A change in the Medicare payment system forces some rural medical providers to consider ending services, Minneapolis hits pause on “Cop City,” and if you start seeing more childish behavior in the Minnesota Senate, it might not be the lawmakers.
Transcript
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A CHANGE IN THE MEDICARE PAYMENT SYSTEM IS FORCING SOME RURAL MEDICAL PROVIDERS TO CONSIDER ENDING SERVICES...
BUT FIRST …
[SEN. JULIA COLEMAN: GOOD LUCK BEING A MOM AND DOING THIS JOB.]
YOU MAY START SEEING MORE KIDS IN THE MINNESOTA SENATE … BUT NOT BECAUSE LAWMAKERS ARE ACTING CHILDISHLY.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY … THE SENATE WILL ALLOW LAWMAKERS TO BRING BABIES AND CHILDREN ONTO THE FLOOR DURING SESSIONS … WITH APPROVAL FROM LEADERSHIP.
THE BIPARTISAN APPROVAL COMES AFTER SENATORS SHARED PERSONAL STORIES … INCLUDING HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER TO CAST VOTES … OR GIVING UP BREASTFEEDING IN ORDER TO DO THEIR JOBS.
[SEN. JULIA COLEMAN: THIS PROVISION AND RULE CHANGE WOULD MAKE IT SO THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE JUGGLING AN UNLIMITED BURDEN IN A NUMBER OF TASKS AND TREADING WATER AND DROWNING WHILE TRYING TO DO THIS JOB.]
45 SENATORS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE RULE CHANGE ... SAYING IT SUPPORTS PARENTS TO BETTER REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS... ESPECIALLY MOMS.
ABOUT A THIRD OF THE SENATORS VOTED AGAINST THE RULE-CHANGE...
[SEN. THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS JOB. WE ARE DEBATING LAWS HERE, SO LET’S SHOW THE INSTITUTION SOME RESPECT.]
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAPITOL ... THE MINNESOTA HOUSE HAS PERMITTED CHILDREN FOR MORE THAN A DECADE … AND EVEN THE U-S SENATE ALLOWS CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN ONE-YEAR-OLD ON THE FLOOR.
[KAXE: GRAND ITASCA INTRODUCTION]
IN HEALTH NEWS IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA...
GRAND ITASCA HOSPITAL ACHIEVED ITS RE-DESIGNATION AS A LEVEL THREE TRAUMA CENTER... AMPERS STATION K-A-X-E REPORTER MEGAN BUFFINGTON EXPLAINS:
--GRAND ITASCA WILL REMAIN A LEVEL THREE TRAUMA HOSPITAL AFTER BEING RE-DESIGNATED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.--
THE RIGOROUS VOLUNTARY PROCESS INCLUDES AN OUTSIDE REVIEW OF A HOSPITAL'S RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES TO CARE FOR TRAUMA PATIENTS.
THE TRAUMA SYSTEM ENSURES THAT SERIOUSLY INJURED PEOPLE ARE QUICKLY TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITALS WITH THE RESOURCES TO TREAT THEIR SPECIFIC INJURIES.
MINNESOTA'S SYSTEM HAS FOUR LEVELS. THERE ARE ABOUT TWO DOZEN LEVEL THREE AND FOUR TRAUMA HOSPITALS IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA … WITH LEVEL ONE HOSPITALS IN DULUTH, GRAND FORKS AND FARGO.
FROM THE KAXE NEWS DESK, I'M MEGAN BUFFINGTON.
--STAUBER BILL--
FROM DULUTH TO DETROIT … THE GREAT LAKES ARE GETTING LOVE FROM CONGRESS … AFTER THE U-S HOUSE APPROVED FUNDING TO KEEP FEDERAL CLEANUP MONEY FLOWING THROUGH THE REGION.
THE AMERICAN WATER STEWARDSHIP ACT INCLUDES 475-MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE … OR G-L-R-I …
THE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN FOUR-BILLION DOLLARS FOR CLEANUP AND RESTORATION IN THE CHAIN OF LAKES.
MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE PETE STAUBER INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO KEEP THE PROJECT GOING.
[REP. PETE STAUBER: MORE THAN 8,000 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THROUGH THE GLRI, GENERATING MORE THAN THREE DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR EVERY ONE DOLLAR IN FEDERAL INVESTMENT.]
WORK INCLUDES REDUCING POLLUTION … RESTORING HABITAT … AND COMBATTING INVASIVE SPECIES.
--MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL VOTE--
--[STOP COP CITY! STOP COP CITY! WE’LL TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS] 5S--
-- --
PROTESTS BROKE OUT AND BRIEFLY HALTED A MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING THURSDAY … AFTER MEMBERS NARROWLY VOTED TO HOLD OFF ON SPENDING SIX-POINT-ONE MILLION DOLLARS ON LAND FOR A NEW POLICE TRAINING FACILITY.
DUBBED “COP CITY” BY OPPONENTS … THE “MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY SAFETY TRAINING AND WELLNESS CENTER” WOULD SERVE AS A CENTRAL TRAINING HUB FOR POLICE AND FIRE … REPLACING OUTDATED FACILITIES AND BRINGING MULTIPLE AGENCIES UNDER ONE ROOF.
SUPPORTERS SAY IT WOULD MODERNIZE TRAINING … AFTER YEARS OF CALLS FOR REFORM FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD’S MURDER.
BUT CRITICS ARGUE IT EXPANDS POLICING … AND THAT MONEY SHOULD GO TO COMMUNITY-BASED SAFETY PROGRAMS INSTEAD.
THE PROPOSED FACILITY WOULD COST NEARLY 40-MILLION DOLLARS … INCLUDING THE LAND PURCHASE … WHICH IS NOW ON HOLD AS CITY STAFF REVIEW NEXT STEPS--.--
--SHILOH HENDRIX UPDATE--
A JUDGE DROPPED ONE OF THREE CHARGES AGAINST A WOMAN CAUGHT ON A VIRAL VIDEO YELLING RACIAL SLURS AT A CHILD IN A ROCHESTER PARK … SHILOH HENDRIX NOW FACES TWO COUNTS OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
THE APRIL 2025 VIDEO SHOWS HENDRIX YELLING SLURS AT A BLACK CHILD WHO PROSECUTORS SAY ALSO HAS AUTISM. THE PROSECUTOR FILED CHARGES BECAUSE IT HAPPENED AT A PUBLIC PLAYGROUND.
THE CASE REIGNITED STATEWIDE DEBATE OVER HATE, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND WHERE FREE SPEECH ENDS.
THE COURT IS DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO ALLOW CAMERAS IN THE COURTROOM FOR THE TRIAL …WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE IN MID-JUNE.
--HORMEL NATURE CENTER FUNDRAISER--
AND FINALLY, IF YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A KID OUT TO HEAR SPRING BIRDS, WALK A QUIET WOODLAND TRAIL, OR GET UP CLOSE TO LIVE ANIMALS ... YOU CAN DO THAT IN AUSTIN, MINNESOTA.
BUT... THESE NATURE EXPERIENCES COST MONEY TO PROTECT.
THE FRIENDS OF THE HORMEL NATURE CENTER ARE RAISING MONEY RIGHT NOW TO HELP MAINTAIN TRAILS ACROSS MORE THAN 500-ACRES.
THE DONATIONS WILL ALSO HELP KEEP ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS RUNNING FOR ABOUT FOUR-THOUSAND STUDENTS A YEAR.
THE ONLINE FUND DRIVE HAS A TEN-THOUSAND-DOLLAR GOAL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO HORMEL NATURE CENTER-DOT-ORG
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.