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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: In today's broadcast, the state is making it easier for gun owners to keep their firearms safe. Some Minnesotans living with autism respond to claims by the federal government about the developmental disability. And, Native American healthcare clinics are bracing for major budget cuts. I'm Chantel SinGs.
Some metro libraries will be handing out free gun locks, no questions asked. The Hennepin County Attorney's launched the program, which will make gun locks available at 11 Hennepin County libraries. The goal is to prevent gun violence, particularly suicides and accidental shootings. The initiative is in addition to a statewide free gun lock program that the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs offers. MDVA offers free gun locks to all Minnesotans online at MN dot gov forward slash M-D-V-A. Studies show gun locks reduce self-inflicted and accidental injuries and deaths.
Next, the new U-S Health and Human Services Secretary calls autism a disease and says he'll announce a cause by this fall. Reporter Katharine DeCelle gets reactions from some Minnesota residents living with autism.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: Overall, the autism is increasing in prevalence at an alarming rate.
Katharine DeCelle: April 16, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, held a press conference addressing a recent CDC report revealing a concerning rise in autism prevalence rates
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: ASD prevalence rate in eight-year-olds is now one in thirty-one.
Katharine DeCelle: The Autism Society defines Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD as a complex lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood, affecting a person's social skills, communication, relationships and self-regulation. This condition impacts each individual differently and to varying degrees. This is a preventable disease. Many autism advocates, however, do not view autism as a disease, but rather as a unique way of life. The organization Autism Acceptance states most autistic people don't want a cure for autism. The goal of a cure is to fix something, and autistic people don't need to be fixed.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job.
Katharine DeCelle: These remarks triggered widespread backlash from parents advocates and dedicated autistic professionals.
Christian: I've been at this job for like 10 years.
Katharine DeCelle: Christian is a 50 something autistic man who works at a salsa production company in St Paul.
Christian: It gives me opportunities so I can have money.
Katharine DeCelle: Christian rents a home in St Paul with two roommates, both of whom are also autistic and actively employed. His roommate, Gordon, has worked at Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis for the past nine years.
Gordon: It's a good job. Clock in, start working, buy those conveyor belts where I put down the chute and trash chute toss those big jugs overboard.
Katharine DeCelle: When asked to respond to Kennedy statements regarding that autistic people will never have jobs or pay taxes, both Gordon and Christian had strong opinions.
Gordon: I think that's stupid.
Christian: I would say, Go blow it out your sky, buster. People need jobs. People need money from their jobs.
Katharine DeCelle: Christian went further expressing frustration about how his tax dollars are utilized.
Christian: It's like my street over here, where I live at, I pay those taxes, but our street looks horrible.
Katharine DeCelle: As the conversation surrounding autism continues to evolve, it's important to listen to the voices of those directly affected. Individuals like Christian and Gordon, who show that people with autism lead meaningful, productive lives that contribute greatly to society. For North Star Stories, I'm Katharine DeCelle.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Minnesota's eleven sovereign nations are preparing for significant cuts to healthcare funding and ultimately healthcare services. The Trump administration is proposing massive cuts to the nation's Indian Health Services budget. In a recent letter to Health Secretary Robert Kennedy, the Chair of the National Council of Urban Indian Health said cuts would lead to the closure of clinics, loss of essential staff, and an increase in preventable deaths in Indian Country. The National Council of Urban Indian Health is also saying the proposed cuts could violate treaty and trust obligations.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.