An Iron Range task force says thousands of children are without care, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa works to increase water safety, and moms fish for free.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A NEW IRON RANGE TASK FORCE SAYS THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ARE WITHOUT CARE.
BUT FIRST …
THE GRAND PORTAGE BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA WORKS TO INCREASE WATER SAFETY...
[ROBERT DESCHAMPE: LAKE SUPERIOR … IS OUR HOME.]
--GRAND PORTAGE BOAT--
TRIBAL CHAIR ROBERT DESCHAMPE SAYS THE TRIBE IS PUTTING ANOTHER RESCUE BOAT INTO ACTION THIS SEASON BY DONATING ONE TO THE COOK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.
THE GRAND PORTAGE BAND’S DONATION IS PART OF A BROADER TRIBAL-LED EFFORT TO BUILD UP MARINE RESCUE AFTER THE U-S COAST GUARD CLOSED IT’S GRAND MARAIS STATION IN 2022.
DESCHAMPE TELLS AMPERS MEMBER W-T-I-P THE PROJECT STRENGTHENS THE WHOLE NORTH SHORE RESPONSE NETWORK.
[ROBERT DESCHAMPE: HAVING THIS BOAT TO RESPOND TO BOATERS OR WHATEVER OTHER WATER EMERGENCIES YOU WOULD HAVE ON LAKE SUPERIOR IS DEFINITELY A BENEFIT FOR EVERYBODY.]
THE BAND SECURED THREE MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDING TO BUILD FOUR RESCUE VESSELS. TWO ARE BASED IN GRAND PORTAGE … ONE IN COOK COUNTY… THE OTHER, IN LAKE COUNTY.
ALL THE BOATS ARE FOR PATROLS … EMERGENCY RESPONSE … AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY WORK ON THE BIG LAKE.
--CRYPTO KIOSKS--
MINNESOTA IS PULLING THE PLUG ON CRYPTO KIOSKS … BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY.
THE MACHINES LOOK LIKE A-T-Ms … AND LET PEOPLE FEED IN CASH TO BUY VIRTUAL CURRENCY LIKE BITCOIN.
STATE OFFICIALS SAY SCAMMERS USE THEM TO MOVE MONEY FAST … OFTEN PRESSURING VICTIMS BY PHONE OR TEXT TO MAKE DEPOSITS INTO THE MACHINES.
THE NEW LAW PROHIBITS OPERATORS FROM RUNNING THE KIOSKS AFTER AUGUST FIRST.
THE MACHINES HAVE TO BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC SPACES BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
JAY HAAPALA … WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PEOPLE MINNESOTA … TELLS MINNESOTA NEWS CONNECTION .. UNTIL THEN...
PEOPLE NEED TO STAY ALERT.
[JAY HAAPALA: IN BETWEEN NOW AND THE START OF AUGUST, PEOPLE CAN STILL SEND MONEY USING THESE MACHINES AND PEOPLE WILL BE SCAMMED. IF ANYONE WHO SAID YOU OUGHT TO SEND THEM MONEY USING A CRYPTO KIOSK, IT'S A BIG RED FLAG.]
THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SAYS MINNESOTA HAS ABOUT 400 KIOSK LOCATIONS.
--OPIOD SETTLEMENT--
MINNESOTA’S OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND JUST GOT A 59-MILLION-DOLLAR BOOST.
THE MONEY COMES FROM PURDUE PHARMA AND THE SACKLER FAMILY … THE MAKERS AND OWNERS OF OXYCONTIN … FOR THEIR ROLE IN FUELING THE OPIOID CRISIS.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE SAYS THAT BRINGS MINNESOTA’S TOTAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT RECOVERY TO 633-MILLION DOLLARS ACROSS 21 SETTLEMENTS.
UNDER STATE LAW … THE MONEY MUST GO TOWARD OPIOID TREATMENT, PREVENTION, AND REMEDIATION.
--TREVOR PROJECT SURVEY AND MAY MENTAL HEALTH AND MINNESOTA NEW STUDENT SCHOOL SURVEY--
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH — AND FINDINGS FROM A NEW NATIONAL STUDY AND A NEW MINNESOTA STUDENT SURVEY POINT TO ONE KEY FACTOR IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH... A SENSE OF BELONGING.
THE TREVOR PROJECT SURVEY OF MORE THAN 16-THOUSAND L-G-B-T-Q-PLUS YOUTH BETWEEN 13 AND 24… FOUND 36-PERCENT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED SUICIDE LAST YEAR…. ONE IN TEN ATTEMPTED IT.
AMONG THOSE TEENS SURVEYED... 59-PERCENT REPORTED BEING BULLIED IN THE PAST YEAR... 48-PERCENT SAID THEY WERE BULLIED IN PERSON... 36-PERCENT SAID THEY WERE BULLIED ONLINE.
THE STUDY FOUND YOUTH WHO EXPERIENCED BULLYING HAD MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE RATE OF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS COMPARED WITH THOSE WHO WERE NOT BULLIED
BUT... THERE IS A HOPEFUL FINDING ... SUPPORT CAN CHANGE THE RISK..
THE TREVOR PROJECT FOUND LGBTQ-PLUS YOUTH IN VERY ACCEPTING COMMUNITIES ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT ABOUT ONE-THIRD THE RATE OF THOSE IN VERY UNACCEPTING COMMUNITIES.
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS SAY THAT SENSE OF BELONGING IS PAYING OFF... WITH STUDENTS FEELING SAFER.. LESS ANXIOUS... AND MORE ENGAGED..
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS HELP, CALL OR TEXT 9-8-8.
--CHILD CARE FUNDING ISSUES--
CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND MINNESOTA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS SAY THE STATE’S CHILD CARE INDUSTRY IS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE... AND IT’S HOLDING BACK FAMILIES.. EMPLOYERS... AND LOCAL ECONOMIES.
THE MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL RESERVE BANK SAYS 86-PERCENT OF CHILD CARE OWNERS AND MANAGERS CALL THE STATE’S INDUSTRY A CRISIS.
ON THE IRON RANGE... A TASK FORCE SAYS MORE THAN TWO-THOUSAND CHILDREN ON THE MESABI AND CUYUNA RANGES AND THE NORTH SHORE DON’T HAVE CARE... KEEPING AN ESTIMATED 800-PEOPLE *OUT OF THE WORKFORCE.
SHANTEL GRUBA OWNS IRON RANGE TYKES IN MOUNTAIN IRON... SHE TOLD AMPERS MEMBER STATION KAXE... THAT PARENTS ALREADY PAY HIGH TUITION ... BUT... THAT DOESN’T MEAN CHILD CARE WORKERS CAN MAKE A LIVING.
[SHAWNTEL GRUBA/: BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY UNSUBSIDIZED STATE MANDATES THAT I STILL PAY MYSELF AND MY PROVIDERS POVERTY WAGES.]
THE TASK FORCE WANTS EMPLOYERS... LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND DONORS TO HELP FUND MORE CHILD CARE SLOTS... AND BETTER WAGES...
--MOTHER’S DAY FISH FOR FREE--
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS A VERY ON-BRAND MOTHER’S DAY GIFT THIS WEEKEND: MOMS FISH FREE.
DNR SAYS MINNESOTA MOMS CAN FISH WITHOUT A LICENSE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY… JUST AS THE STATE FISHING OPENER KICKS OFF.
LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 27-HUNDRED MOMS TOOK PART IN THE STATE’S ONLINE FISHING CHALLENGE … SHARING PHOTOS OF THEIR CATCHES FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON