Government/Regulatory

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued a temporary restraining order blocking ICE from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia at a scheduled Baltimore check‑in, finding officials lacked legal authority to re‑detain him, had “affirmatively misled” the court and noting there is no final removal order; ICE released him from the Moshannon Valley Processing Center and he returned to Maryland. The action follows an immigration judge’s order for his release and comes amid ongoing litigation — including rescheduled federal hearings, a Tennessee judge’s admonition over public statements about Abrego Garcia and the administration’s efforts to keep him detained — with Pretrial Services and parties ordered to coordinate release conditions and file a joint status report.

The U.S. Senate voted down both a Democratic plan to extend enhanced ACA premium subsidies and a Republican alternative that did not include the extension, making a lapse for the 2026 plan year more likely. If subsidies end, up to 24 million exchange enrollees could face higher costs — including about 89,000 MNsure recipients who could see premiums rise roughly 50% — while the White House had circulated a competing two‑year extension draft that would cap eligibility at 700% of the federal poverty level and require a minimum premium (reported options include about 2% of income or $5/month).

The FAA has scaled back its mandated flight‑capacity reductions at 40 major U.S. airports from a planned 10% ramp (held at 6%) to 3% as controller attendance improved, but the order — in effect since Nov. 7 amid unpaid air traffic controllers, staffing shortages and missed paychecks — remains in place and continues to limit operations at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International (MSP). The cuts and earlier staffing shortfalls have caused widespread delays and thousands of cancellations nationwide (dozens at MSP), prompted airlines to offer refunds and waivers, and spurred an FAA probe into carriers’ handling of the reductions.

The Federal Railroad Administration finalized a rule on Dec. 5, 2025, allowing railroads to reduce some manual track inspections if they use approved technology to detect defects. The nationwide change applies to rail lines that run through the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro, shifting more inspection responsibility to sensors and automated systems while the FRA says safety standards will be maintained.

The Social Security Administration set December 2025 payment dates: SSA benefits will be paid Dec. 3 for those on rolls before May 1997 and on Dec. 10, 17, or 24 based on birthdate; SSI will be paid Dec. 1 and again Dec. 31 because Jan. 1 is a federal holiday. Twin Cities recipients who don’t see an expected direct deposit should contact their bank first, then call SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

President Trump signed a stopgap funding bill ending the 43‑day shutdown, OPM directed federal employees to return Thursday and agencies will issue back pay in four tranches beginning by Nov. 19 while the measure reverses shutdown‑era firings and bars new layoffs through January. The package restarts programs including SNAP, releases $3.6 billion in LIHEAP heating aid to states and tribes, and extends funding through Jan. 30, though SNAP and other benefits may take days or longer to reach recipients and a separate vote on ACA premium subsidies is expected in December.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told The New York Times he personally ordered the CDC on Nov. 19 to revise its vaccine–autism webpage to say studies have not definitively ruled out a link, while acknowledging research finding no link to thimerosal or the MMR vaccine but saying gaps remain and more study is needed. The change — which retained a “vaccines do not cause autism” line with a disclaimer noting his pledge to Sen. Bill Cassidy (who called the move “wrong” and “irresponsible”) — comes as Kennedy has pulled $500 million from vaccine development, replaced federal vaccine advisory committee members, fired the CDC director and pushed ACIP to review adjuvants and contaminants, a review HHS says ACIP is conducting independently.

The White House has begun dismantling the Education Department by signing six interagency agreements that shift most K–12 and higher‑education programs and school funding/support to the Department of Labor and other agencies (HHS, State, Interior), with adult education already moved; Education will retain policy guidance and oversight of Labor’s education work and continue to administer FAFSA, Pell Grants, federal student loans and college accreditation. Secretary Linda McMahon says the transfers won’t disrupt funding and will give states more flexibility, but officials and state leaders warn of added bureaucracy and confusion, staff retention remains unclear, and the department—hobbled by mass layoffs upheld by the Supreme Court—now sits in a limbo only Congress can resolve.

President Trump said he would "immediately" terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, accusing Minnesota of being a "hub" of fraudulent money laundering and claiming Somali gangs are "terrorizing" the state; the AP cites an August report estimating just 705 Somali nationals hold TPS nationwide. Minnesota leaders, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, say the president does not have unilateral authority to end TPS or target one state, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says any review will follow the law and apply nationwide with a required 60‑day notice, and advocates note Minnesota has more than 37,000 Somali-born residents but only a few hundred currently hold TPS.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services said it will stop Integrated Community Supports (ICS) payments on Dec. 2 to five providers covering about a dozen properties, affecting 97 participants, after investigations by the DHS inspector general found credible allegations that some providers billed for services not provided and put clients’ health and safety at risk. The suspension has prompted 60‑day and eviction notices at St. Paul’s Granite Pointe Apartments tied to Metro Care Human Services and follows an earlier halt in September that provider Jama Mahamod of American Home Health Care says led him to evict four tenants and close his business; DHS stressed that ICS service payments are separate from housing or rent.

The Trump administration has sharply reduced staffing and funding at SAMHSA — cutting $1.7 billion in state block grants, eliminating roughly $350 million for addiction/overdose prevention, and moving to fold the agency into a new structure — prompting warnings from public‑health leaders that national gains against overdose deaths could stall. HHS says it is prioritizing treatment and accountability, while a July court injunction temporarily blocked the reorganization; recent CDC‑linked data show U.S. overdose deaths down to 76,500 in the latest 12 months, with Minnesota among states seeing smaller increases in nonfatal overdoses. These federal cuts could reduce resources to Minnesota and Twin Cities providers that rely on SAMHSA grants for treatment and naloxone access.

The White House said it will extend tariff relief to Brazilian imports by excluding certain products from both April’s global rollback under Executive Order 14257 and the punitive July tariffs on Brazil, covering coffee, fruit and beef as well as related items such as tea, tropical fruits and juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and some fertilizers. The move — framed as easing grocery-price pressures (roasted coffee and ground beef have shown large year‑over‑year CPI gains) — resolves a gap Brazil had flagged, draws industry praise, and comes as President Trump and Brazil’s President Lula negotiate further trade steps.

President Donald Trump nominated OMB associate director Stuart Levenbach to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a step the White House acknowledges is intended to pause the vacancies clock and keep Budget Director Russell Vought as acting CFPB chief while pursuing plans to shut the agency. The administration also said it will not draw Federal Reserve funds to operate the CFPB beyond Dec. 31, relying on a disputed legal theory, a move that could curtail federal consumer‑finance oversight for Twin Cities residents and institutions.

State inspection records show Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare in Savage had been cited for safety violations before the infant boy’s September death, and state officials have suspended the facility’s license. A Savage Police affidavit focuses on a specific employee linked to two prior medical incidents in which an infant girl vomited a "blood‑like" substance and to the infant boy, and investigators say the employee re‑created events for them. Preliminary autopsy results reportedly found no physical injuries and no common poisons; police say the final cause of death is pending, are not ruling out any possible causes, and have urged parents to closely monitor their children.

Congress has passed a stopgap funding bill that includes a national cap of 0.4 mg hemp‑derived THC per container, taking effect in one year and overriding higher state per‑serving limits (Minnesota currently allows ~5 mg), a measure pushed to close a 2018 Farm Bill looph and intended to block unregulated intoxicating hemp products. Minnesota brewers, retailers and hemp beverage makers warn the cap would effectively ban most THC edibles and drinks and devastate a roughly $140–200 million local market — though regulators say licensing and oversight remain unchanged until the cap’s effective date and industry groups urge business as usual in the interim.

The FDA on Nov. 14 added a boxed warning to Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy after two patient deaths and limited its approved use to ambulatory patients age 4 and older. New labeling also recommends weekly liver‑function monitoring for the first three months post‑infusion and other precautions, affecting how Twin Cities providers prescribe and monitor the one‑time treatment.

The IRS announced on Nov. 13, 2025, that the maximum employee contribution to 401(k), 403(b) and most 457 plans will rise to $24,500 in 2026, with the age‑50 catch‑up increasing to $8,000. The agency also set the 2026 IRA limit at $7,500 and the IRA catch‑up at $1,100, while keeping the special age 60–63 catch‑up at $11,250. The nationwide changes directly affect Twin Cities workers and retirees saving in tax‑advantaged plans.

Hennepin County and other Twin Cities cities and counties have stepped in to fund emergency food aid after SNAP payments were delayed during the federal shutdown. With the shutdown over, states are transitioning from partial or paused SNAP payments to full November benefits — USDA guidance says most states can access funds within 24 hours but beneficiaries may see staggered deposits spread over several days up to about a week, so local aid remains important in the short term.

The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia will press the final penny Wednesday, and U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said those last coins will be auctioned. Each penny costs roughly four cents to make, and the Treasury estimates ending production will save about $56 million a year in materials, even as tens of billions of pennies remain in circulation and banks and retailers may round cash transactions to the nearest five cents.

The FDA removed the long-standing boxed warning from hormone-based menopause drugs, saying updated evidence shows benefits for women. Officials — including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called the move “challenging outdated thinking” — said the change was made without convening a formal advisory committee to avoid a “bureaucratic” and costly process, and Makary explained why an advisory panel was not used.

The IRS has canceled its Direct File free online tax-filing system for the 2026 season and, per an IRS email from Cynthia Noe, there is no relaunch date set; the program had been piloted in 12 states and was slated to expand to 12 more before the cancellation. Treasury Secretary/IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent said the private sector can do a better job and that Direct File “wasn't used very much.” The 2026 filing season will still include higher standard deductions under OBBBA: $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married filing jointly, with brackets adjusted for inflation.

After the federal shutdown prompted USDA to pause SNAP disbursements and initially push a roughly 65% partial‑payment plan, a coalition of states sued and district judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered USDA to use contingency and other funds to provide full November benefits. The 1st Circuit upheld the lower‑court order requiring full funding (after a brief Supreme Court stay), leaving some states that already issued full payments in limbo as the Supreme Court prepares to decide whether the administration may enforce the 65% cap.

The EPA under Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed loosening parts of a Biden‑era 2023 rule that accelerates the phaseout of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the 2020 AIM Act, arguing businesses need more time and flexibility. The plan, which follows a September step easing requirements for cold‑storage warehouses and delaying some compliance to 2032, would affect grocery chains, refrigeration firms, and HVAC companies nationwide, including in the Twin Cities, while environmental groups warn it will worsen climate pollution and disrupt ongoing industry transitions.

The U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request to let its passport sex‑marker policy take effect while litigation continues, staying a June injunction by U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick that had blocked the policy. The unsigned order—reasoning that listing sex at birth is a historical fact akin to country of birth and implicates foreign‑affairs authority, and echoing Solicitor General D. John Sauer’s argument that the president has passport authority (citing a recent ruling on transgender care)—drew dissents from the Court’s three liberal justices, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warning it will harm transgender Americans barred from selecting markers such as “X.”

The Trump administration directed state Medicaid agencies to investigate certain enrollees’ immigration status, with CMS beginning in August to send states lists of names to review. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz claimed on Oct. 31 that over $1 billion was spent on Medicaid for undocumented immigrants in five states and D.C., a figure several states dispute as inaccurate; initial tallies show more than 170,000 names flagged across Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah, with more to come. The directive could lead to coverage losses for enrollees who miss paperwork deadlines and adds administrative burden for states, including Minnesota.

Furloughs tied to the government shutdown have hit Education Department offices that oversee special education and civil‑rights enforcement (OCR), coming after staffing at the department fell from about 4,100 to roughly 2,400 since the Trump administration began and leaving only about 330 employees deemed “essential.” The cuts have halted new grants and frozen competitions, slowed reimbursements—raising concerns about school‑meal reimbursements and Head Start funding—while Pell Grants and FAFSA processing have continued.

The FDA says Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Amerisource Health Services voluntarily recalled more than 580,000 bottles of prazosin hydrochloride capsules nationwide earlier this month due to potential nitrosamine impurities, which are considered possibly cancer‑causing. The agency classified the affected lots as Class II risk; prazosin is used to treat high blood pressure and sometimes PTSD‑related nightmares, and Twin Cities patients are advised to check their medication and consult pharmacists or physicians.

The Department of Homeland Security said U.S. Customs and Border Protection will require facial recognition and photo capture for all non‑U.S. citizens, including green‑card holders, at all ports of entry and departure starting Dec. 26, 2025. The Federal Register rule expands CBP’s existing program to land, sea, and air locations, authorizes biometric capture for children under 14 and adults over 79, and aims to combat document fraud and enhance border security.

AP reports the U.S. stopped producing pennies in mid‑2025 under President Trump, and with the last coins minted in June and distributed by August, banks are now rationing pennies and retailers nationwide are running out as the holiday season approaches. The Treasury placed its last planchet order in May; 2024 saw 3.23 billion pennies minted even as each cost 3.7 cents to make, and merchants are asking for exact change or rounding to avoid legal exposure—operational shifts that will affect Twin Cities cash transactions.

After the Trump–Xi meeting, China’s Commerce Ministry said it would work with the U.S. to resolve TikTok-related issues but provided no details and said no ownership agreement was reached. That statement contrasts with U.S. reports — including Trump saying Xi approved a proposed U.S. ownership deal, the White House suggesting the transaction could be finalized in South Korea, and earlier plans for Oracle to manage TikTok’s U.S. algorithm — as negotiations continue under U.S. divestiture requirements.

The federal shutdown prevented Congress from extending pandemic‑era Medicare telehealth flexibilities before their Sept. 30 expiration, temporarily halting reimbursement for many home‑based virtual visits. Providers are canceling or weighing unreimbursed appointments, and millions of Medicare fee‑for‑service patients nationwide — including Twin Cities seniors who cannot easily travel — are losing access to remote care while the shutdown continues.

The U.S. Senate voted in bipartisan fashion on Oct. 28, 2025, to reject the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs on Brazilian imports, a move that comes amid spiking coffee prices. The decision averts new duties that could have further increased consumer costs in the Twin Cities and nationwide; details of next steps now shift back to the administration and trade agencies.

USCIS says a $100,000 fee will apply to H‑1B petitions filed on or after Sept. 21, 2025 for beneficiaries outside the U.S. who do not already hold a valid H‑1B visa, while exemptions include amendments, changes of status, extensions of stay and petitions tied to existing valid H‑1Bs submitted before Sept. 21, 2025; F‑1 graduates changing status inside the U.S. and current H‑1B holders traveling abroad are likewise not subject to the fee. The agency has set up an online portal for paying the fee, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a major legal challenge, and employers—particularly Minnesota schools, retail and health‑care providers—warn of higher costs, potential hiring delays and adjusted recruiting plans.

A government shutdown delayed the usual announcement of the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, leaving recipients uncertain about next year’s benefit increase. Officials have now set the 2026 COLA at 2.8%, which will raise average monthly benefits by about $56 and ends the uncertainty caused by the earlier delay.

USDA inspection reports cite 'critical' animal‑welfare and compliance problems at University of Minnesota animal research labs, according to the Star Tribune. The findings, classified at the most serious level by federal regulators, concern UMN facilities in the Twin Cities and could require corrective actions under the Animal Welfare Act.

Authorities say 22-year-old Kelvin Luebke (aka "KJ Perry") enrolled at White Bear Lake High School Sept. 3–29, 2025 using fraudulent documents — including a Liberian birth certificate listing a 2007 birth year — and registered for football practices while the district, citing McKinney‑Vento rules, says it followed enrollment procedures and has launched a review; FOX 9 reported he has a prior conviction for sending explicit images to a 15‑year‑old and was previously enrolled at Forest Lake Area High School. A Ramsey County search warrant alleges Luebke received nude photos from a student, investigators have sought his phone and other records and say multiple parents came forward, and authorities are probing possible fraud, forgery and criminal sexual conduct while no school‑related charges had been filed as of mid‑October.

Target is piloting the sale of THC beverages at select Minnesota liquor stores, rather than in general store aisles. The move taps into what industry observers call the nation’s most competitive THC beverage market, with the pilot reported on Oct. 13, 2025.

UPS told FOX Business Friday it has implemented procedures for imported packages that cannot clear U.S. Customs under newly tightened rules, saying parcels will either be returned to the shipper at their expense or, if customers don’t respond and clearance isn’t possible, disposed of in compliance with regulations. Citing Trump administration changes like suspended de minimis exemptions and stricter documentation, UPS said about 90% of shipments clear on day one and that it makes multiple contact attempts to obtain missing information, but a growing number of parcels are stranded at hubs nationwide.

The IRS issued regulations implementing SECURE 2.0 that require workers who earned $145,000 or more in the prior year to make 401(k) catch-up contributions to after-tax Roth accounts starting with the 2026 tax year. For 2025, the standard 401(k) contribution limit is $23,500 with an additional $7,500 catch-up for ages 50+ (and $11,250 for ages 60–63), but high earners will lose the option to make pre-tax catch-ups in 2026; plans without a Roth option may need updates or affected workers could be unable to make catch-ups. This change affects Twin Cities employees and employers administering retirement plans.

Gov. Tim Walz warned he would sue the Trump administration if it sent federal troops to Minnesota, directly tying the threat of legal action to suggestions President Trump might deploy National Guard forces to the state. His statement follows reporting that the administration could consider such deployments.

The Social Security Administration will disburse Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits twice in October — on Oct. 1 and Oct. 31 — because November's scheduled payment date (Nov. 1) falls on a weekend, prompting the SSA to issue November benefits on the last business day of October. The government shutdown is not expected to interrupt Social Security payments, though a COLA announcement tied to benefits could be delayed.

Isabella "Bella" Oscarson, 26, of Watertown, Minnesota, died while participating in a prescribed burn in Idaho. Oscarson began her career with the Wildland Fire Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, was trained by the Minnesota DNR and served as a lead firefighter near Grand Rapids before taking a job with the Idaho Department of Lands in March; Minnesota has honored her with flags at half-staff as officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and state DNR supervisors, praised her service.

At a news conference at the State Capitol, physicians who treated victims of the Aug. 27 Annunciation Church mass shooting in Minneapolis urged lawmakers to call a special legislative session and enact statewide gun measures, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, mandatory locked-and-unloaded storage, and removal of the state preemption preventing local governments from adopting stricter firearm rules.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual cost-of-living update raises maximum SNAP monthly allotments in Minnesota effective Oct. 1, 2025, with new household amounts published using the USDA Thrifty Food Plan. The change yields modest increases for most household sizes (e.g., $298 for one person, $994 for four), while the article also notes recent federal legislation that tightened SNAP work and eligibility rules and will reduce some state reimbursements.

President Donald Trump announced Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, that the U.S. will levy 100% tariffs on foreign-made films, a nationwide move that could affect how imported movies are distributed and priced in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The White House framed the measure as part of its broader tariff policy; implementation details were not immediately available.

President Donald Trump announced new import taxes on kitchen cabinets, furniture, and heavy trucks that will take effect starting next week. The nationwide tariffs, announced Sept. 25, 2025, are poised to impact Twin Cities consumers, retailers, home contractors, and trucking-related businesses as prices and sourcing adjust.