hief River Falls cleans up its water, legislators look to regulate artificial intelligence for youth, and legislators work on expanding rights and recognition for Hmong and Lao veterans who fought with U.S forces during the Secret War in Laos.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
THIEF RIVER FALLS CLEANS UP … AND LEGISLATORS LOOK TO REGULATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR YOUTH …
BUT FIRST … BILLS IN BOTH LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS WOULD EXPAND RECOGNITION FOR HMONG AND LAO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT WITH U-S FORCES DURING THE “SECRET WAR” IN LAOS.
--SECRET WAR STATUS--
[GIA TOU LEE: THE SACRIFICE OF OVER THRITY-FIVE THOUSAND OF OUR SGU LIVES, AND A THOUSAND OF THEM WOUNDED, SAVED COUNTLESS AMERICAN SOLDIER’S LIVES.]
MAJOR GIA TOU LEE [GHEE-A TOO-LEE] SPOKE AT THE SENATE TO SUPPORT A BILL THAT WOULD ENSRHINE MORE VETERANS’ RIGHTS.
TOU LEE SERVED IN AN S-G-U … OR SPECIAL GUERRILA UNIT … SUPPORTING U-S OPERATIONS AGAINST COMMUNIST FORCES DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD CREATE A STATE PROCESS TO VERIFY THAT SERVICE … AND ALLOW THEM TO BE BURIED IN MINNESOTA VETERANS’ CEMETERIES.
IT WOULD ALSO LET VERIFIED S-G-U VETERANS ADD THAT STATUS TO A DRIVER’S LICENSE OR STATE I-D.
REPRESENTATIVE ETHAN CHA INTRODUCED THE BILL IN THE HOUSE … HE SAYS THE RECOGNITION IS LONG OVERDUE:
[ETHAN CHA: IT HAS BEEN OVER FIFTY YEARS SINCE THE END OF WAR – 1975 – THEY ARE STILL WITH US. THEY ARE WAITING TO HAVE THEIR DIGNITY RESTORED, THEIR HONOR RECOGNIZED, AND FOR US TO GIVE WHAT IS OWED TO THEM.]
ON MONDAY THE BILLS PASSED FROM COMMITTEES IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
--SOLDIER NICOLE AMOR LATEST--
WHITE BEAR LAKE IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF MASTER SERGEANT NICOLE AMOR, THE MINNESOTA ARMY SOLDIER KILLED IN A DRONE ATTACK IN KUWAIT.
THE WHITE BEAR LAKE VFW POST 1782 HAS NOW SET UP A MEMORIAL — INCLUDING A CONDOLENCE JOURNAL FOR THE PUBLIC TO SIGN.
AMOR WAS PROMOTED POSTHUMOUSLY… AND AS OF TODAY, THERE’S STILL NO PUBLIC FUNERAL OR MEMORIAL SERVICE DATE ANNOUNCED.
--FARM FERTILIZER PRICES STATEMENT--
THE CONFLICT THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST IS MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE AT THE GAS PUMP... AND IN THE FARM FIELDS AS FARMERS PLAN FOR SPRING PLANTING.
TRIPLE A SAYS FUEL PRICES ARE UP AROUND 50-CENTS A GALLON, ON AVERAGE, THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA SINCE JUST LAST WEEK...
AND... THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WARNS FERTILIZER MARKETS ARE SURGING.
HOWEVER
--BLUE EARTH FERTILIZER PLANTS--
A FARMER-OWNED CO-OP IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA MAY HAVE AN OPTION TO MIDDLE EAST FERTILIZER.
FARMER-COOP, CENTRAL FARM SERVICE IS PARTNERING WITH TALUSAG, BLUE EARTH LIGHT AND WATER, AND CLEANCOUNTS TO BUILD TWO AMMONIA FERTILIZER FACILITIES IN BLUE EARTH COUNTY …
THE PLANTS COULD EACH PRODUCE UP TO 20 TONS OF AMMONIA A DAY.
THE PROPOSAL IS NOW WITH THE STATE RENEWABLE DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
[MUSIC TRANSITION : 02]
MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS ARE LEARNING HOW CHILDREN USE COMMON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMS.
--DARLING (A-I) COMPANION--
[MAYE QUADE: THEY USE PERSONAL PRONOUNS, DESCRIBE THEIR FEELINGS, EXPRESS OPINIONS … AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MEMBERS, AI CHATBOTS ARE PROGRAMMED TO NEVER END A CONVERSATION.]
LEGISLATORS ARE CONSIDERING SEVERAL BILLS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE... ONE BILL BANS CHILDREN AND TEENS FROM USING A-I CHATBOTS AND COMPANIONS …
VIRTUAL TOOLS THAT LAWMAKERS SAY CAN … AND HAVE … EXPLOITED CHILDREN.
ACCORDING TO COMMON SENSE MEDIA, MORE THAN HALF OF ALL TEENS SAY THEY USE A-I COMPANIONS REGULARLY.... ANYTHING FROM SIMPLE TOOLS LIKE WRITING OR HOMEWORK HELPERS--- TO APPS DESIGNED TO ACT AS FRIENDS OR ROMANTIC PARTNERS.
THE BILL’S SUPPORTERS SAY UNRESTRICTED ACCESS PUTS VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK … ESPECIALLY IF CHATBOTS GIVE HARMFUL OR MANIPULATIVE RESPONSES.
[ERIC MISCHE: BUT WHEN TECHNOLOGIES ARE CAPABLE OF INFLUENCING A CHILD’S THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND BEHAVIORS, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SET BOUNDARIES.]
THE BILL IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE.
--PUPPY MILLS--
[DOGS BARKING]
MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING A BILL THAT WOULD STOP MOST PET STORES FROM SELLING DOGS AND CATS.
SENATOR SCOTT DIBBLE SAYS THE BILL IS …
[DIBBLE: SEEKING TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM IN THE PET RETAIL MARKETPLACE, NAMELY ‘THE PUPPY MILL TO PET SHOP PIPELINE’ IS HOW WE TERM IT.]
THE PROPOSAL WOULD BAN NEW PET SHOPS FROM SELLING ANIMALS PURCHASED FROM LARGE, VOLUME DRIVEN BREEDERS … THOUGH EXISTING STORES COULD CONTINUE BUYING AND SELLING THE PUPPY MILL PUPPIES.
STORES WOULD HAVE TO BUY NIMALS FROM STATE- OR FEDERALLY LICENSED BREEDERS AND DISCLOSE BREEDER LICENSE NUMBERS.
PET STORES COULD STILL HOST NONPROFIT ADOPTIONS … BUT COULD NOT OWN THE ANIMALS OR COLLECT A FEE.
--THIEF RIVER FALLS WATER--
IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA, THE CITY OF THIEF RIVER FALLS IS STEPPING UP EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE CITY’S DRINKING WATER SOURCE.
THE WORK FOCUSES ON CHIEF’S COULEE … A STREAM THAT FLOWS INTO THE RED LAKE RIVER JUST UPSTREAM FROM THE CITY’S DRINKING WATER INTAKE.
THE EFFORT COSTS ABOUT TWO-POINT-THREE MILLION DOLLARS … AND FOCUSES ON EROSION CONTROL … STORMWATER MANAGEMENT … AND SLOWING RUNOFF TO KEEP SEDIMENT AND POLLUTION OUT OF THE RIVER.
OFFICIALS SAY PROTECTING WATER AT THE SOURCE WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND LOWER TREATMENT COSTS.
--QUARRY PARK --
MEANWHILE...OFFICIALS IN STEARNS COUNTY, IN CENTRAL MINNEOSTA ARE ASKING FOR PUBLIC INPUT AS THEY UPDATE THE MASTER PLAN FOR QUARRY PARK AND NATURE PRESERVE NEAR WAITE PARK.
THE PLAN WAS LAST UPDATED IN 1995.
COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING AT IDEAS LIKE EXPANDED MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS, BETTER SWIMMING ACCESS AND POSSIBLY A VISITOR CENTER.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO GIVE INPUT WEDNESDAY AT THE STEARNS COUNTY SERVICE CENTER.
--GET BEHIND ME, SNOWPLOW--
AND FINALLY… MOVE OVER, SNOWPLOWS … STREET SWEEPERS ARE UP NEXT.
WHILE ROCHESTER BEGINS SCOURING THE STREETS TO CLEAN UP WINTER’S GRIME AND DEBRIS … IT’S ASKING THE PUBLIC TO SCOUR THEIR BRAINS FOR PUNNY NAMES FOR ITS SIX STREET SWEEPERS.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE MARCH TWENTY-FIFTH. MORE INFORMATION IS ON THE CITY OF ROCHESTER WEBSITE.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.