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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. COMING UP...
[AMBER ESTENSON: FAMILIES NOW FEEL UNWELCOME IN OUR OWN SCHOOLS, AND KIDS FEEL SINGLED OUT BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE FALLOUT FROM A SCHOOL’S POLICY TO BAN RAINBOWS ...
AND ... MINNEAPOLIS DEBATES THE VALUE OF DRIVERLESS TAXIS …
[MINNEAPOLIS CC SPEAKER: GIVE ME MORE OPTIONS AND LET ME CHOOSE WAS BEST FOR ME.]
XAN HOLSTON: BUT FIRST …
THE LASTING COST OF MINNESOTA’S INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS …
[MATT VILLENEUVE / BOARDING-SCHOOL HISTORIAN: HOW MANY STUDENTS DIED AND NEVER CAME HOME?]
XAN HOLSTON: CHILDREN WHO WERE FORCED INTO MINNESOTA’S INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS … AND THOSE WHO NEVER RETURNED … ARE BEING REMEMBERED TODAY ALONGSIDE SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
TODAY IS ORANGE SHIRT DAY … ALSO KNOWN AS THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE MORE-THAN 100-THOUSAND NATIVE CHILDREN ACROSS THE U-S WHO WERE SENT TO BOARDING SCHOOLS.
TWENTY-THREE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS OPERATED IN WHAT’S NOW MINNESOTA STARTING IN THE 1880S … THE SCHOOLS BARRED NATIVE CHILDREN FROM SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE OR PRACTICING THEIR RELIGION.
HISTORIAN MATT VILLENEUVE SAYS THE SCHOOLS DISRUPTED GENERATIONS OF NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE.
[MATT VILLENEUVE / BOARDING-SCHOOL HISTORIAN: DAYS LIKE THIS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THIS PAST BECAUSE THE EFFECTS ARE ONGOING IN THE PRESENT.]
XAN HOLSTON: A MINNEAPOLIS-BASED HEALING GROUP IS HOLDING A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AND WALK TONIGHT IN POWDERHORN PARK IN MINNEAPOLIS.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
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XAN HOLSTON: AS NEW RICHLAND IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA’S WASECA COUNTY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS WITH TRUCKS FOR FLOOD CLEANUP... AND PREPARES FOR FEDERAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS... DROUGHT DISASTER DESIGNATIONS ARE EXPANDING THROUGHOUT OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
THE LATEST COVERS WILKIN AND NEIGHBORING WESTERN COUNTIES.
OTHERS COVER SAINT LOUIS IN THE NORTHEAST... AND PIPESTONE AND ROCK IN THE SOUTHWEST... PLUS ALL SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS.
ELIGIBLE FARMERS CAN APPLY FOR EMERGENCY LOANS... APPROVAL IS BASED UPON LOSSES AND ABILITY TO REPAY.
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DULUTH-BASED ESSENTIA HEALTH AND BLOOMINGTON-BASED HEALTHPARTNERS PLAN TO MERGE... COMBINING 22 HOSPITALS... MORE THAN 135 CLINICS... AND SIX THOUSAND CLINICIANS ACROSS MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN AND NORTH DAKOTA.
TOGETHER... THEY REPORTED ABOUT 12-POINT-SIX BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE LAST YEAR.
NO PRICE FOR THE DEAL WAS ANNOUNCED.
BOTH C-E-O'S SAY THE MERGER WOULD EXPAND SPECIALTY CARE AND MAKE CARE MORE AFFORDABLE.
MINNESOTA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL REVIEW THE DEAL.
THE SYSTEMS ARE AIMING TO COMPLETE THE MERGER BY JANUARY FIRST.
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THE STATE’S TWO MAJOR PUBLIC HIGHER-EDUCATION SYSTEMS ARE BOTH WARNING OF FINANCIAL DEFICITS AND BUDGET CUTS AT CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE.
MINNESOTA STATE TOLD EMPLOYEES SOME INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES MAY HAVE TO CLOSE AS THE SYSTEM ADDRESSES A THIRTY-MILLION-DOLLAR DEFICIT.
AND.. THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SAYS IT NEEDS TO CUT TWO-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
BOTH UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS... NEITHER HAS PROPOSED ANY POSSIBLE CAMPUS CLOSURES.
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THE DETROIT LAKES SCHOOL BOARD IS REWRITING ITS POLICY BANNING RAINBOW SYMBOLS … AS TWO FAMILIES SUE TO END IT.
BOARD MEMBERS GAVE THE REVISED POLICY IT FIRST READING MONDAY … THIS VERSION NO LONGER SINGLES OUT “RAINBOWS” … BUT STILL NAMES FLAGS... STICKERS... AND BUTTONS … ITEMS THE POLICY ORIGINALLY SOUGHT TO BAN IF THEY HAD RAINBOW SYMBOLS.
THE NEW POLICY INCLUDES LANGUAGE THAT BANS DISPLAYS OF PERSONAL.. RELIGIOUS... OR IDEOLOGICAL VIEWS UNRELATED TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS OR INSTRUCTION.
PARENT.. AMBER ESTENSON … WHOSE CHILD IS PART OF THE LAWSUIT … DISPUTED THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE POLICY.
[AMBER ESTENSON: BEFORE THIS BAN, THERE WAS NO CRISIS, AND THERE WAS NO INCIDENT DEMANDING THIS POLICY, AND THERE WAS NO GROUNDSWELL PARENTS ASKING FOR IT.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE BOARD SAYS IT WAS ADVISED TO CHANGE THE POLICY LANGUAGE … BUT DIDN’T CLARIFY WHY.
THE LAWSUIT IS PENDING.
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IN MINNEAPOLIS… A PUBLIC DEBATE OVER DRIVERLESS TAXIS... AND ABOUT WHAT HELPS PEOPLE FEEL SAFE...
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HEARD TESTIMONY FROM DOZENS OF PEOPLE BEFORE A VOTE ON AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A PAID… LICENSED HUMAN IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT OF COMMERCIAL SELF-DRIVING CARS LIKE WAYMO’S.
WAYMO SAYS THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS THE SAME AS BANNING ITS DRIVERLESS SERVICES.
SUPPORTERS SAY IT WOULD BETTER PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY... AND AS MANY AS TEN-THOUSAND RIDESHARE JOBS.
BUT ONE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDENT ARGUED DRIVERLESS CARS ARE SAFER ... AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION.
[UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDENT / OPPOSES ORDINANCE: FOR WOMEN COMING HOME FROM THE BAR, FOR A GAY COUPLE WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE JUDGED, OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO’S BEEN IN THE BACK OF THE CAR LATE AT NIGHT, SCARED, TRYING TO GET HOME, WAYMO WOULD BE A SAFER WAY HOME.]
XAN HOLSTON: THE FULL COUNCIL COULD VOTE TOMORROW ...
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AND FINALLY...
FALL IS IN FULL SWING THIS SATURDAY IN BRAINERD…
IT’S THE ANNUAL GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL ALL AFTERNOON AT MEMORIAL PARK...UNLIKE CHARLIE BROWN’S TRICK OR TREATING BAG OF ROCKS... YOU’LL
HAYRIDES... A PETTING ZOO...PUMPKIN PAINTING... AND 300-DONATED PUMPKINS FOR SALE TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL...
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY... YOU WILL BE SURE TO WALK AWAY WITH MORE THAN A ROCK...
WITH 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.