Officials with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota on Tuesday announced a five-year $100-million campaign to expand its social services statewide, the largest such effort in the group’s 160-year history.

Called Empower What’s Possible, the campaign aims to expand the organization’s reach in areas including housing, financial stability, behavioral health, early childhood education and community connections. LLS has already raised nearly $60 million since the campaign’s start in 2023, which includes commitments of more than $1 million from the St. Paul Area Synod, the Otto Bremer Trust and the Sauer Family Foundation.

The organization announced the campaign at the construction kickoff for the Center for Changing Lives — Frogtown-Rondo in St. Paul. Renovations on the building at 709 University Ave. includes expanding the Early Learning Center playground, adding two classrooms, increasing the organization’s transitional housing capacity by 50%, opening a youth resource center and creating a home base for the organization’s street outreach services.

“This project, we started to dream in 2022,” said Alexis Oberdorfer, LSS senior vice president of services, during the announcement event. “In November of 2022 was my first conference call with the team talking about, what services do we see at this location? What do youth need? What can be needs of the community? And how do we pull that together in one centralized location to really think about integrated services and that continuum of care?”

The organization already completed several projects during the campaign’s “quiet phase” during its first two years, Oberdorfer said.

Those include a $3.3 million project razing and rebuilding the emergency shelter LSS Bethany in Duluth and expanding its family services, a $1.5 million project opening a second Early Learning Center in St. Paul’s East Side with extra services, and a $1.4 million project expanding lodging and multipurpose spaces at Camp Knutson at Crosslake.

Frogtown is already home to an Early Learning Center and several other organizational services. The Center for Changing Lives – Frogtown-Rondo will include employment services, financial counseling and education, housing services and behavioral health services, with expanded transitional housing and other resources for youth and young families experiencing homelessness. This will also include accessible housing units.

The center’s second floor will have transitional housing for youth and young families experiencing homelessness and will fully open in late 2026.

“Our goal is to not only sustain critical programming that our neighbors across Minnesota rely on, but to innovate and reimagine how Lutheran Social Service cares for our communities both now and in the future,” said Patrick Thueson, president of LSS of Minnesota, in a statement. “Empower What’s Possible builds on our strengths to tackle challenges and opportunities in new ways to create a brighter future for our neighbors — a future of greater self-sufficiency and achieving bigger dreams.”

LSS has social service efforts in each county in Minnesota. The organization began in 1865 when a Lutheran pastor and his congregation opened an orphanage near Red Wing. According to the LSS one of 63 Minnesotans is assisted by the nonprofit.

To learn more about the campaign, go to empowerwhatspossible.org.

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By MATTHEW LEE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by U.S. officials to have made derisive comments or made light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.

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The State Department said Tuesday it had determined they should lose their visas after reviewing their online social media posts and clips about Kirk, who was killed while speaking at a Utah college campus on Sept. 10.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump was posthumously awarding him America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At Kirk’s funeral in September, Trump called him a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom.

The administration and its supporters have targeted people for their comments about Kirk, leading to firings or other discipline of journalists, teachers and others, and raising free speech concerns.

The six foreigners who had their visas revoked were from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and South Africa. They were not identified.

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws,” the State Department said. “Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.”

Vice President JD Vance and other top U.S. officials have encouraged people to call out criticism about Kirk that they see online. In an unusual tweet last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau asked social media users to copy him on any relevant posts, saying he was personally “disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.”

In addition to Tuesday’s action, the administration has ramped up efforts to identify and potentially expel thousands of foreigners in the United States, notably students, who it says have either fomented or participated in unrest or publicly supported protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The administration has also denied visas to applicants whose social media histories have been critical of its policies.

Among the higher-profile cases, the administration has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the United States for comments critical of Trump, revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the U.N. General Assembly and yanked the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. It said it is reviewing the status of the more than 55 million current U.S. visa holders for potential violations of its standards.

Those actions have been criticized by civil rights groups as violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, which apply to anyone in the United States and not just to American citizens.

By Sybilla Gross, Bloomberg News

Silver prices touched an all-time high above $52.50 an ounce, as a historic short squeeze in London added momentum to a rally that’s been fueled by surging demand for safe-haven assets.

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Spot prices rose as much as 0.4% to $52.5868 an ounce in London, surpassing a peak set in January 1980 on a now-defunct contract overseen by the Chicago Board of Trade — when the billionaire Hunt brothers attempted to corner the market. Gold also climbed to another record high, building on eight straight weeks of gains.

Concerns about a lack of liquidity in London have sparked a worldwide hunt for silver, with benchmark prices soaring to near-unprecedented levels over New York. That’s prompting some traders to book cargo slots on transatlantic flights for silver bars — an expensive mode of transport typically reserved for gold — to profit off higher prices in London. The premium was at about $1.55 an ounce in early trading on Tuesday — down from a spread of $3 last week.

Silver lease rates — which represent the annualized cost of borrowing metal in the London market — have been persistently high this year, but surged to more than 30% on a one-month basis on Friday. That’s creating eye-watering costs for those looking to roll over short positions. A jump in demand from India in recent weeks has drawn down the supply of available bars to trade in London, following a rush to ship metal to New York earlier this year after worries that the metal could be hit with U.S. tariffs sparked large dislocations between the two trading hubs.

While precious metals were officially exempt from levies in April, traders remain on edge ahead of the conclusion of the U.S. administration’s so-called Section 232 probe into critical minerals — which includes silver, as well as platinum and palladium. The investigation has revived fears the metals could be swept up in new tariffs, exacerbating market tightness.

The silver market “is less liquid and roughly nine times smaller than gold’s, amplifying price moves,” Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts wrote in a note. “Without a central bank bid to anchor silver prices, even a temporary pullback in investment flows could trigger a disproportionate correction, as it would also unwind the London tightness that drove much of the recent rally.”

The four main precious metals have surged between 56% and 81% this year, in a rally that’s dominated commodity markets. Gold’s advance has been underpinned by central-bank buying, rising holdings in exchange-traded funds, and rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Demand for havens has also been aided by recurrent U.S.-China trade tensions, threats to the Fed’s independence, and a U.S. government shutdown.

On Monday analysts at Bank of America Corp. hiked their end-of-2026 price target for silver from around $44 an ounce to $65, citing persistent market deficits, elevated fiscal gaps and lower interest rates.

Investors were also weighing the outlook for the Fed’s monetary easing path ahead of the central bank’s next interest-rate decision later this month. Philadelphia’s Fed Bank President Anna Paulson on Monday signaled she favors two more quarter-point cuts this year as policy should look through the impact of tariffs in consumer price increases. Lower borrowing costs then to benefit precious metals, which don’t pay interest.

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $4,129.80 an ounce at 7:38 a.m. in Singapore, after climbing 2.3% on Monday. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was flat, after gaining about 1% last week. Silver was up 0.3%, while platinum and palladium jumped.

(With assistance from Mark Burton.)

©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Postseason seeding will be affected by several key matchups across the East Metro on the final day of the regular season Wednesday.

Our picks for some of the most consequential matchups:

Lakeville South (6-1) at Rosemount (6-1), 7 p.m.

The winner of Wednesday’s tilt will earn a No. 1 seed in the Class 6A playoffs, along with a Metro South subdistrict title, while the loser will be the No. 2 seed.

Rosemount has allowed 14 points total over its past three games, while the Cougars have scored 27-plus points in six of their seven games this season. Can the Irish slow down Lakeville South’s rushing attack? Because if the Cougars get to 24 points, there’s a strong chance they win the game.

Our pick: Lakeville South 27, Rosemount 20

Woodbury (5-2) vs. East Ridge (4-3), 7 p.m. at TCO Stadium in Eagan

This edition of the rivalry bout carries heavy stakes. With a win, Woodbury can lock up a No. 2 seed at worst in sections — opening a path that requires only two home victories to get to state — in the Class 6A playoffs, along with at least a share of a Metro East subdistrict title.

But if East Ridge, who just got starting quarterback Cedric Tomes back last week for his first start of the fall, wins, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the No. 2-4 seeds would be slotted among Woodbury, the Raptors and Mounds View.

Our pick: Woodbury 24, East Ridge 23

Minneapolis North (7-0) at Johnson (5-2), 6:30 p.m.

The rebirth of the Twin Cities Championship game. The Governors went undefeated in St. Paul play to set up a rematch with the Polars, who toppled Johnson 45-18 in late September.

Johnson has rediscovered its offensive footing since then, averaging 39 points over its last two games. The Governors will have to hit a similar number to pull the upset Wednesday.

Our pick: Minneapolis North 44, Johnson 35

Mahtomedi (7-0) at St. Thomas Academy (7-0), 6 p.m.

Ideally, these high-profile rivalry matchups would be played earlier in the season, and not the week prior to the start of the playoffs.

This bout will have no impact on section seeding, but it’s a great chance for both programs to see exactly where they are heading into the time of year that matters most.

Our pick: St. Thomas Academy 35, Mahtomedi 21

Forest Lake (6-1) at Stillwater (3-4), 7 p.m.

Forest Lake slipped up in a surprise loss to Mounds View last week, but it will cost the Rangers little if they take care of business Wednesday. That would figure to be enough to secure them a No. 1 seed in the Class 6A playoffs.

But if Stillwater can pull the upset at home, it will open the door for a potential home playoff game.

Our pick: Forest Lake 28, Stillwater 10

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