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Lara Bergman is running for Minneapolis School Board in district 6, located in southwest Minneapolis. There are two competitive school board races this year. One is for a citywide at-large seat and the other is in district 6. This is one of four episodes with candidates for those two seats. In addition to listening to this podcast, I recommend reading the candidate interviews in Minneapolis School...

The race to fill Frank Hornstein's shoes in MN House District 61A comes down to the final two. This episode features my conversation with Toya López, the Green Party candidate. I spoke with Katie Jones, winner of the three-way DFL primary, prior to the DFL convention in March. You can listen to that episode here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wedgelive/episodes/Katie-Jones--candidate-for...

We kick things off with results and analysis of Don Samuels vs Ilhan Omar in the 5th congressional district primary. Josh breaks out his google docs. We list all the factors working against Samuels in 2024, compared to his previous campaign in 2022. We cover Katie Jones's victory in Minneapolis's only competitive state legislative race (house district 61A) - and what the results can tell u...

Jason Garcia, aka Hot Dog Larry Jacobs, joins us to do podcast punditry while attempting to eat 12 hot dogs for charity. Josh Martin makes sure the score-keeping stays honest. In this groundbreaking 90 minute episode, we talk about the race for Minnesota House of Representatives in 61A. Frank Hornstein is retiring, creating a vacancy for the first time in decades. We're trying to answer the qu...

On this episode of Wedge Save America: After their department earned an unprecedented double consent decree, the Minneapolis police union earns a historically large 21.7% pay increase as part of their new contract; the plan to add an additional elected member/crackpot to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation dies at the Charter Commission; Taylor Dahlin joins us to talk about becoming a v...

For this episode, Mike Norton and host John Edwards welcome your angry replies to their bike ride through Uptown, around the lakes, and back again. We discuss the life and death of Uptown; the perverse incentives of the commercial real estate market; how Minneapolis has earned its designation as the happiest city in the USA; why Mike Norton's resignation as Minneapolis DFL vice chair was reall...

We're biking from downtown Minneapolis to Powderhorn Park to talk about People's Pride — the local, laid back, non-corporate alternative to Twin Cities Pride. No police either — they've taken sequeerity into their own hands. It's happening Saturday, June 29 at Powderhorn Park from noon to 4 pm. My guest is one of the event's organizers, Luna Zeidner, who talks about the recent...

What have we learned from the big push for ambitious statewide zoning reforms during the 2024 Minnesota legislative session? From parking reform to fourplex legalization, most of these proposals failed to pass. But advocates got the conversation started and built an impressively broad coalition of housing, environmental, labor, faith groups, and others in support of these proposals. And they saved...

DJ and transportation activist Eric Moran takes John on a bicycle tour of North Minneapolis. We talk about the status of Northside streets and transit advocacy. We wonder why Ward 4 Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw (a former board chair of the Bicycle Coalition/Our Streets) is the Minneapolis City Council's biggest opponent of bike infrastructure. We talk about why Eric advocates for safer street...

A conversation with Michelle Phelps, author of The Minneapolis Reckoning, a book that puts the murder of George Floyd in the context of generations of Minneapolis police violence and abuse -- and activist efforts at both reform and abolition. We talk about why she felt compelled to write the book; how this project that began at the height of the BLM movement, and activism in response to police kil...

A conversation with Aurin Chowdhury, who represents Ward 12 on the Minneapolis City Council. We talk about MPD's continued use of coaching as a way to hide misconduct; what she hopes to see from a new union contract; why she isn't sold on the idea of moving the city's election office into the old MPD 3rd Precinct; how budget conversations are proceeding with a $21 million budget gap lo...

A conversation about the chaotic end to the 2024 Minnesota state legislative session with Dan Thomas-Commins, the self-styled parliamentary rules nerd who you might have seen running your local DFL convention. We talk about GOP obstruction; what might explain the DFL's seeming lack of urgency; how literal last minute procedural mistakes cost tens of millions in vital public investments; how th...

It's the world's first half bike/half scooter mobile podcast episode, with Taylor Dahlin. We are patrolling the streets of Loring Park and downtown Minneapolis on the lookout for scooter scofflaws. We talk about the alleged connection between scooter ridership and crime; Taylor's transportation habits as a year-round, all-seasons scooter commuter; the state of bike and scooter infrastr...

John is joined by Josh Martin to talk about three proposals to amend the Minneapolis City Charter, including a plan to move from odd to even year city elections. Plus: Ilhan Omar's DFL convention win over an underwhelming Don Samuels; and how despite the city's 2040 Plan appeals court victory, only the legislature can save us from endless further litigation. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedg...

There's a linear park in Uptown called "the Mall" that functions more like a parking lot. In 2020, after two years of community engagement, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board adopted a long-range plan that transforms some of the Mall's parking area into actual "forested and green space" and includes additional amenities like a community garden. But now that the p...

Today, we're talking about people who think Roberts Rules is an acceptable form of bullying. It turns out, shouting "Point of order! Point of order!" over and over again is not an excuse to get up in a parliamentarian's personal space. Our conversation is inspired by Deborah Copperud's recent experience at the Minneapolis DFL City Convention. We talk about what's wrong wi...

This is part of a series of conversations with 2024 candidates for MN House district 62B to be published ahead of the DFL Convention on Sunday, April 14. This episode features candidate Anquam Mahamoud (https://www.anquam62b.com). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthon...

This is part of a series of conversations with 2024 candidates for MN House district 62B to be published ahead of the DFL Convention on Sunday, April 14. This episode features candidate Londel French (londelfrench.org). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x...

This is part of a series of conversations with 2024 candidates for MN House district 62B to be published ahead of the DFL Convention on Sunday, April 14. This episode features candidate Bill Emory (billemory.org). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFont...

John is joined by PeggySue Imihy Bean (President of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association) and Alex Schieferdecker (also a planner). We're talking about the effort at the state legislature to protect municipal comprehensive plans from bad-faith environmental lawsuits (contact your state legislators!). The group of wealthy pretend environmentalists currently holding up the...

Melody Hoffman (southwestvoices.news) joins us for a conversation about serious allegations made against a US mail carrier in southwest Minneapolis. Witnesses recount a series of assaults that ultimately ended a beloved neighborhood turkey's life. First, an attack with a shovel. Then a brutal hit-and-run attack with a mail truck. We also talk about: Uber and Lyft threatening to leave Minneapol...

Rep. Frank Hornstein is retiring after 20 years representing District 61A in the Minnesota House. So far there are four publicly announced candidates seeking the DFL endorsement. We're having conversations with all of them ahead of the DFL Senate District 61 Convention on Saturday, March 23. This episode features candidate Katie Jones (katiejones.org) Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join...

Rep. Frank Hornstein is retiring after 20 years representing District 61A in the Minnesota House. So far there are four publicly announced candidates seeking the DFL endorsement. We're having conversations with all of them ahead of the DFL Senate District 61 Convention on Saturday, March 23. This episode features candidate Isabel Rolfes (isabelforhouse.com). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliv...

Rep. Frank Hornstein is retiring after 20 years representing District 61A in the Minnesota House. So far there are four publicly announced candidates seeking the DFL endorsement. We're having conversations with all of them ahead of the DFL Senate District 61 Convention on Saturday, March 23. This episode features candidate Dylan McMahon (dylanmcmahon.com). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive...

Rep. Frank Hornstein is retiring after 20 years representing District 61A in the Minnesota House. So far there are four publicly announced candidates seeking the DFL endorsement. We're having conversations with all of them ahead of the DFL Senate District 61 Convention on Saturday, March 23. This episode features candidate Will Stancil (willstancil.org). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Jo...