Midwest
Minnesota lawmakers propose controversial medically-assisted suicide bill
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Minnesota state lawmakers are re-introducing a bill to legalize medically-assisted in dying, which is legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C.
The controversial bill would allow Minnesotans with terminal illnesses to self-administer a prescription medication that would kill them over a period of time — a practice that some argue is an ethical way to end suffering while others argue that it is a dangerous slippery slope for those in a vulnerable mental state.
“I’m proud to carry the Minnesota End-of-Life Options Act once again at the legislature. Over the past several years, I’ve heard countless stories from Minnesotans who want the ability to decide, with their doctors and loved ones, how they spend their final days,” State Rep. Mike Freiberg said during a Thursday press conference, as FOX 9 Minneapolis first reported. “Their message is clear: They want compassion, autonomy and peace at the end of life.”
The Minnesota legislation is modeled on Oregon’s 1997 Death with Dignity Act.
MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS INITIATE DEBATE ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL
Minnesota lawmakers are re-introducing the controversial End-of-Life Options Act. (iStock)
“The person has to be an adult with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less to live. They must be mentally capable of making decisions, and they must be able to self-ingest the medication,” Freiberg said during the Thursday press conference.
The state representative told Fox News Digital in a statement that the bill “is about trusting Minnesotans to make personal medical decisions with their doctors and families.”
“The End-of-Life Options Act has been working safely and compassionately elsewhere for more than 25 years—we can bring that same peace of mind to people in Minnesota,” he said.
Freiberg noted during the press conference that two medical clinicians must be able to confirm the person’s diagnosis and consent, and the person undergoing medically-assisted death must also take a mental health examination.
LEGALIZED ASSISTED SUICIDE PUSH IN US ALARMS DOCTORS, DISABILITY ADVOCATES: ‘WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?’
Medically-assisted suicide is legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C. (Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist for The Washington Post )
The legislation is aimed at alleviating suffering for those with terminal, life-altering illnesses that impact physical and mental capability, such as ALS.
Tom Albin, who has ALS, spoke during the Thursday presser, as FOX 9 first reported.
“ALS is cruel. It will eventually trap me in a body that can’t move.”
“I am not suicidal, I love my life and the people in it,” Albin said. “With my medical team, I’ve done things to extend my life with a feeding tube and a non-invasive ventilator. But ALS is cruel. It will eventually trap me in a body that can’t move. But I’ll be fully aware of it the whole time. And there’s no escape.”
ASSISTED DEATHS MAY SOON BE A REALITY FOR THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA
Tom Albin, who has ALS, spoke in favor of the Minnesota End-of-Life Options Act on Thursday. (FOX 9)
Gina Schneider, regional campaign and advocacy manager for Compassion & Choices Action Network, told Fox News Digital that the organization is “so grateful for lead sponsor Rep. Mike Freiberg’s dedication to bringing the compassionate option of medical aid in dying to Minnesota by reintroducing the End-of-Life Options Act”
“All Minnesotans deserve a full range of end-of-life care options,” Schneider said. “We hope the legislature will honor the will of 73.2% of Minnesota voters who support this option for terminally ill adults in their final six months or less of life by getting HF 2998 to Governor Walz so he can make it law in 2025.”
The Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare is taking a different stance, with spokesperson Nancy Utoft highlighting the potential dangers of such legislation in a news release shared with FOX 9.
The Minnesota legislation is modeled on Oregon’s 1997 Death with Dignity Act. (Getty Images)
“Physician-assisted suicide is often framed as a compassionate option, but the reality is that it deepens existing inequities in our healthcare system and places vulnerable individuals—especially those with disabilities, limited financial resources, and communities of color—at greater risk,” Utoft said. “We should be saying yes to better care, not legalizing an option that pressures people into ending their lives prematurely.”
Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2017, and the nationwide law has prompted arguments about how medically-assisted suicide may prompt those suffering from mental health disorders to end their lives prematurely.
Minnesota state senators are expected to introduce the bill next.
Read the full article from Here
A better life is in sight for dozens of dogs.
PAWS Chicago welcomed 25 beagles from a massive rescue operation on Saturday.
Last week, more than a thousand dogs were rescued from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, after weeks of protests over their treatment of the dogs. Ridglan Farms agreed to sell 1,500 of the facility’s roughly 2,000 beagles, which were then transferred to rescue organizations across the country, including PAWS Chicago.
Celene Mielcarek, PAWS Chicago chief program officer, explained what’s next for the dogs as they begin their new lives.
“These beagles have lived their lives in isolation. They’ve lived their lives in cages inside. We’re going to make sure that they are healthy. They’re each going to get tucked in by a volunteer into warm bedding. They’re each going to get a yummy dinner tonight, and they’re going to start that new chapter of their life,” she said.
She says it will take some time for the beagles to get used to being dogs and understanding what it’s like to live in a home. To help with that, they will be sent to experienced foster homes that will help them understand human connection.
Once the beagles are ready, they’ll head to the PAWS Chicago Lincoln Park adoption center to meet their forever family.
Jaelen Reaves is well-prepared to study vocal music starting this fall at Oakland University.
And the reason why will be on display this week at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
“An Evening of Fine Arts,” a free show taking place on Wednesday, May 6, is the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s 57th showcase of performing and visual arts. Some 760 students from 14 schools will take part in the presentation, which includes 27 stage performances and 26 works on display in the Fox’s Grand Lobby.
And for students such as Reaves, who attends the Detroit School of Arts, it’s a chance to take a step towards a career on a stage that’s hosted showbusiness legends they’ve looked up to.
“It’s like, wow, because I know people like Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan and so many others have performed there,” says Reaves, 18, a vocal soprano who will perform with the DSA Lady Achievers and Concert Choir on Wednesday. “The fact that they sang on that stage and I’m about to sing on that stage is crazy. Just going to the Fox to see (a performance) is a privilege; for me to be performing on that stage is really an honor.
“The fact I have the opportunity to showcase my talent and what we represent here (at DSA). If I was in another school, I would never have had this opportunity. I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
Other performances during the night will come from the district’s harp and vocal ensemble, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and is the oldest such program in the country, and a selection of choirs, jazz bands, orchestras and theater programs.
“(The evening) spotlights the voices of our students in the highest visual and performing arts programs, district-wide,” says Andrew McGuire, deputy executive director of fine and performing arts for DPSCD. “When our students are stepping on the stage, they’re not only stepping into a legacy, they’re also stepping into the future as performers — as actors, as singers and all of that.”
The evening also demonstrates DCSPD’s continuing commitment to arts education at a time when many districts nationwide have severely limited or completely curtailed similar curriculum.
“We have a whole-child commitment,” McGuire explains, “which has meant the rebuilding and revitalization of fine and performing arts (education) district-wide. And DSA is not the only space where artists exist. All 106 schools have fine and performing arts, with most schools having two or more (programs) in them. It’s really exciting that in an age when there’s so much talk about pulling back, restricting and cutting, that’s not in our narrative at DPSCD. We’re proud of that.”
Reaves is certainly emblematic of the district’s effectiveness. Raised in an artistic family, as well as singing in church, she became interested in classical singing, but plans to study a broad array of styles at Oakland. “I just want to be a solo performer who has every single (style) under my belt,” she says. “I don’t want to just sing one type of genre. I would love to go around the world singing all types of things
“I know that singing, for me, is not a hobby. It’s something that’s in my blood. I can’t do anything but sing every day. So I want to make the best of it.”
The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s “An Evening of Fine Arts” takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Admission is free, but tickets are required. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.
Policies strengthening housing code enforcement and integrating housing interventions into public health strategies are critical steps for improving the health outcomes of Milwaukee families.
Watch Milwaukee’s city attorney discuss lawsuits against landlord
Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke discusses two lawsuits filed against Highgrove Holdings, LLC during a press conference.
The deterioration of housing quality in Milwaukee is not just a policy or economic issue; it’s a vivid illustration of the importance of public health initiatives.
As a medical student, I have seen how unstable housing complicates chronic conditions and contributes to repeated healthcare encounters. The articles “Milwaukee city attorney slaps out-of-state landlord with lawsuits” (March 26) and “Low-income Milwaukee families face systemic failures we must fix” (April 12) are prime examples of the ways Milwaukee landlords are contributing to health inequities. Residents reported experiencing leaky roofs, pest infestations, chipping paint, lack of running water and lack of heat.
These conditions disproportionately affect low-income renters, reflecting longstanding patterns of disinvestment and weak enforcement of housing standards. Leaking roofs promote mold growth in homes, which is associated with asthma exacerbation and other respiratory illnesses. Chipping paint increases risk of lead poisoning, which can cause irreversible neurological changes in children. Lack of heat can worsen chronic disease, including cardiovascular conditions, and lead to cold-related injuries, such as frostbite.
This blatant disregard of tenants is negligent.
Safe housing is foundational to health. Policies strengthening housing code enforcement and integrating housing interventions into public health strategies are critical steps for improving the health outcomes of Milwaukee families.
Olivia Avery, Madison
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