The St. Paul City Council prepares to vote on a $200,000 federal grant to expand its police drone program, spurring intense debate over civil rights, library cuts, and surveillance.
Clint Combs
Posted inLocal & State
Two Flock cameras removed in St. Paul, 10 remain as activists call for cutting ties with Flock and Skydio
Faced with mounting concerns over privacy abuse, St. Paul officials are pulling city-owned surveillance technology, but county-level cameras and opaque drone contracts remain active.
Posted inNews
Rally urges Target, Cargill, Best Buy to condemn federal surveillance of activists
When federal agents infiltrated churches, libraries, and community centers, Minnesota activists didn’t just fight back in court, they took the fight to corporate headquarters, demanding local business giants take a stand.
Posted inLocal & State
Frey unveils $2.3 billion budget with job cuts, 11.3% tax hike and more police overtime funding
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has unveiled a $2.3 billion proposed budget aimed at closing a projected $60 million shortfall through job cuts, tax hikes, and consolidated services, sparking immediate debate over police overtime spending and park funding.
Posted inPolitics
Frazier, Folk advance to November as Hennepin County weighs future of criminal justice reform
State Rep. Cedrick Frazier and former U.S. Attorney Anders Folk will face off in November to succeed Mary Moriarty as Hennepin County Attorney, in a race centered on continuing criminal justice reform and prosecuting ICE agents. Contributing writer Clint Combs breaks down the primary results.
Posted inLocal & State
Police, protesters clash as St. Paul begins clearing Pig’s Eye encampmentÂ
Tensions flared in St. Paul as law enforcement and protesters clashed during phase one of clearing the Pig’s Eye encampment, raising urgent questions about city housing resources and community safety.
Posted inLocal & State
St. Paul mayor skips encampment listening session amid harassment investigation
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her skips encampment listening session as harassment allegations and Pig’s Eye closure collide
Posted inLocal & State
NAACP renews call for Warsame’s resignation, health emergency declaration over Heritage Park conditions
The Minneapolis NAACP is demanding MPHA Director Abdi Warsame resign, calling on city health officials to fast-track emergency relocations for Heritage Park residents suffering from severe mold, rat infestations, and broken maintenance.
Posted inLocal & State
Judge orders mental health evaluation, travel restrictions for Metro Surge protester
A federal judge ordered a mental health assessment and travel restrictions for Army veteran Ian Davis Austin, one of 40 protesters charged under the FACE Act, prompting activists to call it the criminalization of veterans’ mental health. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full report.
Posted inLocal & State
Righteous 39, Minnesota 15 defendants speak out as judge orders grand jury disclosure in Fort case
A federal judge partially granted journalist Georgia Fort’s request for grand jury records, amid allegations government lawyers mischaracterized evidence used to indict her and the rest of the Righteous 39. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full report.
Posted inLocal & State
State cannabis board brings record relief directly to the communityÂ
Three years after cannabis legalization, Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board is bringing its work directly to communities, reviewing roughly 98,000 felony cases without requiring residents to hire an attorney. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full story.
Posted inLocal & State
Opportunity Crossing opens on site of Wells Fargo branch burned in 2020 uprising
Opportunity Crossing, a new 110-unit affordable housing development, opened on the site of a Wells Fargo branch burned during the George Floyd uprising. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the story behind the project.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Nurses and Doctors Demand Binding Protections Before Sutter Health Acquires Allina
Allina Health workers are demanding legally binding protections before Sutter Health’s proposed acquisition closes, after California union members warned Minnesota nurses about understaffing and broken commitments at Sutter facilities.
Posted inFinance
Student loan changes leave Black borrowers bracing for higher payments
Sweeping student loan changes took effect July 1, eliminating key repayment plans and leaving Black borrowers, who carry a disproportionate share of national debt, bracing for higher payments. Contributing writer Clint Combs reports on what advocates say borrowers need to know now.
Posted inNational
Supreme Court strikes down birthright citizenship order
The Supreme Court struck down Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship in a 6-3 ruling, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warning of a “greater threat” in Clarence Thomas’ dissent. Contributing writer Clint Combs reports on the reaction from civil rights leaders, immigrant advocates and first-time voters.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis Considers Drone Pilot Program for North Minneapolis, Activists Push Back
Minneapolis is considering a 75-day Skydio drone pilot program in North Minneapolis, and activists, privacy experts and community members are pushing back, raising concerns about surveillance, corporate ties to Israeli military operations and a police department they say cannot be trusted with the technology.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis NAACP Calls for Ouster of Public Housing Director Over Heritage Park Conditions
The Minneapolis NAACP is calling for the immediate resignation or termination of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority Executive Director Abdi Warsame after revelations of widespread mold, water damage and neglect at Heritage Park Apartments, where half of the 440 units are empty or unsafe.
Posted inLocal & State
Charges dropped: Protester’s federal case ends with $25 fee
Federal charges against Isabel Lopez, an Aztec dancer and poet arrested during a June 2025 protest in south Minneapolis, were reduced to a misdemeanor after four felony counts collapsed, with Judge John Tunheim rejecting probation and ordering only a $25 court fee.
Posted inLocal & State
Hundreds Gather at Rondo Juneteenth Celebration for Ceremony of Joy, Tribute, and Resistance
Hundreds gathered at the sixth annual Rondo Juneteenth Celebration in St. Paul for a ceremony that was equal parts celebration, tribute and rallying cry, with Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan, Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Smith all speaking on voting rights, DEI and the fight for Black freedom.
Posted inLocal & State
Human Rights Watch Report Accuses Federal Agents of Killings, Racial Profiling During Minnesota Immigration Crackdown
A 180-page Human Rights Watch report calls Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota a manufactured crisis, names nine DHS officials for investigation and documents how federal agents killed two Minneapolis residents, racially profiled thousands and dismantled the oversight apparatus designed to investigate such abuses.