In today’s stories, a military celebration in Washington DC is countered with protests around the country, including here in Minnesota. Researchers urge long COVID patients to enroll in a new study. And, Amtrak’s new route outperforms expectations.
Transcript
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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 stories, a military celebration in Washington DC is countered with protests around the country, including here in Minnesota. Researchers urge long COVID patients to enroll in a new study. And, Amtrak's new route outperforms expectations
I'm Chantel SinGs.
As President Trump held a military parade in the nation's Capital celebrating the Army's 250th birthday over the weekend, those opposing the President took to the streets in protest. As part of the No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance, dozens of protests took place around Minnesota. Xan Holston has the story.
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Xan Holston: What was meant to be part of a nationwide act of defiance to the Trump presidency took on additional meaning after a political assassination.
[sound element: nat sound: "When lawmakers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!"]
Xan Holston: At the No Kings rally in St Paul, familiar chants carried a new weight after news broke that a gunman shot and killed house DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home. The alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, also wounded Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Police found No Kings flyers in Boelter’s vehicle, prompting the Minnesota State Patrol to urge demonstrators to stay home.
State Patrol presser: Given the targeted shootings of state law lawmakers that happened overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today's planned demonstrations across Minnesota, out of an abundance of caution.
Xan Holston: That warning was not enough to keep tens of thousands of protesters away from the state capitol. For Lisa, the assassinations only strengthened her resolve to get out and make her voice heard.
Lisa: It's more important than ever to still be here, because if we don't show America what happened in Minnesota today, it just gets put under the rug. I mean, we have to be here.
Xan Holston: The St Paul protest was just one of hundreds across the country over the weekend. The events were touted as a counterpoint to celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the US military, which many believe was being exploited as a tribute to Donald Trump's birthday. While Trump supporters marked the day with a military parade, No King's marchers held signs calling out what they see as the slide of American democracy into authoritarianism.
Gene: Everything that Trump has stood for since he was elected has just been opposite democracy values.
Xan Holston: Gene said that he was here to counter the narrative that protests are violent and to call attention to what he sees as deliberate provocations.
Gene: He’s going into cities and provoking riots by bringing troops in, because he likes to command troops. And this isn't democracy, it's really dictatorship.
Xan Holston: Among the crowd was a couple dressed as George and Martha Washington. They said the Founding Fathers wouldn't recognize today's leadership.
George: We thought George and Martha needed to be here because this is not the government we created. The Colonies were not meant to be governed by a king or someone taking full control and messing with the three branches of government that checks and balances.
Xan Holston: For Jennifer, the protest was personal.
Jennifer: You have to be here. This is exactly why you have to be here. We need voices of reason.
Xan Holston: Her father is an Iranian immigrant. Her daughter lives with a rare genetic disorder. She said Trump's policies are resulting in devastating losses, and that staying silent would cost lives for her. For her, the protest was about joy and peace as well as resistance.
Jennifer: This is just an alternative to a military march in Washington, DC for somebody's birthday. There are plenty of ways to celebrate that don't take $40 million. This is one of them, and we're not going to let fear stop us. We can't anymore.
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Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I'm Xan Holston.
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ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
The University of Minnesota is seeking long COVID patients for a new clinical trial. Researchers are testing a new drug to see if it can help with symptoms like brain fog, memory loss, and fatigue. The trial is part of the nationwide search for effective treatments for Long COVID sufferers. About 15-million Americans have long COVID. Participants will take the medication or a placebo for six months. The full study will last about a year. U of M researchers hope to enroll 135 people in phases over the next few years.
Amtrak's new Borealis line is exceeding expected use during its first year, recording more than 200-thousand riders. The Twin Cities-to-Chicago train runs along the same corridor as the long-distance Empire Builder, which serves a broader region. Together, the two trains carried nearly 300-thousand passengers last year — a massive jump in ridership along the route. Officials in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois say the Borealis train has made rail travel more reliable and accessible across the Upper Midwest.
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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.