Minnesota couple stranded in Brazil with premature baby finally makes it home. ‘My heart just exploded,’ mom says.

posted in: News | 0

Out of the more than a dozen relatives gathered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Tuesday to welcome 3-month-old Greyson Leo Phillips to Minnesota, Grandma Lori got first dibs.

“Oh, my heart is full,” said Lori Tocholke, Greyson’s maternal grandmother, as she reached in the stroller to pick up the wide-eyed infant. “Everybody’s here, and we’re all back together again, and everything is complete. It just feels right. We’re all family again, and that’s the biggest, biggest thing, I think.”

Greyson, who was born three months prematurely in Brazil, finally got to return “home” to Minnesota on Tuesday after his parents, Chris and Cheri Phillips, worked for months to secure an array of U.S. and Brazilian documents needed to let him leave Brazil and enter the U.S.

Greyson, who was featured in more than a dozen newspaper and magazine articles and TV segments, wasn’t fazed by the homecoming in baggage claim that also included a number of TV cameras and reporters.

“He actually traveled really well,” Cheri Phillips said. “He slept. I don’t know how he slept most of the time on the flights. He got a little cranky during the 9-hour flight from Brazil.”

Greyson, who was 2 pounds, 12.6 ounces when he was born on March 12, 2024, spent the first 51 days of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit of Ilha Hospital e Maternidade in Florianópolis. He’s been making good progress in his first three months.

“He’s doing great,” Cheri Phillips said. “He’s growing. He’s eating a lot. He traveled really well. He’s slept a lot. His favorite place is to be held, so he was not going to complain for nine hours straight of being held.”

The Phillipses, U.S. citizens who had not planned to have a child born in Brazil, had to spend almost four months getting Greyson’s documentation squared away.

Among the issues: Brazilian officials wouldn’t issue Greyson a birth certificate because the Phillipses’ passports, like all U.S. passports, don’t list their parents’ names. Without a birth certificate, U.S. officials in Brazil wouldn’t issue him an American passport. Without a passport, his parents couldn’t take him home to Cambridge, Minn.

Media attention helped get the Brazilian government to work with the Phillipses, Chris Phillips said. Greyson’s national identity card – the last piece of Brazilian paperwork the baby’s parents secured, just in case it is requested – was secured on Thursday. Greyson’s U.S. passport arrived two weeks ago.

“It was an ordeal – that’s the first word that comes to mind,” Chris Phillips said Tuesday. “It’s not something we ever expected. We went down for 17 days just to visit my daughter (Melory) on her birthday and have a great time. We were planning to come back to the United States, come back to Minnesota, sell our condo, buy our house, get settled into that for a couple of months, and then have a baby. Nothing went to plan at any stage, and along this entire process, it seemed like every time we made some progress, it was one step forward, three steps back.”

Chris Phillips started crying as soon as he saw his 93-year-old grandfather, Bill Halverson, waiting for him in the crowd. He ran over to hug Halverson, of Edina, who said he was thrilled to finally meet his 27th great-grandchild.

“I’ve been looking forward to it,” he said. “We’ve been following this story day-by-day-by-day for over three months, and, finally, the happy ending is today.”

Cheri Phillips holds her baby Greyson at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after the family came home from Brazil on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Cheri Phillips said she was overjoyed to be back in Minnesota.

“My heart just exploded,” she said. “I’m excited. I’m ready to settle in finally, you know, be our little family at home. I mean, obviously, we’ll be missing Melory. Like we said, she’s gotten the time with her brother, but I just. I’m so excited for my space and my language and my culture.”

Related Articles

Local News |


More rain possible in deluged Midwest as flooding kills 2, causes water to surge around dam

Local News |


A seeming fatal crash in southeastern Minnesota is now investigated as a homicide in Minneapolis

Local News |


Jodi Huisentruit case: New billboard, Iowa gathering mark 29 years since disappearance

Local News |


Authorities now believe southern Minnesota dam unlikely to suffer catastrophic collapse

Local News |


AmeriCorps seeks more tutors as Minnesota children fall behind in reading and math

Judge allows disabled voters in Wisconsin to electronically vote from home

posted in: News | 0

MADISON, Wis. — Local election officials in battleground state Wisconsin will be allowed to send absentee ballots to disabled voters electronically in November’s presidential election, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell issued a temporary injunction that allows voters who self-certify that they can’t read or mark a paper ballot without help to request absentee ballots electronically from local clerks. The voters can then cast their ballots at home using devices that help them read and write independently. They will still be required to mail the ballots back to the clerks or return them in person, the same as any other absentee voter in the state.

The injunction is part of a larger lawsuit that Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters and four disabled voters filed in April. The plaintiffs argued in the filing that many people with disabilities can’t cast paper ballots without assistance, compromising their right to cast a secret ballot, and struggle to return ballots through the mail or in-person.

“While we expect the decision to be appealed, this is an exciting day for Plaintiffs and other voters with print disabilities who have been fighting for the dignity of voting like everyone else: privately and independently,” Debra Conmiller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said in a statement.

Any eligible voter can vote by paper absentee ballot in Wisconsin. Anyone could request an absentee ballot electronically until 2011, when then-Gov. Scott Walker signed a Republican-authored law that allowed only military and overseas voters to use that method.

Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, opposes allowing disabled voters to request electronic absentee ballots. His lawyers argued during a hearing on Monday that state election officials don’t have time before November to train Wisconsin’s roughly 1,800 local clerks in how to handle electronic ballot requests from disabled voters and create ballots that can interact with the voters’ assistive devices. They warned the move would only create confusion and raise security risks.

The plaintiffs countered that an electronic ballot delivery system already exists for military and overseas voters and disabled voters deserve the same treatment. They also have a constitutional right to cast a secret ballot, they maintained.

More than 30 states allow certain voters to return their ballots either by fax, email or an online portal, according to data collected by the National Conference of State Legislatures and Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group that studies state voting systems. The method has expanded in recent years to include disabled voters in a dozen states. Experts have warned, however, that electronic ballot return carries risks of ballots being intercepted or manipulated and should be used sparingly.

The plaintiffs’ lawsuit requests that Mitchell let disabled voters in Wisconsin return their absentee ballots electronically, an accommodation no other absentee voter in the state is permitted. They did not include that ask in their request for the injunction after Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe testified the set-up would take months and present technical issues, but the demand remains in play as the judge considers the merits of the case going forward.

State Justice Department spokesperson Gillian Drummond had no immediate comment on the injunction.

Questions over who can cast absentee ballots and how have become a political flashpoint in Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point.

People with disabilities make up about a quarter of the U.S. adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A little more than a million Wisconsin adults, or one in four, are disabled, defined by the CDC as having difficulty with mobility, cognition, independent living, hearing, seeing, dressing or bathing.

Disabled people have engaged in several legal battles in recent years over access to the polls, as many Republican-led states have restricted how and when people can vote. Among the issues they have fought are limits on the types of assistance a voter can receive and whether someone else can return a voter’s mailed ballot.

Nearly 100,000 Wisconsin adults suffer from vision difficulties, according to statistics compiled by state health officials. A little more than 307,000 adults have difficulty moving, including difficulty walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying things.

Doug Poland, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, said he has no estimates of how many disabled people who haven’t voted in the past because they couldn’t fill out absentee ballots on their own may vote in November thanks to the injunction.

Related Articles

National News |


Judge alters Trump’s gag order, letting him talk about witnesses, jury after hush money conviction

National News |


More rain possible in deluged Midwest as flooding kills 2, causes water to surge around dam

National News |


Former North Dakota lawmaker to plead guilty to traveling to pay for sex with minor

National News |


What’s causing the devastating flooding in the Midwest?

National News |


Minnesota falls to 19th place in a national education ranking

Owners of Viengchan Oriental Market in Brooklyn Park to reopen Cooper’s Foods site in St. Paul in October

posted in: Society | 0

By early October, the soon-to-be-shuttered Cooper’s Foods grocery store on West Seventh Street in St. Paul could reopen as a Southeast Asian grocery, according to the real estate broker who connected the Cooper family to the family that runs the Viengchan Oriental Market in Brooklyn Park.

The news, first reported this week by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, ends weeks of speculation from customers and employees, many of whom had treated the arrival of the Asian grocer as a fait accompli.

“It was an off-market deal so it wasn’t public,” said Hayden Husley, one of three commercial brokers who worked on the transaction for RE/MAX Results as dual agents representing both the buyer and seller. Gary Cooper leased the store back from the buyers with the intent of selling off his remaining inventory this month, Husley said.

Cooper said last month that the store would likely close on June 27, which is Thursday.

The brokers — who included Mark Husley and Doug Harris — had helped the owners of Viengchan Oriental Market acquire their Brooklyn Park property a few years ago and then purchase the Cooper’s store at 633 W. Seventh St., which has been serving the West Seventh Street community near the High Bridge since the 1990s. A call to the Brooklyn Park location was not immediately returned.

The market’s website advertises Thai, Laotian and Hmong cuisine, though following minor construction updates, it will likely open around Oct. 1 with grocery offerings geared as well to longtime patrons.

“I think this store will have more of an American flare to it, to keep the Cooper’s customers around,” Hayden Husley said.

Five generations of Coopers have stocked groceries at two locations along West Seventh Street and at the family’s more than century-old Chaska store.

The Cooper’s Foods’ Highland Park site in the Sibley Plaza strip mall closed in 2017, though an Aldi supermarket has since opened there. The 107-year-old Chaska store closed in early March, with Gary Cooper citing at the time competition from big box stores.

On Tuesday, Gary Cooper was didn’t have much to say about next steps.

“Why don’t you just wait to see what happens?” said Cooper, in a brief phone interview. “I don’t know what the people who bought the building want to do. Next week they’ll be in the building. Talk to them.”

Related Articles

Business |


St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter hosts budget conversations with residents this week

Business |


911 calls about shots fired, crash lead St. Paul police to find man fatally shot in vehicle

Business |


St. Paul firefighter found, receiving treatment, after going missing from South St. Paul residence

Business |


After baby book stolen from vehicle in St. Paul, ‘miracle’ returns it to family

Business |


Somali Week festival held in Twin Cities

Gen Z is traveling more, and debt isn’t slowing them down

posted in: Society | 0

Katie Kelton | (TNS) Bankrate

Kari Karanikos is 25 years old with six figures of debt. A social media director who lives in Pittsburgh, Karanikos is one of the many Gen Zers who love to travel, despite carrying hefty debt.

A recent Bankrate survey on chasing credit card rewards while in debt found that nearly 1 in 4 (24%) Gen Zers and 1 in 3 (32%) millennials carry a credit card balance. At the same time, nearly 3 in 5 Gen Zers (60%) and millennials (61%) plan to take a summer vacation this year.

Experts — and young people like Karanikos — know how tricky it can be to balance debt payoff with your budget’s needs and wants. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Learn how Karanikos is juggling expenses and experiences, and discover ways you can do the same.

Splurging on travel

If you end up on a flight, cruise or other mode of travel this year, look around — you might see more younger faces than older. That’s because roughly 3 in 5 Gen Zers (60%) and millennials (61%) plan to take a summer vacation in 2024. Only half of Gen X (50%) and fewer than half of boomers (44%) say they’ll do so.

Younger generations are also more likely to be spending more on travel this year — and going into debt to pay for it. Gen Z (44%) and millennials (37%) are more likely to spend more on travel in 2024 compared to 2023 than Gen X (20%) and boomers (24%), according to Bankrate research on discretionary spending. In fact, travel was the most popular purchase for which young people are willing to take on debt, compared to live entertainment and dining out.

Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino, a money and self-care coach, says her clients often want to be able to pay off debt and still travel. Fernández Paulino is all for it.

“It’s important that people have a variety of self-care activities they can engage in… that allow them to still take care of themselves at different budget points,” she says.

How one Gen Zer is managing debt

When it comes to balancing fun with financial savviness, Karanikos is no stranger to the challenge. She’s doing her best to manage both while keeping an eye on the big picture.

Karanikos has only been out of college for a few years, and she’s staring down years — or even decades — of debt repayment. Of her six-figure debt, the majority is from student loans. She also carries about $5,000 in credit card debt and about $3,000 in a car lease.

Karanikos began accruing credit card debt in the months that passed after college graduation, but before she landed her full-time job. Now, she’s prioritizing growing her emergency fund without adding to her debt. That’s because Karanikos is moving to New York City in a few months, and wants to have plenty of cash in her back pocket.

“I definitely think of [my debt] every day,” she says. But by keeping an eye on her debt with a payoff plan in place, she feels empowered to make smart money decisions. She also pursues side hustles to help pay off her debt.

And even though Karanikos recently got a salary raise, she’s trying to keep her costs steady. In her words, she doesn’t want to fall victim to lifestyle inflation.

Why Gen Zers are prioritizing travel

It may be hard to understand how people can spend money on travel expenses when they’re already in the red with debt. But Karanikos’s motivation to travel is about more than just getting that Instagram-worthy photo.

Karanikos’s grandparents and parents are immigrants from both Greece and Australia. She explains that, while growing up, her family was trying to make their way in a new environment. They often prioritized sacrifice over fun. But now, as a young adult, Karanikos doesn’t want to miss out on anything. And she wants to reach a financial standpoint where she can give experiences back to her family.

“I think my immigrant backstory is a main motivator,” she says. In fact, she names travel and experiences with friends and family as the two most important things in her life.

It’s also worth considering the years that young people largely missed during the pandemic. Karanikos says she and some of her peers (around ages 24 to 26) feel like they lost out on their opportunity to be young, travel and not worry about money. Now, they’re making up for lost time.

“Logistically, my debt will not be gone in the next year or two years,” Karanikos says. “I don’t want to put [experiences] aside and finally be able to live my life when I hit 30 or 35 and have that regret.”

Fernández Paulino thinks that Gen Zers like Karanikos have the right idea. “Money is just a tool to support your wellness,” she says. “Becoming debt-free is part of your financial self-care. Traveling is a form of interpersonal self-care, emotional self-care, some might even say spiritual self-care.”

What sets younger generations apart?

When it comes to the spending discrepancy between younger and older Americans, here are some possible factors to keep in mind:

—Young people aren’t as likely to be already burdened by debt. According to Bankrate’s chasing rewards while in debt survey, Gen Z (24%) and millennials (32%) are less likely to typically carry a credit card balance from month to month than Gen X (39%) or boomers (38%).

—Young people haven’t carried debt for as long. In a November 2023 Bankrate survey on credit card usage, 22% of both Gen X and boomer credit card debtors had carried credit card debt for five years or more, compared to 8% of Gen Z and 13% of millennials.

—Young people maximize rewards. Gen Z (77%) and millennial (74%) cardholders are more likely to make every or some effort to maximize credit card rewards than Gen X (69%) or boomers (69%).

—Young people are less worried about their finances this year. In a November 2023 Bankrate study, Gen Z (59%) and millennials (49%) were significantly more optimistic about their personal financial situation in 2024 than Gen X (33%) or boomers (20%). Karanikos says that “I feel quite optimistic [about my personal finances], maybe due to the fact that I have a plan.”

—Young people want to present a certain lifestyle. Karanikos explains that her peers tend to compare themselves to others on social media, even though they might be earning different incomes. “I think the majority of Gen Z is putting [travel expenses] onto credit cards,” she says.

Travel without breaking the bank

Are you itching to travel this year but have a tight budget? Here’s how Gen Zers like Karanikos are spending smarter while traveling.

Build a sinking fund

When Karanikos traveled in college, she’d work extra shifts beforehand, but still found herself using debt and paying it off after the trip. Now, she’s adopted the practice of building a sinking fund. Three months before a trip, she starts setting money aside so she can travel without growing her debt. While she still swipes her credit card on travel expenses to earn points, “I try to make sure the savings are there before I spend,” she says.

To follow her example, you could open a free high-yield savings account that lets you earn a competitive APY while still accessing your money when you need it. By setting aside a certain amount of money each month, you’ll have cash to spend when your trip rolls around.

Cutting back on your expenses can also help you to build your sinking fund. For instance, you might spend less on takeout or new outfits in order to enjoy the local cuisine and shopping in your travel destination later on.

Earn extra income

Fernández Paulino says that paying for travel starts with understanding your cash flow. “You need to know your numbers,” she says. And rather than only cutting expenses to increase your cash flow, Fernández Paulino advocates finding ways to earn more money.

“I work on having [my clients] increase their income,” she says. “There’s no limit to how much we can increase our income.”

She recommends listing out your skills and joining the nearly two in five Americans with a side hustle (39%). You could tap into LinkedIn or your network for higher-paying job opportunities. Or you could monetize something you own, like renting out a room in your house.

Tap into credit card rewards

rewards credit card can help you earn points or miles to cover your next flight or hotel room. Plus, many travel rewards cards let you earn extra rewards when you book travel through the card issuer’s portal.

Karanikos uses the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to earn points and miles that she puts toward flights. By earning while making everyday purchases, you could knock several hundred dollars off the price tag on your next trip.

Get practical with your destinations

Karanikos tries to visit locations where her friends live so she can have a place to stay. She’s also going to Atlanta for a work conference this year and will extend her trip to explore for a few days. And she and her friends plan to visit another friend’s lake house this summer.

Choosing affordable places is key when traveling on a budget. Some cities are more affordable than others, and you could tap into your network for lodging and other shared resources. A travel budget app might also help you save money as you create new memories.

___

©2024 Bankrate online. Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Related Articles

Travel |


Don’t fall for this scam using vacant properties to target renters and homebuyers, expert warns

Travel |


What impacts bank account rates mid-2024?

Travel |


Here’s how much the middle class has shrunk since the 1970s

Travel |


The hidden cost of helping friends earn more credit card rewards

Travel |


Graduate borrowers, consider this student loan plan before July 1