Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Faith leaders speak out against Trump’s anti-Somali American statements, and scarecrows infest Waconia.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP …
[THOMAS ELNESS, AARP MINNESOTA: THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THIS BOAT, AND SO LAST YEAR WE SAW SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WAIT TIMES.]
CHANGES TO MEDICARE CREATE NEW CHALLENGES DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT … AND …
WACONIA’S SCARECROWS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELDS …
BUT FIRST …
--FAITHLEADERS RESPOND TO TRUMP--
[IMAM ABDULAHI FARAH: BLAMING AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS NOT ACCOUNTABILITY. SCAPEGOATING IS NOT A PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY.]
MINNESOTA FAITH LEADERS WARN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S RHETORIC TOWARD SOMALI AMERICANS IS ENCOURAGING VIOLENCE.
CLERGY FROM ISAIAH … ASTATEWIDE MULTI-RACIAL FAITH COALITION … GATHERED IN SAINT PAUL FRIDAY TO DENOUNCE COMMENTS THE PRESIDENT MADE ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA APP TRUTH SOCIAL.
IN HIS POST … TRUMP SAID SOMALIS VIEW MINNESOTANS AS “WEAK AND STUPID” AND CALLED FOR MINNESOTANS TO “FIGHT BACK.”
[IMAM ABDULAHI FARAH: FIGHT BACK AGAINST WHOM? WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PRESIDENT ASKING PEOPLE TO DO?]
THE POST IS A CONTINUATION OF TRUMP’S ATTACKS AGAINST SOMALI AMERICANS … WHOM HE HAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED “GARBAGE.”
HIS POST ALSO FOLLOWS RECENT TWIN CITIES SHOOTINGS THAT POLICE SAY ARE LINKED TO SOMALI GANG-LIKE ACTIVITY … INCLUDING THE SHOOTING AT AN EDEN PRAIRIE HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME EARLIER THIS MONTH.
ONE PASTOR WARNED AGAINST LANGUAGE THAT CASTS SUSPICION ON AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY … CALLING BACK TO A PHRASE USED TO DEMONIZE BLACK YOUTH IN THE 90S.
[PASTOR QUINLAN: IN THE '90S, WE HEARD LANGUAGE OF SUPER PREDATORS. TODAY, WE HEAR LANGUAGE OF SOMALI GANGS.]
THE GROUP IS CALLING ON ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REJECT THE PRESIDENT’S RHETORIC … AND HELP PREVENT MORE VIOLENCE.
--EDEN PRAIRIE SHOOTING UPDATE--
MEANWHILE … THE MAN CHARGED IN THE EDEN PRAIRIE HOMECOMING SHOOTING IS OUT OF JAIL AFTER POSTING A HUNDRED-THOUSAND-DOLLAR BOND.
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD ADAM ABDIHAKEEM ADAM FACES TWO COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON … AND SECOND-DEGREE RIOT WHILE ARMED.
PROSECUTORS SAY HE SHOT AND INJURED TWO TEENAGERS IN THE SOUTHWEST METRO SCHOOL PARKING LOT DURING THE GAME.
HE’S SCHEDULED TO MAKE HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE TODAY.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY / RETURN OF THE SPIRIT OF GOOD FIRE--
TODAY IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY … HONORING NATIVE PEOPLES’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO MNI SOTA MAKOCE … THE LAND WE NOW CALL MINNESOTA … AND ACKNOWLEDGING HISTORICAL HARMS.
MINNESOTA REPLACED COLUMBUS DAY WITH THE HOLIDAY IN 2023 … CALLING FOR RECONCILIATION … AND STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRIBAL NATIONS.
IN DULUTH LAST WEEK … THAT MEANT THE RETURN OF A TRADITIONAL OJIBWE ECOLOGICAL PRACTICE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 200 YEARS.
THE FOND DU LAC TRIBE … THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES … AND OTHER PARTNERS CARRIED OUT A 17-ACRE PRESCRIBED BURN ON DULUTH’S “MINNESOTA POINT” THURSDAY.
KNOWN AS “RETURNING THE SPIRIT OF GOOD FIRE TO MINNESOTA POINT” … THE BURN WILL HELP RED PINES REGENERATE AND BLUEBERRIES GROW.
ORGANIZERS SAY THE BURN WAS A SUCCESS … AND ARE PLANNING ANOTHER FOR NEXT SPRING.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--MEDICARE MARKET JOLT – PNS INTRO--
KEEPING THE SAME DOCTOR COULD TAKE SOME EXTRA HOMEWORK FOR MINNESOTANS ON MEDICARE THIS FALL.
MIKE MOEN REPORTS ON CHANGES TO PRIVATE INSURANCE OPTIONS.
--MEDICARE MARKET JOLT – PNS PKG--
-- --
[MIKE MOEN: CITING MOUNTING LOSSES, SEVERAL CARRIERS IN THE STATE RECENTLY REVEALED THEY'RE DISCONTINUING CERTAIN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS, AFFECTING 320,000 PLAN HOLDERS.]
JASON SWANSON LEADS THE MINNESOTA RIVER AREA AGENCY ON AGING. HE AGREES THIS CAN BE A DEEPLY UPSETTING SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT ALSO WARNS THE OCTOBER 15TH ENROLLMENT PERIOD IS FAST APPROACHING.
[JASON SWANSON: NOW IS THE TIME TO START EDUCATING YOURSELF, EDUCATING YOUR LOVED ONES, SEEING WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE.]
[MIKE MOEN: ENROLLEES CAN GO TO MEDICARE.GOV, ENTER THEIR ZIP CODE, AND SEE WHICH PROGRAM OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR COUNTY.]
IN MOST CASES, ADVANTAGE PLAN HOLDERS FACING DISCONTINUATION WHO DON'T ACT WILL AUTOMATICALLY MOVE TO ORIGINAL MEDICARE.
THEY CAN ALSO CONTACT MINNESOTA AGING PATHWAYS FOR FREE INFORMATION.
I'M MIKE MOEN.
--MEDICARE TAG--
BLUE CROSS SAYS ITS REPLACEMENT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MORE THAN EIGHTY PERCENT OF ITS CURRENT MEMBERS.
HEALTHPARTNERS IS ENDING TWO PLANS … AND LIMITING ENROLLMENT IN THOSE THAT REMAIN.
OPEN ENROLLMENT RUNS THROUGH EARLY DECEMBER.
--ADVANCED VOTER REGISTRATION ENDS--
NOVEMBER’S ELECTION IS A LITTLE LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY … AND TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE.
CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION OR UPDATE IT AT M-N-VOTES DOT GOV.
IF YOU MISS THE DEADLINE … YOU CAN STILL REGISTER AT YOUR POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY WITH PROOF OF RESIDENCE.
--WACONIA SCARECROWS--
AND FINALLY …
[SCARECROW: DID I SCARE YOU?!]
YOU WON’T HAVE TO HEAD OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD OF OZ TO ENCOUNTER SCARECROWS … WACONIA HAS MORE THAN 50.
EVERYDAY UNTIL THE 18TH … BUSINESSES IN THE SOUTHWEST METRO CITY ARE DISPLAYING THEIR CREATIONS.
THE TOUR IS FREE … AND YOU COULD WIN A PRIZE BY PICKING YOUR FAVORITE …
THAT IS … IF YOU ONLY HAVE A BRAIN … AND A VOTING FORM.
[SCARECROW: THAT’S THE TROUBLE … I CAN’T MAKE UP MY MIND.]
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.