In Memory

Melissa and Mark Hortman June 14, 2025

Early Saturday morning Rep. Melissa Hortman & her husband, Mark, were murdered in their Brooklyn Park home in a a politically motivated act of violence.

Governor Walz said, “Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends. Speaker Hortman was someone who served the state of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service,”“She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many.”

“She was a bright shining light of a human being,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Minnesotans lost a really important and impactful leader.”

Many of us have worked with Melissa who was the top Democrat in the Minnesota House. We send love to those that were close to her and resolve never to be cowed by violent threats to our democracy.

State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot by the same person, who remains at large as of Sunday. They have undergone surgery and are alive. DFL Sen. Hoffman has served District 34 since 2012, which includes parts of Anoka and Hennepin Country.

Meeting in Cook on Proposed Medicaid Cuts

When:

Wednesday, June 18, 6:30–8:00pm

Where:

Cook Community Center
510 Gopher Dr.
Cook, MN

The report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform found that 742 rural hospitals are at risk of closing, which is one-third of all rural hospitals in the country. One third of all rural hospitals are at risk of closing “in the near future,” with over 300 being classified as “at immediate risk.” Will the Cook Area Hospital be one of those 742?

In the February 14th edition of the Timberjay newspaper, the headline read “Federal fund freeze sends chill thru Scenic Rivers” because of the federal Medicaid reimbursement freeze that had been implemented. Now, with the House of Representatives voting in favor of very large Medicaid and Medicare cuts, the Cook Area Health Care system faces an even more uncertain future.

On Wednesday June 18, starting at 6:30PM, a Healthcare roundtable will be held at the Cook Community Center. Members of the community can hear directly from Teresa Debevec, the CEO of the Cook Hospital and Care Center; Keith Harvey, the executive director of Scenic Rivers Health Services; Liz Dahl, the chair of the Cook Hospital Board; and the hospital board legislative committee chair, John Stegmeir, about what the future may look like if the present legislation becomes law. This event is free and open to all.

Signing/Resisting Events

Each Friday at noon at the following locations:

Cook

Hwy 53 and River Street

Ely

Whiteside Park

Tower

Mainstreet by the locomotive

It is easier for passers-by to read signs with fewer words and large, bold letters made with paint or thick markers. Choose an issue you are passionate about! Common concerns for people are health care, jobs, education, food costs, and the economy.

Fast for Gaza

A Global Act of Solidarity

When:

June 16, all day

On June 16, Combatants for Peace, alongside Israeli and Palestinian partners in the region and global allies, will lead a one-day international solidarity fast for Gaza. This fast is not a political statement to governments — it is a human call to the people. To Gazans. To the hostages. To everyone living through this nightmare.

“We see you. We will not look away.”

Public Meeting to Urge Rep. Stauber to Vote Against Cuts to Our Safety Net

Sponsored by ISAIAH

When:

June 16, 10:00—11:00am

Where:

Congressman Stauber's office
5094 Miller Trunk Hwy Suite 900
Hermantown, MN

Join small business owners, local elected leaders, clergy, healthcare and social service providers and community members to engage Rep. Stauber's office about the devastating impact of proposed federal legislation to gut Medicaid, which provides healthcare to a quarter of the people of CD8 and SNAP, which keeps our communities fed.

Fund Families, Not Billionaires

Sign our petition by June 15

Local Protests

We came together

Chisholm and Virginia No Kings Day

Despite Walz and the state trooper attempting to call off all events past a certain time, nearly 500 protestors showed up in Chisholm (Pop. 4,700) and 300+ in Virginia (Pop. 8,000). The turnout was incredible given the cancellation messages that had gone out and the horrific start to the day. Chisholm worked to raise funds for their organization and for disabled vets. They earned nearly $1,000.

Ely No Kings Day

We had a VERY successful demonstration in Ely with 385 (over 10% of the population!) protestors filling both sides of a full block and some spillover into the next block. People were horrified and saddened by the violent politically motivated assaults, but maintained a positive, passionate energy throughout the demonstration. In spite of MAGA counter- protestors’ vulgar and insulting language directed to individuals and cars passing by, The No Kings folks were peaceful, cheerfully waving at supporters and opponents driving by, enjoying talking with each other, and maintaining a non-violent, non- reactive stance to efforts to antagonize them as organizers had requested. The contrast was inspiring. Visitors and locals were happy to find an event in Ely, and forty-seven new people signed up for this newsletter. Our youngest protestor was six months old. Grandpa Paul Schurke said, “Gotta’ start them young!”

We posted a stream of coverage of the day's events both in the state and across the country on our Bluesky and Facebook pages.

We will be gathering photos and compiling an archive photo album available through our website. Please send us your pictures and stories!

Other Regional Posts

A Turning Point

from Robert Hubbell

"It will take days or weeks to understand the scale and number of pro-democracy rallies on June 14, 2025. It will take years to understand that No Kings Day was the turning point in reversing the anti-democratic authoritarianism of Trump's second term. But for the millions of Americans who participated in the rallies, change was in the air. This time, it was different.

The difference wasn’t just the doubling, tripling, and quadrupling in size over prior protests in the same locations over the last four months, although that was a bracing and welcome development.

No, the sea change was in those who showed up to defend democracy. Yes, the older white cohort of retirees and 60s-civil-rights veterans were out in force. But so were young Latino men and women, abuelas and abuelos, Black Americans of all ages, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, new citizens, green card holders, and migrants fearing deportation."

"No Kings Day" protests turn out millions, rebuking Trump

from Strength in Numbers

"Our unofficial estimate is that around 4-6 million people attended a protest event yesterday. Anti-Trump resistance is outpacing 2017.

We have that information for yesterday, and we also have it for every day since January 1, 2017. That’s thanks to data gathered and published regularly by the Crowd Counting Consortium, a joint project of Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut.

According to the CCC, there have been over 15,000 political protests since Donald Trump’s second inauguration this January. Over the same period in 2017, during Trump’s first term, there were barely over 5,000 protests."

The Power of the People is Rising

from People Power United

From jubilant block parties to bold, peaceful marches, families, workers, immigrants, and neighbors of every kind came together to make a simple yet radical truth undeniable: we do not answer to kings. Even as military units lined our streets and threats poured in from above, Americans across the country reminded the world of our democratic heritage—not by saluting power, but by resisting it.

Estimates say 6 and 10 million people participated, making NO KINGS the third largest protest in U.S. history. That's not just a number—it's a deafening roar of people power, echoing across generations and through every corner of this country. It is a rejection of tyranny and a celebration of the enduring strength of democracy.

Patriotism

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
— Theodore Roosevelt

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Northern Progressives supports a social and political agenda through active participation in civic affairs. Our goals are to inform elected officials about issues of concern to us and to increase public awareness and education to help people become politically and civically involved.

We are a chapter of Indivisible in northern Minnesota's Congressional District Minnesota-08.

NP Group meetings:

1st Wednesday in Tower
3rd Wednesday in Cook

Breakfast Club:

Pattenn’s Café in Orr at 10 am on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.

Northern Progressives Communication Committee

General email (submit ideas here):

hello@northernprogressives.org

Betty Firth

bfirth88@gmail.com

Beth Peterson

edithepeterson@gmail.com

Judith Ulseth

jgtulseth@gmail.com