Good morning. It's a new week and a new Digest. 1. Walz inauguration brings in big bucks. The inaugural committee for Gov. Tim Walz raked in $230,000 from unions, corporations and firms with teams of Capitol lobbyists after he took his oath of office, new documents filed with the IRS show. The required report for the “One Minnesota Inaugural Committee” was submitted to the IRS on Wednesday along with one detailing expenses for transition activities. All told, the inaugural committee took in almost $700,000 since its inception and spent about $534,000 on venues, catering, entertainment and other operating expenses. Kristen McMullen, co-chair for the inaugural committee, said the money was needed to carry out the new governor’s wish to have accessible events in several cities. “Gov. Walz brought his inaugural celebration to Minnesotans across the state and the inaugural committee worked hard to ensure all the events were free and open to the public,” McMullen said in a written response to questions from MPR News. (MPR News) 2. White Earth candidates seek to rebuild tribal trust. The White Earth Nation will elect its new leader this week, five months after tribal chair Terry Tibbetts died while in office. The two candidates who want to lead White Earth for the remainder of the term have different approaches to governing — but they agree that the election is an opportunity to rebuild trust in tribal government. "We need to set all of our personal agendas aside, ... sit down and focus on just one thing here,” said Brent Gish, 72, a retired educator who has lived most of his life on the reservation. “All of our actions should reflect what's in the best interest of the White Earth Nation and the people that we serve." Michael Fairbanks, 56, who is also running for the seat, was born and raised in the Twin Cities, but returned to his northern Minnesota Ojibwe roots when he was 18. He said he’s had firsthand experience navigating what have become some fractious dynamics within tribal government. (MPR News) 3. St. Cloud State ordered to remedy Title IX violations. A U.S. District Court judge has found St. Cloud State University violated Title IX, according to an order issued Thursday. U.S. District Court Chief Judge John Tunheim ordered an injunction in the class-action lawsuit against the university, requiring St. Cloud State to take immediate action to remedy the situation. The lawsuit began after the university removed six athletic programs in 2016, including men's and women's tennis and Nordic skiing. Athletes sued the university to keep the programs and change some facilities. The university had claimed compliance with Title IX, a 1972 U.S. law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs funded with federal dollars. A trial was held in the case in December. Tunheim found St. Cloud State did not comply with Title IX from at least 2014, according to the document, in terms of "allocation of athletic participation opportunities and treatment and benefits." (St. Cloud Times) 4. Critics seek to block Omar visit to Israel. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar plans to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories this month, sparking a petition to keep her out.The Democratic lawmaker from Minneapolis told Jewish Insider in July about her plans for the visit. To date, her office has not released further information. But at least one Israeli group has petitioned the government to block her visit, according to local press reports. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan will join her. Last year, Omar and Tlaib became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Tlaib is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Earlier this year, Omar faced criticism from Jewish groups for a pair of comments that many felt raised anti-Semitic tropes. She later apologized. (Star Tribune) 5. Klobuchar makes next debate squad. Eight candidates have now qualified for September's next Democratic primary debate, with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar announcing Friday she had met the donor threshold to make the stage. She will join former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. The Democratic National Committee set more stringent requirements for the third debate than for the first two. The September debate will be held in Houston and hosted by ABC News and Univision. ( NPR via MPR News)
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