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First lady Jill Biden coming to Duluth Thursday

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First lady Jill Biden coming to Duluth Thursday


DULUTH — First Lady Jill Biden will visit Duluth this week to help launch the Seniors For Biden-Harris organization in Minnesota.

Her trip to Minnesota is intended to energize older voters in what has become a battleground state this presidential election.

While recent polling in Minnesota has put Biden and former President Donald Trump in a

statistical dead-heat,

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a March 2024 Quinnipiac poll showed Biden leading Trump by 8 points nationally among those 65 and older.

“To galvanize this critical voting block in Minnesota, the Biden-Harris campaign is hosting a variety of events with local leaders and seniors to drive home the stakes of the 2024 election, including a campaign event with First Lady Jill Biden in Duluth on Thursday,” Caroline Stonecipher, deputy states communications director for the 2024 Biden-Harris campaign wrote in an email.

The Biden-Harris campaign plans to use the event to contrast the current administration’s legislative and executive successes with what Trump has said publicly.

Specifically, Stonecipher points to Democrats reducing the

cost of prescription drugs

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, capping the price of

insulin at $35 for seniors

and strengthening

federal support for Social Security and Medicare

.

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The campaign also cited comments Trump made regarding desires to make

cuts to Medicare and Social Security

and

repeal the Affordable Care Act

as an attack on Minnesota’s seniors.

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First Lady Jill Biden will be in Duluth Thursday, June 11, 2024, to help energize senior voters in the upcoming presidential election.

Contributed / Biden-Harris 2024 campaign

The first lady’s visit comes about a month after

Trump attended a state GOP fundraising event in St. Paul

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.

The decision to hold the event in Duluth, the highest population center in northeastern Minnesota, is telling. Once a Democrat stronghold, Republicans have steadily taken over most of the region over the last two decades.

If the state’s GOP can capture a state legislative seat left this year by Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora,

only one Democrat officeholder, Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, will be left in the Iron Range

.

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Mark Wasson

Mark Wasson is the Minnesota Capitol Correspondent for Forum News Service. Previously he worked as a public safety reporter in Rochester and Willmar, Minn. Readers can reach Mark at mwasson@forumcomm.com.





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Minnesota United Signs Defender Kyle Duncan | Minnesota United FC

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Minnesota United Signs Defender Kyle Duncan | Minnesota United FC


Minnesota United announced today that the club has signed defender Kyle Duncan to a one-year contract through December 2026, with a club option through June 2027.

“Kyle brings MLS experience and a strong understanding of what it takes to compete in this league. He is a reliable defender who will strengthen our back line and elevate the level of competition within the group. We’re pleased to welcome Kyle to Minnesota,” said MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Khaled El-Ahmad.

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“Be more like a fountain and less like a drain. I know that’s the kind of person I want to be and I want to be someone who is uplifting,” said defender Kyle Duncan. “No matter what I may be facing in life, I want to bring as much positivity and encouragement as I possibly can to this club, the fans, and my teammates.”

The 28-year-old right back arrives in Minnesota after having played eight seasons for Eastern Conference side Red Bull New York. With New York across all competitions, Duncan made 166 game appearances (132 starts), where he provided 17 assists and scored six goals in almost 12,500 minutes played on the pitch. The Brooklyn, New York native notably was a part of the squad that captured the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2018 and the Eastern Conference title during the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Duncan began his career developing with the Red Bull New York Academy before he signed his first professional contract with Valenciennes U19 in France. He then signed an MLS contract with RBNY in 2018 following his time with the French side.

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Internationally, Duncan has most recently represented the Jamaica National Team, earning his first call-up for Jamaica during their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier matches in September of 2025. The right back had previously competed with the United States, earning call-ups with the U18, U20 and senior national teams from 2015-20.

Transaction: Minnesota United signs defender Kyle Duncan to a one-year contract through December 2026, with a club option through June 2027.

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VITALS
Kyle Duncan
Position: Defender
Date of Birth: 8/8/1997 (28 years old)
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 150 lbs.
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Citizenship: Jamaica
Previous Club: Red Bull New York





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So Minnesota: Sewing for others and wrapping them in love — Minnesota Quilters, Inc.

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So Minnesota: Sewing for others and wrapping them in love — Minnesota Quilters, Inc.


So Minnesota: Sewing for others and wrapping them in love — Minnesota Quilters, Inc.

There’s one group that helps keep people warm by wrapping them in love.

The mission of the St. Paul nonprofit, formed nearly 50 years ago, is to nurture the art and craft of quilting through inspiration and education.

“There is such joy in seeing someone who appreciates a quilt, and everyone wants to be warm,” Merle Pratt with Minnesota Quilters, Inc. said.

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The group’s main service project is called Quilting for Others. The group gives quilts to several different groups.

“There are so many places that want the comfort of a quilt,” Pratt said. “Hospitals, hospice, veterans home, homeless shelters.”

The group also donates chemotherapy port pillows for patients who are going through treatment and makes Christmas stockings for children in shelters.

“We kind of joke about sewing love into it,” Pratt said. “The love is there. The comfort is there.”

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Minnesota officials react as feds announce ICE surge is ending

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Minnesota officials react as feds announce ICE surge is ending


 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: ICE withdrawal “just the beginning”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor of Minnesota, reacted to Homan’s announcement:

“Minnesotans stood together, stared down ICE, and never blinked. Our state has shown the world how to protect our democracy and take care of our neighbors. ICE withdrawing from Minnesota is just the beginning. We need accountability for the lives lost and the extraordinary abuses of power at the hands of ICE agents, and we must see a complete overhaul of the agency.”

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Walz “cautiously optimistic” about drawdown

In a news conference about the state’s economic recovery from Operation Metro Surge, Walz said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the announcement of its conclusion.

Walz said Operation Metro Surge — which at its peak saw 3,000 federal agents across Minnesota and has led to over 4,000 arrests — was “an unprecedented federal invasion in all aspects of life” and “unlike anything we’ve witnessed.” 

“And through that entire time, the dignity, the compassion, the love, the care and the absolute determination to do what is right never wavered amongst Minnesotans,” Walz said. “I think it’s probably safe to say the rest of the country will be forever grateful because we showed what it means to stand up for what’s right.”

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Rep. Tom Emmer: “Job well done, Tom Homan.”

Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer credited Homan and Mr. Trump for the announced end to the surge.

“Job well done, Tom Homan. Local law enforcement is now cooperating with federal law enforcement in Tim Walz’s Minnesota, thanks to President Trump’s leadership. We are hopeful that this partnership will continue—without local or state interference—to ensure the worst of the worst are being removed from our communities.”   

 

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan: “I won’t believe it until they’re actually gone.”

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is running for Senate, also issued a statement Thursday morning.

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“I’m relieved that this violent paramilitary force will be removed from our streets, but I won’t believe it until they’re actually gone. Minnesotans stood together against this chaos and cruelty. We never gave up on our neighbors. 

“But I will never — EVER — forget nor forgive the fear, violence, and chaos the federal government has laid on our doorstep. ICE has killed two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. and harmed so many more. Our children, like little Liam and Chloe have been targeted and traumatized. I will never forget the terrified looks on their faces. Our schools, our small businesses, and our churches have been targeted, closed, and harmed forever. 

“This is the first step in many to truly get justice for Minnesota. We must rip apart this agency that operates outside the law. The government must restore and repair what’s been broken. Minnesotans deserve justice and accountability, and I won’t stop until we get it.”

 

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Full statements from Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

Walz’s initial response to Homan’s announcement:

“The long road to recovery starts now.

“The impact on our economy, our schools, and people’s lives won’t be reversed overnight. That work starts today.”

Frey’s statement:

“They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation. These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.

“This operation has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses, and now it’s time for a great comeback. We will show the same commitment to our immigrant residents and endurance in this reopening, and I’m hopeful the whole country will stand with us as we move forward together.”

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