>> CATHY: TONIGHT ON "ALMANAC," QUARTET SELENE JOINS US FOR SOME LIVE MUSIC.

THEY'RE TERRIFIC.

MEDIA LAW PROFESSOR JANE KIRTLEY RETIRES.

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

AND OUR POLITICAL SCIENCE PANEL IS READY TO TALK ENDORSEMENTS, PRIMARIES, AND MORE.

>> ERIC: BUT WE START THE SHOW WITH THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT GOVERNOR WALZ HAS APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE NEW "MINNESOTA TRUTH COUNCIL," THE GROUP TASKED WITH COMPILING A PUBLIC RECORD OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ACTION AND THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE.

JOINING US NOW IS VICE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL.

JENNIFER PRESTHOLDT ALSO WORKS AS DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR GROUP FITTING INTO THE RESEARCH?

>> WELL, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THE ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IS THE IMPLEMENTING PARTNER FOR THE MINNESOTA TRUTH COUNCIL.

AND SO AS SOON AS THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE EXECUTIVE ORDER BACK IN MARCH, WE STARTED DEVELOPING A PROCESS FOR COLLECTING STORIES FROM MINNESOTANS ABOUT WHAT THE HARMFUL IMPACTS AND THE REALLY POSITIVE, RESILIENT STRATEGIES THAT PEOPLE DID.

>> Cathy: IS THIS LIKE AN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT IN A SENSE?

>> IN ONE SENSE IT IS, IN THAT A BIG PART OF THE ORK WILL BE HEARING FROM PEOPLE AND COLLECTING THEIR STORIES.

>> Cathy: AND TESTIMONIES.

I WONDER, DOES THAT INCLUDE EVERYONE?

WOULD YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM, SAY, AN I.C.E.

AGENT OR A DETAINEE?

>> THE STORY COLLECTION PROCESS IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.

AND, YES, WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT STORY, WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN MINNESOTA.

AND EVERYBODY'S STORY IS IMPORTANT.

EVERYBODY HAS A PIECE OF THAT.

AND WE HAVE TO HEAR EVERY STORY IN ORDER TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE, DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED.

>> Eric: SO IF SOMEBODY SUPPORTED THE SURGE, THEY STILL MIGHT GET A PIECE OF THIS?

>> THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE WELCOME TO CONTRIBUTE AND TELL THEIR STORIES.

>> Cathy: WHAT WILL THE MECHANISMS?

>> SO THE GOVERNOR SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING THE TRUTH COUNCIL.

AND THERE'S A CHAIR.

I SERVES THE VICE CHAIR, AS THE ADVOCATES' REPRESENTATIVE.

THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ACLU AND THERE ARE 5 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

SO THE COUNCIL ITSELF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DIRECTING THE ADVOCATES IN -- WE'RE DOING THE STORY COLLECTION, BUT THEY ARE DIRECTING THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.

SO THERE WILL BE FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS.

THEY'LL PROBABLY START AT THE END F AUGUST, GO THROUGH SEPTEMBER.

AND THEN THERE'S A REPORT.

AND THE REPORT IS PRELIMINARY REPORT, AND FINDINGS ARE DUE OCTOBER 31ST, AND FINAL REPORT DECEMBER 1ST.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED OF COURSE THE SURGE HAD A LOT OF TERRIBLE THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT THERE WERE GOOD THINGS.

HOW DO YOU DOCUMENT THOSE AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

>> WELL, WE'RE LOOKING TO HEAR FROM ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT REALLY STEPPED UP TO HELP THEIR MAKE NEIGHBORS, TO SUPPORT THEIR NEIGHBORS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT WAS CHURCH GROUPS, WHETHER THAT WAS SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, IT'S THE SAME PROCESS.

AND SO WE HAVE A STORY COLLECTION PROCESS.

YOU CAN KALGT THE YOU CAN KALGT CONTACT THE ADVOS AND PROVIDE AN INDIVIDUAL STORY, OR YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR GROUP.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ON THAT AS WELL.

>> Eric: WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW THE WORK PRODUCT WILL BE USED AFTER IT'S COMPLETED.

>> ELL, THE GOAL IS TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED, CREATE A PUBLIC RECORD OF WHAT HAPPENED URING THIS TIME.

>> Eric: DOES IT GO TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY?

>> WELL, WE DON'T KNOW YET.

YOU KNOW, IT'S EARLY DAYS AND THE COUNCIL WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THAT HISTORY, TO CREATE THAT PUBLIC RECORD.

AND SO I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT IN THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR SEE IT IN SOME SORT OF PUBLIC -- PUBLIC WAY.

>> Cathy: THAT WOULD BE NICE.

YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK, I'M KIND OF A ARMCHAIR HISTORIAN AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAS DOCUMENTED TESTIMONY FROM PEOPLE IN HE KHMER ROUGE, PEOPLE IN SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA, OTHER AREAS OF THE WORLD AND WHAT IS THAT PRODUCT T TURNED OUT TO BE?

>> WELL, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE USUALLY PART OF A PROCESS LIKE THAT, SO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE AND REBUILDING AND RECOVERY.

AND SO WE DO SEE THAT THOSE KINDS OF PRACTICES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THE BEST PRACTICES, WE'RE BRINGING THOSE INTO THE MINNESOTA TRUTH COUNCIL AS WELL.

AND SO THE REPORT WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE ASKING MINNESOTANS FOR AS WELL.

WE'RE ASKING MINNESOTANS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES, BUT ALSO TO SHARE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

TO PREVENT RECURRENCE?

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO HELP US RECOVER AS A COMMUNITY?

>> Eric: LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROGRESS ON THIS THIN