Latest news with #MinnesotaDepartmentofHumanServices
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
DOJ opens investigation into Minnesota over hiring practices
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an investigation into Minnesota to determine if the state, including the Minnesota Department of Human Services, has engaged in race and sex-based discrimination in its hiring practices. 'Our investigation is based on information that Minnesota may be engaged in certain employment practices that discriminate against employees, job applicants and training program participants based on race and sex in violation of Title VII,' DOJ's Civil Rights Division head, assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, wrote in a Thursday letter to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) and Minnesota Department of Human Services' temporary commissioner Shireen Gandhi. 'Specifically, we have reason to believe the Minnesota Department of Human Services is engaging in unlawful action through, among other things, the adoption and forthcoming implementation of its 'hiring justification' policy,' Dhillon said in the 2-page letter. The Minnesota Department of Human Services rolled out a new policy earlier this month, requiring supervisors to provide a 'hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate when hiring for a vacancy in a job category with underrepresentation.' The Trump administration has cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, arguing it is discriminatory against Asian and white people. Minnesota's Department of Human Services told The Associated Press that it 'follows all state and federal hiring laws,' adding that the justification for 'non-affirmative action hires for some vacancies has been required by state law since 1987.' Trump and his allies have butted heads with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who was former Vice President Harris's running mate in 2024 and who has since criticized the administration's decision-making. Ellison has also filed lawsuits against the administration. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Thursday that Minnesotans 'deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI.'
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump administration opens investigation into Minnesota agency's affirmative action policy
MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration said Thursday that it has opened an investigation into whether a Minnesota state agency's newly updated affirmative action policy violates civil rights laws. The Minnesota Department of Human Services' policy requires supervisors to provide a 'hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate.' Supervisors who don't comply can be disciplined, even fired.
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Nearly $400K in lottery prizes won this weekend in Minnesota
Some Minnesota lottery players won nearly $400,000 this weekend. State lottery officials say Inver Grove Heights' The Corner Store sold a North 5 ticket worth $276,186. Two $50,000 Powerball tickets were also sold at Newport's Winners Corner in Newport and Burnsville's Shooters Billiard Club & Cafe. Winners have one year to claim their prizes, and due to a state law signed in 2021, they can opt out of being publicly identified if they win more than $10,000. Minnesota has had its share of big wins this year. In early January, two Millionaire Raffle tickets were sold in Tracy and Nowthen. Weeks later, someone bought a Progressive Print-N-Play ticket worth $436,015 in North St. Paul. In February, someone bought a Powerball ticket in Lake City worth $94,949 on the same weekend another lucky customer won a $50,000 Powerball jackpot in Hastings. And in March, a North 5 ticket worth $137,742 was sold in Maple Grove. In last year's general election, Minnesotans voted overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining the policy of placing 40% of all Minnesota Lottery proceeds into the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. In January, it was announced $1.2 million of those funds would go to the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine for avian influenza research. If you or someone you know struggles with playing responsibly, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has resources available. Call 800-333-HOPE for free, confidential information and referral to services in your area or visit
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Minnesota increasing screening requirements for autism and housing services providers
A Minnesota agency is cracking down on providers billing Medicaid for some autism and housing services. Starting on June 1, the Minnesota Department of Human Services will require the providers to undergo enhanced fingerprint background studies, participate in screening visits before Medicaid enrollment and when enrollment is revalidated, and allow state officials to make unannounced site visits. The federal government sets three levels of screening for providers — limited, moderate and high risk. The state agency says these new requirements are a result of the state moving the level of screening for providers who bill Medicaid for housing stabilization services and behavioral intervention autism services to high risk. "It's clear that these critical services need more oversight," Shrieen Gandhi, the temporary Human Services Commissioner, said in a written release on Friday. "Moving these providers into the high-risk category is only the first step. We need more staff to put eyes on these programs and make sure everyone is safeguarding resources meant to help children, people with disabilities and older Minnesotans." Gandhi decided to increase screening requirements in March. Providers were given a 30-day notice this week, officials say. New providers need to comply with the requirements by June 1, the agency says, and existing providers will be phased into the new requirements when they renew their Medicaid enrollment. In December 2024, the FBI and state investigators raided autism treatment centers in Minneapolis and St. Cloud. According to the search warrant, the probe was a direct outgrowth of the investigation into the $240 million Feeding Our Future scandal. The agency said last summer that 15 Minnesota autism centers were under investigation for fraud. Anyone who suspects fraud or abuse of Medicaid funds is encouraged to call Minnesota's Department of Human Sevices at 651-431-2650 or submit a tip here. Note: The above video first aired on Dec. 12, 2024.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Joe Soucheray: Was politics a factor in Mary Moriarty's charity to Tesla vandal?
Having never driven a Tesla, but having sat in one in order to pretend to a friend that I thought the dominating computer screen was fascinating, I sensed no revulsion or any particular distaste for the car. Everybody dances to a different beat and if you want an electric car, a Tesla, then have at it, even if the front of a Tesla looks like the underbelly of a dolphin. And the Tesla truck is perhaps the ugliest machine ever manufactured. Some cars are so ugly that they become cool. You'd a pay a pretty penny these days for an Edsel, not in spite of its horse collar grill, but probably because of it. The Tesla truck looks like an industrial toaster or a hastily slapped together prop for a 1952 invasion-from-Mars movie. What were you thinking, Elon? There is no accounting for taste and the vehicle's novelty cannot be denied. Besides, the way we're going, cars will end up looking like hot dog buns and the Tesla truck will someday be as revered as a Ferrari. A fellow doesn't mean to pile on – Teslas have been getting keyed – but we have learned some lessons. Apparently, many of you who bought Teslas really, deep down, didn't care about saving the Earth. You cared about making a statement that you cared about saving the Earth. Otherwise, so many of you wouldn't now be plastering your cars with stickers that say, 'Don't blame me, I bought mine before Musk got to Washington.' But then Musk joined President Donald Trump and because the two of them are ideologically evil, it is now acceptable to insist that you find Musk dastardly, even though when you bought the car, you thought Musk was ideologically a genius. I guess the stickers promote a wish to have the cake and eat it, too. What changed? Well, Trump. Our governor hasn't helped. It would be a stretch to say that Tim Walz incited the destruction of property, but a couple of weeks back, on that whatever that tour of his is, he took great glee in Tesla's falling stock price. It is now believed that the governor didn't realize that his own State Board of Investment had 1.6 million shares of Tesla stock in its retirement fund or that Tesla owns a manufacturing plant in Brooklyn Park. In a riotous display of first-world angst, Teslas have been shot at, keyed and kicked. Tesla dealerships have been vandalized. And locally we have the astonishing case of Dylan Bryan Adams, a financial analyst in the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Adams was arrested recently in Minneapolis for allegedly keying at least six Tesla cars to the tune of more than $20,000 in damages. Allegedly seems redundant. Teslas are virtually rolling film studios. The cars filmed Adams in the act. It is unlikely Adams will be fired or even have a note placed in his file. He's been with the state since 2018 and nobody in the Walz administration has ever suffered any consequences for their incompetent handling of a $250 million food fraud. $20,000 is peanuts. In fact, Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County attorney, has decided not to press felony charges against Adams. Instead, Adams was offered 'diversion,' meaning restitution and some community service work. It almost sounds like Moriarty said, 'Oh, what the hell, he was only keying Teslas.' It'd hard to know if Moriarty's charity to Adams reflected her politics. You have to wonder if she thought about it at all. My question will go unanswered. Adams was out walking his dog when he struck. Why wasn't he at work? Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@ Soucheray's 'Garage Logic' podcast can be heard at Jim Gelbmann: Our partisan endorsement process is unrepresentative, polarizing and self-serving Ed Lotterman: What if the Fed set a trap for Trump? Skywatch: A crow, a cup and a water snake Real World Economics: Powell hits first; Trump hits back Working Strategies: Random thoughts: Stretching job titles and happy places
