Podcast appearances and mentions of anthony kasper

We check in with Melody Hoffmann for her first public appearance since being downsized at Southwest Voices. What's next for Melody? What's the state of the hyperlocal news business?Then we have an uncomfortable conversation about race as Minneapolis continues to reflect on five years since MPD murdered George Floyd. John explains why he's not taking responsibility for the Kenwood neighborhood.As the rain forces us to take a shelter, we finish up with a conversation about what it's like to be a journalist subjected to a subpoena by an elected official and wanting to post about it - but being constrained by the strict fatherly rules of "Lawyer Dan" (Dan Suitor).You'll want to watch on YouTube because in the middle of the episode a man shows us the big fish he just caught.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

We're reviewing five years of Minneapolis politics since George Floyd's murder with guest D.A. Bullock. We pick apart the records of two very different police chiefs - Medaria Arradondo and Brian O'Hara. We talk about the backlash to the backlash: fear politics is bigger than ever in 2025. Minneapolis has two PACs aligned with Mayor Frey using crime as a wedge to get us to vote for candidates who reject the idea of any renter and worker protections. John tells the story of how this political agitation led to the most Minneapolis thing he's ever witnessed: seeing Walter Mondale's son get shoved by a rich dick at the Ward 7 DFL Convention. We get D.A.'s thoughts on why we need a new mayor; what he thinks of candidates DeWayne Davis and Omar Fateh; we discuss how remarkable it is that Emily Koski was tagged with being too DSA before being run out of the race; and we find out what bothers D.A. about local news coverage. Most importantly, we learn what D.A. is an acronym for.Unfortunately this episode was recorded before Chief Brian O'Hara made comments about the ‘bourgeois liberal mentality' in Minneapolis. Imagine the fun we could've had with that.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Seven city council wards have held their DFL conventions so far (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12,13). We have endorsements in five of them - several with North Korea margins. There's six more wards to go, plus the city convention. Joining me for analysis of the action so far: Josh Martin, Taylor Dahlin, and America's favorite pundit meat squeezed through a tubed casing: Hot Dog Larry Jacobs, aka Jason Garcia.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Katie Cashman, who's running for reelection to the Minneapolis City Council, as we ride our bikes through Uptown and the lakes neighborhoods of Ward 7.https://www.katieforcouncil.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Kyle Jones is a small town Minnesota boy who came to the big city, trusted too many people, and has learned some valuable life lessons. In part one, Kyle was pepper sprayed after using the 311 app to report an Amazon delivery truck blocking both a bike lane and a bus stop. In today's episode, Kyle returns to tell us about having a gun pulled on him in a nearly identical circumstance -- while using the 311 app to report a car blocking a bus stop.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Aurin Chowdhury, who's running for reelection to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 12.https://www.aurinchowdhury.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Damla Erten, owner of Sencha Tea Bar and founder of the Uptown Community Coalition, about her opposition to the creation of a business improvement district for Uptown. The push for a BID comes from the Uptown Association, which represents their member businesses in the area. Damla says the problem with a BID is that it gets voted on only by property owners, not by renters or businesses that lease their spaces, and amounts to an extra tax smaller businesses can't afford. And even if the services live up to what's being advertised, some of them are so basic they should already be covered by regular property taxes. We also get into Uptown transportation politics and the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction.For more on the Uptown Community Coalition: https://www.instagram.com/uccmpls/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

It's your favorite syndicated tabloid entertainment TV show that's actually a podcast: Loring Stories with Taylor Dahlin.On today's episode, an attack on the first amendment - Taylor captured exclusive video of herself being physically assaulted by a smaller, much older woman in Loring Park. Plus a tree fell down. Then, executive producer John Edwards bids farewell to the mayoral campaign of Emily Koski. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A harrowing personal story from Curt Myran of Whittier, who talks about how his life changed the day they rearranged the Aldi at 26th and Lyndale. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Minneapolis Caucus Night 2025 is in the books and if anyone is qualified to draw premature conclusions, it's the Wedge LIVE news team. Taylor Dahlin and Jason Garcia are in studio. Josh Martin is here via his landline telephone. Which city candidates have the edge heading into DFL convention season? Who needs a little help? Does Ward 8 candidate Josh Bassais really drive a Mustang with the vanity license plate "BAA SAY"?Plus: Minneapolis DFL Chair Conrad Zbikowski makes a special appearance in the hot seat for a local news quiz (via the encrypted Signal app). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with three founders of a group called "Seniors for All." After becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the way they were being represented by the Minneapolis DFL Senior Caucus, they decided to do something about it. They organized for change. This grew into a movement that swept new leadership into power. Along the way, they were falsely accused of infiltrating the Senior Caucus. The truth is, their only crime was trying to make the city a better place for themselves, their children and grandchildren.Cara Letofsky, Susan Lynx, and Jim Davnie are founders of Seniors for All and members of the Minneapolis DFL Senior Caucus.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Paula Chesley, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7.https://www.paulaforward7.org/You can participate in the Minneapolis DFL caucuses on April 8, 2025. For more info: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

For years Mark Lanterman has been a go-to expert on tech-based crimes and scams, both on local news and in courtrooms. Now people are asking, was Minnesota's king of digital forensics sitting on a throne of lies?In an exclusive interview, I spoke with Wisconsin-based lawyer Sean Harrington, who's turned up a trove of evidence calling into question Lanterman's credentials and affiliations. To list just a few of Harrington's discoveries:-"Lanterman didn't complete postgrad studies at Harvard University. Rather, he attended an 8-week 'Online short course' administered through GetSmarter® in 2018."-Lanterman claimed to “serve on the Sedona Conference's Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Law" before that particular committee even existed. And the executive director confirmed Lanterman currently holds no leadership position.-Lanterman's biographies and sworn statements claim affiliation with the US Secret Service for periods ranging from 3, 5, 8, 11, and 29 years. Perhaps most damning of all: Lanterman's sudden interest in his old personnel file from the 1990s. After being challenged about his credentials in a deposition on February 11, Lanterman traveled to a suburban Philadelphia police station on February 14, told the police chief he had a terminal heart condition and needed to view his old employee file. He took the file home and never sent it back, much to the consternation of the police chief. What was in that file?There's more in Harrington's thoroughly documented write-up on his website: https://seanharringtonlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-03_deepfakeexperts_.pdfWatch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Bill Lindeke says there is no trash emergency in St Paul. Pay no attention to Mayor Carter's declaration of a state of emergency. We talk about disagreement over the future of a piece of land that Mayor Carter and the city's trash hauler say must be used for a garbage truck staging facility. We talk about why the council sided with neighbors who say the city should stick with the plan to designate the land for housing at the site on West 7th and Randolph near the Mississippi River. Then we check in on St Paul politics in a mayoral election year. Finally, we talk about the persistence of transportation resentment in local politics.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Aisha Chughtai, Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council, who's running for reelection in Ward 10.https://www.aishaforward10.com/You can participate in the Minneapolis DFL caucuses on April 8, 2025. For more info: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Lydia Millard, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 10.https://lydiamillardward10.com/You can participate in the Minneapolis DFL caucuses on April 8, 2025. For more info: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Josh Bassais, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 8.https://www.joshbforward8.org/You can participate in the Minneapolis DFL caucuses on April 8, 2025. For more info: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Soren Stevenson, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 8.https://sorenstevenson.org/You can participate in the Minneapolis DFL caucuses on April 8, 2025. For more info: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Elliott Payne reflects on his first two years as President of the Minneapolis City Council. We talk about the stakes of this year's city election; the recent surge of corporate money and PACs trying to influence the results; an assessment of the city's public safety situation; and why he both loves and hates being the man in the middle of all those complicated personal relationships on the council. Payne tells me work on a rent stabilization policy is still happening; I ask if we really want to put ourselves through the St Paul experience. And we talk about the strange absence of Mayor Frey from the public conversation about setbacks in his own administration -- like mismanagement of the Neighborhood Safety Department. I ask him to endorse a mayoral candidate, and he dodges my question by saying he likes three of them not named Frey.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Amity Foster is here to talk about her effort to organize transit fans to show up on 4/8/2025 for the Minneapolis DFL caucuses and become delegates to DFL ward and city nominating conventions. She wants you to use this golden opportunity to make the case for better transit and a more livable city. Candidates for city council and mayor will be knocking on your door and calling you on the phone, ready to make big promises about the issues you care about. But you have to caucus and grab a delegate slot!To join Amity's army of bus riders: https://bit.ly/connectedmplsFor the most up to date info on caucuses in Minneapolis: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Mary Moriarty joins John for a conversation reflecting on her first two years as Hennepin County Attorney. We talk about navigating politics as an elected prosecutor; her approach to a recent spate of reckless driving and vehicular homicide cases; how to fix the problem of extremely low rates of police solving certain crimes; her occasionally strained relationship with Chief O'Hara; how we went from a commitment to reform in 2020 to a hypersensitivity and anger over any police criticism in 2025; how to ensure systemic change enacted under her leadership are durable and lasting; and much more.John expresses frustration about the case of state trooper Ryan Londregan, who shot and killed Ricky Cobb. Why is more attention not being paid to the fact it was a botched traffic stop? Is Governor Walz doing anything to ensure the state police receive proper training? Moriarty talks about her decisions in that case and why she ultimately dropped the charges.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Caucus season is almost upon us. It's your chance to become a superlobbyist and wield influence with local candidates on behalf of the issues you care about. Josh Martin joins John to talk about why you need to get involved and why there's no reason to feel intimidated by the process.We're talking about the story of the unsuspecting flower shop owner who says she had little interest in politics for most of her adult life, until the county started planning the reconstruction of Lyndale Avenue. Before you know it, in 2024, she had made a donation to MAGA (the Republican party of Minnesota). Then in 2025 she's running a local PAC (We Love Minneapolis), teaming up with Mayor Frey's former campaign manager, with a mission is to turn people out to the DFL caucus. Is this raising any red flags?We're also talking about the violence interrupting preacher Jerry McAfee who threatened violence against members of the city council; then made dramatic pronouncements about how he doesn't preach non-violence; but was nonetheless all set to receive a $640,000 contract for violence interruption work -- until two of his violence interrupters were arrested for their actions during a shootout.And a stupid human interest story: A Minneapolis firefighter is running for city council. But along the way he'll be forced to overcome the fact that he plagiarized a portion of his website from a candidate running for city council in a different ward. Complicating matters, he forgot to delete the other candidate's name from the plagiarized text.We'll also be taking a look at candidates for mayor and city council, with a particular focus on the competitive wards.Information on the April 8 Minneapolis DFL caucuses: https://minneapolisdfl.org/Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

The Minneapolis government restructuring of 2021 was sold as a solution to our city's biggest problems. The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce (yes, that's right the campaign to change the charter was 100% funded by the Chamber) said said we had to rid ourselves of the 14 bosses holding us back and creating internal confusion at city hall. Council Member Jeremiah Ellison's career spans both the four years prior and the four years after government restructuring. He says the new structure is what's stalling progress on big issues like homeless encampments. He saw passage of the 2040 Plan under a council-driven system and says the collaborative dynamic that produced that nationally-heralded housing policy wouldn't be possible today. We talk about the way things are, the way they used to be, and why he decided his time is up after eight years representing Ward 5 in North Minneapolis. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with a man who attended the 2025 North Loop Neighborhood Association annual meeting. This episode may contain the sounds of opening a swag bag.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Sen. John Marty (Roseville) about an effort in the state legislature to legalize sports gambling apps: the recent failure to pass the bill out of committee and what that means for its prospects in 2025; why anyone who's lived through the last 15 years of smartphones and social media would think it's a good idea to set tech companies free to unleash 24/7 pocket casinos; the extensive and compelling studies that have measured an increase in human misery in the 30 states that have legalized gambling apps (30% increase in bankruptcies, increased domestic violence, decreased savings); the fact that the only organized advocates for legalization are gambling interests who stand to profit; and how this is not like the debate over cannabis legalization.Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Ethrophic Burnett, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 5 on the Northside.Ethrophic's campaign site: https://www.eforward5.com/Star Tribune article discussed in this episode: https://www.startribune.com/poor-families-path-to-american-dream-leads-to-suburbs/386364021Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgeliveJoin the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.liveSupport the show: https://patreon.com/wedgeliveWedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Harrowing Personal Story: Up until last week, Deborah was the author of a popular local substack called "Deborah Copperud Shops at Target." Then her whole world got turned upside down. The Target corporation surrendered to Donald Trump's whims and dropped their diversity initiatives. We talk about Deborah's attempt to vote with her family's dollars, whether you should ever buy into the PR-driven goodness of a corporation, and if there's such a thing as ethical consumption under Trumpism. Read Deborah's story in HuffPost: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/target-dei-shopping_n_679a4ef1e4b04f0f44d5637b Watch Deborah assist me during a Lisa Goodman-themed cooking segment on the Wedge LIVE podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43s63pFqIIU Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

After four years representing Ward 11 on the Minneapolis City Council, Emily Koski is running for mayor. Why has this formerly Frey-endorsed council member decided to oppose him? Koski argues she hasn't changed, she just got an up close look at all the ways the Frey isn't up to the job. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Mayor Frey's administration has a plan to add "vibrancy" to Nicollet Mall by adding additional programming and events, but that means removing the buses. The longtime transit mall would transition to a full time pedestrian mall. Bus riders Amity Foster and Taylor Dahlin join John for a conversation about whether this is a good idea; why buses aren't the problem; why you should be demanding a bus lane on Hennepin Ave downtown; and whether the city can address issues of safety and comfort on the streets where transit riders would be pushed if the plan goes forward. We also talk about what motivates some, especially the downtown business community, to push for bus removal: clearing out poor people. Bill Lindeke's post on solving Nicollet Mall's problems: https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2025/01/nicollet-mall-needs-bikes-and-other-wheeled-wanderers/ Take the downtown transit survey here: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/transportation-programs/nicollet-mall-downtown/community-engagement/ Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Celisia Stanton is the Minneapolis-based host of a podcast called Truer Crime (season 2 out now). We talk about how she came to podcasting, her unique approach to the true crime genre, and how her experience as a crime victim informs her perspective. We also talk about how mutual friend PeggySue Imihy brought us together. From truercrimepodcast.com: "Do you ever listen to a true crime podcast and think 'that's not quite right…?' Same. Crime stories are hard to ignore and even harder to forget. But the thing is... they're stories. And getting a story right is all about how you tell it. Truer Crime talks about real people — murdered, missing, misled — with more nuance, more context, and more questions." Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

It was a few days before Christmas and Kyle Jones was trying to report an Amazon delivery driver for the dual infraction of parking in a bike lane and blocking a bus stop. But as Kyle was attempting to report this using the Minneapolis 311 app, the driver of a Mercedes pulled up and all hell broke loose. Do you have a harrowing personal story you'd like to tell on the Wedge LIVE podcast? Email your story to harrowingpersonalstories@wedgelive.com. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

We're talking property taxes with Steve Brandt, who is running for reelection to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation. We talk about what's behind this year's large property tax increase and how declining commercial property values are shifting the burden to residential taxpayers. Steve suggests a small income tax on the city's highest earners and a geographic expansion of the downtown entertainment tax can pick up some of that added burden. He's also been pushing a proposal to change the city charter to add a third directly elected member of the BET (John argues this is just an opportunity for random crackpots to crash local government). And we talk about Steve's failed attempt in his first term to move some city borrowing up by one year to take advantage of low interest rates before they got hiked. Also in this episode: Steve denies being a socialist or a member of the DSA. He says they never even asked him to join. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

There's a special primary election coming up on January 14th, which will effectively decide which DFL candidate fills the open seat in Minnesota Senate District 60. I'll be speaking with several of the top candidates for the podcast. This episode features Peter Wagenius (https://www.peterwagenius.org). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

There's a special primary election coming up on January 14th, which will effectively decide which DFL candidate fills the open seat in Minnesota Senate District 60. I'll be speaking with several of the top candidates for the podcast. This episode features Monica Meyer (https://www.monicameyermn.com). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

There's a special primary election coming up on January 14th, which will effectively decide which DFL candidate fills the open seat in Minnesota Senate District 60. I'll be speaking with several of the top candidates for the podcast. This episode features Doron Clark (https://www.doronforsenate.org). Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Jake Ameca Luna recounts the harrowing experience of having his boss -- Brenda Short, candidate for mayor of Minneapolis -- announce his firing in the newspaper. Jake didn't find out about it until someone sent him a link to the interview with Brenda two weeks after it happened. In the meantime, Jake had continued performing his campaign duties, and Brenda said nothing about his firing. Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

John is joined by Yasmin Hirsi and Alex Burns of Our Streets Minnesota for a conversation in reaction to the Minnesota Department of Transportation announcing they will not include interstate removal as one of five options for further study when it comes to the future of I-94. We talk about the "up is down, black is white" analysis MnDOT is using (Urban interstate removal causes more air and noise pollution? Urban interstate removal is more dangerous for people biking, walking, and driving? What?). A recent former commissioner of MnDOT characterized the construction of I-94 this way: “we would never, we could never, build that kind of atrocity today." The historic harms, the racist effect and intent, the ongoing pollution, health and economic impact to people who had no say over I-94's construction or its imminent reconstruction, the flaws in MnDOT's analysis -- are well documented. So how come removal doesn't make the cut for further study? Our Streets Minnesota is asking people to get involved and contact state and local officials: https://www.ourstreetsmn.org/2024/12/20/mndot-plans-on-eliminating-boulevard-options-ignoring-elected-officials-and-community/ Recent coverage: "Little ‘Rethinking' Went into Rethinking I-94" https://streets.mn/2024/12/30/little-rethinking-went-into-rethinking-i-94/ "Rethinking Interstate 94 traffic modeling and the status quo" https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2024/12/rethinking-interstate-94-traffic-modeling-and-the-status-quo/ Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

John is joined by Melody Hoffmann from southwestvoices.news for a rundown of 2024's top local stories. Part 2 of 2. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

John is joined by Melody Hoffmann from southwestvoices.news for a rundown of 2024's top local stories. Part 1 of 2. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Because way too much local news is happening all at once, John is joined by Josh Martin for an Emergency Episode. We take up urgent issues like the Minneapolis City Council adopting a budget for 2025 - overriding Mayor Frey's veto in the process; Council Member Vetaw horsing around while accusing others of being "unserious"; Josh discloses a conflict of interest; John admits his embarrassment at how excited he was by Council Member Emily Koski's mayoral campaign announcement speech; and we look ahead to 2025 city council candidates, including the weirdest elected official in Minneapolis, Becka Thompson, announcing she will run for office in a place that is not the part of the city she currently represents on the Park Board. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Sen. Omar Fateh is running for mayor of Minneapolis. We talk about his record in the state legislature, the state rideshare law he helped pass, public safety, homelessness, the case against Mayor Frey, and what it's like to be a super chill low-key guy. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

We're covering some of 2024's biggest Minneapolis stories in a special crossover episode hosted by Jay Boller and Em Cassel of the Racket Cast podcast. John Edwards is usually your host, but today he's just a guest alongside Taylor Dahlin and Hot Dog Larry Jacobs himself, Jason Garcia -- who spends the whole episode in a hot dog costume. Thanks to Jay and Em of Racket for hosting, and Jay for editing this episode. Visit racketmn.com for more. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

John is joined by Taylor Dahlin and Ryan Brown for an uncomfortable Thanksgiving conversation about the state of the online world. John and Taylor have been doing double duty on both bluesky and twitter in recent weeks. Ryan wonders if he'll ever post again, as he tries to figure out what he wants from social media. We talk about the ups and downs of both platforms and try to convince Ryan to join us on bluesky as soon as possible. Plus, John wonders why his police chief pec popping video didn't get traction on either platform; and responds to Adam Platt's sorrowful parting shot at migrants to bluesky. And Taylor mercilessly attacks the people and culture of bluesky, while John only sees a vibrant and growing local community of posters. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Because our broadcast signal does occasionally bleed across the river, John is joined by Garrison McMurtrey, a candidate for a seat on the Ramsey County Board that controls an annual budget in excess of $800 million. We talk about the challenge local governments face under a second Trump administration, streets, health care, housing, homelessness, transit, and more. The special election for the district 3 seat in Ramsey County is happening on February 11, 2025. 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

Council Member Linea Palmisano takes me on a bike tour of the future E Line bus rapid transit route through Ward 13 (about a quarter of the total route). We talk about the exciting prospect of a 17 minute bus ride from Linden Hills to downtown, the pain of street infrastructure upgrades for local business in her ward, her thoughts on the Davis Moturi shooting and MPD Chief Brian O'Hara's initial reaction, the City Council's worsening relationship with Mayor Frey, and a look ahead at next year's city 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 Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Cody Fischer - whose company Footprint Development builds small-scale, sustainable, multi-family housing - about imminent changes to the City of Minneapolis's 4d tax incentive program for affordable housing. We also talk about unique energy efficiency features he puts into his buildings and how the 4d program makes those possible. Plus an update on "single stair" building legalization in Minnesota. 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

Robin Wonsley, who represents Ward 2 on the Minneapolis City Council, is here to help me recover from the devastating results of the presidential election. We also talk about her work on regulating off-duty jobs for police officers, local efforts to turn socialists into a punching bag, and a look ahead to the 2025 city 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 Kasper x LaFontsee

With the 2024 election and the fate of the nation still hanging precariously in the balance, the 2025 city election season has already begun. This is my conversation with Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis as he embarks on his mayoral campaign (recorded Oct 23, 2024). Davis is the lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in the Steven's Square neighborhood; served as co-chair of Mayor Frey's Community Safety Work Group in 2021; is a former congressional staffer; and served as chaplain of the MN State Senate. 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