Minnesota
Minnesota National Guard families prepare for Father’s Day calls from dads overseas
COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — Minnesotans will celebrate dads this weekend. But some Father’s Day celebrations will have to wait until more than 500 Minnesota National Guard members come home from Kuwait.
For better or worse, the United States Military has become something of a family business. Maj. Sverre Sundgaard has no problem with that.
“My dad told me, ‘I always knew you were going to join the military. I just ask you to go to college and get a degree first,’” said Maj. Sundgaard.
He’s currently in Kuwait, one of roughly 550 Minnesota soldiers from the 34th Infantry Red Bulls. He’s been deployed before as a Marine in Afghanistan, but now he’s married with two young children.
“I think they’re doing good. My wife’s a great mother, so I think we’ll all be stronger as a family when I get home.”
The Red Bulls’ mission in Kuwait is to train and support regional partners. The War on Terror might be over, but they’re still in a rough neighborhood. And that was never more apparent than on April 13, when Iran launched more than 300 missiles at Israel. The U.S., Israel and other allies shot down almost all of them.
Back in Cottage Grove, Sundgaard’s wife, Ania, told WCCO she purposely keeps a very busy schedule for the kids, Thor and Zosia. But it starts with a morning call from Dad.
“We know he’s going to be back soon. We just keep going,” said Ania Sundgaard. “Just think positive and take every day (laughs)!”
They’re not the only ones waiting either. The major’s dad, Kip Sundgaard, will certainly miss his son this Father’s Day. But he says there’s no greater gift than family values being passed down from generation to generation.
“You want your kids to learn that it’s important to be a giving person and not selfish, and to be willing to sacrifice for other people,” said Kip Sundgaard.
The Red Bulls are due home around Christmas. Maj. Sundgaard said that besides being back with family, he’s most excited to jump in a lake. It was 112 degrees in Kuwait on Friday.
Minnesota
Over 840,000 Minnesotans Assist Aging Loved Ones, Shaping Their Daily Lives
UNDATED (WJON News) — A new report says hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are caring for a loved one.
The AARP says its report indicates 840,000 Minnesotans are caregivers for adults, providing care for older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones.
They spend about 480 million hours of care each year, work that would be valued at $11.1 billion per year if it were paid in the marketplace, based on a value of about $23 per hour.
AARP says family caregivers are averaging about 27 hours each week.
More than half, 57 percent, are providing high-intensity care, meaning they spend more hours helping with daily tasks like bathing and dressing, as well as complex medical and nursing tasks like wound care and administering injections.
AARP says these numbers are why it advocated to help secure Paid Family Leave and Medical Leave in Minnesota, giving family caregivers the ability to be there for their loved ones without sacrificing their jobs.
AARP also helps families navigate caregiving challenges by connecting them to resources.
Thanks For The Memories In MN Adam, SKOL Vikings
With the Minnesota Vikings waiving Detroit Lakes-native, former Minnesota State Mankato Maverick, Adam Thielen today, it’s only natural to go back and revisit his time with the hometown team. Here are some pictures of Adam in purple from his two stints with the Vikings, and his stats during his time with the Vikings.
Gallery Credit: Getty Images
Minnesota
Politics Friday: Mike Lindell ‘all in’ for Minnesota’s governor’s race with Trump backing or not
Minnesota
‘No King’s’ Flagship Protest Features Star-Studded Lineup Of Performers
Millions of people around the country will take to the streets this Saturday in the latest round of “No Kings” protests that aim to denounce President Donald Trump’s subversion of the rule of law and attacks on democracy.
“Masked secret police terrorizing our communities. An illegal, catastrophic war putting us in danger and driving up our costs. Attacks on our freedom of speech, our civil rights, our freedom to vote. Costs pushing families to the brink. Trump wants to rule over us as a tyrant. But this is America, and power belongs to the people – not to wannabe kings or their billionaire cronies,” the NoKings website states.
The flagship event in St. Paul is expected to draw over 80,000 people to the Minnesota capital, including Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda, legendary folk singer Joan Baez, rock icon Bruce Springsteen, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
It is one of 3,000 events planned nationwide, according to organizers.
“Our goal is to continue to build a peaceful and nonviolent movement that gets us to the place where we have a healthy, functioning democracy, and communities and state and country where we can all thrive,” Indivisible Twin Cities event organizer Rebecca Larson told Minnesota Public Radio.
The rally comes in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, which drew widespread national attention and resulted in the deaths of Americans Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents.
Springsteen, who is scheduled to perform at Target Center in Minneapolis later this month, penned a protest song in honor of Good and Pretti titled “Streets of Minneapolis.” He also plans to perform at the rally on Saturday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
“When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment, it elevates your job to another level. And I’m always in search of that,” Springsteen told the publication.
Saturday’s gatherings are the third such mass protests under the “No Kings” banner, the first of which was held last June as a counter-event to Trump’s military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which also fell on the president’s 79th birthday. The second “No Kings” protest occurred in October of last year.
Since then, a litany of events has captured the nation’s attention, including immigration crackdowns, government shutdowns, the fight over the release of the Epstein files and the ongoing war in Iran. “No Kings” organizers plan to hone in on Americans’ frustrations with these issues to increase turnout and attention for Saturday’s demonstrations.
“Now, President Trump has doubled down. His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants. Threatening to overtake elections. Gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education when families need them most,” the organization states on its website. “The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings – and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
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