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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 segment, a national health care provider is closing four of its offices across our state. Then, concerns that some Minnesotans are in jail because they don't have enough cash. And, Hibbing Speedway Gets a major makeover. I'm Chantel SinGs.
Planned Parenthood is finding itself at a crossroads. The organization that can trace its roots back to 1916 now faces battles for its very existence. Significant cuts in funding are prompting the organization to close four locations in Minnesota alone. Jose Ozoria has the story.
Jose Ozoria: Currently, Planned Parenthood lists 600 health centers across the country operated by 48 local affiliates. But these numbers will soon change. In Minnesota. Four Planned Parenthood locations, Alexandria and Bemidji in northern Minnesota, and Apple Valley and Richfield in the metro area will be shutting down due to federal spending cuts. Reproductive and women's rights organizations throughout the state have expressed growing concerns about the impact these closures will have.
Michelle Maryns: It's very difficult for people to access the healthcare they need in these more rural areas. We are hearing from some of the people that we communicate with that they have to drive two, three hours in order to get the health care services that they need.
Jose Ozoria: Michelle Maryns is the vice president of Innovation and Strategic Communications with the Women’s Fund of Minnesota.
Michelle Maryns: Thirty-two percent of counties in greater Minnesota actually have access to hospitals with birthing services. And so things like prenatal care, things like that, are really important to people's health. And so, you know, losing access to these resources is going to be very hard for a lot of people in those communities.
Jose Ozoria: Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, including contraception, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment and cancer screenings for all genders. In the wake of the closings in Minnesota, Planned Parenthood has begun to ramp up measures like telehealth appointments. Michelle Maryns says that these measures go only so far.
Michelle Maryns: So for women, you know, they need access to all types of reproductive health care, checkups, things like that, as well as birthing people who are needing access to care and so it's going to affect, you know, a lot of the care that women often need is needed to be done in person.
Jose Ozoria: But not everyone shares the same perspective on Planned Parenthood as an organization. Cathy Blaeser is the co-Executive Director for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.
Cathy Blaeser: Planned Parenthood gets funding from private donors. They do not need government funding and, well, at least 50% of taxpayers disagree with their business.
Jose Ozoria: In April, Planned Parenthood shared that the Trump administration would withhold its Minnesota federal funding of $2.8 million used to help with family planning services provide birth control and other reproductive health care to people regardless of a person's income or insurance status. The closing of the four Minnesota locations, leaves only 10 physical sites in the region. It also means that 66 employees will be laid off and 37 reassigned. Michelle Maryns says that now Planned Parenthood will have to lean on community support.
Michelle Maryns: Not a lot of movement when it comes to some policies to cover the gap in funding, but we are hopeful that we'll be able to continue getting support from the community.
Jose Ozoria: Cathy Blaeser, with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, says Planned Parenthood needed to change
Cathy Blaeser: Their business model of increasing access to abortion and decreasing access to actual health care for women, that model is failing, and they're having to reduce the number of locations.
Jose Ozoria: Planned Parenthood faces a future with many battles, including the potential for additional funding cuts, political opposition and legal challenges. For North Star Stories. I'm Jose Ozoria.
ANCHOR: Some Minnesotans are behind bars just because they don't have enough money. That's according to the Minnesota Justice Research Center. The nonpartisan nonprofit says more than half of those in Minnesota jails awaiting trial, including many for low-level offences, can't afford bail. The group says that cash bail punishes poverty and deepens racial disparities. They say release decision should be based on risk, not wealth. The organization is also suggesting that police issue citations for low-level offenses instead of making arrests.
You are listening to North Star Stories.
It's racing season on the Iron Range, and Hibbing Speedway is back with a brand-new look. The city has hired XR Events to manage and upgrade the track, which is about 100 years old.
The racetrack is also getting back its original name, Hibbing Speedway, marking the end of nearly 40 years of racetrack management by the Iron Range Racing Association. Crews have already added a new safety fence, improved the grandstands, and transformed the pits. They're also working on accessibility upgrades to improve the fan experience.
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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.