U.S. Department of Justice

Banks caught swindling red-handed

Country club Sopranos get kid-glove treatment for high crimes

Abu-Huraira Islamic Center apparently defies city of St. Anthony, buys property for mosque

SEE ALSO: St. Anthony council rejects Islamic center; "Islam is evil," says one opponentIn June, the St. Anthony City Council rejected the Abu-Huraira Islamic Center's request to open a multipurpose mosque on a 13,000 square-foot property zoned for light industrial use. Though council framed the rej ... More >>

St. Anthony council rejects Islamic center; "Islam is evil," says one opponent

Lori Saroya, executive director of Minnesota's Council on American-Islamic Relations, says her organization will ask the US Department of Justice to look into what went down at the St. Anthony City Council meeting last night.By a 4-1 vote, council rejected the Abu-Huraira Islamic Center's request to ... More >>

Gay bullying must end

In wake of suicides, schools face federal scrutiny

Anoka-Hennepin settles lawsuit with bullied students

​Last night, the Anoka-Hennepin school district settled the lawsuit brought against it by six students who say they were bullied for being gay. The settlement requires that the district implement a raft of anti-harassment policies, which will stay in place for five years. "Nothing like this has b ... More >>

Sex-trafficking stereotype demolished by new research

Alarmists nationwide in denial

How Minnesota became the second-highest state for mortgage fraud -- or not

This north Minneapolis house was one of the properties featured in a 2006 fraud scam.​Minnesota is either the second-best or second-worst place to hatch your mortgage fraud scam.The Mortgage Fraud Index came out yesterday morning and ranked Minnesota second-highest in the country for incidence of ... More >>

Justice Dept. investigating Anoka-Hennepin schools for harassment of gay students

Justin Aaberg is one of four gay teen suicides in two years.​The Department of Justice is investigating allegations of a hostile environment toward gay and lesbian students against the Anoka-Hennepin County school district.The DOJ, along with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, a ... More >>

Metro Gang Strike Force gets off scot free

Photo: benleto.Hennepin County also declined to file anymore charges last year.​After years of controversy, the saga of Minnesota's scandal-riddled gang-combating task force is about to come to an anti-climactic finish. The U.S. Department of Justice has declined to level anymore federal char ... More >>

Tom Petters' foul mouth caught on audio and transcripts

AvidorTom Petters: F-bomb city.​Convicted Ponzi schemer Tom Petters, settling in for what amounts to a life sentence in a federal penitentiary for screwing investors out of billions of dollars, isn't guilty. No, he's a victim! He's misunderstood! He's selling a fucking dream, for cryin' out ... More >>

Wisconsin felons could be hauled to jail for voting

Out of order.​David Lewis and Ramon Martinez are both apparently very passionate about the democratic process. So much that they weren't going to let a little thing like the law get in the way of making sure their voices were heard in the 2008 presidential election.

Asylum Denied

Only a fraction of Mexicans get U.S. asylum

Michele Bachmann calls the U.S. Attorney General a "trial lawyer"

Maybe time for a civics lesson?​Michele Bachmann invoked the Charge of the Light Brigade, and epic British military failure, as a rallying cry for teabagger victory against health care reform. She flubbed the history of the Slaughter Solution. She got net neutrality exactly backwards. No ... More >>

Khat shipment for Minneapolis intercepted at O'Hare

Photo: DEA via WikipediaHere, chew on this​A 37-year-old Maryland man was arrested over the weekend at Chicago's O'Hare Airport after luggage inspectors discovered he was trying to smuggle about 80 pounds of khat that he later told interrogators was destined for the Somali community in Minneap ... More >>

Bachmann suggests on House floor that Obama's in bed with terrorists

The sixth district congresswoman accuses the president of telling the alleged 9/11 mastermind to plead not guilty.

St. Paul woman killed, maybe by her husband

Police suspect that another Minnesota woman has been killed by her romantic partner.

Obama's bank regulation: Doomed to fail?

Administration lax on cleaning up AIG, Bear Stearns, and Lehman Brothers

It's Wisconsin: Pastor, parishioner cited for shooting arrow during church

It only happens in Wisconsin.

Janet Napolitano's sorry service in Arizona makes her a terrible choice for Homeland Security secretary.

Free Max Hardcore

Justice Department approves Northwest/Delta merger

Department of Justice blacklisted Minnesota liberal groups

Ladies Love Gay Male Porn

'Naughty' landlord accepts punishment (but denies being naughty)

Devil's Advocate

What would a lawyer do to clear his client of child sex abuse charges?

6/27 Morning Communiqué

12/14 Morning Communiqué

The Straight Dope®

Same Old Song and Dance

People are still accusing Mary Kiffmeyer of election high jinks. But this time, they're after her job.

8/25 Morning Communiqué

7/19 Morning Communiqué

6/5: Morning Communique

Toward a one newspaper town, part three

Toward a one-newspaper town, part two

Who Will Police the Police?

Critics claim the MPD won't play nicely; Cops say it's a bad beat

Hamstrung: How the MPD's federal mediation agreement has failed

6/28: Morning Communique

Kiffmeyer Watch: Party Girl

Is Mary Kiffmeyer's crusade against the state's biggest counties political hackery?

Agreement at Last

Federal mediation of MPD-minority troubles concludes: Now what?

The Usual Suspects

Federal mediation goes forward, critics say city stacked deck

Cops Like Us

Critics fear the MPD's latest spin on community mediation is all about window-dressing--and grooming snitches

The Other War

The Bush administration & the end of civil liberties

Busted

Is Minneapolis police chief Robert Olson trying to stop federal mediation?

Whose Smoke? Whose Holes?

Minnesota's Male Immigrants Ready For A Broad Justice-department Sweep

The Player

From West Bank radical to White House insider, he's remained the most powerful man you've never heard of.

Union Made

Laborers' union members, mostly low-paid black and Hispanic workers, financed their president's White House visits while the Justice Department quashed a mob investigation.

Planet Janet

If there were any doubts that Reno is in a self-evident conflict of interest, the revelation that the White House was able to conceal the videotapes from her less-than-zealous Justice Department underlings should remove those doubts.

Casualties of War

The feds are reportedly weighing a major drug offensive in Minneapolis.

What About Bob?