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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine 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.
INTRO: YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PROTECTS A CHURCH’S BELIEFS...
BUT HOW FAR DOES IT EXTEND INTO A JOB WITH NO RELIGIOUS DUTIES?
THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT IS NOW CONSIDERING WHETHER STATE CIVIL-RIGHTS LAW PROTECTS A LIBRARIAN AT A CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
[IT FEELS LIKE YOU WANT US TO CREATE A RULE THAT IT’S HIRING AND FIRING OF TRANS FOLKS THAT FALLS UNDER CHURCH AUTONOMY.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE JUSTICES LISTENED TO A TRANSGENDER LIBRARIAN’S DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST A CATHOLIC SCHOOL YESTERDAY...
THE RICHFIELD SCHOOL SAYS IT HAS THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TO NOT RENEW ITS LIBRARIAN’S CONTRACT AFTER SHE CAME OUT AS TRANSGENDER.
THE LIBRARIAN SAYS THE SCHOOL WANTED HER BACK IN 2022... UNTIL SHE REVEALED SHE WAS TRANSGENDER AND PLANNED TO TRANSITION....
THE ATTORNEY FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE SAYS THAT CONTRADICTS THE CHURCH’S RULES ON SEX AND GENDER...
LOWER COURTS DISMISSED HER CASE BEFORE EITHER SIDE COULD GATHER EVIDENCE... LIKE EMAILS... EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND TESTIMONY FROM THE PRINCIPAL.
THE SCHOOL’S ATTORNEY ARGUED NO MORE EVIDENCE IS NEEDED...
[LUKE GOODRICH / ATTORNEY FOR RESPONDENTS: THE COMPLAINT HERE WOULD FORCE THE ARCHDIOCESE AND HOLY ANGELS ... ON PAIN OF MASSIVE LIABILITY ... TO EMPLOY SOMEONE WHO... BY THAT INDIVIDUAL’S OWN ADMISSION ... CANNOT ADHERE TO THE FOUNDATIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE ORGANIZATION.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE JUSTICES SAID SOME ALLEGATIONS IN HER LAWSUIT MAY NEED TO BE RULED IN HER FAVOR ... QUESTIONING WHETHER LOWER COURTS INCORRECTLY DISMISSED THE CASE.
THE HIGH COURT IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE A WRITTEN DECISION IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
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IN OTHER EDUCATION NEWS THAT COULD IMPACT SCHOOLS STATEWIDE...TWO OPPOSING GROUPS HAVE LAUNCHED CAMPAIGNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO THE STATE’S PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA.
THE LEGISLATURE OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED A BILL THAT ASKS VOTERS TO DECIDE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION IF MINNESOTA’S SCHOOLS SHOULD GET MORE MONEY.
THE GROUPS DISAGREE ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE BALLOT QUESTION.
IF PASSED… THE AMENDMENT WOULD INCREASE PAYMENTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY ABOUT 33-DOLLARS- PER STUDENT ... WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
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XAN HOLSTON: 100-THOUSAND AMERICANS ARE WAITING FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS...
THERE AREN’T ENOUGH HEARTS AND KIDNEYS FOR EVERYONE WHO NEEDS A TRANSPLANT … BUT MINNESOTA’S CLEANEST PIGS COULD SOON HELP CLOSE THAT GAP.
‘UNITED THERAPEUTICS’ IS OPENING A NEW “XENOGRAFT” FACILITY NEAR ROCHESTER … WHERE THE COMPANY WILL RAISE GENE-EDITED PIGS FOR THEIR ORGANS IN A STERILE... GERM-CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.
IT’S PART OF AN EMERGING FIELD CALLED “XENOTRANSPLANTATION” … THE TRANSFER OF CELLS AND ORGANS FROM ANIMALS … INTO PEOPLE.
THE COMPANY PLANS TO RAISE UP TO 200 PIGS AT A TIME … AND EVENTUALLY PRODUCE ABOUT 125 HEARTS AND KIDNEYS A YEAR.
THE XENOGRAFT ORGAN PROCESS REMAINS EXPERIMENTAL... WITH CLINICAL TRIALS UNDERWAY AND F-D-A APPROVAL STILL REQUIRED.
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IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... THIEF RIVER FALLS IS REPLACING OLD WATER LINES AFTER SIX OF 20 HOMES TESTED ABOVE THE FEDERAL LEAD LIMITS .
THE HOMEOWNERS WERE NOTIFIED AND GIVEN WATER FILTERS UNTIL THEIR PIPES ARE REPLACED..
HIGH LEAD LEVELS CAN BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR KIDS. .
THE THIEF RIVER FALLS WATER SUPERINTENDENT SAYS LEAD AND CHEMICALS CAN GET INTO WATER THAT SITS IN PIPES...
[WAYNE JOHNSON / THIEF RIVER FALLS WATER SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT THE KEY THING IS... BEFORE YOU CONSUM OR USE YOUR WATER... ALWAYS FLUSH IT. YOU KNOW... 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE IS FINE.]
XAN HOLSTON: AS OF LAST WEEK... THE CITY HAS REPLACED ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE 75 IDENTIFIED LEAD OR GALVANIZED LINES
THE CITY HOPES TO FINISH REPLACING ALL KNOWN LEAD PIPES BY NOVEMBER...
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
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AS MANY AS ONE IN 20-CHILDREN NATIONWIDE SUFFER FROM FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS WHICH ARE CAUSED BY ALCOHOL EXPOSURE BEFORE BIRTH...
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS ‘F-A-S-D'... THE DISORDERS CAN BE LIFELONG... AFFECTING LEARNING … MEMORY … BEHAVIOR … AND DAILY LIFE.. OF THE CHILD AND ENTIRE FAMILY.
SEPTEMBER IS F-A-S-D … AWARENESS MONTH … AND MINNESOTA LANDMARKS WILL GLOW RED THIS MONTH.
PROOF ALLIANCE WORKS TO PREVENT F-A-S-D AND HELP FAMILIES IMPACTED BY IT. .
[MOLLIE O’BRIEN: OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE AN FASD-INFORMED COMMUNITY THAT CAN REALLY WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND THESE WONDERFUL CHILDREN AND SUPPORT THEM IN BEING ALL THEY CAN BE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.]
XAN HOLSTON: AMPERS, WHICH PRODUCES THIS NEWSCAST, IS PARTNERING WITH PROOF ALLIANCE AT THE STATE FAIR TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF DRINKING ANY ALCOHOL WHILE PREGNANT … AND HANDING OUT REUSABLE TOTE BAGS.
IN ADDITION TO PRODUCING NORTH STAR STORIES, AMPERS REPRESENTS AND SUPPORTS 17 INDEPENDENT NON-COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA.
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AND FINALLY …
[NAT: TILT-A-WHIRL SOUNDS]
XAN HOLSTON: IT MAY BE CELEBRATING ITS ONE-HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY … BUT THE TILT-A-WHIRL STILL LURCHES AND SPINS LIKE A MUCH YOUNGER RIDE.
HERBERT SELLNER INVENTED THE CARNIVAL MAINSTAY IN HIS FAIRBAULT HOME IN 1926 … AND RIDERS HAVE BEEN STAGGERING OFF IT EVER SINCE.
A CENTURY LATER … THE MINNESOTA ORIGINAL IS STILL YOUNG AT HEART …IT EVEN LIVES AT THE STATE FAIR KIDWAY.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
OUTRO: 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.