Minnesota Midday: St. Cloud fraud announcement, Minneapolis safety office vote and Pine Island data center
A federal 'War on Fraud' announcement in St. Cloud, Minneapolis council's vote to eliminate its Office of Community Safety, and a new state environmental review for a Google data center in Pine Island.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson are set to make a 'War on Fraud' announcement in St. Cloud at 1 p.m. Friday, October 30. Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend but canceled. It follows Thursday's search warrants at autism centers in St. Louis Park and Edina, and in southern Minnesota, where Rochester police helped the FBI. No charges have been announced.
The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-4 on Thursday, October 29, to eliminate the Office of Community Safety as part of an ordinance restructuring city government. Nine votes is enough to override a mayoral veto; Mayor Jacob Frey has not said whether he will veto. The city must still comply with a 2023 court-approved settlement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Supporters sayCouncil members including Robin Wonsley say the office was ineffective and unnecessary because the city charter places department heads under the mayor, and that the change saves money amid a budget shortfall.
Opponents sayMayor Jacob Frey says the savings are overstated and that moving the work will cost more; Council Member Jamison Whiting called the move reckless and says it removes a body focused on police accountability.
A settlement of a lawsuit over a proposed Google data center in Pine Island, called Project Skyway, requires a new environmental review supervised by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. It will analyze water use, energy use, noise and light pollution, followed by a mitigation plan and a public comment period. Previous city approvals remain in place. Google, developer Ryan Companies and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy all welcomed the outcome.
