DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — An emotional Sen. Nicole Mitchell testified about her troubled relationship with her stepmother as she took the stand Thursday in her burglary trial.

Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, takes the stand in her burglary trial.

Mitchell was charged with two felony burglary counts after she was arrested in her stepmother’s house in the early hours of April 22, 2024. On Thursday she told the jury about her relationship with her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, in the years before and after the death of her father and Carol Mitchell’s husband, Rod Mitchell.

Growing up, Carol Mitchell was another mother to Nicole Mitchell, she testified. Her biological mother had been a busy single mother.

“I mean, she was one of my parents,” Nicole Mitchell said.

Nicole Mitchell, a DFL lawmaker from Woodbury, was charged with first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools. If found guilty, Mitchell could face prison time. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutor Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald argues Nicole Mitchell entered Carol Mitchell’s house with the intent to steal. The defense counters that she entered the house to check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Earlier this week, investigators testified, the prosecution showed body camera footage from Nicole Mitchell’s arrest and the resulting investigation. The jury also heard from friends and relatives of Carol Mitchell who testified about Carol Mitchell’s fear of Nicole Mitchell. One of Nicole Mitchell’s aunts testified that Carol Mitchell’s communications became increasingly paranoid in the months following Rod Mitchell’s death.

Mitchell: Signs of Alzheimer’s disease

In her testimony Thursday, Nicole Mitchell said she first noticed signs of Alzheimer’s in her stepmother in 2020, when Carol Mitchell did not recall a conversation that had just happened. She said Carol Mitchell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2022. Mitchell recounted experiences with other relatives who had the disease.

After Rod Mitchell’s death, in March 2023, some of Nicole Mitchell’s aunts stepped in to help Carol Mitchell, Nicole Mitchell said. At the same time, Carol Mitchell grew closer with family members on the other side of the family, with whom she had historically had rifts.

“She started cycling through people that she trusted,” Nicole Mitchell said.

As Rod Mitchell’s child, Nicole Mitchell’s name was on probate court papers as Carol Mitchell sorted out Rod Mitchell’s affairs. Nicole Mitchell said Carol Mitchell seemed paranoid that her name was on the documents.

One of Nicole Mitchell’s attorneys, Dane DeKrey, showed texts between Carol Mitchell and Nicole Mitchell from June 2023 in which each party was friendly with the other. Nicole Mitchell cried as she read the messages.

Rift in relationship

Nicole Mitchell recounted another text conversation with Carol Mitchell in March 2024. DeKrey showed the text messages, which regarded a scheduling conflict between Nicole Mitchell and Carol Mitchell for the interment of Rod Mitchell’s ashes.

The conversation showed Rod Mitchell’s interment was scheduled for a day when Nicole Mitchell could not be present because of legislative duties. In the texts, Carol Mitchell said the funeral home picked the date. Nicole Mitchell testified that she called the funeral home to confirm Carol Mitchell set the date and that other dates were available.

In the texts, Carol Mitchell accused Nicole Mitchell of always treating her with disdain, while Nicole Mitchell accused Carol Mitchell of treating her with annoyance.

Text messages showed Carol Mitchell declined to change the date, citing other people’s schedules. Carol Mitchell texted that she would mail a small fishing bobber-shaped container of ashes to Nicole Mitchell. Nicole Mitchell said she never contacted Carol Mitchell again after the exchange.

“I was feeling so emotionally beat up by that point,” said a tearful Nicole Mitchell.

Charges against the state senator were a point of contention in a divided Senate chamber during the past two legislative sessions. DFL leaders barred her from participating in committee assignments or party caucus meetings. Senate Republicans called for her resignation and unsuccessfully tried to oust her.

The felony burglary charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of at least six months in jail or a county workhouse, and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. Felony possession of burglary tools carries a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

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“New Yorkers have proved they want climate justice, and any official who ignores us has no business being in public office.”

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. (Flickr/New York State Assembly Majority)

It is no secret that, on the federal level, 2025 has been a disastrous year for climate legislation. President Donald Trump’s re-entrance into the White House came with the demolition of key climate legislation, the promise of new fossil fuel infrastructure, and a practically complete destruction of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

But state legislation is just as essential in combating the climate crisis as federal legislation, and in the wake of a terrifying and incompetent administration in Washington, New Yorkers from across the state have united to demand that our leaders rise to the occasion and continue pushing climate justice forward.

However, last month marked a tragic end to a legislative session ruled by climate inaction, incompetence, and cowardice, orchestrated primarily by New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie. 

The Package Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, a bill that would tax companies for excess packaging and require them to reduce their overall packaging by 30 percent over the next 12 years, received unprecedented public support this year, being the most lobbied piece of legislation in March and April.

However, in an obscene act of pandering to giant corporations such as Coca Cola, which publicly opposed the bill, Mr. Heastie refused to even bring it to a vote. The Assembly receives hundreds of bills each session and so, out of necessity, only brings to a vote the ones that seem like they will pass. However, the huge show of support for the Package Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which had 80 co-sponders, more than half of the entire Assembly (and assuming they all vote yes, enough to pass the bill) should qualify it for a vote.

In response to the outrage that followed, Mr. Heastie declared that, “Contrary to popular belief, I am the most accurate counter of votes.” The speaker has a history of opposition against climate legislation, having in the past prevented other popular bills such as the New York HEAT Act from being passed. 

For decades New Yorkers from all across the state have demanded our government take immediate and swift action to combat the climate crisis. We have demanded it through enormous marches, thousands of people strong, through forming hundreds of activist groups and coalitions, and through lobbying non-stop in Albany. The apathy and, in some cases, outright condescension that our state’s leaders have given in response is nothing short of outrageous. 

We must never forget that, above all else, politicians are public servants. It is their job to enact the will of their citizens. New Yorkers have proved they want climate justice, and any official who ignores us has no business being in public office.

Asher Cohen is a recent high school graduate and a member of 350 Brooklyn, a local environmental organization.

The post Opinion: Albany’s Climate Inaction appeared first on City Limits.

Swollen legs led to President Donald Trump being diagnosed with what’s called chronic venous insufficiency. It’s a fairly common condition among older adults but requires a thorough checkup to rule out more serious causes of swelling in the legs. Here are some things to know.

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What is chronic venous insufficiency?

Chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, happens when veins in the legs can’t properly carry blood back to the heart. That can lead to blood pooling in the lower legs. In addition to swelling, usually around the feet and ankles, symptoms can include legs that are achy, heavy feeling or tingly, and varicose veins. Severe cases could trigger leg sores known as ulcers.

What causes chronic venous insufficiency?

Overcoming gravity to pump blood from the feet all the way up to the heart is a challenge, especially when someone is standing or sitting for long periods. So legs veins are lined with one-way valves that keep blood from sliding backward on that journey. Anything that damages those valves can lead to chronic venous insufficiency. Risk factors can include blood clots, vein inflammation known as phlebitis or being overweight.

How is chronic venous insufficiency diagnosed and treated?

Doctors must rule out serious causes of leg swelling, such as heart problems, kidney disease or blood clots. Ultrasound exams of the leg veins can help confirm chronic venous insufficiency. According to the Cleveland Clinic, treatment can include wearing compression stockings, elevating the legs and achieving a healthy weight. Also exercise, especially walking, is recommended — because strong leg muscles can squeeze veins in a way that helps them pump blood. Medications and medical procedures are available for more advanced cases.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured Alcatraz Island in California on Thursday to advance a proposal to reopen the former federal prison.

Bondi and Burgum left the island after discussing the facilities with park police and directing staff to collaborate on planning to rehabilitate and reopen the facility without making public remarks. But in an exclusive Fox News interview Burgum posted on social media, he said “Alcatraz is the brand known around the world for being effective at housing people that are in incarceration.”

“This is something that we’re here to take a look at,” Burgum continued. “It’s a federal property, its original use was a prison, and so part of this would be to test the feasibility about returning it back to its original use.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi, center left, arrives at Fort Baker after visiting Alcatraz Island, Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Sausalito, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

In May, President Trump proposed converting Alcatraz — now one of San Francisco’s most visited tourist attractions — back into a high-security federal prison for violent offenders. Alcatraz island is currently part of a national park under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. If reopened as a prison, the facility itself would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, which is under the Department of Justice.

The tour drew immediate condemnation from Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who represents San Francisco, who revealed it in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

“With stiff competition, the planned announcement to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary is the Trump Administration’s stupidest initiative yet,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Burgum also posted on social media about the trip that he: “Spent the day on Alcatraz Island… to start the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals.”

Bondi posted on social media as well: “A great morning at Alcatraz… Under President Trump, we are Making America Safe Again.”

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But reopening the island would be a major undertaking. It remains unclear how the federal government would reclaim the island, which has operated as a park and museum since the early 1970s. The National Park Service currently maintains the site, which draws more than a million visitors each year. Removing the island’s national park status would require a vote of Congress.

Even if the plan passes the numerous bureaucratic hurdles and regulations before it, construction on the rocky island could be prohibitively expensive.

Pelosi framed the visit as a “diversionary tactic” to draw attention away from his recently passed tax and domestic policy bill that would expand tax cuts while also adding more than $3 trillion to the national debt.

There’s another story that the Trump administration may also be trying to get away from: this week, Bondi has faced scrutiny over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Frustration has mounted amongst Trump supporters as well as critics over the administration’s failure to release documents tied to the investigation of Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking and later found dead in his jail cell in 2019.

Earlier this month, Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social that he had seen renderings of a new site.

“We’re going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks. What a symbol it is, and will be!”

In a statement posted to social media Thursday morning, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said that there was no “realistic plan for Alcatraz to host anyone other than visitors.”

“If the federal government has billions of dollars to spend in San Francisco, we could use that funding to keep our streets safe and clean and help our economy recover,” he continued.

Democratic Rep. Kevin Mullin, whose district includes California’s San Mateo County, said Trump’s “administration cares more about sensational headlines than fiscal responsibility.”

“Not only is this proposal infeasible and illegal, it would be extremely costly and irresponsible considering he just tacked on another $4 trillion to our nation’s debt,” Mullin said, adding that “the only person that needs to be locked up in Alcatraz is Trump.”

Local officials and historians have questioned the practical and symbolic implications of converting the island back into a penitentiary. Alcatraz housed some of America’s most notorious criminals during its 29 years of operation, including Al Capone.

“It’s nowhere near a functioning island by any means,” said San Francisco historian John Martini previously told The Mercury News.

The main prison has been deteriorating for years, save for some seismic upgrades that made it safe for visitors. Back in 1962, the Bureau of Prisons weighed making upgrades to the prison, but it would have cost $5 million — or $52 million today.

“The reason it is not a prison now is because of the daunting challenges from six decades ago,” Martini said. “The idea that we’re going to forget all that and pick up where we left off during the JFK administration — let’s just say there will be a lot of challenges.”