U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday he is acting director of the United States Agency for International Development — the world’s largest provider of food assistance to underdeveloped parts of the globe — confirming the de-facto takeover of the humanitarian agency by the State Department. The news came hours after Elon Musk said President Donald Trump had signed off on shutting the agency down.
SAID was established in 1961 by an act of Congress.
Any implication for the USAID remains largely unclear, but a number of organizations delivering humanitarian aid warned they may have to suspend operations or close altogether. Rubio stated that “the functions of USAID must align with U.S. foreign policy,” calling it “a completely unresponsive agency … there are things that USAID, that we do through USAID, that we should continue to do, and we will continue to do.”
The changes arrived as federal USAID employees worked Monday from home after being instructed to not report for duty at the department’s main office in downtown Washington because it was closed. Workers were told in an email sent just after midnight, a copy of which CNN said it had obtained, stating: “At the direction of Agency leadership, the USAID headquarters at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 .. Agency personnel normally assigned to work at USAID headquarters will work remotely tomorrow, with the exception of personnel with essential on-site and building maintenance functions individually contacted by senior leadership.
Musk accused the independent agency — which has spent the past six decades spending billions of dollars annually alleviating poverty, disease and the impact of natural disasters around the world, as well as promoting democracy — of being “incredibly politically partisan,” and alleged it backed “radically left causes” around the world those that were “anti-American” and that, on the basis of what his team had found, it was so far that it could not be fixed. Said Musk: “It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in. What we have is just a ball of worms. There is no apple. And when there is no apple, you just need to get rid of the whole thing. That’s why it’s got to go. It’s beyond repair.”
Trump concurred with Musk, saying the agency had “been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” on what future, if any, lay ahead for USAID.
HBO announced that it has renewed its sci-fi drama, Dune: Prophecy, for Season 2.
Showrunner Alison Schapker announced at a press conference that the series will return for a second season. Based on the novel, Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the show takes place 10,000 years before the ascension of hero Paul Atreides (played by Timothee Chalamet in the film franchise) and follows the Harkonnen sisters — Vayla (Watson) and Tula (Williams) as they establish the powerful, supernatural, Bene Gesserit religious and political organization.
The season one cast included Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Camilla Beeput, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning and Yerin Ha.
Jason Clodfelter, Legendary’s president of television, said in a statement: “This new season will allow us to continue building out the groundbreaking, epic Dune franchise that has captivated audiences worldwide across its installments. We look forward to continuing our incredible partnership with HBO and are thrilled for Alison Schapker, her team, and the cast and crew who have worked so passionately to bring this world-class source material from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to life.”
Sarah Aubrey, head of Max original programming, added: “Dune: Prophecy has captivated audiences around the globe thanks to the visionary leadership of showrunner and executive producer Alison Schapker, who will continue to guide this grand tale of truth and power. We are incredibly grateful to our partners at Legendary and to our extraordinary cast and crew for their service to the Imperium. We’re excited to collaborate with this team again to see what they have in store.”
Jason Clodfelter, president of television at Legendary (which produced the two Dune films), shared: “This new season will allow us to continue building out the groundbreaking, epic Dune franchise that has captivated audiences worldwide across its installments. We look forward to continuing our incredible partnership with HBO and are thrilled for Alison Schapker, her team, and the cast and crew who have worked so passionately to bring this world-class source material from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to life.”
According to HBO, the premiere episode of Dune: Prophecy racked up 15 million viewers worldwide on Max since its Nov. 17 debut. No premiere date for Season 2 has been announced yet.
Christopher Nolan’s next project has been revealed, with the Oscar-wining filmmaker taking audiences to mythical Greece with his latest project. Nolan is the filmmaker behind epic films including “Inception,” “The Dark Knight,” “Dunkirk” and his most recent film “Oppenheimer,” which scored big at the 2024 Oscars.
Universal Pictures announced that “Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”
The screen adaptation of the ancient Greek poem (believed to be written by Homer between 750 and 650 BCE) about a hero’s perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War is expected to start filming next year, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.
Holland recently spoke about signing onto the project, saying on “The Dish” podcast that the film hasn’t started shooting yet. Pattinson, Damon and Hathaway have all previously appeared in Nolan’s films, including “Tenet,” “Interstellar” and “Oppenheimer.”
The Crookston City Council met Monday night at 5:30 at City Hall in the Council Chambers.
There was one presentation for the evening fromRani A. Bhattacharyya, Community Economics Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Crookston Economic Development Authority asked Bhattacharyya to conduct studies that concluded with reports on Retail Trade Analysis and a Local Option Sales Tax for the City of Crookston. The Crookston EDA paid for the studies, which will be used to market and bring new business facilities to Crookston.
Some of the takeaways from the Retail Trade Analysis Report were that Crookston is underperforming in expected sales, and that Polk County has seen a decline in the number of businesses since 2011, from 616 to 573. Some takeaways from the Local Options Sales Tax Report were that 39.6% of sales in Crookston are derived from non-resident spending and what it would look like if a .50% sales tax was implemented and a 1.0% sales tax. Bhattacharyya’s reports also showed that Eating & Drinking stores are the most significant contributor to taxable sales in Crookston; however, between 2021 and 2022, there was a -9.3 % decrease in those sales. Overall, the studies can be useful for identifying opportunities to provide new or expanded goods and services in Crookston.
The consent agenda for Monday’s Council meeting included approval of minutes from the City Council meeting on January 21 and the Roles and Responsibilities workshop on January 27, 2025. Also on the consent agenda were resolutions to approve City of Crookston Bills and Disbursements for $302,513.99, approvethe Confidence Learning Center application for Lawful Gambling Premise at the Crookston Eagles, the approval of the City Council Committee Composition for 2025 (updated) and approval to apply for a MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Federal Recreational Trail Grant Program to match the Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant. Funds from this grant would cover some of the expenses of the Fairfax Trail Extension Project. The application is due February 28, 2025. The consent agenda was approved unanimously by the council.
The first item on the regular agenda was a resolution regarding a conditional use permit concerning parcel 82.03775.01, real property address 410 Ingersoll Avenue, to allow a daycare/licensed childcare facility. Emily Ricard has a lease agreement with the property owner and wants to run her daycare out of the property at 410 Ingersoll Avenue, so she has more space and the possibility of adding additional children to her daycare program. The property is in a Heavy Industrial zone, so per recommendation from the Crookston Planning Commission, Ricard was asking that she be allowed a conditional use permit to run her daycare from the property. “The conditional use for that daycare, for Emily Ricard passed,” said Crookston Building Official Greg Hefta. “There were no questions as far as the Council, but I think that the Planning Commission reviewed the requirements for that daycare, and they felt it was a good use of the building and fully met the zoning requirements per Planning Commission recommendations, so it was good to go.” The City Council approved the conditional use permit unanimously.
The second item on Monday evening’s regular agenda was a closed session to discuss the City Administrator’s Performance. The meeting re-opened for Council Reports. Council member Clayton Briggs and Mayor Stainbrook thanked Chuck and the City Crew for a job well done cleaning up snow last week. With no other reports, Mayor Stainbrook adjourned the meeting.
RiverView Healthcare Association members heard the highs and lows of 2024 virtually Monday, Jan. 27, during the Association’s 127th Annual Meeting.
Betty Arvidson, CFO, shared preliminary financial information for Fiscal Year 2024, from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024. Unfortunately, RiverView was one of the many healthcare systems across the United States impacted by the February 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack, which created a backlog of unpaid claims. Therefore, the final 2024 numbers are yet to come. However, it is clear that a substantial loss occurred for the organization.
Carrie Michalski, President/CEO, followed Arvidson’s report, saying 2024 was the organization’s third consecutive extremely challenging financial year. “We had projected three very lean, breakeven to slight loss years after opening our new hospital with the increased interest and depreciation expenses that came online at the completion of the $54 million project. That was planned. What wasn’t planned was the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption that would bring to the workforce and supply chains around the globe inevitably led to multiple years of hyperinflation. The reality is we cannot recover simply by reducing waste and creating higher efficiency. To maintain access to current programs, investing in government payers paying their fair share of costs is necessary.”
According to Michalski, Medicare and Medicaid patients make up over 50 percent of RiverView’s business. Unfortunately, Medicare only reimburses 99 cents on the dollar for the actual cost of care, while Medicaid’s reimbursement covers approximately 68 cents on the dollar. In 2023, RiverView’s subsidy for care to Medicaid recipients was $3.6 million.
Beyond subsidizing unpaid government-run health insurance programs, RiverView also provides free training to future healthcare workers, offers health-related education for the community, and charity care for the uninsured. Over the past five years, RiverView’s total charitable community benefit giving has equaled 5-7.5 percent of its total expense structure.
“Even in trying times with negative operating margins, our commitment to our community and especially the patients without the means to pay for emergency and lifesaving care is strong.” stated Michalski.
Although non-profit hospitals provide community benefits, their tax-exempt status has been under extreme scrutiny by the Legislature, Michalski reported. “RiverView has been recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt charitable institution since 1948. But we cannot take that for granted and must reflect annually on the contributions we make to our community and the patients we serve.”
Seeking Solutions
To preserve access to healthcare services, Minnesota’s 140 hospitals have united to seek Directed Provider Payments (DPP) for Medicaid hospital patients. This program could leverage an additional $1billion in federal investment in Minnesota hospitals annually, including over $2 million annually for RiverView Health. Support is needed through Legislature, a partnership for administration with the State of Minnesota, and federal approval.
Last week, Michalski and other hospital representatives asked Senate co-leader Senator Mark Johnson for support. They also provided testimony to the House Health Policy and Finance Committee. Forty-one other states already have an approved DPP program.
RiverView is also one of 18 independent rural hospitals that formed the Headwaters Network in April of 2024 to collaborate on clinical and operational initiatives to enhance the quality of care, availability, and affordability in rural communities. Michalski serves as a board member for the group, working toward gaining economies of scale to negotiate better and more fair contracts with larger insurers.
In the annual meeting keynote address, Brittany Sachdeva, chief clinical officer, and John Naylor, strategic advisor of Cibolo Health, explained the vision of the Headwaters Network, which is sustainable rural Minnesota healthcare, healthy rural Minnesota people, and vital rural Minnesota communities.
Hitting the High Notes
Michalski’s presentation included the following highlights from 2024 and upcoming wins for the organization.
Orthopaedic Surgeon Brennen Smith, DMV, DO, started his RiverView practice, which includes hip and knee replacement procedures performed with the assistance of a robotic arm.
Mental health services were added with provider Justin Goff, MSSW. Jennifer Dotseth, PMHNP, will be joining the program soon.
Dr. Edmund Irankunda joined RiverView’s Emergency Medicine Team.
The RiverView Recovery Center and Care and Share of Crookston started collaborating on substance use education, assessment, and treatment with opioid settlement funds granted to Polk County.
Adelle Christianson, RiverView’s Operating Room/Same Day Surgery coordinator, was named the 2024 Employee of the Year. Christianson will be featured in an upcoming news release.
The Benedictine Living Community was awarded the 2024 Reaching Out to Serve honor and will be featured in an upcoming news release.
The addition of a family medicine provider and two internal medicine providers will occur in 2025.
The family medicine provider was hired through the Community Physician Recruiter Incentive Program, which is designed to engage the community in helping recruit physicians to RiverView. In return, the community member can be rewarded up to $20,000. More information is available at riverviewhealth.org.
Board of Directors
Outgoing board members Reed Engelstad and Garrett Borowicz were recognized for their years of service to the organization. Nicole Heldstab, Tanner Holten, Judy Hulst, all of Crookston, and Michelle Cote, Mentor, were elected to the board.
Dr. Erik Kanten and Kari Koenig were reelected. Other board members are Grant Gunderson, Tim Brinkman, Stephanie Harbott, Dr. Brett Vibeto, and Lori Keller.
2024 Proves Busy for the Auxiliary
Below are some of the highlights for the Auxiliary.
The volunteers hosted blood drives, delivered Home Delivered Meals, completed many sewing projects, participated in the annual teddy bear clinic, and held a hat and mitten drive.
Departments received grants amounting to $11,670 from the Auxiliary for the Reach Out to Read program, activity items for pediatric and swing bed patients, an upper body exerciser for Rehab Services, inpatient clothing, a pediatric adjustable height table, and the Sensory Santa event.
Scholarships were awarded to RiverView employees Evan Christianson and Mariah Stueness, who are pursuing healthcare degrees.
Twenty-eight volunteers donated 3,295 hours of their time and talents to RiverView throughout the year.
Kathie Barnes was selected as the 2024 Alta Hermodson Volunteer of the Year. She will be recognized at the Auxiliary Spring Meeting on April 9.
Auxiliary board members are Gloria Watro, Jean LaPlante, Jacqueline Cournia, Deb Normandin, Nancy Capistran, Judie Kanten, Kristie Ricard, and Deb Sylvester.
Foundation Raises Funds Benefitting Patients, Healthcare Students
Foundation Director Randy Schoenborn shared the following highlights of 2024:
Over $263,000 was donated through 487 gifts.
The annual golf classic raised more than $27,500. The 2025 event will be held on June 9.
The Foundation awarded area students pursuing healthcare careers nearly $44,000 in scholarships.
Nearly 300 donors gave over $173,000 for Giving Hearts Day, an online non-profit fundraiser.
The Foundation is gearing up for Giving Hearts Day 2025 on Feb. 13. That day, the Dakota Medical Foundation and other generous donors will match gifts to the Foundation up to $60,000.
Undesignated 2025 Giving Hearts Day contributions will be used to assist in replacing RiverView’s Intravenous (IV) Infusion System, utilized by the Inpatient Unit, Emergency Department, Surgical and Anesthesia Services, and Outpatient Nursing Infusions and Procedures.
Early giving is now open at https://rvhealth.org/GHD_2025.
For more information or assistance with a donation, contact Schoenborn at rschoenborn@riverviewhealth.org or call 281-9249.
The Foundation’s board of directors includes Marilyn Wentzel, Cory Dallager, Jodi Clauson, Tim Brinkman, Kari Koenig, Hunter Plante, Taylor Sannes, and Marcia Schoenborn.
The Section 8A Girls Hockey seeding meeting was held on Monday, and the seeding went as expected. The nine-time defending section champion Warroad Warriors received the top seed. The seeds and tournament schedule are below. 1. Warroad 2. Crookston 3. East Grand Forks 4. Thief River Falls 5. Detroit Lakes 6. International Falls
Quarterfinals Games – February 6 (at high seeds) International Falls at East Grand Forks 6:00 pm Detroit Lakes at Thief River Falls 7:00 pm
Semi-Final Games – February 8 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in TRF 1. Warroad-vs-TRF/DL winner at 1:00 pm 2. Crookston-vs-EGF/IFalls winner at 3:30 pm
Section Championship – February 13 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in TRF 7:00 pm.
The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team will make the short trip to Climax tonight to take on the Climax-Fisher Knights at the Climax School gymnasium. Crookston is 3-12 on the year after a disappointing 93-84 loss to Roseau on Thursday. Climax-Fisher is 3-14 on the year after an 80-38 loss on Saturday to Liberty Classical Academy. KROX Radio will have the RiverView Health pre-game show at 7:00 p.m. and the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.
Our Savior’s Lutheran School celebrated National Lutheran Schools Week January 27 – 31, along with approximately 2,000 other Lutheran Church Missouri Synod schools nationwide. During the week, the students and staff participated in mission projects, dress-up days, field trips, leadership activities, and team-building projects, as well as learned from guest speakers.
Photo 1:
Students join alumni Aislinn Boushee and Sophia Hoefler for a sing-along around the campfire on their Camp Day for National Lutheran Schools Week.
Photo 2:
Mrs. Bertils worked with the students on art projects using tree cookies. Pictured: Thor Pilger, Allis Munch, Josie Johnson, Mrs. Bertils, and Kane Henderson
Photo 3:
Classes toured the Polk County Historical Society Museum Pictured: Evelyn Griffin, Noah Brockpahler, June Larson, and Odin Pilger
Photo 4:
National Lutheran Schools Week culminated with an all-school battle ball tournament.
