the Kremlin. Ohio Rep. Michael R. Turner, who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, concurred with McCaul, saying on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages — some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.” This makes it more difficult to rightly position the war as “an authoritarian-vs.-democracy battle” said Turner, who added that “Ukraine needs our help and assistance now, and this is a very critical time for the U.S. Congress to step up and provide that aid.”
Doan, a native Ukrainian who is now a U.S. citizen, said, “The only thing that Ukrainians are asking for are the tools to help them.”
And in turn, for the U.S. to help itself. “Strongmen like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Doan said, “are not going to be stopped just simply by negotiations.”
Doan added that Stand With Ukraine MN will also remind representatives and senators that most of the expenditures for weaponry are invested in the U.S., including in Minnesota, and that most profoundly, geopolitics beyond Eastern Europe are at stake. “China, North Korea, Iran — they’re all watching the United States’ response in Ukraine; it’s going to affect the way adversarial countries are going to behave in the future.”
Allies are alert, too. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed his “strong support for Ukraine” during a state visit to Washington on Wednesday, adding that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.”
Minnesota’s congressional delegation should hear Stand With Ukraine MN’s reasonable appeal instead of the rants of Greene or others spreading Russia’s message.
Then, in what will be a career- and character-defining vote, they should indeed stand with Ukraine and approve the funding before even more Ukrainian territory — and, most importantly, lives — are lost.
Fires in the past burned more frequently in western Canada, but recent years have seen that trend migrate eastward, with large fires now burning in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces, Prof Chasmer said, leading to more noticeable smoke in densely populated cities like Toronto and New York.
Minnesota United, the Liberia Lone Star National Football Team and SARX today announced that the international friendly against the Liberia National Team, scheduled for July 26, 2026, has been canceled.
While we were looking forward to welcoming the Liberia National Team and celebrating the strong ties between Minnesota’s Liberian community and our club, circumstances outside of our control have made it necessary to cancel the match. We appreciate the understanding of our supporters and wish the Liberia National Team all the best.
Fans who purchased tickets to the match will be refunded within approximately 3-10 business days.
Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota is expected to engulf large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. this week, exposing millions of people to dangerous air pollution.
Over 100 wildfires currently are burning in Canada and winds are carrying the smoke southeast. Warnings about dangerous, unhealthy air extended Wednesday from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York. Unusually hot summer temperatures were expected too.
The best advice is to stay indoors to avoid both the smoke and the extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
“Those two things coinciding with each other is not good from a health perspective,” he said.
Rangers try to get thousands of campers out of remote Minnesota wilderness
In far northeastern Minnesota, rangers were trying to warn people that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was closed Tuesday because about 17 fires caused by lightning more than a week ago were spreading through the vast wilderness accessible primarily by canoe.
Rangers estimated anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 people were inside the 1.1-million-acre wilderness, which is almost the size of Delaware, Superior National Forest spokesperson Joy VanDrie said.
“It’s an arduous job,” VanDrie said of rangers and campers having to canoe for hours or even carry their boats over land to evacuate.
No injuries or deaths have been reported. Rangers were going through every lake and waterway and officials estimated they had about 90% of the people out Wednesday.
Campers rescued this week said skies quickly darkened from smoke and they could feel the heat as they paddled or were taken by boat to safety.
Jan Bailey was camping with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren and three dogs when they noticed wispy smoke on the horizon. Two hours later, they could see a raging firestorm. A paddleboarder with a satellite phone fled to their campsite and they called forestry rangers who sent a boat to rescue them and others.
“We had fire on both sides of us at that time,” Bailey told Minnesota Public Radio. “So we’re just weaving between the lakes. It’s a little smoky. Campsites are going up.”
Even the Canadian Air Force pitched in. They rescued two groups of youth campers Wednesday who had crossed the border. One group was stuck on an isolated sandbar, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.
VanDrie didn’t know when the area might reopen. Minnesota officials said some fires in the Boundary Waters will be allowed to burn indefinitely but will be monitored to ensure they don’t threaten people or property.
Severe drought and heat have led to a busy wildfire season
Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn.” Research shows warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires more frequent and intense.
High levels of fine particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions. The particulates can cause shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and aggravate heart and lung diseases and other chronic health issues.
Experts suggest wearing a N95 mask if you have to be outside and keeping your indoor air cleaner by closing windows and running an air purifier or air conditioner.
It’s been a particularly busy and deadly fire season in the U.S. About four dozen large fires are currently burning across 15 states, from Minnesota and North Carolina to Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and California, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Prolonged drought and record-low snowpack levels combined to make conditions ripe for rapid fire growth. More than 16,800 people are assigned to fighting blazes across the county. The fires have burned over 5,678 square miles (9,138 square kilometers) — more than the size of Yellowstone and Grand Canyon national parks combined, the agency said.
Comparison view of clear vs. smoky conditions in Larsen, Wisconsin:
Smoke spreads as officials warn wildfires could burn for months
In Minnesota, officials warned large fires could burn for months. In Minneapolis, the high Wednesday was expected to be 96 degrees F and temperatures above 90 F were expected the rest of the week.
“It could well be we’re having significant fires throughout the summer until we have snow. Snow would be a good thing,” said Patty Thielen, director of the state Department of Natural Resources.
Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin warned residents about air quality issues that could last for days and the problems extended even to Maine, where residents were reporting a yellowish and brownish color in the sky.
The most intense smoke could spread as far south as Washington, D.C., by midday Thursday.
___
Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
-
Los Angeles, Ca31 minutes agoArrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
-
Detroit, MI55 minutes agoDetroit crime hits decades-low as Michigan governor candidates debate how to keep progress going
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoOperator of boat that capsized near Alcatraz mourns brother as search continues
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoMavericks vs Thunder Game Preview and Injury Update
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoMiami Dolphins Fans Vs. The Media
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoMan who allegedly shot at Boston Police officers arrested after foot chase in Dorchester
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoSwan, dragon and duck boats are back pedaling around City Park
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoTicket Alert: Thundercat, Michelle Branch, and More Seattle Events Going On Sale This Week – The Stranger
