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In Kamala Harris, Minnesota Democrats see chance to jolt grassroots support

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In Kamala Harris, Minnesota Democrats see chance to jolt grassroots support


The fledgling event of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in Minnesota centered on reaching out to Asian American voters in St. Paul, hoping to build enthusiasm among voters who might be swayed by a candidate positioned to be the first Black woman and first South Asian woman nominee for president.

“I do think there are people who haven’t been engaged before, who are calling their friends and family members” — including those who see themselves reflected in Harris’s heritage, said Shivanthi Sathanandan, the battleground state director for South Asians for Harris and a vice chair of the Minnesota DFL.

As Harris quickly ascends as the replacement for President Joe Biden to take on former President Donald Trump in November, Democrats in Minnesota and nationwide are seeing an opportunity to revive the kind of grassroots enthusiasm many feared Biden could no longer inspire. It matters not only for the presidential race but up and down the ballot.

Republicans have been gearing up to contest Minnesota on Trump’s behalf this year, and the former president and his running mate, JD Vance, will rally supporters Saturday night in St. Cloud. Any edge in voter enthusiasm will be vital in the event of a close contest.

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“Representation matters and people get excited about that,” Sathanandan said. She is hoping Harris capitalizes on that by championing immigrant communities and working people in her run.

Aside from the political considerations, supporters celebrated Harris’ identity as a South Asian woman at the event in St. Paul on Tuesday.

“We have an opportunity to elect the first auntie, the first Asian American president of this country,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, the first Asian American mayor of that city, who visited St. Paul to campaign for Harris.

Pureval urged a group of Asian American activists gathered on a University Avenue rooftop to believe in their political power.

“I am a Midwest Asian. I am proud to be a Midwest Asian,” he said. “We can run and win anywhere.”

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The DFL said that Monday and Tuesday, the first two full days after Biden dropped out, delivered record fundraising days for the state party; some $200,000 came in since Harris announced her candidacy, the party said. More than 600 people signed up to volunteer since Harris got in, party officials said, also a record.

Communities of Black activists are also mobilizing, said Michael Minta, a University of Minnesota political science professor whose research includes race and politics. Minta noted his wife was on a fundraising call Sunday night with more than 40,000 other Black women.

“It really reminds me of 2008, of Barack Obama, where people wanted to volunteer and give money,” Minta said. “Democrats are hoping this will not only infuse money but get people active in the campaign.”

Turnout from voters of color will be key in Minnesota and across the Midwest, Minta said. Lower turnout for Hillary Clinton among non-white voters, compared to turnout for Obama, was part of the reason Trump came close to winning the state in 2016. And Minta said lower turnout, coupled with more stringent voter ID laws that blocked some from voting, is part of the reason Wisconsin broke for Trump that year.

On the flip side, Minta said, Harris also has the potential to motivate voters who do not want to see a woman of color become president.

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“If it’s close like it is in 2016, you’re talking about thousands of votes” to decide the election, Minta said.

Even small blocs of votes can make a huge difference in down-ballot races, Minta noted, which will be key with control of the state House up for grabs. State senators as a whole are not on the ballot this year, but a one-seat DFL majority in the Senate depends on the race for a vacated seat in the western suburbs.

Minta said he would be watching to see if Harris can motivate suburban women who are passionate about abortion rights, something she has already signaled will be a centerpiece of her campaign.

Democratic activists were looking forward to more interest in the campaign.

“I don’t know that the strategy changes as much as the energy,” Sathanandan said. “The energy around the mobilization continues to grow.”

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Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota

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Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota


Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.

Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.

Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.

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Minnesota improved to 2-0 on a three-game trip.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.

The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.

The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.

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The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards’ drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.

The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves’ last nine points.

Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.

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Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters

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Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters


A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.

The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.

In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.

Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”

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The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.

“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.

All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”

Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.

Don Lemon reporting from an anti-ICE demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn.@TheDonLemonShow via YouTube

This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

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According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.

The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”

Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.

Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, Cities Church protest arraignment, St. Paul, Minn., February 2026
Nekima Levy Armstrong in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 13.Carlos Gonzalez / Star Tribune via Getty Images

In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”

Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.

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Man arrested, charged with threatening to kill a state senator

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Man arrested, charged with threatening to kill a state senator



A Hubbard County man was arrested and charged after threatening to kill a Minnesota state senator on Facebook. 

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Court documents filed on Wednesday state the Minnesota State Patrol were investigating a threat posted by John Tobias saying that he would “kill every one of you treasonous [expletive] immediately” if he did not get money back that he claims he lost during the 2020 COVID shutdown. 

Court documents go on to say that Tobias then called the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office asking for something to be done about “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ‘unconstitutionally’ shutting down the state due to COVID-19. 

The Minnesota State Patrol contacted Hubbard County deputies regarding Tobias. Court documents state Hubbard County investigators were already familiar with Tobais after speaking with him regarding similar threats he made in Jan. 

The charging documents state that investigators searched Tobias’ residence on Tuesday and found an arsenal of guns and 45 boxes of ammunition. 

Tobias was taken into custody. During an interview with law enforcement, Tobias admitted to making the threat on Facebook. He also told investigators that “he did not have any intention of killing anyone, but admitted he was trying to get people’s attention,” according to court records. 

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In late 2025, Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol, who oversees Capitol security, told a panel of lawmakers that threats to lawmakers had doubled between 2024 and 2025. 

Tobias made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and is expected back in court early next month.  



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