BY CLINT COMBS At 13 degrees below zero, a dangerous chill gripped the Twin Cities, making it one of the coldest nights of the winter. Schools were closed. But that didn’t stop Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) from requiring bus drivers to show up for work on Feb. 18. Director of…
BY AHMED THARWAT The recent arrest of Palestinian American Mahmoud Khalil by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked outrage and protests across the country. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and a U.S. permanent resident, was taken into custody Saturday night. What is interesting is how Media and officials…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings, closings, and other changes After many trials and roadblocks, including a devastating fire just weeks before a planned opening, Khue’s Kitchen finally opened on March 6 at 693 Raymond Avenue in South St. Anthony Park. A week later, there was the opening of Café Yoto…
BY ED FELIEN What’s happening at George Floyd Square? Well, actually, not much. George Floyd was murdered on Chicago Avenue at 38th Street almost five years ago. Since then, the city has sponsored many, many meetings (with free food) and taken surveys to determine how to commemorate the murder of George…
BY CLINT COMBS The DOJ and the Minnesota Attorney General have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle with RealPage over alleged antitrust violations. In response, Minneapolis is taking swift action to protect renters through a proposed ordinance to ban the use of algorithmic pricing models by landlords and property…
BY CAM GORDON Is the city’s once widely acclaimed violence prevention work falling apart? In February, concerns of mismanagement prompted city council members to propose temporarily moving some violence prevention programs out of the city’s Neighborhood Safety Department to the county. After meeting strong opposition, that idea was tabled, but…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE State and nationwide education news We may as well lead off by addressing the huge elephant in the room: the unfolding story of Trump 2.0, and particularly the administration’s bumbling efforts to eliminate the Department of Education. There is a lot of linkage, and overlap, between…
BY STEPHANIE FOX School’s out for summer and many kids will soon be headed off to summer camp. Camp is fun, but a study by the American Camp Association says that it’s much more than that. The summer camp experience, experts say, can help kids learn new ways to grow…
BY ED FELIEN At first, City Council Members Payne, Wonsley and Chavez moved to transfer some of the programs in the Neighborhood Safety Department to the county. There had been widespread public criticism of what seemed like mismanagement of funds. There was a whistleblower lawsuit last November that said a staff…
Most people appreciate the service of air traffic controllers, but airports and airlines often don’t. Congress usually appropriates funds for improved ATC tracking and communication systems over 3 to 5 years, complicating use and safety; changes in biennial reauthorizations make implementations chaotic and expensive. Meanwhile, DOGE and President Trump have…
Donna Minter, a 67-year-old Minneapolis grandmother, is riding her bicycle 3,200 miles across America — beginning April 1 in San Diego, CA and ending June 2025 in St. Augustine, FL — as part of a Grammy Climate Ride. This adventure fundraiser is a 70-day bicycle/camping trip, organized by Climate Ride, and is designed to raise…
BY CLINT COMBS Elon Musk’s expanding influence — spanning political campaigns, government policy, and bureaucratic overhauls — has challenged the norms of checks and balances in American governance not seen since the Andrew Johnson Administration. Whether it’s his covert political spending or ambitious plans to overhaul the federal bureaucracy, Musk’s…
BY JOHNNY HAZARD In progressive U.S. circles, there is a lot of talk about new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s way of dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump and his repackaging of U.S. interventionism. Let’s look at some of that history and how it affects current Mexican reactions and responses, and…
BY KEN SHAIN Nearly every Minnesotan knows that a hat trick occurs when a hockey player scores 3 goals in one game. It is widely celebrated, especially when the goals are scored in each of the three periods. Though the term originated in 19th century cricket matches, it is now…
BY STEPHANIE FOX It was cold and snowing outside on the first day of February, but inside City Church, it was warm (and sometimes spicy, in a Minnesota way) at the Kenny Neighborhood’s second annual Winter Chili Cook-off. Mike Ferrin, the Kenny Neighborhood Association Co-Coordinator, said that the seven contestants…
