Summer in St. Paul’s Highland Park

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Highland Bridge status check-in I started writing the July articles on Highland Park in 2016, so this marks our ninth piece summarizing the year’s news on this St. Paul neighborhood. In 2016, we noted the impact of automobiles and the Ford plant on Highland Park’s development.…
Israeli defenders defeat Holocaust scholar
An open letter to the interim president of the University of Minnesota

Dear President Ettinger and colleagues: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern about your decision to rescind the offer which the University of Minnesota (U of M) made to Dr. Raz Segal to assume…
Correction to “District 62B endorsement struggle”

BY ERICK BOUSTEAD The original May 7 article stated, “Nazir Khan of the Zero Burn Coalition, who is likely the author of this anonymous letter from a mass organization (of one?), this EJ Caucus, wants the incinerator to close in 2025 and opposed the resolution Fernando authored and passed. This is a…
Bookstore workers ratify union contract

BY JESSICA HAYSSEN Workers from four Twin Cities Half Price Books locations ratified their first union contracts on May 31, 2024. Workers unionized with the United Food and Commercial Workers Locals (UFCW) 663 and 1189 to secure better wages, working conditions and a seat at the table. Because of Minnesota…
The Dish: Food news, local views, and a throwback meal delivery review

BY DEBORAH KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings There are three interesting openings to report this month, although none are in South Minneapolis. The first is Little Canada’s Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. (3 Little Canada Road E.), part of a small national chain. It’s drawing rave reviews and it’s open seven…
Please Stop!
Support for Omar – Letter to the Editor
Willkie Forum July 23
Never forget Hind Rajab

BY ED FELIEN The Israeli military has “slaughtered” (Noam Chomsky’s word) more than 35,000 Palestinians—most of them, women and children. From Wikipedia: In January 2024, three months into the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, much of the Strip was largely deserted and bombed out. The health care system in Gaza was collapsing…
Trump and the threat of civil war
Another look at the new rideshare law

BY CAM GORDON Many people are celebrating the recent rideshare legislation that was signed into law in May. Elected officials are congratulating themselves and others for the new law that is expected to give drivers a 20% raise in pay, protection from unjust deactivations, and stronger insurance provisions. “The drivers…
Summer on Franklin Avenue
Summer on Nicollet Avenue

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Reconnected Avenue is ever closer As we have asserted in previous editions, Nicollet Avenue is really two different streets. There is everything north of Lake Street (Cecil Newman Lane, really) which includes the crossing of the Greenway, Eat Street, and Nicollet Mall downtown, and then there’s…