John is joined by Melody Hoffman (@MelodySWV) for the first in a series of monthly appearances called "Monthly with Melody" (note: the monthly nature of Melody's appearances is currently probationary). Melody gets John up to speed on all the news he missed while away. John spent last week visiting Chicago, enjoying their transit system and sampling the original Uptown. John explains why commemorating the second anniversary of George Floyd's murder feels off. We talk about last week's remarkable public hearing where city of Minneapolis staff testified against Mayor Frey's nomination of Heather Johnston to be city coordinator. Current and former staff described the racism they face in the workplace and how Johnston, currently the interim coordinator, has failed to correct a longstanding problem within the coordinator's office. We talk about the ongoing saga of the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction approval and why we just need to approve those full-time bus lanes already.

Melody's article on the Heather Johnston public hearing: https://www.southwestvoices.news/posts/council-vote-on-interim-city-coordinator-position-delayed-after-unprecedented-public-testimony

Support Southwest Voices: https://www.southwestvoices.news/memberships

Plug: Look for the Wedge LIVE podcast at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue this Sunday, June 5 where John will be piloting what he's calling "the world's first pedal-powered podcast studio."

Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive