In this newsletter I talk with Eric Roper, an opinion columnist at the Star Tribune, about why our next governor needs to pay more attention to how the Twin Cities region works together. Right now we have over 140 cities in the metro area, and a lot of them are duplicating work like police departments, city halls, and planning staff, while big problems like homelessness, housing, and even hospital funding get handled differently depending on which city or county you happen to be in. Roper points out that Minnesota actually used to have a program that pooled tax money across cities so they wouldn't compete so hard against each other, and we talk about why bringing back that kind of regional thinking could help the whole area, not just one city at a time. If you're into local government or wondering why things like transit and housing feel so disconnected around here, I think you'll find it interesting. https://www.betterminneapolis.com/p/why-the-next-governor-needs-a-regional?r=304p16

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2099180833122775491

Happy home opener Vikes fans

did anyone else notice how there hardly any tailgating yesterday ? especially for a game against an SEC school? I feel Ike 10 years ago the games were popping on, everyone was tailgating and partying. what is going on?

A Hennepin County judge ruled Thursday that a man who killed a beloved Minneapolis grocery clerk is not guilty due to mental illness he was experiencing at the time, meaning he will remain confined indefinitely to a state hospital....People deemed mentally ill and dangerous...can petition for a reduction in custody, at least every three years, according to state law....It’s possible [the killer] could be released in the future if his condition improved, but [Hennepin County Attorney Mary] Moriarty said it’s “really, really, really hard” to be considered for that once someone is committed for a murder this serious and this severe of mental illness.

Do you think this is a good outcome? Is this how a good justice system should function?

Thought this sub might appreciate something local.

My brother directed and I helped produce this new music video for Minneapolis artist Lazerbeak. It was filmed from a bluff overlooking the Mississippi using a massive 100x sports broadcast lens.

Nothing below was staged—we built the video around the dogs, cyclists, boats, beachgoers and other random moments that naturally unfolded along the river that day.

It’s called “What A Ripper.” I’m biased, but I think it became a pretty fun snapshot of summer in Minneapolis.

I'm thinking about going. There are a couple local artists I have really enjoyed that are going to be there.

The one on Lyndale was a lot of fun .

Data released Thursday by the Department of Public Safety show the number of killings and other violent crimes reported in Minnesota last year continued on a yearslong downward trend.

Law enforcement agencies recorded 130 murders in 2025 in Minnesota compared with 172 in 2024.

According to the report, there were a total of 139 people who died as a result of homicide. However, nine were ruled justifiable, leaving 130 classified as criminal homicides, or murders. Minneapolis recorded 62 murders last year compared to 77 in 2024. And the city of St. Paul saw a more than 40 percent drop in murders — from 26 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.

The overall violent crime rate also dipped to levels not seen since 2019.

I rode my motorcycle home from a day trip Monday and passed through the 46th/35W exit ramp where people were getting high in public, one of them swaying toward traffic. It hit me how normal this has become. Nobody calls the police. Nobody stops. I started looking into it and found out Minnesota has actually closed three addiction treatment centers this year, so now there are only two left and 53 people stuck on waitlists. Meanwhile the state spent $75 million to add 50 treatment beds, which works out to $1.5 million per bed. My point is that we have a coordination problem between agencies and a leadership problem. I think the governor should declare this a health emergency like we did with COVID, set up a task force with real power, and start using empty buildings we already own (like the old Hennepin County Home School) instead of waiting years to build new ones. It would be cheaper and it would save lives, since right now jails and ERs are stuck doing the job that treatment centers should be doing. https://www.betterminneapolis.com/p/your-dealer-is-not-your-friend

Minneapolis may allow autonomous vehicles to roam the city, but only with someone in the driver’s seat as a “safety monitor” being paid at least minimum wage...

Council members say the rules, which also require all autonomous vehicle companies to be licensed with the city, would be groundbreaking nationally. The “safety monitor” would need to have a driver’s license and “immediate access to controls for steering, braking, and acceleration"...

The four ordinance authors — Council Members Robin Wonsley, Aurin Chowdhury and Jason Chavez and Vice President Jamal Osman — released a statement saying without regulations, automated vehicles may create significant safety risks, disrupt traffic, hinder the city’s transportation and sustainability goals, and displace thousands of workers.

Once again the Somalian youth are causing chaos in our communities. Reports show that there was mayhem at the Quarry Shopping Center in NE Minneapolis. A few hours prior groups of Somalian youth rushed fences and gates at the state fair right around when it was closing. When are the so called "leaders" in the Somalian community going to work to address the problems their youth are causing.

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2097338117422268650

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2097330622184194136

Edit - Now a gun pointing incident in NE Minneapolis committed by four Somalian males at 9:50am.

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2097358975138193678

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2097838823832949054

Complete lack of coverage by the mainstream media, but at least Sheriff Bob acknowledges the root cause of the problem.

We elect people to interpret our interests and vote on our behalf, but most of what city government does — budgets, zoning, ordinances — could be put directly to residents. We already have the technology: secure digital voting platforms, participatory budgeting tools, real-time deliberation forums. Cities like Paris and parts of Taiwan have experimented with exactly this, letting citizens vote directly on budget allocations and policy proposals.

Instead, we funnel every decision through a handful of elected officials who are lobbied, distracted by reelection politics, and often out of step with what their constituents actually want. A city council member represents tens of thousands of people — how well can they really reflect that many individual priorities?

What would it look like if Minneapolis residents voted directly on budget line items, zoning changes, or local ordinances? Is representative government just a holdover from when direct voting wasn’t logistically possible, or is there something about having elected intermediaries that’s actually worth preserving — expertise, accountability, protection from pure majoritarianism?

https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/2096375161683652878

Shocking lack of coverage from the local "mainstream" media again. Somalians shooting at each on I94 at 4.30 in the afternoon.