The Minneapolis City Council voted 10-2-1 to reject Mayor Jacob Frey’s decision to award Agape Movement exclusive development rights for the People’s Way project at George Floyd Square, following community opposition that had been known since April 2025.
Politics
Posted inPolitics
Federal bill could gut state protections for kids on social media
Contributing writer Anya Armentrout examines how social media harms Black youth disproportionately, why Minnesota’s new Stop the Harms Act matters and why advocates fear the federal KIDS Act would gut state-level protections that actually have teeth.
Posted inPolitics
The Convention Hall and the Kitchen Table
Hamline University political science professor David Schultz builds a median voter index scoring 12 contested issues to show that Minnesota’s center-left voter sits at 60, while the DFL scores 80 and the Minnesota GOP scores 23, explaining why Republicans have not won a statewide race in two decades.
Posted inPolitics
Kendall Qualls wins GOP endorsement for governor
Minnesota Republican convention delegates held a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, on the sixth anniversary of Floyd’s death, as Army veteran Kendall Qualls won the GOP endorsement for governor.
Posted inLocal & State
DOJ Announces $90 Million Medicaid Fraud Indictment in Minneapolis as Acting AG No-Shows
Federal prosecutors announced indictments against 15 people accused of defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of $90 million, as RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz joined DOJ officials at a Minneapolis press conference while the acting attorney general was in Washington defending a fund for Trump allies.
Posted inLocal & State
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Hand Over Unredacted Documents in Case Against 39 Activists
A federal judge ordered prosecutors to turn over unredacted discovery documents in the case against the 39, as defense attorneys argued nearly every name of law enforcement officers and witnesses had been redacted, making a legal defense functionally impossible.
Posted inPolitics
Civil rights groups fight back as Trump policies target Black voters, Muslim communities
CAIR-Minnesota hosted Somali American Solidarity Day at the State Capitol as the organization announced it is representing a Minnesota labor organizer whose phone and books were seized by federal agents, while the NAACP fights Tennessee’s gerrymandered congressional map in court.
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Clock ticks as MN gun bill stalls in House
A sweeping gun reform bill banning semi-automatic assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines passed the Minnesota Senate 34-33 on May 4, but faces an uncertain future in the House as the legislative session nears its end.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
HCMC could close in June. Lawmakers have two weeks to stop it
Hennepin County Medical Center could begin closing in June if lawmakers fail to reach a funding deal before the legislative session ends May 18, as the hospital faces a financial crisis years in the making and federal Medicaid cuts that threaten to deepen the damage.
Posted inPolitics
Supreme Court guts Voting Rights Act, what it means for Minnesota
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has gutted the federal Voting Rights Act. Minnesota advocates and Attorney General Keith Ellison say the state’s own Voting Rights Act is now a critical line of defense.
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Bipartisan bill to create independent inspector general moves toward final vote
A bipartisan bill creating a new, independent Minnesota Office of Inspector General has passed the Senate and cleared the House Ways and Means Committee, awaiting a floor vote.
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Housing advocates push to extend bipartisan state tax credit program beyond 2028
Minnesota State Housing Tax Credit Program extension is being pushed at the Capitol as advocates and legislators say the bipartisan affordable housing program has drawn 1,100-plus contributors and consistently outpaced its funding supply.
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Boundary Waters mining ban overturned in narrow Senate vote
Boundary Waters copper mining ban has been lifted after the Senate passed H.J.Res.140 50-49, revoking a 20-year moratorium on copper sulfide mining in the Rainy River Watershed despite opposition from Sen. Tina Smith and a broad coalition of Minnesotans.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Hunger Strikers Confront Hennepin County Board Over HERC Closure, Sending Commissioners Into Recess
Zero Burn Coalition hunger strikers disrupted the Hennepin County Board meeting on day 12 of their strike demanding a vote to close HERC by December 2027 before ending the strike the following day.
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A new poll tax? How the SAVE Act impacts Black, unhoused and female voters
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and advocates say it would disproportionately harm Black elders, unhoused residents and millions of eligible voters who lack required documents.
Posted inPolitics
Five Candidates Face Off Over ICE Prosecution, Criminal Justice Reform in Hennepin County Attorney Race
Hennepin County Attorney race 2026 forum at Sabathani Community Center featured five candidates debating ICE prosecution, criminal justice reform and the future of the office.
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Minneapolis council members, leaders oppose $38 million police training center
The Minneapolis police training center proposal faces pushback from council members and community leaders who question the cost and timing amid ongoing budget strain.
Posted inPolitics
Twin Cities Take Different Paths on Tenant Protections
St. Paul passes a 60-day pre-eviction notice ordinance as Minneapolis falls two votes short of overriding Mayor Frey’s veto of a similar tenant protection measure.
Posted inPolitics
Minnesota activists say good riddance to Kristi Noem, say the fight is still ongoing
Minnesota activists welcomed the Kristi Noem DHS firing, saying community protests played a role in holding federal leadership accountable.
Posted inPolitics
Sen. Bobby Champion outlines legislative priorities amid session challenges
Sen. Bobby Champion discusses fraud prevention, Capitol security and immigration accountability as key priorities during the legislative session.