Minnesota

OPINION EXCHANGE | What in vitro fertilization meant to my Minnesota family

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2024

OPINION EXCHANGE | What in vitro fertilization meant to my Minnesota family

Opinion editor’s note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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No young person planning to start a family imagines they will be one of the one in seven that will struggle with infertility. Similarly, no one imagines they or their partner will receive a cancer diagnosis.

My family is part of an unlucky, although not rare, group that has had to manage both.

At a time when in vitro fertilization (IVF) and infertility treatments are making national headlines in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court decision that ruled frozen embryos are considered human beings under state law, people all over the country are concerned about access to IVF and the ripple effect this will have across other states.

Ten years ago, my then-boyfriend Ryan was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He was 26. We had only been dating a year. We learned that the full-body radiation he needed would likely leave him infertile. Ryan decided to save his sperm.

While his cancer treatment was covered under insurance, fertility preservation was not — despite the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization defining infertility as a disease.

Thankfully, the cancer treatment was successful, and Ryan was in remission after a year. He did, however, have many post-treatment side effects like tooth deterioration, cataracts and osteonecrosis that all required care and expenses. He was also paying $300 a year to store his sperm.

In 2020 Ryan and I got engaged and thought about our future family. We tried to get pregnant without intervention but weren’t successful, which was no surprise due to Ryan’s health history. My physician recommended IVF but the costs start at $15,000 to $20,000. The process is also emotionally and physically draining.

We were lucky that my employer-based health insurance covered some IVF costs, but we would still pay around $12,000 out-of-pocket. Many Minnesotans have no infertility coverage.

Cancer took away so much of a normal life for Ryan in his 20s. We were not willing to let it take away our dream to be parents. We went ahead with IVF, and it was successful on our first try. We welcomed our beautiful daughter, Kennedy, in June 2022. She is here today because of IVF.

Now she’s a toddler, and we want nothing more than to have a second child. We have two frozen embryos in storage, but we haven’t done IVF again because we’re not sure if we can afford it. To save as much money as we can, we’ve avoided planning a wedding. We’re paying $600 a year to store our embryos. Yet every year we wait, the less likely an IVF cycle is to be successful.

Now we have something in common with IVF couples in Alabama. They are unsure what the future holds for their frozen embryos. IVF clinics there are already pausing treatments as they weigh legal risks.

The Alabama decision is another clear sign we need to make sure the approximately 185,000 Minnesotans facing infertility have access to affordable care. The Minnesota Building Families Act would require state-regulated insurance to cover diagnoses and treatments for infertility, as well as standard fertility preservation services for medically induced infertility (e.g., for cancer patients). Twenty-one other states have already passed fertility insurance laws.

No one desires to start a family by using IVF. However, it is often the only effective medical treatment option. Adoption can also be a wonderful choice, but it’s not for everyone and can even cost more than IVF. Would-be parents deserve options so they can choose to grow their family in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Dealing with cancer is difficult and life-changing. Having the additional burden of an infertility diagnosis should not come with a crippling cost for any hope of having a family.

It is more crucial than ever to take action and support the Minnesota Building Families Act to ensure that Minnesota is and remains a pro-baby, pro-family state, and that hopeful families get the infertility treatments they need.

Jennifer Stein is a Minnesota advocate for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She lives in Champlin with her fiancé, Ryan, and their daughter, Kennedy.

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Minnesota

ICE arrests in Minnesota surge include numerous convicted child rapists, killers

Published

1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

ICE arrests in Minnesota surge include numerous convicted child rapists, killers

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FIRST ON FOX: ICE officials on Saturday released a shocking list of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants arrested during their recent surge in the sanctuary state of Minnesota, including child rapists and nearly a dozen killers.

ICE told Fox News the criminal illegal immigrants were roaming freely in Minnesota prior to their recent arrest, and that they are the type of people Democratic politicians and activists are referring to as their “neighbors,” as they attempt to interfere with ICE.

“Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere,” ICE director Todd M. Lyons wrote in a statement. “Some of these criminal aliens have had final orders of removal for 30 years, but they’ve been free to terrorize Minnesotans.”

Anti-immigration enforcement agitators clash with federal law enforcement outside an ICE facility in Minneapolis, Minn. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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“ICE’s arrests prevent recidivism and make communities safer, but it feels like local politicians want to ignore that part and drum up discontent rather than protect their own constituents,” he continued.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to the arrests on X Saturday, calling the convicts “sick people.”

“This is why we have ICE Agents,” Leavitt wrote in the post. “May God Bless them for their thankless work to protect American communities from these sick people.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a photo of a plane on X Saturday captioned, “Lawbreakers going wheels up in Minneapolis.”

Some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants arrested in Minnesota include:

Sriudorn Phaivan, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of strong-arm sodomy of a boy and strong-arm sodomy of a girl. (ICE)

Sriudorn Phaivan

Sriudorn Phaivan, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of strong-arm sodomy of a boy and strong-arm sodomy of a girl, another aggravated sex offense, nine counts of larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, four counts of fraud, vehicle theft, two counts of drug possession, obstructing justice, possession of stolen property, receiving stolen property, burglary and check forgery.

He also has pending charges for two counts of receiving stolen property, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement and burglary.

Phaivan has had a deportation order since 2018.

Tou Vang, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under the age of 13, and procuring a child for prostitution. (ICE)

Tou Vang

Tou Vang, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under the age of 13, and procuring a child for prostitution.

Vang has had a deportation order since 2006.

Chong Vue, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of the strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old girl, and kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her. (ICE)

Chong Vue

Chong Vue, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of the strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old girl, and kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her.

Vue has had a deportation order since 2004.

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Ge Yang, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon, and strangulation. (ICE)

Ge Yang

Ge Yang, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon, and strangulation.

Yang has had a deportation order since 2012.

Pao Choua Xiong, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of rape and child fondling. (ICE)

Pao Choua Xiong

Pao Choua Xiong, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of rape and child fondling.

Xiong has had a deportation order since 2003.

Kou Lor, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of rape, rape with a weapon, and sexual assault. (ICE)

Kou Lor

Kou Lor, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of rape, rape with a weapon, and sexual assault.

Lor has had a deportation order since 1996.

Hernan Cortes-Valencia, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was ordered to leave the country in 2016 and has been convicted of sexual assault against a child, sexual assault-carnal abuse and four DUIs. (ICE)

Hernan Cortes-Valencia

Hernan Cortes-Valencia, a Mexican illegal immigrant, was convicted of sexual assault of a child and DUI.

Cortes-Valencia has had a deportation order since 2016.

Abdirashid Adosh Elmi, a Somalian illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide. (ICE)

Abdirashid Adosh Elmi

Abdirashid Adosh Elmi, a Somalian illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide.

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Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been convicted of three counts of homicide. (ICE)

Gilberto Salguero Landaverde

Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant, was convicted of three counts of homicide.

Landaverde has had a deportation order since June 2025.

Gabriel Figueroa Gama, a Mexican illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide. (ICE)

Gabriel Figueroa Gama

Gabriel Figueroa Gama, a Mexican illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide.

Gama was previously deported in 2002.

Galuak Michael Rotgai, a criminal illegal immigrant from Sudan, has been convicted of homicide and assault. (ICE)

Galuak Michael Rotgai

Galuak Michael Rotgai, a Sudanese illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide.

Thai Lor, a criminal illegal immigrant from Laos, has been convicted of two counts of homicide. (ICE)

Thai Lor

Thai Lor, a Laotian illegal immigrant, was convicted of two counts of homicide.

Lor has had a deportation order since 2009.

Mariama Sia Kanu, a criminal illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, has been convicted of two counts of homicide, four DUIs, three counts of larceny and burglary. (ICE)

Mariana Sia Kanu

Mariana Sia Kanu, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, was convicted of two counts of homicide.

Kanu has had a deportation order since 2022.

Aldrin Guerrero Munoz, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, has been convicted of homicide and assault.

Aldrin Guerrero Munoz

Aldrin Guerrero Munoz, a Mexican illegal immigrant, was convicted of homicide.

Munoz has had a deportation order since 2015.

Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, a Somalian illegal immigrant, was convicted of manslaughter.

Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed

Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, a Somalian illegal immigrant, was convicted of manslaughter.

Ahmed has had a deportation order since 2022.

Mongong Kual Maniang Deng, a criminal illegal immigrant from Sudan, has been convicted of attempt to commit homicide, weapon possession and DUI.

Mongong Dual Maniang Deng

Mongong Dual Maniang Deng, a Sudanese illegal immigrant, was convicted of attempt to commit homicide, weapon possession and DUI.

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Aler Gomez Lucas, a criminal illegal immigrant from Guatemala, has been convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI.

Aler Gomez Lucas

Aler Gomez Lucas, a Guatemalan illegal immigrant, was convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI.

Lucas has had a deportation order since 2022.

Shwe Htoo, a criminal illegal immigrant from Burma, has been convicted of negligent homicide with a weapon. (ICE)

Shwe Htoo

Shwe Htoo, a Burmese illegal immigrant, was convicted of negligent homicide.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

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Minnesota

Tragedy in Minnesota, vaccine news, Snoop’s game call: Week in review

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Tragedy in Minnesota, vaccine news, Snoop’s game call: Week in review

Childhood vaccine schedule gets lighter

Kids in the United States will now have four fewer recommended vaccines on their childhood vaccine schedule, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. The four vaccines are for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A, which will now be considered a shared decision between parents and doctors. Insurers will continue covering the vaccines regardless of the category, the HHS said. The administration says the move aligns the U.S. vaccine schedule with that of other developed nations; public health experts say the decision puts children’s health at risk.

Fraud scandal drags down Tim Walz

A bare-knuckles 2026 campaign season has barely begun, and it has already knocked out one high-profile candidate. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, dogged by a scandal that saw hundreds of millions of dollars in state Medicaid payouts exposed as possibly fraudulent, says he will not seek reelection. “I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election,” Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, said in a statement. Dozens of people in Minnesota have been charged with stealing taxpayer dollars in what the Justice Department called the “largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country.”

I’ll have a sniff and a slice

Candle shoppers are still melting down over some of the offerings in Bath & Body Works’ “Perfect Pairings” collection − in particular, the Pizza & Ranch candle, which promises notes of “gooey cheese, crispy pepperonis and ranch.” The fragrance, released in December as one of the “fun and unexpected” fragrances for Candle Day 2025, brought reactions that border on the unprintable, including one that referenced a Diaper Genie pail. Other scents were Coffee & Donuts, Chips & Salsa and Popcorn & Slushie. As of Jan. 5, only the Chips & Salsa candle was available on the company’s website, and alas, there was no word on restocking.

The great Oscars countdown has begun

Roll out the red carpets and chill the champagne: Hollywood’s race for the Oscars kicked off Jan. 4 with the Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, where “Sinners” and “Frankenstein” led the field with four wins each. “One Battle After Another” won best picture; for best actor and actress, Timothée Chalamet of “Marty Supreme” and Jessie Buckley of “Hamnet” took home the trophies. Next up on the watch list: the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11. Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy Awards, comes March 15.

Snoop goes unleashed in his NBA game call

Coaches clashing with officials is nothing new, but this brouhaha came with a Snoop Dogg play-by-play – and a rebuke from the coach’s mom. The coach was the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr, who had to be restrained after he was ejected from the game in a dispute over a missed goaltending call against the LA Clippers. “Steve’s raining fire on them. Woo-hoo!” barked Snoop, a guest analyst for Peacock. “The Arizona Wildcat came out. … Rawr, rawr!” Later, Kerr said he was amused by Snoop’s call, but his mother, who was at the game, was “terribly disappointed in me.” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol

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Minnesota

Protests continue in the Triangle over ICE actions after Minnesota shooting incident

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Protests continue in the Triangle over ICE actions after Minnesota shooting incident

Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are continuing across the Triangle this week, fueled by anger and fear after a woman was shot and killed during an immigration enforcement operation Wednesday in Minnesota.

Adali Abeldanez, owner of Moroleon Supermarket in Durham, said fear is impacting daily life and local businesses, including his own.

“People are still stressed and worried,” he said.

Abeldanez said he has seen a noticeable change in customer behavior since ICE operations intensified. While his store has offered delivery services for years, he noticed requests surged in November, when ICE was in the state, and have remained high.

“That uptick in delivery – do you believe that’s directly tied to people’s fear about ICE?” WRAL asked Abeldanez.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he said.

He said some store clients are afraid to leave their homes and are relying on organized deliveries instead. Abeldanez said his wife is undocumented and frightened, a feeling he said is widely shared in the immigrant community.

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Abeldanez believes ICE agents need more training and greater accountability.

“They’re dealing with people — human beings. It’s life,” he said. “The law should be enforced, but obviously with due process and taking into consideration humanity, being humane.”

He also criticized what he described as racial profiling; he said agents approach people in public spaces based on appearance rather than targeted investigations.

“They should have some kind of plan to know where to go, who to look for, and not just randomly pick people,” Abeldanez said.

Despite his concerns, Abeldanez said he felt encouraged by this week’s protests, as long as they remain peaceful.

“As long as it’s something peaceful, I feel proud,” he said. “Seeing people protest in favor of protecting the immigrant community — I think that’s awesome.”

But while both sides believe peaceful protesting is important, the divide is regarding ICE’s actions.

Matt Mercer, communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party, said the Minnesota shooting involved an agent acting in self-defense, citing video evidence and injuries the agent sustained.

“There’s a human element where someone loses their life, which you never want to see,” Mercer said. “But the video speaks for itself.”

Mercer said recent confrontations with ICE agents are not peaceful protests but attempts to obstruct federal law enforcement.

“If you wish to protest, do that in ways you can traditionally protest,” Mercer said. “Surrounding agents, obstructing vehicles or creating chaos is not legitimate protest.”

The Minnesota incident remains under investigation. Meanwhile, protests in the Triangle are expected to continue, including one Friday night in Durham.

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