A couple of explosive meetings saw a Minneapolis Cop City (or Corner Store) proposed, and then pulled back. Would a one-stop $48m training center - with purpose-built realistic scenario areas and virtual reality rooms - reform our police? Where did this come from, and why now? This proposal will be back, so we dig deep into those and many arguments around them. We also cover the extraordinary open conflict between councilmembers that broke out in these meetings. Skip to 1:53 if you only want the drama! Recorded 3/30/26.

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Three key city leaders will soon be up for re-appointment: the Community Safety Commissioner, the City Attorney, and the City Operations Officer. We delve into their records, including a progress report on police reform that raises big questions. Do you feel safer in Minneapolis? This is a rare opportunity for the public and for City Councilmembers to scrutinize the record and make demands of highly-paid city staff. We also start with an update on the Mayoral veto of the attempt by the council majority to extend the period of time that residents have to catch up on rent, in the wake of the ICE invasion. Recorded 3/12/26.

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The broad impact of the ICE invasion is coming into view as the city, state and researchers attempt to measure it. We talk numbers for arrests, wages, businesses, mental health and more. How are we going to get the help to survive and recover this enormous hit to our social fabric? Increasingly it looks like the weight is on regular people, as demands for an eviction moratorium and meaningful economic aid are being resisted by city conservatives and state GOP, respectively. Who is helping? is the mayor helping himself? and who is just plain against us? Recorded 2/25/26.

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With the surge of federal agents into the Twin Cities metro continuing, we take a step back and assess several dynamics. The agends who killed Alex Pretti were established officers at the southern border, pointing to one of the roots of this crisis. We discuss what strategies and tactics seem to be working - either better or worse - and some of the genesis of those from advocacy non-profits to grassroots leaders. Horizontal initiative and relationship building between regular folks is a significant feature of this moment. Finally, we speculate on hopeful politics that seem to be emerging and what work may be required to sustain that. Recorded 2/4/26.

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Operation Metro Surge continues, with federal agents killing Minneapolis residents and terrorizing people across the metro. In a wide ranging discussion, we talk about how the community, cops and city council are responding. Continuity and contrast with the crisis of 2020. Whether a press conference means Trump has lost the support of local law enforcement. How can we think about the wildly different accounts of what is actually happening here. And how local elected officials are engaging with the crisis and showing up (or not) for residents. Recorded 1/21/26.

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Council President Payne played his hand: elected a new vice president, returned a version of council majority and council minority leader positions, and enlarged committees. Democratic Socialists have a formal role in leadership. And the Frey camp reacted with open anger. We discuss what this reveals about the theory of change in city hall. Recorded 1/7/26.

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Did you know the city council basically cannot ensure that allocated money is spent on the thing for which it was allocated? The city council ended 2025 with a flurry of action, often revealing a power struggle between the lines. We start with the continued federal campaign of aggression against our immigrant neighbors and the now-rewritten immigration separation ordinance. The budget passed with last minute negotiations amidst pointed gestures. A humane homeless encampament response ordinance was passed and vetoed. Oh, and Robin calls for the city clerk to lose his job. Recorded 12/17/25.

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With a Dec 18 town hall coming up, the Zero Burn Coalition is building momentum to close the HERC, a garbage burner that burns almost half of our trash and pollutes the air. Consensus is emerging to shutter this source of environmental injustice, but county staff have pushed back against real deadlines. Our own Cam Gordon is a member of the Coalition, and he and Robin Garwood worked on zero waste plans for the city. What will it take to close the garbage burner? Recorded 12/03/25.

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In an environment of historically high city election turnout, did the campaign of Sen Omar Fateh max out his strategy? or is there room to build on a repeat four years from now? We provide our big takeaways from this election, and assess arguments about what it means for our future work. Recorded 11/19/25.

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Election results landed and Minneapolis progressives are likely feeling a bit left out of the national enthusiasm. There are definitely some wins! but how did Jacob hang on to his base so tenaciously? was the strategy wrong? Day-after analysis is suspect, but you gotta start somewhere. Recorded 11/05/25.

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