Minnesota Now August 29 2022

CATHY WURZER: It's Minnesota Now. I'm Cathy Wurzer. Schools started today in some Minnesota districts. 371 of those public schools will receive some extra support to help students boost achievement. We'll find out what help is being offered. And access to abortion is changing in the states surrounding Minnesota since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe decision. We'll hear what's changing in the state of Wisconsin.

More than 7,000 young people are at the state fair to show off their animals in competition. We'll talk with a first-time fair-goer and the mentor who is helping her navigate the great Minnesota get together. Speaking of the fair, the amazing Twin Cities based musician Annie Mack is playing tonight and tomorrow. I'll talk with her about her latest work and her musical inspirations. All that plus the song of the day in the Minnesota Music Minute all of it coming up right after the news.

WINDSOR JOHNSTON: Live from MPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Justice Department says some of the documents gathered during its search of former President Donald Trump's home may be covered under attorney-client privilege. MPR's Carrie Johnson reports today marks three weeks since the FBI executed a search warrant on Trump's Palm Beach estate.

CARRIE JOHNSON: A judge in Florida has said she's inclined to appoint an independent special master to review the documents as Trump's lawyers have requested. But federal prosecutors say a special team has already completed a review of the papers. The Justice Department says they found only a limited number of documents that could potentially be covered by attorney-client privilege.

DOJ and intelligence officials continue to review the classification levels of the documents. The director of national intelligence is also assessing the national security risks that could have resulted from disclosure of the materials. Lawyers for the government and former President Donald Trump are due in court later this week. Carrie Johnson, MPR News, Washington.

WINDSOR JOHNSTON: NASA says it will try again later this week to launch its new moon rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Today's scheduled launch was scrubbed because of a problem with an engine. Brendan Byrne with member station WMFE is following the mission.

BRENDAN BYRNE: One of the four engines on the massive rocket failed to get to the right temperature prompting the Artemis 1 launch director to call off the flight. The team encountered other problems during the launch attempt including a fuel leak and a crack in the foam insulation on the rocket's main fuel tank.

The mission's goal is to test the Orion space capsule before clearing it for astronaut missions in the future eventually helping to get them to the moon's surface. NASA says the rocket is in a stable condition and teams will continue to gather data about the issue. The next opportunity to launch is this Friday, September 2. For MPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne at the Kennedy Space Center.

WINDSOR JOHNSTON: NASA wants to launch the uncrewed capsule on a six-week mission around the moon and back. It's part of the space agency's broader goal of returning humans to the moon sometime in 2025. The United States sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait, the first time it's done so after several high profile US congressional delegations to Taiwan. MPR's Emily Chang reports military tensions in the strait with China have reached their highest since the mid 1990s.

EMILY FENG: The two US guided missile destroyers left their base in Japan on Sunday to sail through the strait. The US regularly sails warships there, but the timing of the operation is a sign to China of US interests in the region. China has been mounting military drills and flyovers of Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governed island in early August.

WINDSOR JOHNSTON: That's MPR's Emily Feng reporting from Beijing. Stocks continue to trade lower on Wall Street at this hour. The Dow Jones Industrial average is down 12 points, the S&P 500 down 2, NASDAQ composite also trading lower, down 45 points. You're listening to MPR News in Washington.

ANNOUNCER: Support for MPR comes from MPR stations. Other contributors include Fisher Investments, wealth management from dedicated advisors that tailor portfolios to each client's unique goals. More at FisherInvestments.com. Investing in securities involves the risk of loss.

CATHY WURZER: Around Minnesota right now, skies are partly to mostly cloudy. High temps today will be around 70 in the north, near 80 in the south. At noon in Brainerd, it's sunny and 68. It's 72 at the Duluth Harbor. And outside the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, it's sunny and 79. I'm Cathy Wurzer with Minnesota news headlines.

Several Minnesota homes and businesses remain without power today in the wake of weekend storms that brought torrential rain, hail, and a few tornadoes to the state. Xcel Energy is reporting more than 500 customers without power in its Minnesota service area, mostly in the Twin Cities. That's down from more than 27,000 in the immediate wake of Saturday night's storms.

Those storms produced several tornado touchdowns in the south and east metro area. The tornadoes were rated EF0 with winds up to 85 miles an hour. Those tornadoes downed trees that caused some building damage. Weather spotters also reported a tornado last night in Kandiyohi County. No immediate reports of any damage from that storm. Police in Cannon Falls are asking for the public's help after an apparent abduction over the weekend. Tim Nelson has more.

TIM NELSON: Officers were called to a gas station in Cannon Falls after a woman there reported she'd been abducted. The woman told officers she got into a car in downtown Minneapolis for a ride early Saturday morning. The driver instead refused to let her out and drove around the Twin Cities before heading to Cannon Falls.

The suspect fled when police arrived and was later spotted by police in Northfield in Faribault. Police pursued the vehicle but were unable to stop it. They later found the driver with the help of bystanders. Authorities are trying to retrace the route of the vehicle.

They report the woman said she had shouted for help while she was near a lake or river early Saturday morning, possibly within a 15-minute drive of Maple Grove. Anyone who recalls hearing a woman call for help and seeing a dark colored car speeding away around sunrise Saturday is asked to contact Cannon Falls Police. I'm Tim Nelson.

CATHY WURZER: School started today for some Minnesota students. As kids go back to class, their standardized test scores from last year are coming in and the news is not good. The state education department says most Minnesota students are not proficient in math. Just over half are proficient in reading. It's yet another sign of the pandemic's lasting impacts on education.

The state department of education has identified 371 schools, including 15 entire school districts for training and support over the next three years based on their results from standardized tests, graduation rates, and attendance. Saint Paul public schools have about two dozen schools on the list of those needing support. That's an improvement for Saint Paul schools. Stacey Gray Akyea is the chief of equity, strategy, and innovation for the Saint Paul public schools. She's on the line. Nice to have you on Minnesota Now.

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Hi. Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Welcome

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Good to be here.

CATHY WURZER: Welcome.

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: The bad news is, you have 24 schools needing help. But the number was higher. What happened at the schools that were removed from the list?

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Well, we had 11 schools removed from the list at various designations, a lot of intentional comprehensive planning. I think if you speak with principals, they will say a variety of things. Some principals will say it was intentional support in the classroom like tier 1 core instruction.

Some would say that it was organizational planning around the job-embedded professional development time. Many would say it was the support of what we call a learning lead, which is our school improvement model of a strategy sort of expert supporting instructional improvement across the building.

CATHY WURZER: Sounds like there was a lot going on let me ask you about, just generally speaking now, the pandemic clearly was hard on all students. And Saint Paul schools and of course, other schools are still struggling despite improvements. I understand only 35% of students are proficient in reading in the district. Only about a quarter are proficient in math. Was that the struggle before the pandemic?

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Oh, yes, absolutely. The pandemic just really exacerbated the challenges that we were having. We had actually had some larger percentages of students proficient in math as recently as '17-'18, '16-'17. And it had slowly declined, but we saw a large, large decline after the pandemic.

And in reading, we had also had larger percentages of students proficient. We were actually hoping that right prior to the pandemic, we were on an upward trend. We had been a little bit stable, but was hoping that we could get some traction. But that said, we are happy that we have some increases. We're not back to pre-pandemic levels by any means, but we're happy that we're seeing some increases.

CATHY WURZER: Help out listeners here. Given what we see here in some of these test scores, can this loss in learning be made up over time?

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Well, I think that's the question that all educators are asking themselves across the nation right now. There are different patterns within the interrupted learning time. Some schools, they had more in-person time across the nation than others. And of course, we had schools that were having challenges prior to the pandemic.

So I think the short answer is, we're not sure. We will certainly do our best. And with the influx of the resources from the American Rescue Plan, it's definitely supporting our ability to do more to address the unfinished learning. We may see impact on that unfinished learning, particularly for students that had more challenges during the pandemic.

And by more challenges, I mean students that we're beginning school. So younger students that were starting kindergarten or students that were starting sixth grade or starting ninth grade that those are sort of make it years where they learn a lot in terms of school as well as how to do school.

Also, students that were receiving special education services tended to struggle quite a bit during the pandemic and in distance learning, and students that are learning English as second languages. So we will certainly do everything and more to address.

CATHY WURZER: And I bet you have to throw into the mix mental health impacts. That has to be a factor here.

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Absolutely. And for some of our communities, it's compounding mental health challenges. And it is just compounding other challenges, intersections of challenges. And so yes, absolutely.

CATHY WURZER: When you look at the statewide data, there are glaring gaps between white students and students of color. And of course, that's been the case, oh, my goodness, for a very long time in Minnesota. And the pandemic has not helped close that gap. So what do you see as a path forward?

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: So I think a path forward is a all hands on deck community, citywide intersection agreement to support learning for each and every student. The racial inequities, learning, achievement, inequities, they're there systemic to any of our institutions and all of our institutions.

So I think the move forward is really addressing them, naming them, meeting the challenges head on courageously and consistently. And as persistently as those challenges have been, meet them with an equal level of persistence and all the way and together. Together acknowledging all of our communities, all of our ethnicities, and all of our differences. But coming together where it really makes a difference, which is for the betterment of our children.

CATHY WURZER: I wish I had more time. Thank you so much. I appreciate your time this afternoon.

STACEY GRAY AKYEA: Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Absolutely. Stacey Gray Akyea is the chief of equity, strategy, and innovation for Saint Paul public schools.

[MUSIC - LOOSE ENDS, "BASH & POP"]

Miss come and go, where you been now? Put a red light on the rest and wondered why and how. You're love it grows but no one knows who's on your mind, who's on your lap, don't they look the same yet. It's all right.

Oh, it's time for the Minnesota Music Minute. And this is the song Loose Ends by the band Bash & Pop. It was a band formed by former Replacements bassist, Tommy Stinson. This song is off of their 1993 album, Friday Night is Killing Me.

[MUSIC - LOOSE ENDS, "BASH & POP"]

--you had to wait. You care too much, you care less. Heading for a better view, but fail to imress. Well, I guess you got too far to stray. No day particular is where you end your day. You know I got no, the pavement holds no one. It's time to tie you loose ends up. Never mind what's wrong.

12:15 on Minnesota Now from NPR News. I'm Cathy Wurzer. There are thousands, yes, more than 7,000 Minnesota youth with their animals at the state fair this year. They come with their families, their 4-H club's or FFA chapters. It takes a lot of time and some money to get yourself and your animal to the fair and be part of a competition and hopefully win that blue ribbon. A little extra financial help goes a long way.

So the Minnesota State Fair Foundation has a grant program for first-time fairgoers to bring their animals to show at the fair. They're called BELLE Grants, beginning exhibitor livestock learning experience. The $250 to $500 grants defray the cost of travel, feed, and animal show supplies.

This year, Denica Sleiter of Morris, Minnesota is one of those lucky grant winners. Friday, I talked to Denica and her mentor, Kianna Dolezal. Kiana is an experienced hand at showing all kinds of livestock. Both young women showed rabbits at the fair this weekend.

DENICA SLEITER: So I'm Denica Sleiter. I have been in the rabbit project for three years, and this is my first state fair trip.

CATHY WURZER: It's amazing, isn't it?

DENICA SLEITER: Yeah.

CATHY WURZER: Tell me about your rabbits.

DENICA SLEITER: I have a Flemish giant here at the state fair. It's a light gray, and it weighs 10 pounds.

CATHY WURZER: It's a pretty big rabbit. Wow. And have you always shown rabbits by the way?

DENICA SLEITER: No.

CATHY WURZER: No. So this is new for you?

DENICA SLEITER: Yes.

CATHY WURZER: OK. I'm kind of curious, as the mentor in this team, how do you help Denica?

KIANNA DOLEZAL: So I went to her house and I helped her with some showmanship tips. So in showmanship, you present yourself to show your animal off the best. And so there are a lot of tips and little tricks to do that really well and win. And so that was the main thing I did, as well as I helped try to identify some of the colors of the mini lops she has at her house. And so that was my duty as the mentor was just to give her the tips and try and figure some of the stuff out.

CATHY WURZER: Showmanship is not easy. I think people think that it's all the animal. You know, obviously the animal is being judged, right? But the showmanship is a big, big deal.

KIANNA DOLEZAL: Yes I've shown every animal's showmanship, and rabbit is the hardest. Like in my opinion, my personal experience, rabbit is the hardest because there's a book that they can ask you anything in that book about any of the breeds. And they can know the right answer, and so it's quite a challenging thing. But it's also a lot of fun when you do well.

CATHY WURZER: What was the biggest takeaway, the biggest thing you learned when you two met and talked about showmanship?

DENICA SLEITER: Probably that she's really good at showmanship.

CATHY WURZER: What was the biggest surprise to you with all the things you learned about showmanship?

DENICA SLEITER: I learned that like when you're bringing your rabbit up to the table for it to get judged, I thought the people that stand there with their rabbit in their arms were just like didn't know what was happening. But I learned now that that's actually people that know what they're doing.

CATHY WURZER: That surprises me because I thought when you're in showmanship, you have your animal, your rabbit in this case on the table being judged, that the rabbit is by itself, right? And you are trying to show that rabbit to its best advantage. So but holding it-- you're are you allowed to hold the rabbit.

KIANNA DOLEZAL: So when you get to the table, generally, you won't, said the animal down until the judge invites you because it shows you're a bit more professional and you're waiting for the judge's OK. Because maybe the table, the previous rabbit peed on it so they want to clean that off first, maybe they're switching tables or something. So if you stand there and wait until you're invited, then the judge is ready to judge and do stuff.

CATHY WURZER: It must be really hard.

KIANNA DOLEZAL: It can be, yes. Because some it, you don't know what questions you're going to be asked, you don't know who's in the ring with you.

CATHY WURZER: Denica, are the judges' questions hard?

DENICA SLEITER: Most of the time, yes.

CATHY WURZER: What's been the hardest question so far?

DENICA SLEITER: They've all been pretty hard, especially when you're under pressure, you completely forget everything.

CATHY WURZER: Trust me, I understand that.

[LUGHS]

OK. So your mentee, mentorship is really interesting. Has this been done before in 4-H?

KIANNA DOLEZAL: I think it's been done previously one year before in the BELLE Grant program. And I think there's trying to keep it going because it's really good for new 4-H-ers to get somebody who's been to state fair like I have or even just can tell them a little bit more.

CATHY WURZER: When you get in the ring, what are you judged on? What's the rabbit judged on?

KIANNA DOLEZAL: So when it's not showmanship, the rabbit can be judged on what the standard says the perfect breed is for that rabbit. So I have satins, and so when I go into the ring, the judge is looking to make sure my satins have-- their guard hairs have like their hairs are shiny, which happens because of a mutation. It's what they're known for.

And that the body type, that their back arches the correct way, they're built correct, and they're filled out making sure for one, it's a health thing. And two, for what the purpose of the breed is. So for my satins, they're used for meat and fur in the past and now, any time other than showing. And so the book will tell you exactly how it should be, and that's what you judged for.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, wow. And as you said previously, any question's fair game that the judge might ask you.

KIANNA DOLEZAL: Only in showmanship. In the normal classes, you put your rabbit on the table immediately. You immediately pose them it's to get them to show off the best thing. And then the judge will come and they'll feel the rabbit and they'll pose them their way in that.

CATHY WURZER: Got it. OK, so what's it like being at the fair?

DENICA SLEITER: It's very interesting. It's a lot going on at once.

CATHY WURZER: What's your favorite fair food?

DENICA SLEITER: Martha's cookies.

CATHY WURZER: It's a good one. It is a good one. By the way, I admitted to before we started our talk that I did city 4-H as a kid. And I showed a dog and did photography. What would you tell kids nowadays about being a 4-H-er? Why is it a good thing?

DENICA SLEITER: Well, first, it's really fun. And you learn a lot of different skills with different kinds of animals. It's fun, really enjoyable.

CATHY WURZER: It is enjoyable. What would you say to a young person who might be thinking about 4-H?

KIANNA DOLEZAL: Well, I think even if you don't do animals and you do that photography or you do the dog or you do the pet project where you bring in your pet cat and you talk about it, just it lets you get out there, meet people, and try new things, get out of your comfort zone in a good way that's fun. And if you decide to do livestock or horses, anything like that, you can just try things. Just enjoy and try what you might enjoy for like a career or something.

CATHY WURZER: By the way, being a mentor, what's it like for you to watch a young person like Denica kind of blossom?

KIANNA DOLEZAL: Well, it was really fun. I went to her county fair show and I watched her up in the Best in Show lineup and get high on that placement and then win her showmanship class. So it was really fun to see her take some of those tips and even use some of her own technique and just really succeed in her county. And I hope she'll do the same at state.

CATHY WURZER: I hope you do too. Congratulations.

DENICA SLEITER: Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: It should be really fun. I wish you all the best. It was fun to see both of you. Thanks for stopping by the booth.

KIANNA DOLEZAL: Yeah, no problem.

CATHY WURZER: Denica Sleiter and her mentor, Kianna Dolezal both are 4-H-ers who showed rabbits at the fair this year. By the way, Denica ended up with a blue ribbon and ranked second in her class for her rabbit. Congratulations, Denica. By the way, if you're curious, there are some really good bunny showmanship videos on YouTube. My favorites are posted by Treyya's Hip-Hop Rabbitry.

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CATHY WURZER: And at the MPR booth right now on stage are Tim Nelson and our meteorologist Sven Sungard. Sven's out there talking about the art and science of weather forecasting. I bet Sven's got some to say about the torrential rains that dosed fairgoers over the weekend.

Tomorrow afternoon, Paul Huttner will be out there talking about the weather live from the fair. Today, 2:00 PM, there's the state fair parade. The bands have been terrific. Today's bands, Lakeville South, Simli, Totino-Grace, the Fine Arts Academy, and Chequamegon, Wisconsin. Again, that starts at 2:00. Let's get a news update here at 1225 from Todd Melby. Todd.

TODD MELBY: Hey. Thanks, Cathy. A fuel leak and then an engine problem have forced NASA to scrub the launch of its new moon rocket on a no-crew test flight. The next launch attempt will not take place until Friday at the earliest. The 322-foot space launch system rocket was set to lift off this morning from Florida with three test dummies aboard on its first flight, a mission to propel a capsule into orbit around the moon.

A legal filing shows the Justice Department has completed its review of potentially privileged documents seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate this month. Today's filing says the Department has identified, quote, "a limited set of materials that potentially contain attorney-client-privileged information."

The filing from the department follows the judge's weekend order indicating that she was inclined to grant the Trump legal team's request for a special master to review the seized documents and to set aside any that may be covered by claims of legal privilege. A hearing is set for Thursday in federal court in Florida.

Liz Cheney is openly considering a presidential run. But in the days since she lost her Wyoming congressional primary, would-be supporters have expressed skepticism about a White House bid. That includes Republican voters and local officials in three of the states that matter most in presidential politics Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. They believe the soon-to-be-unemployed Congresswoman has little path to relevancy in a 2024 presidential primary, never mind a path to victory.

At least 85 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year as Israeli forces carried out nightly raids in cities, towns, and villages. That makes 2022 the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2016 according to tallies from the Palestinian health ministry and an Israeli rights group. The military says the vast majority were militias or stone throwers and began the raids in response to deadly attacks against Israelis. This is MPR News.

CATHY WURZER: Thank you, Todd. Last week, a Bismarck judge temporarily blocked an abortion ban from taking effect in the state. But a trigger law passed by North Dakota lawmakers in 2007 dictates that the procedure should become illegal with the Supreme Court's decision earlier this summer to overturn Roe v Wade.

In next door Wisconsin, the Roe decision made abortions illegal. We are continuing our series looking at abortion in neighboring states. Devi Shastri is a health and medical science reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She's on the line to give us the latest from Wisconsin. Welcome to the program. Thanks, Devi.

DEVI SHASTRI: Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Take us back to before that June Supreme Court decision. What were the abortion laws like in Wisconsin?

DEVI SHASTRI: Yeah. So before Wisconsin, there were some limitations on abortion-- or before the Roe was torn down, there was some limitations to the laws in Wisconsin, namely, people had to wait 24 hours before they could get an abortion. They would have to do counseling. And that state kind of directed counseling that they would have to do.

And then there was a limitation on seeking abortions after 20 weeks unless it was medically necessary or in order to preserve the life or prevent irreversible impairment to the mother or if it was necessary in order to give the fetus the best chance to survive. Women were also required to get an ultrasound before they could get an abortion. And the provider had to kind of describe the image to the patient, but the patient did not have to look at it.

CATHY WURZER: So there were specific restrictions. And where does abortion stand legally right now?

DEVI SHASTRI: Right now it is illegal. After Roe fell, Wisconsin reverted to a ban that was actually first put in place in 1849. So it is a very old law. And that law states that any doctor who performs an abortion can be charged with a felony unless it is in order to preserve the life of the mother. And doctors found violating this law could face up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

CATHY WURZER: So what about women whose health is at risk? Who makes that decision?

DEVI SHASTRI: The doctors have to make that decision. And there's a lot of legal confusion around that part of the law specifically right now because a lot of OB-GYNs have been saying that there isn't a lot of clarity around what qualifies as life-threatening. Some who I've talked to have pointed to even mental health saying, what if my patient is suicidal and she specifically says it's because of her pregnancy?

Does that count as life-threatening enough? Or what if my patient has a chronic health condition that the pregnancy puts a threat on her heart or her lungs? And we know that it is a risk that she's not willing to take, does that count as life threatening enough? There's a lot of questions around that right now.

CATHY WURZER: Right. I read some of your stuff and you wrote that health care providers are worried about the legalities. How has the ban changed health care in the state? Can you determine that yet?

DEVI SHASTRI: There's a lot of uncertainty right now and I would say tension among the doctors who I've talked to, the OB-GYNs who I've talked to. So some people have said that this will have a chilling effect. That is kind of what I've heard from doctors since the law has changed and that they're not sure what they can do.

They're waiting for lawyers to answer their questions and trying to anticipate how they could be legally held responsible for things, not knowing kind of how that could play out. And it's causing concerns about delays to care. For example, one of the other provisions in the law currently says that if two other doctors agree that the situation is life-threatening, then the doctor can perform an abortion. So you need three total doctors in order to do that.

And it's unclear, is that only in the life threatening situations or is it in all situations? And so most doctors who I've talked to have been told to play it safe and make sure they have three doctors who sign off on any abortion procedures. And in rural areas, that becomes a big concern just because there is an OB-GYN shortage right now in terms of just getting care for patients.

CATHY WURZER: Any moves in the legislature to clarify this law?

DEVI SHASTRI: No. So prior to the Dobbs decision, the governor, the Democratic Governor Tony Evers called for a special session in the legislature in order to overturn the old ban. And that was met with inaction by the Republican-controlled state legislature. So right now, everything is moving through the courts.

There is a lawsuit that Governor Evers and the attorney general and others have filed trying to argue that this ban is unenforceable. And just last week, the Republicans leadership in the state legislature asked to dismiss the case. We're expecting that it will go up to the state supreme court and be figured out that way.

CATHY WURZER: As you know, Devi, Minnesota's been categorized as a safe haven state for people seeking abortions because abortion is still legal in Minnesota. You've reported that Illinois has taken in floods of patients from Southeastern Wisconsin. Tell us more about your reporting on that. What have you seen?

DEVI SHASTRI: Yeah. So within weeks of Roe being overturned, Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a 10-fold increase in the number of Wisconsin patients seeking care in Illinois over the border. And that pretty much lines up with what we know about the numbers of people who were seeking abortions in Wisconsin prior to Roe.

So it seems like a lot of people, especially that's Madison and Milwaukee are highly populated and close to the Illinois border. It sounds like a lot of patients are going over there. And that was kind of part of the planning that Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin was doing prior to this decision.

So they have doctors, OB-GYNs who are now licensed to practice in Illinois. They have a clinic right across the border in Waukegan. We also have seen independent doctors who have gone and opened up clinics in Rockford, Illinois and elsewhere. So we've seen this kind of push and effort to get patients across the border for care.

CATHY WURZER: You know what I'm wondering, what do polls show about the issue among just Wisconsin voters? What are what are voters thinking about this?

DEVI SHASTRI: Yeah. So it's pretty similar to some of what we're seeing nationally. But Marquette law school poll from August 17 found that overall, 60% of people opposed the decision to overturn Roe. That was definitely split on party lines. We saw 92% of Democrats opposed it and 28% supported it. And overall, we also see that 58% of Wisconsin voters regardless of party say that abortion should be legal in some or all cases.

CATHY WURZER: So what kinds of pro-choice groups are active in Wisconsin? What have they said about the decision, any action they're planning to take?

DEVI SHASTRI: A lot of the public opposition and just action around abortion access rights in Wisconsin has been seen through Planned Parenthood and through of more organized groups in terms of that. But definitely after the leak of the Supreme Court decision, we've been seeing a lot of just ground level activism and people from all kinds of groups just coming out to March. So I've covered a lot of protests and things like that.

And then since the decision, there's been a lot of efforts to connect people with resources. So I see a lot of community-focused groups who are working to connect people with funding and transportation and just getting them information during this time so that they can seek out care if that's what they want.

CATHY WURZER: And those groups against legalized abortion, are they active as well? Have they indicated what future steps they could take?

DEVI SHASTRI: Definitely. We have a few main groups. One is Wisconsin Right To life, and they have been pretty open about how they support the way that things are right now. And their main focus moving forward is supporting women who are carrying out pregnancies that are difficult to carry out.

So they've called for more funding and support for crisis pregnancy centers of which we have I believe more than 100 in Wisconsin. And those centers have been kind of criticized for being misleading but also are seen by many in the state who are anti-abortion as a resource for women.

We also have another group that has said that they will be pushing for a removal of the exception for the health of the mother. And they would like to see it replaced with one that equally protects the life of the mother and the life of the child. And there's a lot of legal questions around that, and it's unclear how far that will go. But they have been very clear that they want to get rid of the exception for the life of the mother in our current law.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Devi, thank you so much for the information. We really appreciate your time.

DEVI SHASTRI: Definitely. Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Devi Shastri is a health and medical science reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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ANNOUNCER 2: Programming supported by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Dressed by Nature textiles of Japan, another standard kimono show? Oh, no. This journey through Japan celebrates the resourcefulness of humans to create exceptional garments from local materials at artsmia.org.

CATHY WURZER: Glad you're listening to Minnesota Now for this Monday afternoon, 12:41. I'm Carthy Wurzer. Say, if you walk around the state fair, take a look and notice some pretty impressive architecture. The 4-H building, the Fine Arts building, the Coliseum.

For 75 years, the Ag-Hort building not too far from the MPR booth has been the home for seed art and displays of corn, apples, and honey among other crops. Digital producer, Sam Stroozas has been covering the fair and the Ag building's anniversary, and she's here to talk about it. Hey, Sam, how are you?

SAM STROOZAS: I'm good, Cathy. How are you doing?

CATHY WURZER: Good. So far so good. OK. Describe the building for folks who might not be familiar with it.

SAM STROOZAS: Yeah. So the Agriculture Horticulture Building, better known as Ag-Hort. It opened up in 1947. And it actually replaced the main building which burned down in 1944 and previously housed all of the exhibits.

So in '45 and '46 when the fair was closed due to the polio epidemic and World War II, construction on the new building took place and then opened up in '47. So this year, it's celebrating the 75th anniversary. And each Hall is a rectangular hall. They have eight rectangular halls with different exhibits like flowers, Christmas trees, bees, honey, and then crop art.

CATHY WURZER: And it's kind of like-- I love the way how it's the spokes, like a wheel and spokes, how it looks. I guess if you look at it, it's probably the closest thing that most Minnesotans are going to get to when it comes to what farmers

SAM STROOZAS: Exactly. So for a lot of men Minnesotans, I think it's hard to kind of remember what exactly the fair was rooted on. And this is a lot about it is when we think of agriculture and we think of farmers, it really represents how the fair came to be. And it was to support farmers and show off the latest crops, animals, and farming technology. And this kind of helps ground us and remind us.

CATHY WURZER: You talked to the superintendent of crops at the building. Sounds like he has a pretty long history at the fair.

SAM STROOZAS: Yes. So Ron Kelsey, he was seven when the building opened. He had just had polio and he actually taught himself to walk again just in time for the fair that year. And he comes from a long line of family farmers who showed crops every year. And it really just became a big part of his life. And now he is the heart of the building.

I mean, when he turned 75, he even got a corn cob tattoo. And now he's 82 and he spends every August and early September on the fairgrounds setting up the building and answering questions for guests. I mean, I just saw him yesterday working in the building. And he was ready to get to work and be there for everyone who had questions.

CATHY WURZER: I love that, the corncob tattoo. OK. How has the building and all the displays changed over the years?

SAM STROOZAS: So it really just changes with the times and the interests of the state. So in recent years, they've introduced more partnerships with the U of M. They have the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild now, the Dirt Wing, sustainable farming. But they're still keeping up the timeless things like crop art, competitions, and fair favorites when you think of honey sticks, apple freezies, apple cider.

And especially crop art, it's really big this year. I mean, I was on the line yesterday. It took me a long time to get through. It was wrapping around the inside of the building. And it's the most popular exhibit.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, absolutely. Hey, about another anniversary this year is the Hamlin Dining Hall. And folks are talking about this. I have to say, they do a great job getting the word out.

SAM STROOZAS: Yes. So it is the 125th anniversary, and I'm going to be working on an article about the Hamlin Dining Hall opened in 1897. I'm actually looking to speak with Minnesotans who have stopped every year. It opens up at 7:00 AM, the same time as the gates. So if anyone wants to talk to me about why it's so special to them, they want to chat, they can find me on Twitter @SamStroozas.

CATHY WURZER: Now, you were out there. I got to ask you this question, do you have a favorite food?

SAM STROOZAS: Oh, my favorite food, I mean, I got to start my morning with poutine. That's always a regular for me. I mean, it warms me up. It's kind of comforting. Yesterday, I had a vanilla malt from the dairy barn, and that was very good too.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I have to say, I had the same thing after we got off the air on Friday. It was pretty darn fine. OK. Just for one more time, on Twitter, Sam Stroozas. You're looking for fans of the Hamlin Dining Hall.

SAM STROOZAS: Yes. Fans of the Hamlin Dining Hall, those who make it a regular stop. I mean, it's been open for 125 years, so it's a big part of the fair.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Sam, thanks for stopping by.

SAM STROOZAS: Thanks so much. Sam Stroozas is a digital producer for MPR News. By the way, Sam's on Twitter, Sam Stroozas, S-T-R-O-O-Z-A-S. Check it out.

[MUSIC - ANNIE MACK, "WALKING AROUND"]

I'm walking around with my head in the clouds. Ain't never had no love, but it show feels right.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, what a voice! That is Minnesota singer songwriter, Annie Mack with her song Walking Around. Her EP, Testify was released last January mixing blues and country, rock and soul. It's a beautiful combination. Annie is playing two shows at the Minnesota State Fair tonight, Monday, August 29 and tomorrow Tuesday, August 30. She's with us to talk a little bit about what she's doing and what inspires her. Annie, how have you been?

ANNIE MACK: I've been really excited to start this new chapter and keep making music and being in community. So thank you so much for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Absolutely. Hey, tell me a little bit about Walking Around, that's the track we just heard. What inspired it?

ANNIE MACK: I wanted to write a love song that was for myself and to encourage other women to think about ourselves in a loving way. I think on the radio and just kind of what we're accustomed to, we hear a lot of songs, a lot of love songs about somebody else and things of that nature.

And I thought, how cool would it be to write about myself with my head in the clouds? It would be kind of mushy. I'm not the most mushy person, but I took a stab at being kind of whimsical and loving and romantic just with myself, what would it feel like to just have these really great things to say and just to take some ownership of my own path and journey and to be grateful for that.

CATHY WURZER: What'd that feel like?

ANNIE MACK: It felt really good when I was thinking about the words of what I wanted to say to myself and then also make it accessible to others. Like for instance, there's a line that says, "I'm not giving my energy no more to what no longer serves me," you know, "and I'm choosing to let go of things." Just really speaking edification to my spirit and honoring my journey. And that it's not perfect and it's mine, and I get to claim it.

CATHY WURZER: Now, you started production on this EP in February of 2020, but you went back into the studio to finish it after George Floyd was murdered. What was that like?

ANNIE MACK: It was powerful, humbling, beautiful, intense. It was really important to me to create something that was beautiful and Black for Minnesota. And it was really important to me to honor my contribution to liberation, my contribution to encouragement, my contribution to my own way of saying, as a Black woman, I am here. And I won't be silenced by violence and murder. And so it was my own declaration, my own militancy, if you will.

CATHY WURZER: And you said that this is you kind of following your own path. You grew up in Minneapolis, now you're based in Rochester. So that was a fairly big move, right? I mean--

ANNIE MACK: Right. I went to school at the Minnesota Bible College . At that time, I was going to school to study Christianity and spirituality, and I thought I was going to be a missions worker and all these things. And I ended up staying. It was a very big change of scenery, and I think it was important for me to get out of my environment and just to experience different aspects.

CATHY WURZER: Has it been OK? Has that movie been a positive one for you?

ANNIE MACK: It was a really hard adjustment at first. There weren't a lot of people of color, a lot of Black people. It was not an established city that it is now. It's come a long ways. As a matter of fact, I don't even think the buses ran after 6:00 PM. And this is a place that has the Mayo Clinic and IBM and it was not accessible to me. So it was actually really tough those first few years not having a car and not having a big support system.

CATHY WURZER: And so now you are where you are. Can I ask you about your influences, your musical influences?

ANNIE MACK: I love truth tellers. I love people that push the envelope in their innovation and creativity. So I'm a big fan of Taj Mahal and Etta James and Ray Charles, individuals that can kind of do everything. And then I love Valerie June, Ruthie Foster. These are some of my favorite artists that I just kind of pay attention to.

CATHY WURZER: Of course, we're going to play some Mavis Staples here. I adore here.

ANNIE MACK: Mavis Staples, absolutely.

CATHY WURZER: Mavis is amazing. So we ask all of our musician friends to tell us what's inspiring to them. And you sent us a song. This is Mavi's song, Never Needed Anyone. Let's hear it.

[MUSIC - MAVIS STAPLES, "NEVER NEEDED ANYONE"]

I miss everything I'd ever lost . Started over many times. Now I'm paying the cost. I never needed anyone. I never needed anyone. Never needed, needed anyone like I need you. I need you. Seems like so long ago.

Why did you pick this track?

ANNIE MACK: It's so intimate and it's so-- I can relate to the words and just-- Mavis is such a truth teller, like she reaches down into the depths of you. And you don't have to be a religious person, you don't have to come from the same walk of life. She has this way of just being accessible and just the spirit about her and this--

And so when I hear it, you're completely, you know, I come undone because it's just so deep. And the lines are beautiful. And Ben Harper actually produced this album and really just showcased this wisdom and experience. Mavis is just-- I call her Saint Mama Mavis because I think she embodies all those things and she's real and raw. So I love that. And so soulful.

CATHY WURZER: See, I'm glad you picked this because The Star Tribune, as you know, called "Minnesota's heir to the Mavis Staples throne," which I thought was actually a very apt description of you. But what do you think of it?

ANNIE MACK: I have a good size ego on me, but I'm not foolish. I'm not a fool. So I struggle with that tremendously, especially if I'm on the same lineup, which did happen.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, lord.

ANNIE MACK: When I was down in Florida, I'm like, there's only one Mavis. But I'm honored the sentiment. I know I walk in those realms of a truth teller and having a soul, but I have my own distinctive voice and delivery. But I am so inspired by her, but I made sure to do my own thing.

CATHY WURZER: I was also really pleased to see that you were on The Star Tribune's list this past February of 10 current Black Minnesota musicians you need to know alongside other folks that I just love, Pavielle, Ondara, Lady Midnight. That is a heck of a list, and congratulations.

ANNIE MACK: Right. I'm so grateful. I'm grateful that I get to show up and that's good enough. That's just a really beautiful-- it speaks to my spirit and just to continue showing up. I've try to play the game, whatever that is, for a while and it didn't feel right. It wasn't authentic. I love all kinds of music. I love pushing myself as an artist. I'm inspired by these local peers whom I've come to respect and just really admire. And so it's always an honor and privilege to share space with creatives.

CATHY WURZER: Exactly. Now, I mentioned to folks that you have got to state fair shows this week. So what to people who haven't seen you perform live for a while expect?

ANNIE MACK: It's going to be hot, sweaty, soulful, loud. We are here to take care of business. We are here to handle it, a good time. We do not phone it in. We really try every show. I'm going to work. Maybe the first song or two, I'm going to ease into it. But then after that, I'm the hot, sweaty mess. And so-- and I love that. I love that we have a reputation for being live performers and that really means a lot to me, strong live performance.

CATHY WURZER: Exactly. And there is an art to that. There's an art to live performance.

ANNIE MACK: Absolutely. I mean, to engage and to tell stories and to know what to do with your energy and your stamina, that comes with time. Great musicianship, I work with amazing musicians, and it feels good to get hired to do my thing.

80%, 90% of the songs we do are all originals, and I'm so incredibly grateful for that. And the covers we do are obscure, just more like to pay respect to inspiration. And so it feels really good that when people hire me or they want to work with me, they know exactly what they're getting.

CATHY WURZER: Is there any of the shows you're looking forward to as the summer winds down, which I can't believe it's winding down? But we're heading into fall.

ANNIE MACK: Yes. I am excited about going to see live music. I do have some really cool opportunities. I'm doing the Justice Alan Page. I get to perform at that. That's a little bit more of a private one, but I think anybody can go to raise money for the Alan Page Educational Fund. So that's always a lot of fun. The fair, it's pretty great. I always appreciate that. Yeah, we're just going to continue to have a good time and show up and do some really great things in the fall and the winter, work on a new album.

CATHY WURZER: Oh. I'm so happy to hear that. Good.

ANNIE MACK: Yeah.

CATHY WURZER: Good. Well, you know what? We need to go to some more music, obviously. So this is going to be a bit of another song from your new EP. So let's go out to that. Annie Mack, all the best to you. You are fantastic. I'll be in the audience at the fair cheering you on.

ANNIE MACK: Perfect. Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you, and thank you so much for having me.

[MUSIC - ANNIE MACK, "TESTIFY"]

You got to testify, tell the truth, stand on the rock of what He did for you. You got testify, tell the truth.

CATHY WURZER: That is Twin-Cities-based musician, Annie Mack. You can catch her at the state fair tonight and tomorrow night at the Shells stage. At the grandstand tonight, the Beach Boys and the Temptations. Say, earlier in the show, I mentioned the two young 4-H-ers who were showing their rabbits at the fair this year. If you're stuck at work but listening to the radio, here is a pro tip.

I love the state fair draft horse show, the work that goes into making those gentle giants show-ready is amazing. Their coats gleam as does the harnesses they wear. When they're all hitched up and roll out of the horse barn, the Earth shakes, no lie. Well, at 2:00 PM today. You can watch the State fair draft horse show via live stream. I'll send out the tweet with a link for you if you're interested.

Something completely unrelated to end the show, there are some tired baseball fans today who watched the longest game in Minnesota town ball history. A game that started last night ended earlier this morning. Bird Island beat Loretto 3 to 2 in 21 innings. That's the longest game in town ball state tournament history going back nearly 100 years.

The game played in Dundas took more than 5 and 1/2 hours. It ended after midnight. Bird Island's Tyler Hebrink singled to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 21st inning. Bird Island will continue in tournament play this weekend. Earlier in the game, Corey Koskie-- yeah, that Corey Koskie, the former Minnesota Twin-- hit a home run for Loretto. He's been playing town ball for The Larks alongside his son. That's a great story.

Hey, thanks, for listening to Minnesota Now today here on MPR News. Have a great day.