[image_credit]Sherburne County Jail[/image_credit][image_caption]Anton Lazzaro[/image_caption]
For detailed background on the Lazzaro case, read this post in the Daily Beast. Jose Pagliery writes: “Anton Lazzaro, a young Republican strategist and former congressional campaign manager in Minnesota, was arrested on underage sex trafficking charges Thursday morning, according to federal law enforcement. … Lazzaro, an occasional Fox News guest who flaunted his wealthy lifestyle on social media, was indicted on five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of attempting to do so, and three counts of obstruction of justice. The FBI confirmed its agents had arrested Lazzaro in Minneapolis this morning. And the indictment was unsealed in federal court Thursday afternoon during his initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota, which took place over a video conference. … U.S. Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson ordered that Lazzaro remain jailed until a court hearing next week, after prosecutors claimed six victims had asked for additional protection from Lazzaro.”
It’s in the water. KARE’s Kent Erdahl reports: “Inside an unassuming lab in St. Paul, tiny samples of RNA extracted from wastewater are helping the University of Minnesota develop a statewide COVID-19 early warning system. … ‘Both symptomatic and asymptomatic (cases), people who are tested or not tested, it doesn’t matter,’ said Steven Balogh, a research scientist at the Metropolitan Wastewater Plant in St. Paul. ‘We collect it here and that’s why we can see it.’ … Balogh has spent more than 30 years monitoring wastewater for mercury and other contaminants, but it wasn’t until a research team from the University of Minnesota reached out to him last year that he learned how to extract RNA from wastewater in order to detect COVID-19.”
One rent control question on Minneapolis ballots this fall. WCCO reports: “Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of a proposed charter amendment on rent stabilization will stand, after the Minneapolis City Council failed to override it on Friday. The other initiative will head to the ballot in November. … The city council had put together two proposals to go on the ballot for rent stabilization: a ‘council initiative’ and a ‘resident initiative.’ … The council initiative would give the city council the power to make rent control policies on private residential properties in Minneapolis. It was approved 11-1 for voters to decide in the fall, with Councilmember Linea Palmisano casting the lone opposing vote. Andrew Johnson was absent from voting.”
In other news…
Followup on this story: “St. Paul man convicted in arson of Target HQ in Minneapolis” [KMSP]
Putting the “care” in health care: “UnitedHealthcare will pay $15.7M in settlement of denial of care charges” [Star Tribune]
Are you really surprised: “A new report says most plastic in Minneapolis isn’t recycled and winds up in the trash” [Sahan Journal]
The Great Minnesota Wait-for-the-bus Together: “Metro Transit to ‘significantly’ reduce bus service for State Fair due to driver shortage” [KSTP]
When you guys run a story about Metro Transit buses to the fair I wish you’d say this doesn’t impact the park and ride lots run by the fair. Folks think those are closing, too. We have one at my workplace and we get calls.
“The 30-year-old entrepreneur served as the campaign manager for GOP candidate Lacy Johnson, who ran an unsuccessful bid in 2020 to unseat Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.”
Its funny when you think of all the crap they claim about Ilhan’s personal life that the campaign manger for her Republican opponent was trafficking in minors at the time.
” Johnson said Lazzaro never discussed his personal dating life.”
Most normal, non Republican, people don’t call grooming underage people for sex “dating.” Republicans just keep getting stranger and stranger.
For sure. We need to hold both corrupt Republicans and corrupt Democrats like Omar accountable.
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING is not corruption, its perversion and one of the most vile crimes I can think of. Please don’t try to minimize it like that. Its not “dating” as Lacy says and its not corruption as you claim, its PERVERSION. Good grief, what is wrong with you people?
To be even more specific, it’s criminal.
“Jennifer Carnahan said in a statement Friday that ‘if the allegations against Mr. Anton Lazzaro are true, this is an abhorrent act that we condemn in the highest possible terms.’”
Jennifer already knows, but you can use OpenSecrets.org to take a look at his campaign finance activities.
https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=Anton+Lazzaro
Remember too that Carnahan got 10% of any contribution over 5 grand.