#minnpost

[subsidystadium]

Barely a decade after the Minnesota Vikings got their new stadium, they want a yearly source of taxpayer money for whatever they desire

Barely a decade after the Minnesota Vikings got their new stadium, they want a yearly source of taxpayer money for whatever they desire

This week, I saw an article in the Minnesota Star Tribune that discussed how all the local sports teams are simultaneously pushing officials to give them taxpayer money for upgrades to their sports venues. The Minnesota Wild won’t publicly disclose how much they want from taxpayers or even what they want to upgrade. We just know that the owner could “perhaps contribute up to $250 million in…

[black-fist-order]

A little black history for ya'...!

In late 2011, Prince Rogers Nelson walked into Capitol Guitars, a modest music store in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dressed in dark shades and an overcoat, he browsed quietly, barely speaking. The staff recognized him instantly but chose to respect his silence. He pointed at a few guitars, asked about the tonal difference between maple and mahogany, and then paused when the owner mentioned a recent conversation with a local teacher. The teacher had said that students at Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis were losing access to their music program due to severe budget cuts.

Prince nodded slightly and left without purchasing anything.

Three days later, a delivery truck arrived at Capitol Guitars. Prince had returned but not to shop. Instead, he gave the owner a handwritten list and a simple instruction: “Everything on this list, pack it and deliver it to Anwatin.” The list included guitars, drum sets, violins, keyboards, amps, microphones, and recording equipment. When the owner asked if the instruments should be marked with a donor name or message, Prince replied, “No names. No credit. Just send love.”

The delivery created confusion at the school. Teachers and administrators at Anwatin Middle School had no advance notice, and the delivery slip listed only a phone number that led to a private voicemail. Music teacher Kenneth Simms opened the shipment, stunned by the quality and quantity of the instruments. He assumed it was a mistake. It took several days of asking around and comparing handwriting on the note that came with the shipment before a staff member connected it to Prince, who had visited the store days earlier.

When a friend later asked him about it, Prince said, “That’s between me and the kids. Not for headlines.” He declined to make any public statement or appear at the school. According to Minneapolis-based journalist Jon Bream from "Star Tribune", even the school district wasn’t formally notified. They only learned about the donor’s identity after teachers pieced the story together.

Those close to Prince knew his silent generosity wasn’t a one-time impulse. During his early years growing up on the north side of Minneapolis, he often spoke about the importance of music education. His mother, Mattie Shaw, was a jazz singer and heavily involved in the local music scene. Prince once said in a 1999 interview with "Ebony", “If I hadn’t had access to a piano when I was seven, I don’t know who I would’ve become. Music wasn’t a hobby, it was a lifeline.”

Former bandmate Sheila E. recalled in her 2014 memoir "The Beat of My Own Drum" how Prince frequently funded youth centers and music camps without telling anyone. “He believed in giving kids a chance to create,” she wrote. “He didn’t want applause. He wanted them to play.”

At Anwatin, the new instruments transformed the energy of the school. Simms recalled how students began coming to class early just to practice. A hallway that once echoed with silence after the final bell now hummed with guitar riffs, drumbeats, and laughter. “We didn’t just get instruments,” Simms told "MinnPost" in 2012, “we got hope.”

Store owner Alan Geller, who kept the receipt from Prince’s bulk order tucked in his office drawer, shared later that the musician didn’t even ask for a discount. “He said, ‘Charge full price. They deserve the best.’”

For Prince, who had often used his wealth to quietly support causes tied to youth empowerment, the act wasn’t about visibility. His friend Van Jones later commented during an interview with "CNN", “He believed that if you help a kid find their rhythm, they might avoid chaos. He never needed a stage for that.”

The donation never became a national headline. There were no photo ops or ceremonies. But in a city where music had once saved a young boy from the streets, it was returned, quietly, to the next generation. Prince gave them music when theirs had been taken away and never asked for anything in return...

[bobcatmoran]

So with Tim Walz, governor of my home state, as the VP nominee (and news stories about him/Minnesota coming out of the woodwork) here's some stuff that will probably be helpful to know over the next 3 months:

The Minnesota Democratic party is, due to a 1944 party merger with the local Farmer-Labor party, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, or DFL for short. Local media refers to them as such.

Speaking of local media, we have two major local newspapers: the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis (Strib for short) and the somewhat smaller Pioneer Press out of St. Paul.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are the Twin Cities. They're next to each other, but woe betide you if you mistake one for the other. Minneapolis is the larger of the two, with the more vibrant nightlife and history as a flour milling hub, while St. Paul is the state capital, home to lots of liberal arts colleges and a significant Asian-American population, mostly the Karen ethnic group from Myanmar and Hmong.

Other reputable local news sources include MinnPost (online indie news site), the Minnesota Reformer (unashamedly leftist and pro-union), and Sahan Journal (focused on stories affecting the local immigrant and minority communities). We also have Minnesota Public Radio, or MPR for short, one of the largest NPR affiliates in the nation with a pretty solid local news arm. Bring Me the News is rarely a source of breaking news, but what they do report on is solid.

Alpha News is not a reputable local news source. They're far right wing and have a *cough* casual relation with reporting on actual events.

About 1% of Minnesota's population are Somali/Somali-Americans, concentrated in Minneapolis, especially the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. They're a major target of local racism and Islamophobia, by conservative assholes. The nonsense rumor over Minnesota's new flag being based on the Somali flag (because…uh…blue? and star?) stems from that particular local brand of xenophobia.

It's "Hot Dish." "Casserole" is the name of the type of cooking utensil you make Hot Dish in.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from Minnesota, officially launched her campaign Tuesday for U.S. Senate—setting the stage for a closely watched Democratic primary in a political climate increasingly hostile to queer Americans. In a campaign video released on President Donald Trump’s 100th day back in office, Craig, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, slammed the Republican for “trampling our rights and freedoms as he profits,” accused billionaire Elon Musk of trying to “burn [the government] to the ground,” and called out a “cowardly Republican Party” enabling it all. “There’s chaos and corruption coming out of Washington, crashing down on all of us every day,” Craig said. “And damn if we don’t have a fight going on right now.” Her candidacy quickly received a significant boost: Equality PAC, the national group dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ people to Congress, endorsed her Senate bid Wednesday. “Equality PAC is proud to endorse Congresswoman Angie Craig for U.S. Senate because Minnesotans deserve a tireless, effective leader who puts people first—and that’s exactly who Angie is,” said Equality PAC co-chairs Rep. Mark Takano of California and New York Rep. Ritchie Torres. “Angie Craig is a proven fighter, and we are confident she will bring that same grit and commitment to the U.S. Senate on behalf of all Minnesotans.”

Craig, 53, flipped her suburban and rural swing district in 2018 and has since defended it in some of the nation’s most competitive House races. With her Senate run, she leaves that seat open in a critical election year. She told the Star Tribune she would not endorse a successor but believed Democrats could keep the district. Craig joins a Democratic field that includes Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who would be the first Native American woman in the Senate, and former state Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen. While Flanagan has already picked up high-profile endorsements, Craig enters with strong name recognition and over $1.2 million in campaign cash, MinnPost reports.

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), out lesbian, will run for Senate to replace the retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN).

See Also:

LGBTQ Nation: Lesbian Rep. Angie Craig announces Senate campaign

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Minnesota law professor Laura Hermer recycled the flawed “every child a wanted child” slogan this week in an opinion piece that describes killing unborn babies in abortions as a “pro-child” solution.

Writing at the MinnPost, the Mitchell Hamline School of Law professor evoked sympathy for her pro-abortion argument by bringing up the potential suffering that a child and its mother could face from poverty, abuse, neglect and other causes. To Hermer, these are good reasons for aborting an unborn baby...

[coralsgrimes]

In a recent interview, Ben spoke about how he hired a fan for the posters cuz his fans are so talented. Seeing those covers you made? Priceless. Ben will be DMing you to work for him soon (he'll pay you in exposure and a signed album, since they aren't selling and he needs to get rid of them <3). (interview link: https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2025/01/prince-caspian-ben-barnes-heads-to-minneapolis/)

This is like so cringe but he says that they are an actual graphic designer. THO idk if he would pay me i exposure since no one beside his band and the vanity label is tagged xd he is such a fucking scam artist I cannot even put it into words. And I would spend actual monies to send that CD back to him lol

He is still prince C. Not for long cuz younger model is in the works sooooooooo

Tho this interview is amazing. Let us bring the best bits here. Like this one, the first question. Cuz yeah it is the acting thing and the music thing cuz he as sure fuck is not a musician and barely an actor lol also scheduling conflicts? Hun, he is clinically unemployed and his vanity project was made cuz he has only free time as nothing keeps cancelling on him xd

And this is just great:

a) so he basically admits that he planned the whole tour like 4, maybe 5 moths ago tops ALL while actively shooting that cable nooneisgonnawatchitshow. 4-5 months xddd so he either had like a 1000 peeps organizing it for him (doubtful face goes here) or this whole touring mess is glued together with an old chewing gum and hanging on for dear life lol

b) he kinda admits that he has nothing lined up in terms of jobs and nothing possibly coming cuz like I cannot imagine someone struggling for parts like he does to just not take up any opportunity at this stage - he took the institute which is, lets be honest, a bottom of the barrel job soooooo producers ain't fighting for him alright xd

c) 20 years? yeah ye should have left this one in the drafts tbh x.x

wasn't there like input form Kevin and Cal at the very least? That's what I remember lol also shoutout to the OGs who remember what Benny was up to in summer of 2022 after Shadow Daddy Show wrapped filming.........

And now is the thing I told ye he gonna say sooner than later. I FUCKING SAID THAT HE GONNA FUCKING SAY IT THAT FUCKING STUPID TWAT

And here is the link if anyone is interested.

[ausetkmt]

The Jacksonville shooter (whose name I shall not write) ultimately killed three innocent Black Americans at a Dollar General Store only after he was first spotted at nearby Edward Waters University (EWU).

As the shooter donned his bulletproof vest, some EWU students eyed what they believed to be a suspicious person.

The students at the Florida historically black institution immediately alerted a nearby security guard who approached the suspect near his car. Upon seeing the officer, the suspect fled in his car toward what would be his next target.

Had the cowardly shooter not turned the weapon on himself after killing three innocent Americans at the discount store, his first encounter at Edward Waters University would have been more than strong trial evidence that his plan was to kill Black Americans.

In plain language, the Jacksonville shooter was engaged in a terrorist plot.

“Terrorist” is defined (rather circularly) by Webster’s dictionary as

“relating to, or characteristic of terrorists or terrorism: practicing or involving violent acts of terror.”

The key to the definition is that terrorism involves acts of violence.

One might imagine one of the definitional requirements of terrorism would be the use of violence to achieve political or cultural objectives, but Webster’s ignores this element.

But, we know from our recent history, terrorism can be simple violence calculated to induce fear and terror in its victims — and its victims are most often those who are identifiable and insular — those who are either vulnerable minorities or protected class members.

This is a pattern that is clear from the racist massacres dating from the era of post-Civil War Reconstruction until last week in Jacksonville.

But had these recent incidents been perpetrated by any identifiable non-American, this nation would have acted swiftly to prevent future atrocities through passage of anti-terrorism legislation and would have appropriated funds for both the FBI and DOJ to investigate and prosecute them “to the full extent of the law.”

Instead, in the wake of the repeated attacks, national and local politicians recite a litany of delay and denial mixed with indifferent thoughts and belated prayers about the deaths of their fellow countrymen and women.

Instead it is past time to act.

They must denominate these clockwork-like acts of violence as real terrorism; and, in doing so must both legislate and appropriate the resources necessary to prevent them.

But to do this they must first confront a hard truth — the truth that the most dangerous terrorists in our midst are other Americans: mainly radicalized young white Americans who seek to kill and terrorize their own neighbors — Americans who are Jewish, Black or Hispanic.

The same fervor to fight terror which once spread across all spheres of politics after 9/11 seems to have evaporated in the last half decade once the incidence of terror evolved to acts against Americans by other Americans.

But that doesn’t change the state of reality.

[internettythings]

That's a startling statistic.

[foolishmortal]

and representation in the house is definitely skewed by gerrymandering.

There's some great articles out there about how adding more seats in The House of Representatives would allow for smaller congressional districts, which would allow for the more small town feel of a Congressperson being able to meet with their constituents in a more personal way, like the representatives in smaller and sparsely populated states are able to do. These articles below are an interesting read.

solidarity with california.

[fadingsunsjvj]

'Wealth supremacy,' a bias ingrained in our economic system, needs to end - MinnPost

[psychiccyclerebel]

Is the Amtrak Borealis train really profitable? https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-business/2024/07/is-the-amtrak-borealis-train-really-profitable/

[yproductions]

Weekend Picks: Kinky Boots; Kao Kalia Yang at Milkweed; Beatrix*JAR - MinnPost

Plus: Northern Lights.mn's book launch on the Northern Sparks Festival; Channy Leaneagh's intimate set at Berlin; and more.

[ussjellyfish]

In Minnesota we have a democratic House, Senate and governor. None of them are perfect, but we managed to pass meaningful legislation on all of these things, because our local elections changed things.

From Minnpost "Democrats codified abortion rights, paid family and medical leave, sick leave, transgender rights protections, drivers licenses for undocumented residents, restoration of voting rights for people when they are released from prison or jail, wider voting access, one-time rebates, a tax credit aimed at low-income parents with kids, and a $1 billion investment in affordable housing including for rental assistance.

Also adopted were background checks for private gun transfers and a red-flag warning system to take guns from people deemed by a judge to be a threat to themselves or others. DFL lawmakers banned conversion therapy for LGBTQ people, legalized recreational marijuana, expanded education funding, required a carbon-free electric grid by 2040, adopted a new reading curricula based on phonics, passed a massive $2.58 billion capital construction package and, at the insistence of Republicans, a $300 million emergency infusion of money to nursing homes.

(whole article here)

When we have enough of a majority, we can do more progressive things.

right now it’s almost halfway through 2023, and 2024 is an election year in the US. I have started to see a growing proliferation of posts suggesting that there is no difference between the republican and democratic parties–the exact same kind of posts I saw an awful lot of before the last major election here. I am unfollowing folks who post or reblog these sort of posts, as I consider these posts to be fascist propaganda framed as leftist discourse, designed to suppress anti-fascist votes and voters. 

[politically-incoherent]

Be careful of who you follow.