Elon Musk’s AI company sues Minnesota over its nudification law, Crow Wing County neighbors fight over lake rights, and it’s time for the 4th annual Rondo Block Party in St. Paul
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[IOLA: RIGHT NOW WHAT I’M SEEING IS THIS TOOL BEING USED IN WAYS THAT ARE HARMING CHILDREN.]
--MUSK VS NUDIFICATION LAW/ SEXTORTION ATTEMPT --
MINNESOTA’S NEW LAW BANNING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE … ALSO KNOWN AS A-I … TOOLS THAT CAN TURN ORDINARY PHOTOS INTO REALISTIC FAKE NUDES COULD BE BLOCKED BEFORE IT TAKES EFFECT SATURDAY.
ELON MUSK’S A-I COMPANY IS SUING TO BLOCK THE NEW LAW … SAYING IT VIOLATES THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
THE A-I APPS CAN BE USED TO CREATE FAKE, REALISTIC NUDE IMAGES OF REAL PEOPLE … WITHOUT CONSENT ... MANY TIMES THE VICTIMS ARE CHILDREN.
THE LAW TARGETS THE OPERATORS OF ‘NUDIFICATION SERVICES’ ... WITH CIVIL PENALTIES UP TO 500-THOUSAND-DOLLARS FOR EACH USE.
LAWMAKERS AND ADVOCATES SAY IT WILL HELP PREVENT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ... ESPECIALLY OF CHILDREN.
BUT MUSK’S COMPANY SAYS THE LAW IS WRITTEN TOO BROADLY... AND A CONTENT-BASED RESTRICTION ON PROTECTED SPEECH... BECAUSE IT COULD BE APPLIED TO CONSENSUAL IMAGES.
ONE MINNESOTA MOTHER TELLS NORTH STAR STORIES IT’S NOT AN ABSTRACT DEBATE ABOUT FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS… IT’S ALREADY AFFECTING HER HOME.
[IOLA: THE BIGGEST FRUSTRATION HAS BEEN, LIKE, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THIS HAPPENS TO YOU? THERE’S NO CONCRETE STEPS.]
IOLA SAYS SOMEONE USED A-I TO CREATE AND SEND FAKE NUDES OF HER 15-YEAR-OLD SON TO HIS INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT … AND THREATENED TO SEND THEM TO HER.
SHE SAYS HER SON BLOCKED AND REPORTED THE ACCOUNT … AND IMMEDIATELY TOLD HER.
THE EXPERIENCE HAS LEFT THEM BOTH QUESTIONING WHO THEY CAN TRUST AND WONDERING WHY X-A-I/MUSK IS AGAINST THE NEW LAW.
[IOLA: EXPLAIN IT TO ME LIKE I AM FIVE … EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU SEE KIDS BEING TARGETED, AND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ALSO PROTECT CHILDREN WHILE GETTING YOUR GOALS DONE … WHY WAS THIS THE ROUTE?]
SHE SAYS PROTECTING POTENTIAL VICTIMS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RIGHT TO MAKE FAKE NUDE IMAGES WITHOUT CONSENT.
AS OF WEDNESDAY ...THE LAW REMAINS SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT SATURDAY ... UNLESS A JUDGE INTERVENES.
--WILDFIRES AND DOGE FUNDING--
CREWS ARE NOW CLEARING DEAD WOOD... BRUSH... AND OTHER WILDFIRE FUEL IN SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS… WORK THE U-S FORESTRY WAS READY TO BEGIN LAST YEAR.
THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DOGE REVIEW STOPPED A TEN-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT PLANNED TO THIN OUT FOUR-THOUSAND ACRES OF THE SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST… INCLUDING ALONG THE ECHO TRAIL NORTH OF ELY.
THE SIOUX FIRE LATER JUMPED THAT TRAIL… AND BURNED PART OF THE PROJECT AREA.
CRITICS SAY THE PROJECT COULD HAVE SLOWED OR STOPPED THE FIRE FROM SPREADING...
THE FUNDING WAS EVENTUALLY RELEASED... BUT MOST OF THE WORK HAD NOT STARTED.
--FIVE MEN CHARGED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF RUNAWAY --
THE SEARCH FOR A 14-YEAR-OLD WHO RAN AWAY FROM HER MAHTOMEDI HOME ... EAST OF SAINT PAUL … HAS LED TO SEX-CRIME CHARGES AGAINST FIVE MEN.
THE GIRL WAS FOUND DAYS LATER IN MINNEAPOLIS.
ALL FIVE MEN FACE A THIRD-DEGREE CRIMINAL-SEXUAL-CONDUCT CHARGES.
ONE OF THE FIVE ALSO FACES A FIRST-DEGREE CHARGE …
COURT DOCUMENTS SAY HE WAS THE DRIVER ASSIGNED TO TAKE HER BETWEEN HER HOME AND A ROSEVILLE TREATMENT PROGRAM.
AND INVESTIGATORS SAY HE TURNED OFF THE TRANSPORT VAN’S G-P-S AND DIVERTED RIDES TO HIS OWN GARAGE.
--CROW WING COUNTY LAKE SHORE ORDINANCE CHANGE--
IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA’S CROW WING COUNTY ... COMMISSIONERS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SETTLE ONGOING PROPERTY USE DISPUTES.
THERE’S AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING DOCKS ... LIFTS ... AND MOORED BOATS TO REMAIN WITHIN PROPERTY LINES...
BUT... LAKE SHORE OWNERS SAY ENFORCEMENT IS NOT WORKING AND SOME NEIGHBORS ARE BREAKING OTHER LAWS.
JOE RANWEILER LIVES ON LOVE LAKE JUST NORTHWEST OF BRAINERD.
HE SAYS HIS NEIGHBOR IS RENTING OUT BOAT DOCK SPACE... AND ENCROACHING ON HIS LAKEFRONT PROPERTY ZONE.
[JOE RANWEILER: MY CURRENT NEIGHBOR HAS SEVEN DOCKS OUT THERE… AND HE’S GOT TWO BOATS AND A JET SKI ON MY RIPARIAN RIGHTS…]
COMMISSIONERS DID NOT REPEAL OR CHANGE THE RULE. INSTEAD… THEY DIRECTED COUNTY STAFF AND ATTORNEYS TO STUDY HOW OTHER COUNTIES ENFORCE DOCK BOUNDARIES … THEN BRING BACK A RECOMMENDATION.
--PLAINVIEW BAKERY--
A FIRE HAS FORCED A POPULAR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA BAKERY TO CANCEL ORDERS AND EVENTS JUST BEFORE THE TOWN’S CRAZY DAYS SUMMER FESTIVAL.
CAKES ETCETERA IS A STAPLE IN THE TOWN OF PLAINVIEW.. JUST OUTSIDE ROCHESTER … AND THE BAKERY IS NOW CLOSED INDEFINITELY... UNTIL THE OWNER CAN CLEAN UP AND MAKE REPAIRS.
THE FIRE STARTED NEAR THE FREEZERS AND WAS CONTAINED TO A BACK ROOM... BUT THE BUILDING HAS SIGNIFICANT FIRE.. SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE.
--RONDO BLOCK PARTY--
AND FINALLY …
SAINT PAUL’S HISTORIC RONDO NEIGHBORHOOD IS “BUILDING THE BLOCK” THIS WEEKEND.
THE FOURTH ANNUAL RONDO BLOCK PARTY IS SATURDAY … FILLING THREE BLOCKS WITH DRUM LINES AND STEP DANCE SQUADS, FOOD, AND LIVE MUSIC.
THE FREE CELEBRATION RUNS 11 TO 6 AT RONDO COMMEMORATIVE PLAZA.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.