Minnesota
Five notes on the debate about antisemitism at the University of Minnesota • Minnesota Reformer
Nothing is simple. Everything is complicated.
The state Senate’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee — led by chair Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park — convened on June 25 in order to spotlight “anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incidents at the University of Minnesota.”
These were the words on the Senate’s published meeting schedule. They neatly convey the entanglement of Middle East politics with debates over the question of antisemitism, here in Minnesota as elsewhere. That leads to the first of several points worth making.
1. You can’t keep the Middle East out of a conversation about antisemitism.
Latz cautioned witnesses to stick to events at the U of M and not to get into Middle East affairs. But he repeatedly broke his own ground rules by grilling witnesses about their views on Hamas, its Oct. 7 attack, the future of Israel, and his (questionable) representations of some U departments’ statements condemning Israel’s war on Gaza. He described these, as well as various protest rhetoric, as calls for the “extermination of Jews in the state of Israel.”
Even putting aside such tendentious claims, if much of the evidence for antisemitism concerns stances toward Israel, Palestine, and various political ideologies — as everyone seems to acknowledge — then there is no narrow, local scope to maintain.
Apparently, however, you can keep Muslim student voices and all Palestinian Americans out of this conversation. That’s not too hard. Such students, who were insistently smeared as genocidal antisemites, were not there to defend themselves.
2. Every word in this debate is disputed.
You say “intifada,” and pro-Israel spokespersons say “terrorism.” Latz advanced personal interpretations of Arabic-language terms — intifada, which refers to an uprising, and thawabit, a concept including the right to resist occupation. The chair and various friendly witnesses described each of these as code for the mass murder of Jews, “terrorist antisemitic language” in Latz’s words. It’s safe to say that many others disagree.
That’s how it is with Israel and Palestine. For many, ambiguity is an enemy and almost every word is ground for information warfare. These problems were visible in a tense exchange between Latz and Beth Gendler, the leader of Jewish Community Action, as she contended that the definitions of Zionism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism are disputed. He, apparently frustrated, responded by seeking to tarnish her as an apologist for anti-Jewish rape and murder.
3. Middle East politics makes for strange bedfellows.
Steve Hunegs, the longtime leader of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, was the final witness of the day. Before the hearing, he could be seen jubilantly embracing Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove. The JCRC long has made defending Israel its mission, and they will work with anyone who shares that mission.
The emerging division in the Jewish community over Israel and Palestine can’t be stifled, and it intersects with other cleavages to form two contending coalitions. On one side are the JCRC, Republicans, and some establishment Democrats. On the other are a diversity of identity-based social-justice groups, including JCA, and progressive Democrats. The reemergence of anti-Zionism among American Jews is driving this division wider.
Still, much of the conversation is familiar. In 1972, American and Israeli Jews met in Jerusalem and debated… wait for it… whether anti-Zionism equaled Jew-hatred. Many thought that it did. One prominent Israeli dissident, Simcha Flapan, cautioned in response, “There are many reactionaries who are pro-Zionist.”
4. Consistency is a constant struggle.
Oren Gross, a law professor at the U, and other witnesses remarked that, in liberal thinking, African Americans and other historically oppressed groups are authorized to define their own oppression, and that their experience of discrimination is deemed sufficient evidence of harm to them. So why not give the same consideration to Jews?
It’s a valid point. However, this whole discussion shows us how simplistic those precepts are. Groups who have suffered discrimination will disagree among themselves. Historically oppressed groups can be at odds with one another. The solution is not to extend problematic concepts, but rather to rethink them carefully.
5. Academic freedom is an orphan.
The U’s interim president, Jeff Ettinger, as well as Gross and another law professor, Richard Painter, testified, yet none of them forcefully defended free speech. In fact, the two lawyers ran over the idea with a truck, threw the truck into reverse, and then backed up. Gross, also an associate dean for academic affairs, was demagogic. He called Jewish antiwar protesters “Jews supporting Hamas” — which is absurd, and exactly the kind of terrorist-baiting rhetoric that fuels attacks on academic freedom.
Ettinger recently blocked the hire of a new faculty director of his school’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, after the JCRC raised a hue and cry because the search resulted in an offer extended to Raz Segal, an Israeli American historian. Segal had written an article calling Israel’s war a genocide. Ettinger occupied a middle ground at the hearing, as he defended his decision, unpopular with committee members, to negotiate a de-escalation of campus protests this spring. Ettinger had thrown the political establishment a bone by refusing to hire Segal, and he talked as if the JCRC might have veto power in a do-over search.
It seemed no coincidence when immediately after controversy erupted over Ettinger’s interference with academic freedom — which now has led to a faculty vote of no-confidence in him — Latz announced the antisemitism hearing,
A JCRC-approved search might still recruit a respected scholar. But then, the center’s director will be dogged by the perception they were hired because they met the JCRC’s political test. A comparative genocide studies center is relevant to multiple communities. Yet many continue to believe that any discussion of genocide ought to remain the turf of Jews — and specifically the right kind of Jews, the ones who continue to see in the memory of the Shoah a useful prop to support Israel.
It’s not a pretty picture.
(FOX 9) – Some Minnesota state parks in southern Minnesota have been closed due to flooding ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.
Flooding impacts state parks, trails
What we know:
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), two Minnesota state parks are closed after heavy rains brought flooding to the southeastern part of the state.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park is currently closed due to floodwaters obstructing park roads and a damaged bridge.
At Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, the Mystery Cave Unit is closed, and cave tours are canceled. The Forestville side of the park and its campgrounds are not affected by flooding and are currently open.
The DNR advises no travel on the Root River State Trail due to flooding causing washouts and mudslides. The damage hasn’t been fully assessed, and visitors are asked to check for posted safety signs.
All trails in Snake Creek and Trout Valley Recreation Areas in the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest are closed.
For more information, click here.
What we don’t know:
It is not known when the parks and trails will open again.
The Source: A press release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
(FOX 9) – Not much will change for Minnesota weather-wise the next couple of days as we’ll have heat, steam and some occasional thunderstorms around.
Thursday’s forecast in Minnesota
The forecast:
There will be plenty of heat across central Minnesota Thursday with highs on either side of 90 in most cases.
Temperatures will be a little cooler to the south and south-east with isolated storm chances that will take us through Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, and a better opportunity for some widespread thunderstorms rolling out of the Dakotas into western and central Minnesota overnight.
Storm chances overnight Thursday
What we know:
Severe weather outlook for Minnesota on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Clusters of storms will be found across parts of the Upper Midwest on Thursday. The main severe threat for the Twin Cities metro will be late Thursday evening and overnight.
There are several zones of storms across the region on Thursday.
One of those will be in northern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota with isolated to widely scattered storms possible throughout the day as a frontal boundary remains rooted in the area.
The overall strength of these storms will be conditional on how much of a break can occur between rounds of storms, allowing the atmosphere to “recharge”. The best chances for some isolated severe storms will still be late afternoon and the early evening.
The second batch to watch will be late Thursday evening and overnight. Storms are likely to develop in the Dakotas Thursday afternoon and roll into western Minnesota Thursday evening. These are the storms that could affect a lot of the area, including the metro. If these storms can form into a strong enough line, widespread straight-line winds will be possible.
If it’s more clustered, then isolated gusty winds and large hail will be the main threats.
Extended Minnesota forecast
What’s next:
Thunderstorm chances will linger overnight into the first part of Friday. They will kick out on Friday afternoon and then may do it all over again late Friday night into the first part of Saturday.
On Friday, there will be highs in the middle 80s, give or take, across the state, going for a high of 86 in the Twin Cities metro. Now there is an overnight thunderstorm chance from Friday night into early Saturday.
The rest of your Fourth of July will be quiet with maybe an isolated stray storm possible Saturday night, and then a little less humid after that. Next week, expect highs to remain in the mid to upper 80s.
The Source: This forecast uses information from FOX 9 meteorologists.
LUVERNE, Minn. (FOX 9) – There’s a new giant in town, and it’s turning heads and bringing the world to Luverne.
Luverne unveils a record-breaking nutcracker statue to attract visitors
What we know:
Towering 65 feet above a rock shop near the edge of town, Luverne’s new nutcracker statue is believed to be the tallest in the world—almost twice as tall as the current record holder.
“We know he’s the tallest because he is almost twice as tall as the current world record holder,” said Katie Walgrave, who designed the statue.
The nutcracker was finished a couple of weeks ago and has already drawn visitors from as far as Wales and China.
“This week we’ve had people from Wales. We had people from China last week,” said Walgrave.
The statue sits just a block from the interstate, with the goal of enticing travelers to stop and explore Luverne instead of driving past on I-90.
“We’ve just needed something to pull people off the interstate before they get to Sioux Falls or something like that. It’s basically we’re trying to mine the interstate,” said Vance Walgrave, owner of Those Blasted Things.
Since the nutcracker’s arrival, local businesses have seen a surge in visitors.
“The people coming in here were double and triple the amount of people. Just overnight, all of a sudden, we were going, did we create a monster?” said Vance Walgrave.
‘If you build it, they will come’
The backstory:
The idea for the giant nutcracker came after city leaders wanted a new attraction, something even more unique than the area’s previous claim to fame — a herd of bison at Blue Mounds State Park. A marketing consultant suggested something that would truly stand out.
Betty Mann, who has the second-largest collection of nutcrackers in the United States, played a big role in inspiring the project. Mann has collected over 7,000 nutcrackers since 2001, enough to fill two rooms at the Rock County Historical Society and outnumber the residents of Luverne.
“I bought my first nutcracker in 2001, and if you’d have told me then that this was all going to happen, I would have told you, ‘You’re crazy,’ because I had no clue. This just exploded, and there was really nothing I could do to stop it,” said Mann.
Mann donated her collection to the historical society, and she hopes the new statue will bring even more people to see what Luverne has to offer.
“It brings people to Laverne to see what we have. And then you’ll see all the good things that we have in our museum here. And that was my intent,” said Mann.
The city is planning an official ribbon cutting for the nutcracker in a couple of weeks. Anyone who donates $20 to the statue maintenance fund will get a chance to name the new resident.
“I’ve been hearing nutty a lot, but we’ll see,” said Vance Walgrave.
For many in Luverne, the nutcracker is more than just a statue — it’s a symbol of community pride and a way to put the town on the map.
“Anytime you see something weirdly big or weirdly small, we’re going to be interested in it. So if we can have something weirdly big that brings people off of the interstate and off of the highway and from all over the world, we are going to do it,” said Katie Walgrave.
The nutcracker joins other Minnesota record-holders, such as the largest ice maze and the tallest family, adding to the state’s reputation for quirky, oversized attractions.
Local perspective:
Residents are excited to see their town getting attention for something so unique.
“I just love that we’re doing something big for the community that everybody can benefit from,” said Katie Walgrave.
The nutcracker has already made an impact, with local shops and museums reporting more visitors and a renewed sense of excitement around town.
“Oh, they’re just kind of whimsical. There’s really nothing much to like about them. It just, some of them are kind of goofy looking and some of the are really a work of art,” said Mann.
‘It’s just the visual effect of it’
Why you should care:
Luverne’s giant nutcracker is not just a roadside oddity — it’s a new reason for travelers to stop, explore, and support a small Minnesota community. The project shows how creativity and a bit of whimsy can help put a town on the map and bring people together.
The upcoming ribbon cutting and naming contest offer a chance for everyone to get involved, whether they’re locals or visitors just passing through.
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 9 reporter Maury Glover.
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