Star Tribune
Abortion debate plays out at St. Paul Planned Parenthood as VP makes historic visit
The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul has drawn anti-abortion demonstrators for years on a near daily basis. That was no different Thursday, with Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit a signal that President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party intends to highlight the administration’s support of reproductive rights in the 2024 election.
Demonstrators and supporters lining nearby sidewalks numbered about a dozen each. Brian Gibson, director of Pro-Life Ministries, said most demonstrators didn’t even know Harris would be visiting Thursday, or only found out a bit earlier. Supporters were mostly people from nearby who had also just learned of the visit.
Scott Pike of Falcon Heights said he’s been protesting in front of the clinic for a decade. He demonstrates, he said, because he believes life begins at conception and considers abortion to be murder.
“If I were still in the womb, I would have value,” Pike said. “Everything was there to make me who I am today.”
Crystal Alan of Kenyon, an hour south of the Twin Cities, also regularly demonstrates in front of the Planned Parenthood. She didn’t know Harris would be in town until she got the clinic Thursday for another round of protesting.
“It explained all the cops,” Alan said.
Ramsey County deputies and St. Paul police blocked traffic on Vandalia St. between University Ave. and Charles Ave. in front of the clinic. They ordered protesters and onlookers alike to stand on the sidewalk across the street from the facility. Most did, although a man carrying a sign that said “complicit in genocide” kept approaching the clinic as law enforcement officials ordered him away from the building.
Some on hand were just there to catch a glimpse of the VP.
Asha and Scott Rysdahl, who live nearby, came out hoping to catch a glimpse of Harris, noting her status as the first Black and Asian woman to hold the country’s second highest political office.
“It’s really cool to have a person like that in the White House,” said Asha Rysdahl, who is also of Indian descent.
The Rysdahls were two of about a dozen supporters who turned out to Planned Parenthood Thursday morning. About as many protesters, many of whom had already planned to demonstrate against the clinic before they knew Harris would be there, were also present.
Patrick Westerlund and Jessie Rasmussen, who live in St. Paul, were among the crowd with their eyes trained on the clinic hoping for a glimpse of Harris.
“We were excited to show our support for the vice president,” Westerlund said.
Star Tribune staff writer Rochelle Olson contributed to this story.
Some take him up on it and fret when he’s not around.
“It is nice to be missed and be part of the school’s culture,” Arzola said. But mostly, he added, he wants kids to know that police aren’t around just for when the bad stuff happens. He’ll hand out his stickers and bracelets, even a trading card bearing his image. Then, they’ll talk about dogs and family.
School resource officer Al Arzola talks to students in his office at John Adams Middle School in Rochester on Oct. 11. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Two months ago, Rochester played host to a three-day training session for new SROs from across the state — an event organized by the Minnesota School Safety Center. On the final day, the 26 officers learned about surveillance challenges at the other school where Arzola works: Dakota Middle School.
It is a beautiful building with a scenic view. There is a lot of glass, too. Arzola, handling the role of instructor and tour guide, took the group outside and noted how one could look straight through the entrance to the large groups that gather inside. There were no curbs in front, either.
“There is nothing stopping any vehicle whatsoever from going through my front doors,” Arzola told the officers. “Law enforcement wasn’t talked to before this building was made. It was kind of like, ‘Here it is. You’re the SRO. Do what you do.’”
He showed them his office, too, which is separate from the main office and near those of other school support staff members. That makes sense, said Jenny Larrive, SRO coordinator for the Minnesota School Safety Center, given than SROs spend more time connecting with youth than on actual law enforcement.
“The basic rule in Minnesota is you cannot preemptively post law enforcement at a polling place,” he said. “A city can’t say, ‘Wow, Precinct Two, there’s a lot of intensity there, let’s just put a cop at the door.’”
Simon doesn’t go deep into the details on security, though. “I don’t want to give a total road map to the bad guys,” he said.
But testimony at the Capitol last year on behalf of the new law bolstering protections for election and polling place workers indicated there’s room for concern. One election worker was followed to her car by an angry voter; the head of elections in another county was called repeatedly on her home phone during off hours, and an official was lunged at by an aggrieved voter, forcing her to call the local sheriff.
Those who violate the law could now face civil damages and penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation.
The Brennan Center survey indicated more than four in 10 election leaders were concerned about recruiting enough poll workers due to threats of harassment and intimidation. This includes doxing — publishing a person’s personal information online in a threatening manner — and swatting, fake emergency calls that result in an armed response being sent to someone’s home.
“Election officials are working to prepare for everything right now,” said Liz Howard, director of partnership engagement at the Brennan Center. “More than 90% of election officials have made improvements to election security since 2020.”
Star Tribune
Daylight saving time ends next weekend. This is how to prepare for the potential health effects
The good news: You will get a glorious extra hour of sleep. The bad: It’ll be dark as a pocket by late afternoon for the next few months in the U.S.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time next Sunday, Nov. 3, which means you should set your clock back an hour before you go to bed. Standard time will last until March 9 when we will again ”spring forward” with the return of daylight saving time.
That spring time change can be tougher on your body. Darker mornings and lighter evenings can knock your internal body clock out of whack, making it harder to fall asleep on time for weeks or longer. Studies have even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.
”Fall back” should be easier. But it still may take a while to adjust your sleep habits, not to mention the downsides of leaving work in the dark or trying exercise while there’s still enough light. Some people with seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression usually linked to the shorter days and less sunlight of fall and winter, may struggle, too.
Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology.
Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do — mostly in Europe and North America — the date that clocks are changed varies.
Two states — Arizona and Hawaii — don’t change and stay on standard time.
Here’s what to know about the twice yearly ritual.
