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Luna Zeidner was campaign manager for Sheila Nezhad's 2021 run for Minneapolis mayor. But where did she go? What did she learn? And where is she now? John and Luna rehash painful memories from 2021 and its fallout; talk about why she felt the need to take a step back; and explore how she's reengaging in politics, finding hope in the present, and trying to fall in love with Minneapolis all...

Three people who attended last Saturday's Minneapolis DFL Ward 10 convention give their firsthand experience of what it was like when Nasri Warsame's campaign stormed the stage and forced Council Member Aisha Chughtai's delegation of supporters out the back door. John Edwards (delegate in precinct 10-1) is joined by Josh Martin (citizen journalist who was seated in the visitors section...

Forest Eidbo was elected to the city council in Crystal, Minnesota in 2022. He was inspired to run for the part-time, $600/month position after his council member voted against a resolution supporting Pride Month. We talk about all the familiar local issues from a suburban perspective -- streets, stop signs, trash, property taxes, trees, public safety, and the surprising volume of constituent phon...

John and Josh Martin have teamed up for the 2023 city election year to cover Minneapolis DFL conventions in all 13 wards. In this episode we recap what's happened so far (aside from Ward 5, whose convention endorsed incumbent Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw after we recorded). What did we learn in wards 3 and 12? Why was the Ward 5 convention cancelled? Josh takes his pundit hat off in Ward 8 (h...

John's conversation with Marcus Mills, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3. Marcus is also the winner of a recent contest and the prize was coming on the Wedge LIVE podcast. Congratulations, Marcus. 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 Kaspe...

For this very important episode about transit funding, John has a conversation with Peter Wagenius, legislative director at the Sierra Club North Star Chapter. You may have heard about the Minnesota House version of a transportation bill that passed with a .75% metro area sales tax. Peter explains why a sales tax targeted at the metro area is the smart way to fund transit and how legislative inact...

John's conversation with Council Member Elliott Payne, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 1. 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 LaFontsee

John's conversation with Jonathon Stalls, author of "Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour." It's a book about the power of walking: for physical, mental, and community health; to forge human connection; as a force for creativity; as a way to stay connected to nature; and as a human right that needs to be defended politically. Join Jonathon for a book talk a...

John's conversation with Council Member Aisha Chughtai, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 10. 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 LaFontsee

John is joined by Melody Hoffmann from Southwest Voices for a conversation about the city's last minute changes to the Bryant Ave South reconstruction project. Other topics: a shortage of farmers markets, money in local politics, the latest outrages affecting the people of the lakes area, a dramatic reading of comments from the Bryant Avenue reconstruction meeting, and Melody's vegetable c...

John's conversation with Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 5. 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 LaFontsee

In an episode inspired by Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, John is joined by Andi Snow of SWOP Mpls (Sex Workers Outreach Project) for a conversation about sex work, the distinction between sex work and "trafficking," and the policy agenda her group is advocating for here in Minneapolis and across the state of Minnesota. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation:...

John is joined by Jason Garcia and Taylor Dahlin for a fond look back at more than 100 episodes of the Wedge LIVE podcast - and a look forward at some of the challenges facing Minneapolis in this year's city council election. 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...

John's conversation with Katie Cashman, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7. 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 LaFontsee

John's conversation with Kate Mortenson, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 13. Incumbent Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano has been invited on the podcast and is welcome anytime. You don't have to wait until November to have an impact. Minneapolis DFL precinct caucuses are happening citywide on March 14. Get out there and become the only kind of person these candi...

Today's episode features John's conversation with Soren Stevenson, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 8. In the coming weeks, we hope to schedule a conversation with City Council President Andrea Jenkins, who is running for reelection in Ward 8. You don't have to wait until November to have an impact. Minneapolis DFL precinct caucuses are happening citywide on March 14. Get ou...

John spends significant portions of this episode unsuccessfully goading Conrad Zbikowski, Ward 3 candidate for Minneapolis City Council, into attacking his opponent, incumbent Michael Rainville. We talk about public safety failures, Conrad's unapologetically pro-housing agenda, rent control, homeless encampment response, zoning for complete neighborhoods where everyone has a grocery store, Conrad'...

We're at the next step of 2040 Plan implementation in Minneapolis. This time it's not about the scary things like density and building height. At the risk of oversimplifying, this isn't about how big you can build a given property, but about what that property is used for. Is this neighborhood solely residential? Are commercial uses allowed? If yes, what kind? Dry cleaning? Child care? How many sq...

John is joined by former TV weatherman Aaron Shaffer (@AShafferWX) for a conversation about the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's long term plan for the area around Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles (Cedar-Isles). We talk bathroom politics; rain gardens and water quality; scarce pedestrian space; ADA accessibility; the fate of the  trails through the wooded northeast corner of Cedar Lake...

With zero degree weather having cancelled our plans for winter sports, John and lifestyle producer Paula Chesley head indoors to spend time with award winning cats at the Saintly City Cat Club's 45th Annual Championship & Household Pet Cat Show. We hear the stories of cat show participants from all over the country, visit with a few vendors, Paula becomes notorious on the convention hall for s...

It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who  will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson  leaving office, there's an open seat in Ward 12. I had conversations  with three of the candidates vying to replace him: Aurin Chowdhury,  Jerome T. Evans, and Luther Ranheim. We talked about public safety,  police accountability, h...

It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who  will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson  leaving office, there's an open seat in Ward 12. I had conversations  with three of the candidates vying to replace him: Aurin Chowdhury,  Jerome T. Evans, and Luther Ranheim. We talked about public safety,  police accountability, h...

It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who  will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson  leaving office, there's an open seat in Ward 12. I had conversations with three of the candidates vying to replace him: Aurin Chowdhury,  Jerome T. Evans, and Luther Ranheim. We talked about public safety,  police accountability, housing...

John is joined by Wedge LIVE lifestyle producer Paula Chesley for a special miniseries featuring the stories of real people, not just surviving, but thriving through a Minneapolis winter. This time we're featuring the artists and participants in the Art Shanty Projects. Music, meditation, climate awareness, winter fashion, froga (frozen yoga), bathwater ice sculpting -- this episode has something...

With city councils in both Minneapolis and St. Paul on the ballot in  2023, John has a conversation with St. Paul Councilmember Mitra Jalali  about the issues that will define this election year. What is the  conversation we should be having on public safety? What accounts for the  different approach and results in the Twin Cities when it comes to  homeless encampments? Ar...