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MN Democrats say these ideas will control health costs, but medical providers oppose them

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Minnesota Democrats’ efforts to impose new rules on the health care industry has run into aggressive lobbying by some of the state’s biggest medical groups.Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party members want more oversight of nurse staffing levels, drug prices, overall medical costs and health system mergers. Their effort to expand access to MinnesotaCare, the state insurance program for the working poor, also is facing some industry backlash.All of these ideas remain pending as lawmakers scramble to finish the next state budget by Monday when the Legislature has to adjourn.Hospital and health system leaders say their sector is confronting the worse financial challenges in decades. They say half of Minnesota hospitals are losing money and all health systems face workforce shortages.Caregivers and patient advocates counter that the changes are long overdue and will make health care more affordable and patient-centered. They also argue that the policies will help stop the flood of ...

Vikings sign first-round draft pick Jordan Addison

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

As if there was any doubt, the Vikings officially signed receiver Jordan Addison to his rookie contract on Wednesday.It’s a 4-year, $13.7 million deal. It was only a matter of time before both sides agreed after the Vikings selected Addison with the No. 23 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The first-round pick participated in rookie minicamp last weekend, and according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, he very much looked the part.It will be interesting to see how the Vikings implement Addison in the offense moving forward. He should be a seamless fit alongside young star receiver Justin Jefferson.The Vikings also have signed a batch of others — cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, safety Jay Ward, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy and quarterback Jaren Hall — to their rookie contracts. That means running back DeWayne McBride is the only player from the draft class yet to sign his rookie contract.Related ArticlesMinnesota Vikings | Vikings finalize Za’Darius Smith trade, sign pair of Minn...

Two inmates returned to Stillwater prison after quick escape

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Bayport police say two inmates who escaped the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater on Tuesday night are back in custody.Police were notified around 9:50 p.m. that the two men had walked away from the minimum-security facility in Bayport. The men were found about 10 p.m. walking westbound on 60th Street near Tire Pros in Oak Park Heights, according to a press release from the Bayport Police Department. They were immediately taken into custody.The inmates who escaped, Timothy St. Clair and Kristopher Roybal, could face felony charges of escape from custody, police said. Anyone who knowingly assisted them also could face criminal charges.They are now being housed at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.St. Clair Jr. was incarcerated for felony domestic assault while Roybal had a felony level drug conviction, the DOC said.“We wish to thank our law-enforcement partners for their quick response and assistan...

St. Paul Neighborhood Network chooses Xavier Vazquez as executive director

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

The board of the St. Paul Neighborhood Network has named Xavier Vazquez as its next executive director. He will replace Martin Ludden, who has led the cable access station for six years.Vazquez, currently the director of program management at the youth mentoring nonprofit Bolder Options, moved to Minnesota from Puerto Rico in 2017. While working for Bolder Options, he was hired as a consultant with Mentor Minnesota and started Familia Free Planning Services, a nonprofit that supports community members with tax preparation and immigration processes.As director of program management at Bolder Options, he created four of the organization’s five core initiatives and raised more than half of the annual programming budget.Under Ludden, SPNN managed the Community Technology Empowerment Project, which assigns AmeriCorps members to libraries and nonprofits around the Twin Cities to help bridge the digital divide by teaching computer education, technology literacy and media skills.The nonprof...

Twins fall to Dodgers in bruising series finale

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

LOS ANGELES — One team took advantage of its bases-loaded opportunity. The other did not.And that was the big difference between the Twins and the Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Twins suffered a bruising 7-3 loss, a seventh-inning grand slam separating the two teams.Things escalated quickly in the seventh after Twins reliever José De León got all-stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to go down on six pitches. Two hits later spelled the end of his day. He made way for Emilio Pagán, who immediately walked the bases loaded and then walked the very next batter he faced to force in the game-tying run.The veteran then left a fastball over the plate for rookie James Outman, who took the ball out of the park to center, riling up the Dodger Stadium crowd.That came in stark contrast from the Twins’ opportunity an inning earlier during which they loaded the bases and, as they have so many times this season, came away with nothing. The Twins are a confounding 5 for 40 (...

Answering The Call: Local company's life-saving equipment goes from the frontline of the pandemic to the frontline in Ukraine

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Precision Valve and Automation (PVA) employ 250 people in its high-tech facility in Halfmoon, quite the leap from starting in CEO Tony Hynes' basement 30 years ago. As Hynes showed NEWS10 around, he explained what PVA does, "We build production equipment which goes all over the world, which then goes into making all the stuff that we like to buy: our cars, our medical devices, our consumer products. Our area of expertise is robotics and the application of liquid materials, which is putting down in an automated fashion adhesives, sealants and coatings or a very fancy way of saying we use robots to glue things together." Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! PVA CEO Tony Hynes and his company’s portable ventilator"Any industrialized country has our machines," Hynes continued as he walked from the research lab to the manufacturing floor, "they are deployed all over the world, they are working 24 hours a da...

Parson meets with circuit attorney staff now under his control

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Missouri Governor Mike Parson flew to St. Louis for a one-hour meeting with prosecutors in the circuit attorney’s office in the aftermath of Kim Gardner’s resignation.“I wanted to make sure to personally get this done, that they knew exactly why I was doing, what I was doing, and what the process was going to be, and to be able to tell how we were going to move forward,” Parson said.Governor Parson said this required a face-to-face meeting, since he’ll be responsible for appointing Gardner’s successor.“I don’t think there’s any question, there’s been a lot of tension with everything that’s been going on for quite some time,” he said. “But I think they are looking for direction, too. I think they’re excited about the day when they get a new prosecutor appointed, so they get some normalcy.” Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns Gardner abruptly left office Tuesday with a handwritten note to the presiding judge, asking for St. Louis County Prosecutor W...

Regional crime summit focuses on collaboration, cooperation among municipalities to combat violence

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Leading experts in crime and public safety from across the area are meeting Wednesday in St. Louis to discuss ways to prevent crime.The East-West Gateway Council of Governments hosted Wednesday’s regional crime summit at the Washington University School of Medicine.Community and business leaders, as well as law enforcement attended the summit to hear discussions of the crime problems in our area. The goal of the meeting is to get governments to work together on a strategy to fight crime.St. Louis leaders say homicides are the priority issue in the metro area, and a regional approach is needed to combat it. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns “We are making investments and community violence intervention programs and deterrence programs. And, I think, all we need to do now is just make sure our entire region is also on board,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said.A 32-page report called, “The Need for a Regional Strategy to Reduce Homicides” was jus...

Colorado state track meet primer: Storylines, returning champions and what to know ahead of this weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

A rundown of the CHSAA state track and field meet to be held Thursday through Saturday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood:10 things to watchThunderstruck: A year ago, the coldest two days of the spring fell on the last two days of the state meet … along with several inches of snow. This year’s weather hurdle? The dreaded afternoon thunderstorms, which, as anyone who’s ever attended a state meet knows, can delay events for chunks at a time. On the bright side, at least it’ll be warm.Niwot’s dominance: Once again, the Niwot girls are the team to beat in Class 4A. Led by Stanford commit Madison Shults, the Cougars are going for their fourth consecutive 4A team title with a puncher’s chance at winning every individual race outside of the 100 and 200. Shults has the nation’s third-best PR this spring in the 800 (2:04.28), according to MileSplit, and is also the state leader in the 400. Win both, and she would finish with five individual state titles. ...

Denver weather: Stormy skies expected Thursday and Friday, rain could be heavy at times

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Heavy, scattered rain and thunderstorms are in the metro area forecast Thursday and Friday and the stormy weather could be severe at times in widespread locations.“There could be some very localized issues with the widespread storms,” said Bruno Rodriguez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder.There’s a limited threat of flooding in wildfire burn scar areas, as stronger storms may produce 1/3 of an inch of rain in 15-minute downpours, the weather service said.Urban flooding is possible, but the upcoming weather will likely not be as impactful as last week’s steady and long periods of rain, Rodriguez said. Six inches of rain over three day’s last week caused flooding in some parts of the metro area along with road damage.“It’s not going to be huge overall,” Rodriguez said of the stormy weather arriving Thursday. “It’s going to be widespread and some stronger local storms could occur.”Hail as part...