Wedge LIVE!

Angela Conley, currently running unopposed for a third term on the Hennepin County board, leads me on a walking tour of the Bryant neighborhood of Minneapolis, known to many as the home of George Floyd Square at 38th and Chicago. We talk about local street projects, visit neighborhood landmarks, pause to admire the bees, pet a cat, talk about the county's role in mitigating the devastating effects of federal cuts to healthcare programs, and see how Commissioner Conley reacts at a pedestrian crossing with 5 seconds on the clock. Plus we check out the house that had so many cars crash in their yard that they fortified it with concrete blocks.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Professional pedicab driver Phil Schwartz shares his knowledge of the mean streets of Minneapolis and allows us to experience every pothole on the 90+ year old Lyndale Avenue. While doing the complete Lake-to-Hennepin-to-Lyndale circuit around the Wedge neighborhood, we check out the new Hennepin Avenue and see what's possible on a reconstructed Lyndale Avenue. On Thursday the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether to accept the county's plan to redo the street beginning in 2028. If the council doesn't vote yes, that could mean forfeiting $9 million in federal funding and letting the street and underground infrastructure continue to crumble. Thank you to cohost Brian Mitchell for putting his butt on the line as we bounced on all those potholes.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene joins me to talk about her campaign for reelection and the great big conversation we're having about reconstructing the 90+ year old Lyndale Avenue. What did we learn from the Hennepin Avenue experience? Why is a "pause" a bad idea?

We also talk about the state of Uptown. Is Mayor Frey's plan to use MPD as a more prominent solution to homelessness and addiction working or pushing the problem from place to place? Plus the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the garbage burner, property taxes, and why Hennepin County government manages to do just fine without the equivalent of a strong mayor bossing everyone around.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

What's the prospect for meaningful statewide housing policy reform in Minnesota? Brit Anbacht (Neighbors for More Neighbors) and Rep. Katie Jones (district 61A) join me to talk about zoning - parking minimums, minimum lot sizes, overly restrictive caps on unit sizes that make it impossible to build homes for families, and other things that make housing too damn expensive. We look back at the most recent legislative session at the Minnesota State Capitol - and look ahead to next year, where the hope is a new crop of freshman legislators focused on housing affordability will finally get something passed.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board voted 8-1 last Wednesday to end the use of Minnehaha dog park for off-leash dogs, believing it to be in conflict with the sacred nature of the site for the Dakota community. This upset a lot of the dog owners who frequent this park. Commissioner Jason Garcia who authored the resolution to decommission the off-leash use for the park, joins us to talk about why the Park Board did it.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Legendary parade commentators Taylor Dahlin and John Edwards carry on the tradition of narrating another year of Big Honkin' Trucks rolling down Nicollet Mall.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Analysis of the results of the Hennepin County DFL Convention. Sheriff Dawanna Witt lost a five round battle of attrition against... nobody. County Commissioners Irene Fernando, Marion Greene, and Angela Conley were all endorsed for reelection. And Cedrick Frazier was endorsed by for the open seat for Hennepin County Attorney. We talk about how Anders Folk might be this year's Ryan Winkler (mild-mannered white guy who gets lost in the shuffle, despite establishment support, and falls out of the top two, failing to advance out of the primary). We marvel at the determination of delegates who forced Sheriff Witt to leave the convention empty handed, despite being the only candidate seeking the endorsement. And we're still wondering how it's possible that Josh Bassais came to the convention without a single delegate willing to support him. Co-hosting this episode are Commissioner Jason Garcia and Josh Martin.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Rep. Ilhan Omar stops by for a conversation in the middle of Lyndale Avenue, as she campaigns for re-election ahead of the August 11th DFL primary. Then we talk to Eric Harris Bernstein of the Minneapolis Board of Estimate & Taxation. Episode recorded at Open Streets on June 7, 2026.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stops by for a live conversation at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue on June 7, 2026.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Lauren McCarley who is organizing the Uptown People's Assembly as a counter to business interests that have dominated the conversation about Uptown on public safety, homelessness, the proposed business improvement district, and street infrastructure.

The Uptown People's Assembly is happening Saturday, June 13 at 1:00 pm at 3400 Dupont Ave S (First Unitarian Church).

RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmgOwgVPGfwUVETCNzNliyVxXgRF3m58S8l-6Q6kFrgGxU-g/viewform

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Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive

Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee