Minneapolis Subsidizes Rent for Artists to Turn Vacant Storefronts into ‘Vibrant Cultural Hubs’

Blackbird Revolt

The City of Minneapolis has announced the first recipients of its Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts initiative, a pilot program providing over $224,000 to help local arts organizations turn empty storefronts into “vibrant cultural hubs.”

In a press release, Mayor Jacob Frey praised the initiative as a “game-changer,” adding, “This is just the beginning,” while pointing to plans to expand the program into Uptown with even more taxpayer dollars.

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North Carolina U.S. Rep. Foxx: Americans ‘Have Been Cheated Out of $250 million’ by Walz’s Failures

As Gov. Tim Walz seeks a promotion to second-in-command of the country, Congress is investigating how he allowed the largest COVID-era scam in the nation to unfold in Minnesota while serving as the head of the state.

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State Republicans Introduce Bill to Save Uber and Lyft After Minneapolis Vote

Uber Driver

Minnesota Republicans have introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments from regulating rideshare companies after Uber and Lyft said they plan to leave portions of the metro area May 1.

That’s the day a new ordinance passed by the Minneapolis City Council setting minimum compensation standards for rideshare drivers is set to take effect.

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Minneapolis Announces Climate Funding Plan to Be Carbon Neutral by 2050

Jacob Frey

The city of Minneapolis has awarded the first funding round for climate action through the Climate Legacy Initiative.

Mayor Jacob Frey announced the CLI in July, which aims to fund the city’s climate goals over the next 10 years through increased gas and utility fees. 

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Minneapolis Democrat Mayor Orders Police to Scale Back Arrests for Psychedelic Plants

Minneapolis Democrat Mayor Jacob Frey has ordered the city police department to stop enforcing most laws against using hallucinogenic plants.

Frey in announcing the order Friday pointed to the potential benefits of taking hallucinogenic plants to treat mental illnesses such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Minneapolis Mayor Frey ‘Loves’ Proposal to Fund Abortions with City Budget

Two Minneapolis City Council members have joined forces with pro-choice organizations in an effort to push the city to pay for abortions.

Council Member Robin Wonsley said last week that she and Council Member Aisha Chughtai are launching “Fund Reproductive Care Minneapolis” with nonprofits Our Justice and Pro-Choice Minnesota to secure municipal funding for abortions.

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St. Paul Mayor Doubles Down and Expands Guaranteed Basic Income Payouts

Although an evaluation of the initial guaranteed basic income pilot won’t be available until next year, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced last week he plans to distribute a second wave of $500 monthly cash payments to low-income families.

Mayor Jacob Frey announced Minneapolis will begin a similar guaranteed basic income pilot later this year.

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State Prohibits Inspection of Data Underlying MPD Human Rights Report

The state of Minnesota will not allow the public to view the materials that underlay a recent report accusing the Minneapolis Police Department of routinely violating human rights.

The report, compiled by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), concluded that “there is probable cause that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.”

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State of Minnesota, Minneapolis Reach Agreement to Address Low Police Staffing

State leaders in Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis reached an agreement to send state police forces to assist with law enforcement staffing issues in the city.

The “joint powers agreements” will allow state forces to “provide high visibility patrol in agreed upon areas and during agreed upon times to help deter crime”

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Far-Left Minnesota Group Calls for Terror After Supreme Court Leak

A far-left group is calling for terror after Tuesday night’s leak of the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) draft opinions showing that the Court could overturn Roe v. Wade. 

After cursing SCOTUS, and particularly Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito, a group called MNUprising instructed its followers to “terrorize [their] oppressor.” 

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Minneapolis Mayor Says Violent Juvenile Crime Increasing During Pandemic

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) says schools must stay open despite the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in order to keep youth residents from committing violent crimes. 

“We’ve gotta keep the schools open. This is very clear to me,” Frey reportedly said. “Yes, we need to make sure we’re abiding by the necessary safety precautions. Yes, we need to make sure anyone from parents to teachers to students are protected in full from the dangers associated with a global pandemic, and we need to make sure the students are in the schools and that they’re able to learn.”

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Minneapolis to Increase Police Department’s Budget, Effectively Ending ‘Defund the Police’ Movement

On Friday, the Minneapolis city council approved a budget that would increase funding for the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), restoring the department’s budget to what it was prior to the beginning of the “Defund the Police” movement, as reported by the Epoch Times.

The $1.6 billion budget, approved by the city council and Mayor Jacob Frey (D-Minn.), includes an allocation of $191 million for the MPD, marking a dramatic shift from just one month earlier when activists were on the verge of completely eliminating the department altogether.

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Progressives Claim Moral Victory Despite Losing Effort to Minneapolis Dismantle Police

After losing on a ballot measure that would have dismantled the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), the progressive group behind the measure is claiming moral victory. 

Question 2, which was proposed in the wake of the death of George Floyd, would have replace MPD with a Department of Public Safety. It would have eliminated funding requirements for law enforcement in the city, and given Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and the city council dual authority over the new public safety department. 

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Minneapolis Opens ‘Parklet’ at George Floyd Square

Minneapolis installed a mini park at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago, the location of George Floyd Square where George Floyd was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin. According to the city, the seasonal spaces, or parklets, are designed to slow nearby traffic and to provide an area for seating, flowers and greenery, bicycle parking, and art for the public to enjoy.

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Mayor Jacob Frey Criticized for Spending Over $350,000 to Clear George Floyd Autonomous Zone

George Floyd Square

The Minneapolis City Council pushed back against Mayor Jacob Frey’s decision to allocate $359 thousand of the city’s COVID-19 procurement order to the Agape Movement to assist in clearing the George Floyd Autonomous Zone in Minneapolis.

In the June 17 City Council meeting, Ward 3 Council Member Steve Fletcher said, “I think it is a scandal. This is a misuse of the COVID-19 authorization. It is not appropriate as a COVID-19 expenditure, and it is something that should have come through council.”

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Minneapolis Mayor Holds Press Conference on Uptown No Go Zone

  In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to address the new autonomous zone in Uptown Minneapolis, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that they want to advance racial justice but that they need to “acknowledge that the atmosphere has substantially changed.” The second Minneapolis No Go Zone was established after…

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Second Minneapolis No Go Zone Established in Uptown Called ‘Boogie World’

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minneapolis has a second No Go Zone, despite efforts from law enforcement and city officials to remove barricades blocking an intersection in Uptown Minneapolis at Lake Street and Girard Avenue. This is the second autonomous zone in Minneapolis. The other is located at the place of George Floyd’s death, which is still occupied by protesters despite the city’s efforts to clear and reopen the area.

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Minneapolis Mayor Admits Anti-Police Rhetoric has Led to Crime Spike

They mayor of Minneapolis, who himself has bashed police in order to placate the Black Lives Matter mob, now says that calls to “defund the police” have led to a spike in crime in the city. 

“The violence needs to stop, it’s unacceptable. People deserve to feel safe in their neighborhood, they deserve to be able to send their kids out to the sidewalk to play and to recreate without bullets flying by. That’s unacceptable. We should be holding these perpetrators accountable,” Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said.

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Minneapolis Lifts Bar Seating Ban, Still Requires Multiple Distancing Rules

Residents of Minneapolis received a small reprieve from stringent COVID-19 restrictions Friday, but plenty of rules still remain in place. 

“The city of Minneapolis has lifted its ban on bar counter seating just in time for the weekend,” Minnesota Public Radio News (MPR) reported. “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the decision was based on public health data, showing a decrease in COVID-19 cases in the city.”

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Minneapolis City Council Votes to Raise Property Taxes, Cut $8 million from Police Budget But Aims for Higher Police Staffing Target

The Minneapolis City Council voted to cut $8 million from the Police Department (MPD) in their 2021 budget. However, the Council also also added a caveat to allow for additional future police recruitment, likely dodging a veto from Mayor Jacob Frey.

In a 7-6 vote Wednesday night, the council’s decision doesn’t change the number of officers in 2021, but sets a higher target number for replacing officers who are currently out on leave for post-traumatic stress disorders or other reasons with the council’s authorization.

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Residents Describe City on the Brink at Minneapolis Committee Meeting

More than 60 Minneapolis residents signed up to speak their minds at the two-hour virtual meeting, grilling council members on their “irresponsible rhetoric” and failure to adequately staff the Minneapolis Police Department.

“We should all know as adults that words such as ‘defund,’ ‘dismantle,’ and ‘abolish’ have severe consequences. We are a city in crisis and need action now,” said one resident who lives in the Loring Park neighborhood.

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Minneapolis Citizens Desensitized to Crime: Uber Driver Footage Inside Look at Metro’s Reality

Two Minneapolis citizens appear desensitized to their city’s worsening crime in a viral video of a downtown shootout early Sunday morning. The Uber driver’s dash cam recorded the incident.
The interaction between the female passenger and Uber driver is calm despite the violence occurring in front of them.

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Minneapolis Business Owners Left to Foot Demolition Bills After Riots

Minneapolis business owners are left to foot demolition bills after the latest round of riots terrorized the city.

For most business owners, insurance only covers 8 to 25 percent of quoted demolition costs, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

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Minneapolis Business Owners Left to Foot Demolition Bills After Riots

Minneapolis business owners are left to foot demolition bills after the latest round of riots terrorized the city.

For most business owners, insurance only covers 8 to 25 percent of quoted demolition costs, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

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Minneapolis Mayor Exempted NAACP from Curfew Riot Curfews, Emails Show

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gave National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) “staff and volunteers” permission to disobey curfew orders amid riots in his city.

Emails acquired by Alpha News as part of a larger public document dump related to the Minneapolis riots show that Frey “granted an exemption to NAACP from the 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew in Minneapolis for the dates of Friday, May 29 and Saturday May 30, 2020.” The document dump which unearthed these emails was prompted by a data practices request filed by Crime Watch Minneapolis.

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Minneapolis Riots Reignite After Video Release of Homicide Suspect’s Death

The video of a Black homicide suspect’s death reignited riots in Minneapolis on Wednesday. His identity has not been disclosed.

Rumor spread quickly that a police officer who drew his weapon moments prior to the incident was really the one who shot the man, according to KTSP.

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Minneapolis Mayor Frey Proposes 5.7 Percent Property Tax Increase, Recommends Police Hiring Freeze

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gave his preliminary 2021 budget address Friday, in which he suggested how the city could improve its finances after restrictions put in place to slow the COVID-19 pandemic battered tax revenue. 

Fifty-five percent of the city’s ongoing general fund revenue is gathered from sources other than property taxes, Frey said, sources he added that are projected to drop next year by $32.5 million.

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Minnesota GOP Chairwoman Calls for Resignation of Mayor Frey, Governor Walz

Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan called on Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to resign for their “failed” leadership during last week’s riots.

“Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey have been largely silent, other than a handful of unhelpful tweets and press conferences blaming everyone but themselves. Minneapolis is decimated. Minneapolis is damaged to a level we never could have imagined. The destruction caused this past week will unfortunately live in our memories forever. It’s a dark stain on our state,” Carnahan said in a statement released over the weekend.

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Twin Cities Mayors Don’t Want to Let Churches Reopen, Archbishop Hits Back

The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, both Democrats, said in a recent statement that they want churches in their cities to continue to “hold services remotely.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued a join statement Saturday after Gov. Tim Walz announced he would allow churches to resume in-person worship.

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Candid Video Shows Minneapolis Mayor Accusing Lawmaker of Lying After House GOP Unveils New Crime Bill

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey crashed a Monday press conference called by House Republicans who unveiled a package of bills aimed at addressing an increase in violent crime in the Twin Cities.

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Mayor Frey Says Costs from Trump Rally Increased by $12,000, Still Plans to Seek Reimbursement

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Tuesday that he still plans to seek reimbursement from President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign for the costs associated with its October campaign rally and revealed that the actual costs were $12,000 more than initially estimated.

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Questions Raised About Bernie’s History of Not Paying Security Bills After Minneapolis Rally

Questions were raised Monday morning about the public safety costs related to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) rally at the University of Minnesota Sunday night. The speculation comes after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey engaged in a Twitter spat with President Donald Trump about security fees ahead of the president’s rally in Minnesota last month.

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Mayor Frey Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation to Ensure Cities Are Compensated for Trump Rallies

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey published an op-ed in The Washington Post Monday defending his decision to seek reimbursement from President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign for security costs related to the president’s Minneapolis rally.

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Minnesota Democrats React to Trump Rally: ‘Off the Rails,’ ‘Demeaning,’ ‘Gross’

President Donald Trump has left the building, but Minnesotans are still reacting to and recovering from Thursday night’s riotous events in downtown Minneapolis.

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Trump Campaign Accuses Minneapolis Mayor of Extortion, Threatens Lawsuit in Wild Exchange

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “abusing the power of his office” and “attempting to extort” the president by “conjuring a phony and outlandish bill for security.”

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Public Meeting About Cedar-Riverside Revitalization Project Shut Down by Protesters

Minneapolis officials hosted an open house Friday night to solicit feedback on a project that would help boost the economy and reduce crime in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, but the meeting was shut down by disgruntled protesters.

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Minneapolis Mayor Frey’s Budget Address Repeatedly Shut Down by Anti-Police Protesters

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey requested the funds for 14 additional law enforcement officers in his 2020 budget, even though Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said his department needs 400 new officers by 2025.

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Minneapolis Police Now Required to List Illegal Immigrant Rights in All Squad Cars

Minneapolis is now beginning to install placards in its squad cards with a list of rights illegal immigrants have when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and city police. Mayor Jacob Frey announced the proposal during his inaugural “State of the City” address in May, saying he believes…

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