By J. Patrick Coolican | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Reformers.
Writing from St. Louis for our annual summit of 39 States Newsroom editors, plus our HQ staff. I always find it inspiring: Quality journalism is being committed in 39 state capitols and D.C. and elsewhere, with millions of people reading about our democracy at a perilous moment. More on that in a bit.
Never say the Reformer doesn’t cover good news: Max Nesterak, who first wrote the story of a woman suffering from an ovarian cyst while in detention in Texas, reports that Andrea Pedro-Francisco was released Wednesday and began her journey back home to Minnesota.
As Max writes about her plight: “She was detained by ICE on her way to work cleaning houses on Feb. 5 at the height of Operation Metro Surge, an unprecedented incursion of some 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota. Despite having no criminal record, she was quickly transferred to Camp East Montana, a crowded, disease-ridden tent detention center outside El Paso, and then to another facility, the El Paso Processing Center. The arrest came less than a week before she was scheduled to have surgery to remove the cyst that had swelled to nearly the size of a tennis ball.”
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith apparently called in a favor, Max reports. He’s also reported on U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s effort to win Pedro-Francisco’s release as well.
(We did not publish the political subtext, cuz inappropriate, but here goes: Smith has endorsed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to replace her, instead of Craig. Smith, whose nickname is the “Velvet Hammer,” touted the release on social media, and her comms shop (casually) made sure Max knew her important role. Unspoken: Craig’s efforts weren’t going anywhere. Early primary voting starts in a few weeks.)
Sadly, we must temper our joy with a recognition that the mass deportation campaign continues: “Pedro-Francisco’s immigration case will be transferred to Minnesota, where she’ll have to convince an increasingly hostile bench of immigration judges that she deserves asylum.”
Andrea Pedro-Francisco. (Courtesy photo)
In rush to meet federal deadline, Minnesota cuts funding to 60% of providers in 13 Medicaid programs
By Alyssa Chen
The Minnesota Department of Human Services cut off funding to more than 3,000 care providers across 13 Medicaid services in its sweeping “revalidation” effort — a four-month screening of roughly 5,500 providers made in response to heightened federal scrutiny over fraud in Minnesota’s social services.
Providers that had payments terminated range from smaller businesses serving a few dozen people to well-established companies such as Dungarvin, a national, decades-old human service organization with over 2,000 impacted Minnesota clients.
The state faced a May 31 deadline from the Trump administration to screen providers by reviewing their documents and conducting unannounced site visits, after which it cut off providers that still had in-process revalidations. Providers and their advocates say the process was rushed and has left legitimate providers unable to get paid for delivering services to vulnerable Minnesotans.
By Andy Mannix and Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica
We republished today this deeply troubling investigation from ProPublica and the Star Tribune on the widespread child sexual abuse that was permitted inside the insular Old Apostolic Lutheran Church.
The church teaches that once a perpetrator is forgiven, no one should speak about the wrongdoing including the victim, who can be accused of having an unforgiving heart.
The abuse spans geography and generations.
For example in Wyoming, Charles Massie is charged with abusing at least seven girls over a decade — with most incidents occurring during church services. His brother, Clint Massie, was convicted in Minnesota for sexually assaulting young girls, also in church.
In southwestern Washington, church member Carsie Tikka was convicted of raping a 9-year-old boy. But one woman, who was a member of the church at the time, said that years before he was charged, Tikka had assaulted her stepchildren, and the leaders had done nothing to stop him.
Church leaders say they don’t perceive a pattern of behavior and defend their doctrine.
By Jennifer Shutt
The U.S. Senate approved a nearly $70 billion package early Friday, moving Republicans one step closer to funding immigration and deportation activities for the next three years without negotiating new constraints on federal agents with Democrats.
The 52-47 mostly party-line vote sends the measure to the House, where GOP lawmakers in that chamber could send it to President Donald Trump for his signature as soon as next week.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to vote no. Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet did not vote.
IN OTHER NEWS
Inspection shows sanitation, use-of-force transparency lacking at La. ICE detention center | Reformer via States Newsroom
Roseau pilot recovers airplane seized by Red Lake Nation | Star Tribune
OH BY THE WAY
States Newsroom gave the Reformer staff an award during our summit called “Big Hero 6,” after the movie, which I have not seen. Maya Rudolph? I’m in. Anyway, the award “recognizes the team’s fearless and relentless reporting and commitment to public service for the past year.”
It’s all Max, Michelle Griffith, Madi McVan, Alyssa Chen and Nicole Neri. Incredible people I get to work with.
But this award also belongs to the entire Reformer community of readers, donors, sources, haters.
Back to work.
Correspond: [email protected]
Have a great weekend. JPC
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