Walz: No special session if Malcolm’s job is at risk

As Line 3 nears completion, pipeline battles are far from over 

View this email as a web page Aug. 31, 2021 Good evening, The political heat over the COVID pandemic turned up a notch today, as Gov. Tim Walz said he'd fight back against Republican efforts to fire his health commissioner over vaccination efforts in the state.  Walz went so far as to say he may rethink plans to call a much-anticipated special legislative session next month. Sen. Jim Abeler, Anoka-R, said Saturday at an anti-vaccine rally at the Capitol that he would like the GOP-controlled Senate to oust Jan Malcolm, the Walz administration's senior advisor on COVID.  Abeler and other Republicans have been critical of Walz's emergency powers and public health restrictions.  Walz spoke during a National Guard band concert at the State Fair.  "... In the middle of a spike of the delta variant, at a time when school is starting, the absurdity and recklessness and quite honestly the dangerous talk that you would get rid of the state's top health advisor and leader makes no sense. So I'm not going to put her in that position." Republicans have already ousted a labor and industry commissioner, a commerce commissioner and the head of the state's pollution control agency.  "She's highly respected here in Minnesota. She's done an incredible job and saved lives. The numbers support that." Walz said. "And so this is why its hard to get people to do public service. This is just kind of reckless talk to a crowd that doesn't make any sense."  Walz also said claims by Abeler that vaccines had killed hundreds of Minnesotans were  unfounded and untrue.  Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — Tim Nelson, MPR News Biden praises airlift, defends departure from 'forever war' Addressing the nation, a defensive President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the U.S. military airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies to end a 20 year war an "extraordinary success," though more than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to leave remain. As Line 3 nears completion, pipeline battles are far from over Opponents don't plan to give up trying to stop the pipeline, even as their legal options dwindle. They plan to continue contesting Line 3 through protests and in court even after oil begins flowing from Alberta, Canada. Animal rights groups sue to stop Wisconsin wolf hunt A coalition of animal rights groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop Wisconsin's wolf hunt this fall and invalidate a state law mandating annual hunts, arguing the statutes don't give wildlife officials any leeway to consider population estimates. Northland hospitals feel the stress as latest COVID wave climbs Hospital systems serving swaths of northeastern and northwestern Minnesota are struggling with the newest surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid a shortage of health care staff and rising numbers of non-COVID patients. 'Forever chemicals' found in groundwater near military bases An environmental group says groundwater around at least six military installations in the Great Lakes region is contaminated with high levels of PFAS chemicals. The Environmental Working Group says Pentagon records show the compounds have been discovered in water around bases in Michigan, New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin. SPONSOR   Social worker program in Hennepin County grows to more police departments More suburban cities in Hennepin County are signing onto a program that pairs social workers with police departments to better respond to mental health or substance abuse emergency calls. Gas prices unlikely to skyrocket as oil companies assess Hurricane Ida damage The massive storm hit near the heart of Gulf oil production and refining, which will affect prices for a few weeks. But nobody expects the kind of price spike the U.S. saw after Hurricane Katrina. Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101