Cities Church defendants push for dismissal, UMN wants help tracking ticks, and upcoming Veterans Day events.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP... ON MINNESOTA’S NORTH SHORE... A MEDICAL CLINIC TRIED A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRESCRIPTION...
[KATE COWIE-HASKELL / NORTHWOODS FOOD PROJECT DIRECTOR: THE WILD RICE WAS REALLY SPECIAL FOR OUR PEOPLE TO RECEIVE.]
BUT FIRST....
[JORDAN KUSHNER: IT’S A MASSIVE ASSAULT ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT … MASSIVE ASSAULT ON THE RIGHT TO DISSENT AND PROTEST.]
--CITIES CHURCH COURT HEARING--
A FEDERAL LAW THAT PROTECTS THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP IS NOW AT THE CENTER OF A FIGHT OVER WHETHER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS PUNISHING POLITICAL DISSENT.
IN SAINT PAUL... DEFENSE LAWYERS ARE ASKING A FEDERAL JUDGE TO THROW OUT CHARGES STEMMING FROM JANUARY’S ANTI-ICE PROTEST INSIDE CITIES CHURCH. THIRTY-NINE PEOPLE FACE CHARGES.
ARGUMENTS CONTINUE TODAY...
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARGUE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SINGLED OUT THE DEFENDANTS BECAUSE THEY OPPOSED THE IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN … THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS VINDICTIVELY PROSECUTING THE PROTESTERS … AND THE LAWS ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THE PROTEST ITSELF.
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS POINT TO ANTI-L-G-B-T-Q DISRUPTIONS AT CHURCHES IN FLORIDA AND TEXAS THAT DID NOT DRAW FEDERAL CHARGES.
[JORDAN KUSHNER: PEOPLE ARE BEING PROSECUTED BECAUSE THEY PROTESTED AGAINST SOMEONE WHO WAS AN OFFICIAL IN THE TRUMP REGIME.]
THE PASTOR ON THE DAY OF THE PROTEST WAS A HIGH-RANKING ICE OFFICIAL...
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS SAY THE DEFENDANTS WERE ENGAGED IN NON-VIOLENT PROTEST PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
THE DEFENDANTS INCLUDE FORMER CNN ANCHOR DON LEMON AND JOURNALIST GEORGIA FORTE. EACH FACES TWO CHARGES... ACCUSED OF INTERFERING OR THREATENING TO INTERFERE WITH WORSHIPERS’ SERVICES OR RELIGIOUS RIGHTS.
PROSECUTORS SAY THE DEMONSTRATORS INTIMIDATED CHURCHGOERS AND BLOCKED THEIR MOVEMENT...
THEY SAY THE TEXAS DISRUPTION INVOLVED ONE PERSON ACTING ALONE … WHILE THEY ALLEGE THE SAINT PAUL DEMONSTRATORS ACTED TOGETHER.
--ANOKA COUNTY PROSECUTION--
ANOKA COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY A GAP IN STATE LAW PREVENTED THEM FROM FILING CHARGES AGAINST A FRIDLEY SCHOOL AIDE.
THEY SAY SHERIFF’S INVESTIGATORS FOUND EVIDENCE OF SEXUAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE TWENTY-YEAR-OLD AIDE AND A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD STUDENT.
THE AIDE HAD NO TEACHING LICENSE... AND THE THIRTY-ONE-MONTH AGE GAP BETWEEN THE AIDE AND STUDENT FELL SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD STATE LAW REQUIRES FOR CHARGES IN THIS CASE.
THE NORTH METRO DISTRICT SAYS THE AIDE REMAINS ON LEAVE.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--DEER SEASON OPENS, APPLICATIONS UP--
MINNESOTA’S FIREARMS DEER SEASON OPENED OVER THE WEEKEND…
THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES REPORTS LICENSE APPLICATIONS ARE UP NEARLY TEN PERCENT THIS YEAR…
--HUNTERS’ HELP WITH TICK RESEARCH--
DEER HUNTERS... AND OTHERS SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS THIS SEASON... ARE ENCOURAGED TO HELP THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MAP TICKS ACROSS THE STATE.
RESEARCHERS ARE ASKING FOR PHOTOS AND TICK SAMPLES TO HELP TRACK DIFFERENT SPECIES.
VISIT THE UNIVERSITY’S “TICKLAB” WEBSITE TO REQUEST FREE COLLECTION KITS ONLINE.
--MEDICAL CLINIC DELIVERS FRESH FOOD PRESCRIPTION--
ON MINNESOTA’S NORTH SHORE... A PILOT PROGRAM THAT TREATS FOOD AS MEDICINE IS REPORTING POSITIVE OUTCOMES. IT PROVIDES FRESH, LOCAL FOOD AS AN EXPERIMENTAL PRESCRIPTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CERTAIN HEALTH CONCERNS.
THIS SUMMER... SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN CLINIC IN COOK COUNTY IDENTIFIED PATIENTS WHO STRUGGLED TO AFFORD GROCERIES OR HAD DIET-RELATED HEALTH CONCERNS.
THE NORTHWOODS FOOD PROJECT THEN WORKED WITH EIGHT LOCAL FARMERS TO PROVIDE HEALTHY GROCERIES TO ELEVEN PEOPLE FOR FOURTEEN WEEKS.
DIRECTOR KATE COWIE-HASKELL TELLS AMPERS AFFILIATE W-T-I-P THAT LOCAL PRODUCERS SUPPLIED MORE FOOD THAN EXPECTED.
[KATE COWIE-HASKELL / NORTHWOODS FOOD PROJECT DIRECTOR: WE WORKED WITH EIGHT DIFFERENT PRODUCERS AND HAD REALLY CONSISTENTLY FRESH PRODUCE. BUT WERE ALSO ABLE TO OFFER SOME SPECIALTY ITEMS LIKE MAPLE SYRUP AND WILD RICE, AND EVEN SOME LOCALLY RAISED, FRESH-BUTCHERED CHICKENS.]
ORGANIZERS HAVE FUNDING TO BRING THE PROGRAM BACK NEXT YEAR AND HOPE TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--VETERANS DAY PREVIEW AROUND MINNESOTA --
TOMORROW IS VETERANS DAY... BUT IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA... WINONA’S VIGIL BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
VOLUNTEERS WILL STAND WATCH AT VETERANS PARK FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS... WITH A CANNON SALUTE AT ELEVEN TOMORROW MORNING.
NORTH OF LITTLE FALLS... THE MINNESOTA MILITARY AND VETERANS MUSEUM MARKS ITS FIRST VETERANS DAY IN ITS NEW BUILDING OUTSIDE CAMP RIPLEY.
RETIRED GUARD COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR ROBERT KLINKNER IS ONE OF THE VETERANS FILMED FOR A MUSEUM EXHIBIT.
[ROBERT KLINKNER / RETIRED MINNESOTA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR: THEY CAN SIT DOWN AND WATCH KIND OF AN OPENING MOVIE ON WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID, WHY WE SERVED, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT.]
--OTHER VETERANS EVENTS --
AND FINALLY …
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SAYS 25 PERCENT OF ABLE-BODIED ADULT NATIVE AMERICANS ENLIST IN THE ARMED FORCES… SERVING THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS REPRESENTING THEIR SOVEREIGN NATIONS.
ON NORTHERN MINNESOTA’S RED LAKE RESERVATION... THE PONEMAH VETERANS DAY POWWOW HONORS NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS.
THE STATE’S OFFICIAL VETERANS DAY CEREMONY TAKES PLACE IN DULUTH.
YOU CAN STREAM THE CEREMONY LIVE ON THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WEBSITE... AT TEN TOMORROW MORNING.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES... I'M XAN HOLSTON.