Podcasts about hennepin county

The late Minnesota House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark will lie in state at the Capitol on Friday.And a Hennepin County judge today sentenced the woman who pleaded guilty to unintentional murder and assault for driving her automobile into a group last fall. Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

pWotD Episode 2965: Melissa Hortman Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 1,180,118 views on Saturday, 14 June 2025 our article of the day is Melissa Hortman.Melissa Anne Hortman (née Haluptzok; May 27, 1970 – June 14, 2025) was an American lawyer and Democratic–Farmer–Labor politician from Hennepin County, Minnesota. She represented the northern parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until her assassination in 2025, serving as minority leader from 2017 to 2019 and the 61st Speaker of the House since 2019. During her tenure, she advocated for transportation, environmental, abortion rights, police reform, and gun control policies, and was the chief author of the state's solar energy standard. On June 14, 2025, Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The suspect was identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, who also allegedly attempted to assassinate Minnesota state senator John Hoffman in a related shooting the same day.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:49 UTC on Sunday, 15 June 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Melissa Hortman on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Ivy.

MPR News is following an incident where dozens of federal agents to surround a restaurant in the heart of the Latino community in Minneapolis Tuesday. As news of the operation spread on social media, people believing the presence of federal agents was connected to an immigration raid tried to block tactical vehicles from coming down Lake Street and shouted at agents. At one point, some law enforcement used a chemical irritant to break up the crowd. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement it was part of a narcotics and money laundering investigation and not related to immigration enforcement. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office partnered with federal agencies to carry out the investigation, according to a statement posted on social media. For more information on what happened, MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt.

We begin with a report from Taylor Dahlin on yesterday's federal law enforcement raid of a restaurant on Lake Street. With dozens of officers from ICE, DEA, FBI, ATF, Homeland Security, along with the participation of local cops from Hennepin County and MPD. Many of the feds were masked and dressed for combat, drawing a crowd of protesters who assumed it was an immigration raid. Then Taylor, John and Josh offer analysis on results of the Minneapolis DFL endorsement process that wrapped up over the weekend. Who got North Korea Numbers? Which races will be competitive heading into the general election? Why are residents of wards 7 and 10 so especially angry?We also talk about the new poll showing a significant decline in Mayor Frey's popularity since 2021. Plus, Taylor and John commiserate over having to shop for "job interview clothes" now that they are the subject of a frivolous legal proceeding.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

On today's show, we spend the hour looking back at the five years of abolitionist and community organizing since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th, 2020. First, we speak with Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County Attorney. Hennepin County's most known city is Minneapolis. Then, we're joined by Melina Abdullah, a professor and the chair of pan-African studies at Cal State Los Angeles, as well as the co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Grassroots. Alongside Melina Abdullah, we speak with Chauntyll Allen, a longtime front-line community organizer and educator who leads Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, founded Love First Community Engagement, and works as the Director of Criminal Justice and Activism at the Wayfinder Foundation — among many other community leadership roles.  Then, we're joined by ​Alex Vitale, a Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. He has spent the last 30 years writing about policing and consults community-based movements, human and civil rights organizations, and governments internationally. He is also the author of The End of Policing. —- Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post 5 Years Since George Floyd w/ Mary Moriarty, Melina Abdullah, Chauntyll Allen & Alex Vitale appeared first on KPFA.

Today, Hunter was joined by Bob Kolstad, Maggie Bott, and Olivia Henstein to discuss why they are pushing Minnesota Public Defenders to create a new, independent union. In the past few years, the current union, organize under Teamsters, was able to secure massive salary raises for Public Defenders around the state. However, that strike threat was built without much help or support from the leadership of the Teamster's union. As a result, rank and file members, public defenders and the staff of the offices, are considering starting their own public defender lead union.   Guest Bob Kolstad, Public Defender, Hennepin County, Minnesota Maggie Bott, Public Defender, Hennepin County, Minnesota Olivia Henstein, Paralegal, Hennepin County, Minnesota   Resources: Check out UDAM Here https://uniteddefenseadvocatesminnesota.org/   Email Bob bob@robertkolstad.com Email Maggie mabott95@gmail.com Email Olivia olhenstein@yahoo.com     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home  

In partnership with LMC and MPR, Robert and Haley welcome back All Nations Rise IPLI Program Manager Beth Ann Hedman-Dodds with cohort graduate Geri Goodman! After, hear a chat on heart health with Indian Health Board's Indi Prairie Chicken and Hennepin County's Samantha Lucas-Pipkorn!

Sheletta talks to her friends at Hennepin County about a new initiative to help Black women have better heart health.

Jon wades into the speculation of an impending Federal pardon. Jon offers his opinion on several criminal cases in Hennepin County. Liz Collin joins to discuss recent headlines and Liz's exclusive interview with Tou Thao.

In the seventy-fifth episode of the American Experiment Podcast, Grace, Kathryn, and Bill dive into Governor Walz's latest round of self-congratulations—this time for handing out what they're calling “participation diplomas.” He's bragging about graduation rates and free meals, while ignoring the fact that half of Minnesota students can't read or do math.Next, an illegal immigrant arrested and held in Hennepin County is drawing national attention, including from the White House. Then, the Senate is at it again—this time pushing to raise taxes on Minnesotans to fund health care for illegal immigrants. You read that right. And finally, Minneapolis wants to hike tourism taxes… to boost tourism. Make it make sense.We finish with David Zimmer, public safety policy fellow, interviewing Sheriff Scott Rose of Dodge County in honor of National Police Week to talk about his podcast, "The Officer Down Memorial Podcast".Be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE with your friends, and SUBSCRIBE to the American Experiment Podcast so you never miss an episode!00:00 - Welcome Back06:00 - Walz's Delusion11:48 - Illegal immigrant arrested in MN17:33 - Raising taxes to PAY for illegal immigrant's HEALTH CARE?? 18:16 - White Board Guy26:49 - Boost Tourism by....Taxing Tourism...?29:18 - Interview with Sheriff Rose

Jon covers a local story about an illegal immigrant involved in a fatal crash, the lack of response from Hennepin County, and the comments from the White House on this case.

The driver charged in a crash that killed two people and injured nine others at a St. Louis Park restaurant last year entered a guilty plea in Hennepin County court this morning.And a bill that strengthens consequences for people with multiple DWIs has passed the Minnesota Senate.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

The House has passed Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," and it now heads to the Senate.  The F.B.I. has arrested a Milwaukee judge for delibrately helping an illegal immigrant escape being arrested bhy I.C.E..  Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, flat out called for all Democrats to Wage War on Republicans.  The Democrat party continues to fall apart and no effort has been made on their part to fix it.  New York Attorney General, Letitia JAmes, is still under federal investigation for mortage fraud.   Hennepin County attorney, Mary Moriarty, (who told prosecuters to use race on concideration for plea deals), is now under investigation by the D.O.J.. Business tycoon, Warren Buffett, has announced his retirement at the age of 94.  -Thank you for listening!- 

Gov. Tim Walz did not mince words Wednesday night in his State of the State speech when it came to President Donald Trump, but he struck a much more bipartisan tone when it came to Minnesota Republicans. During his speech to the Legislature, Walz, a Democrat and former candidate for vice president, talked about the two parties working together, giving a nod to the equally divided Minnesota House.The Minnesota Senate has passed a bill that grants veteran benefits to Hmong and Lao soldiers who fought with the U.S. military in Laos during the Vietnam War.A recent arrest for vandalism of Teslas in Hennepin County has become a political issue. Last week, Minneapolis police arrested a man seen on tape keying six Tesla vehicles around the city. A jury has convicted three Minneapolis street gang members of federal racketeering and murder charges.

County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined Vineeta on The WCCO Morning News with the latest data from the area.

A judge has convicted the owner of a Lakeville painting company with a felony for failing to pay his employees for work they did on an apartment building in Minneapolis. Hennepin County says this is the first felony conviction under Minnesota's 2019 wage theft law – which is one of the toughest in the country. Joining Minnesota Now to talk about the conviction, plus the enforcement of wage laws more broadly, is Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.

Christina Martin of the Pacific Legal Foundation joins to discuss litigating Hennepin County to the Supreme Court. Christina shares some stories about moot arguments ahead of oral arguments with Paul Clement, and compares the tax foreclosure sale in Hennepin to traditional bank foreclosures.  After discussing the case, Christina talks about her current work in follow up, including other property taxation issues and blight designations.    Links: Tyler v. Hennepin Co. Decision: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-166_8n59.pdf Christina Martin at Pacific Legal: https://pacificlegal.org/staff/christina-martin/ 

Audit of SW light rail reveals MORE financial horrors. Mayor agrees with Executive Order for proof of citizenship to vote. This did result in some bickering. Is the genetic production of the dire wolf a good idea? Johnny Heidt with guitar news. Heard On The Show: 2 Hennepin County police chiefs criticize actions of County Attorney Mary Moriarty St. Cloud voters deciding to approve two school referendums in special election Supreme Court allows Trump to deport Venezuelans under wartime law, but only after judges' review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Audit of SW light rail reveals MORE financial horrors. Mayor agrees with Executive Order for proof of citizenship to vote. This did result in some bickering. Is the genetic production of the dire wolf a good idea? Johnny Heidt with guitar news.Heard On The Show:2 Hennepin County police chiefs criticize actions of County Attorney Mary MoriartySt. Cloud voters deciding to approve two school referendums in special electionSupreme Court allows Trump to deport Venezuelans under wartime law, but only after judges' review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party will elect a new chairperson tomorrow, and businesswoman and former Hennepin County Board candidate Marisa Simonetti announced today that she is running for U.S. Senate.Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

Star Tribune reporter Jeff Day joins in studio for a long discussion about his look into the courtroom where Hennepin County's violent felons make their first court appearances. Later, we lighten it up by hearing from the Am I Wrong? committee to wrap up the show.

Jeff Day of the Star Tribune joins Chad with a great look at his story diving into what happens inside the courtroom where some of Hennepin County's most violent felons make their first stop in court.

Kevin Burke, retired former Hennepin County judge, joins Chad at the top of the hour to talk about his concerns over how the President Trump is responding to unfavorable court rulings by attacking the judges. Later, we have some fun with Jamie Yuccas discussing TV, a weird text messages, and what she's eating throughout the interview.

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

Send us a textWitness the incredible healing power of equine therapy as Sally Mixon from Abijah on the Backside shares her expertise in helping military personnel and first responders overcome PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression. Sally, a dedicated counselor and horse enthusiast, illustrates how retired racehorses can reflect human emotions, offering a unique means for individuals to confront their inner battles. Experience the transformation of trauma recovery through collaborative wellness programs that fuse the benefits of nature and experiential healing. Our partnership with Sally's nonprofit, Abijah, enriches our Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASSIST) program by integrating equine therapy and other outdoor experiences like ice baths and saunas. We also draw on the expertise of psychologist Brittany and retired Hennepin County deputy Mike Hendricks, creating a multi-layered support system that emphasizes mental well-being and recovery.Stories of hope and resilience are at the heart of this episode, where we explore profound connections between horses and humans. From horses lying down in snow to mirror a person's inner turmoil, to the touching tale of a horse named Finn symbolizing personal challenges, these narratives showcase the extraordinary empathy of horses. Sally discusses the aspirations of the Abijah program and the ongoing development of a professional equine therapy team, inviting listeners to discover this unique therapeutic journey that promises healing and empowerment.Produced by Phil Ewert Productions Theme Music: Hero's JourneyJoel Loopez Tunepocket.comLicensed by: Phil Ewert Productionshometownherooutdoors.org

Many of Minnesota's lake public access points need an update. Some, half a century old.  Hennepin County's Tony Brough is leading the charge to brainstorm the new generation of boat launches.   New technology and new designs.  We dive into accessing Minnesota lakes!    Presented by Kinetico (https://www.kineticoMN.com/) Star Bank (https://www.star.bank/) Explore Alexandria (https://explorealex.com/) DNR Ice Safety (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html) & MN Horse and Hunt Club (https://horseandhunt.com/)

Many of Minnesota's lake public access points need an update. Some, half a century old.  Hennepin County's Tony Brough is leading the charge to brainstorm the new generation of boat launches.   New technology and new designs.  We dive into accessing Minnesota lakes!    Presented by Kinetico (https://www.kineticoMN.com/) Star Bank (https://www.star.bank/) Explore Alexandria (https://explorealex.com/) DNR Ice Safety (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html) & MN Horse and Hunt Club (https://horseandhunt.com/)

Racial covenants along with violence, hostility and coercion played an outsized role in keeping non-white families out of sought after suburbs. Lee learns how these practices became national policy after endorsement by the state's wealthy business owners and powerful politicians.TranscriptPart 2 – Discrimination and the Perpetual FightCold Open:PENNY PETERSEN: He doesn't want to have his name associated with this. I mean, it is a violation of the 14th Amendment. Let's be clear about that. So he does a few here and there throughout Minneapolis, but he doesn't record them. Now, deeds don't become public records until they're recorded and simultaneously, Samuel Thorpe, as in, Thorpe brothers, is president of the National Board of Real EstateFRANCES HUGHES (ACTOR): “Housing for Blacks was extremely limited after the freeway went through and took so many homes. We wanted to sell to Blacks only because they had so few opportunities.”LEE HAWKINS: You know, all up and down this street, there were Black families. Most of them — Mr. Riser, Mr. Davis, Mr. White—all of us could trace our property back to Mr. Hughes at the transaction that Mr. Hughes did.CAROLYN HUGHES-SMITH: What makes me happy is our family was a big part of opening up places to live in the white community.You're listening to Unlocking The Gates, Episode 2.My name is Lee Hawkins. I'm a journalist and the author of the book I AM NOBODY'S SLAVE: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free.I investigated 400 years of my Black family's history — how enslavement and Jim Crow apartheid in my father's home state of Alabama, the Great Migration to St. Paul, and our move to the suburbs shaped us.We now understand how the challenges Black families faced in buying homes between 1930 and 1960 were more than isolated acts of attempted exclusion.My reporting for this series has uncovered evidence of deliberate, systemic obstacles, deeply rooted in a national framework of racial discrimination.It all started with me shining a light on the neighborhood I grew up in – Maplewood.Mrs. Rogers, who still lives there, looks back, and marvels at what she has lived and thrived through.ANN-MARIE ROGERS: My kids went to Catholic school, and every year they would have a festival. I only had the one child at the time. They would have raffle books, and I would say, don't you dare go from door to door. I family, grandma, auntie, we'll buy all the tickets, so you don't have to and of course, what did he do? And door to door, and I get a call from the principal, Sister Gwendolyn, and or was it sister Geraldine at that time? I think it was sister Gwendolyn. And she said, Mrs. Rogers, your son went to a door, and the gentleman called the school to find out if we indeed had black children going to this school, and she said, don't worry. I assured him that your son was a member of our school, but that blew me away.In all my years in Maplewood, I had plenty of similar incidents, but digging deeper showed me that the pioneers endured so much more, as Carolyn Hughes-Smith explains.CAROLYN HUGHES-SMITH: The one thing that I really, really remember, and it stays in my head, is cross burning. It was a cross burning. And I don't remember exactly what's it on my grandfather's property? Well, all of that was his property, but if it was on his actual home site.Mrs. Rogers remembers firsthand –ANN-MARIE ROGERS: I knew the individual who burned the cross.Mark Haynes also remembers –MARK HAYNES: phone calls at night, harassment, crosses burnedIn the archives, I uncovered a May 4, 1962, article from the St. Paul Recorder, a Black newspaper, that recounted the cross-burning incident in Maplewood. A white woman, Mrs. Eugene Donavan, saw a white teen running away from a fire set on the lawn of Ira Rawls, a Black neighbor who lived next door to Mrs. Rogers. After the woman's husband stamped out the fire, she described the Rawls family as “couldn't be nicer people.” Despite the clear evidence of a targeted act, Maplewood Police Chief Richard Schaller dismissed the incident as nothing more than a "teenager's prank."Instead of retreating, these families, my own included, turned their foothold in Maplewood into a foundation—one that not only survived the bigotry but became a catalyst for generational progress and wealth-building.JESON JOHNSON: when you see somebody has a beautiful home, they keep their yard nice, they keep their house really clean. You know that just kind of rubs off on you. And there's just something that, as you see that more often, you know it just, it's something that imprints in your mind, and that's what you want to have, you know, for you and for your for your children and for their children.But stability isn't guaranteed. For many families, losing the pillar of the household—the one who held everything together—meant watching the foundation begin to crack.JESON JOHNSON: if the head of a household leaves, if the grandmother that leaves, that was that kept everybody kind of at bay. When that person leaves, I seen whole families just, just really go downhill. No, nobody's able to kind of get back on your feet, because that was kind of the starting ground, you know, where, if you, if you was a if you couldn't pay your rent, you went back to mama's house and you said to get back on your feet.For Carolyn Hughes-Smith, inheriting property was a bittersweet lesson. Her family's land had been a source of pride and stability— holding onto it proved difficult.CAROLYN HUGHES-SMITH: We ended up having to sell it in the long run, because, you know, nobody else in the family was able to purchase it and keep going with it. And that that that was sad to me, but it also gave me an experience of how important it is to be able to inherit something and to cherish it and be able to share it with others while it's there.Her family's experience illustrates a paradox—how land, even when sold, can still transform lives.CAROLYN HUGHES-SMITH: Us kids, we all inherited from it to do whatever, like my brother sent his daughter to college, I bought some property, you know?But not all families found the same success in holding onto their homes. For Mark Haynes, the challenges of maintaining his father's property became overwhelming, and the sense of loss lingered.MARK HAYNES: it was really needed a lot of repair. We couldn't sell it. It was too much.It wasn't up to code. We couldn't sell it the way it was. Yes, okay, I didn't really want to sell it. She tried to fix it, brought up code, completely renovated it. I had to flip I had to go get a job at Kuhlman company as a CFO, mm hmm, to make enough money. And I did the best I could with that, and lost a lot of money. AndLEE HAWKINS: Oh, gosh, okay. So when you think about that situation, I know that you, you said that you wish you could buy it back.MARK HAYNES: Just, out of principle, it was, I was my father's house. He, he went through a lot to get that and I just said, we should have it back in the family.For Marcel Duke, he saw the value of home ownership and made it a priority for his own life.MARCEL DUKE: I bought my first house when I was 19. I had over 10 homes by time I was 25 or 30, by time I was 30This story isn't just about opportunity—it's about the barriers families had to overcome to claim it. Before Maplewood could become a community where Black families could thrive, it was a place where they weren't even welcome.The racial covenants and real estate discrimination that shaped Minnesota's suburban landscape are stark reminders of how hard-fought this progress truly was.LEE HAWKINS: I read an article about an organization called Mapping Prejudice which identifies clauses that say this house should never be sold to a person of color.So we had this talk. Do you remember?PENNY PETERSEN: I certainly do, it was 2018.Here's co-founder Penny Petersen.PENNY PETERSEN: So I started doing some work, and when you you gave me the name of Mr. Hughes. And I said, Does Mr. Hughes have a first name? It make my job a lot easier, and I don't think you had it at that point. So I thought, okay, I can do this.LEE HAWKINS: I just knew it was the woman Liz who used to babysit me. I just knew it was her grandfather.PENNY PETERSEN: Oh, okay, so, he's got a fascinating life story.He was born in Illinois in. He somehow comes to Minnesota from Illinois at some point. And he's pretty interesting from the beginning.He, apparently, pretty early on, gets into the printing business, and eventually he becomes what's called an ink maker. This is like being a, you know, a chemist, or something like, very serious, very highly educated.In 1946 he and his wife, Francis Brown Hughes and all. There's a little more about that. Bought 10 acres in the Smith and Taylor edition. He tried to buy some land, and the money was returned tohim when they found it. He was black, so Frank and Marie Taurek, who maybe they didn't like their neighbors, maybe, I don't know. It wasn't really clear to me,PENNY PETERSEN: Yeah, yeah. And so maybe they were ready to leave, because they had owned it since 1916 so I think they were ready to retire. So at any rate, they buy the land. They he said we had to do some night dealing, so the neighbors didn't see. And so all of a sudden, James T Hughes and Francis move to Maplewood. It was called, I think in those days, Little Canada, but it's present day Maplewood. So they're sitting with 10 acres of undeveloped land. So they decide we're going to pay it off, and then we'll develop it.Hearing Penny describe Frank Taurek takes me back to the conversation I had with his great granddaughter Davida who never met him and only heard stories that didn't paint him in the most flattering light.DAVIDA TAUREK: It feels like such a heroic act in a way at that time and yet that's not, it seems like that's not who his character was in on some levels, you know.HAWKINS: But people are complicatedThe choices made by Frank and Marie Taurek—choices that set the stage for families like mine—are reflected in how their descendants think about fairness and equity even today. That legacy stands alongside the extraordinary steps taken by James and Frances Hughes. Penny Petersen explains how they brought their vision to life.PENNY PETERSEN: They paid it off in a timely fashion. I think was 5% interest for three years or something like that. He plaits it into 20 lots, and in 1957 he starts selling them off. And he said there were one or two white families who looked at it, but then decided not to. But he he was had very specific ideas that you have to build a house of a certain, you know, quality. There were nice big lots, and the first family started moving in. So that's how you got to live there.But interestingly, after the Hughes bought it in 1946 some a guy called Richard Nelson, who was living in Maplewood, started putting covenants around it.LEE HAWKINS: There were people who were making statements that were basically explicitly excluding Negroes from life liberty and happiness.And these are big brands names in Minnesota. One was a former lieutenant governor, let's just put the name out there.Penny explains how we got here:PENNY PETERSEN: The first covenant in Hennepin County and probably the state of Minnesota, seems to be by Edmund G Walton. He lived in Minneapolis in 1910 he enters a covenant. He doesn't do it. This is great because his diaries are at the Minnesota Historical Society.He was, by the way, born in England. He'd never he may or may not have become an American citizen. He was certainly voting in American presidential elections. He was the son of a silk merchant wholesaler, so he was born into money. He wasn't landed gentry, which kind of chapped him a lot. And he he came to America to kind of live out that life. So he he's casting about for what's my next, you know, gig. And he goes through a couple things, but he finally hits on real estate.And he He's pretty good at it. He's, he's a Wheeler Dealer. And you can see this in his letters to his mom back in England, in the diaries, these little, not so maybe quite legal deals he's pulling off.But by, by the early aughts of the 20th century, he's doing pretty well, but he needs outside capital, and so he starts courting this guy called Henry or HB Scott, who is land agent for the Burlington railroad in Iowa, and he's immensely wealthy. And. No one knows about Henry B Scott in Minneapolis. You know, he's some guy you know.So he gets Scott to basically underwrite this thing called what will be eventually known as Seven Oaks Corporation. But no one knows who he is really what Edmund Walton does so he gets, he gets this in place in 1910 Walton, via Henry Scott, puts the first covenant in.And there's a laundry list of ethnicities that are not allowed. And of course, it's always aimed at black people. I mean that that's that's universal. And then what's happening in the real estate realm is real estate is becoming professionalized.Instead of this, these guys just selling here and there. And there's also happening about this time, you know, race riots and the NAACP is formed in 1909 the Urban League in 1910 and I think Walton is he sees something. I can make these things more valuable by making them White's only space.But he doesn't want to have his name associated with this. I mean, it is a violation of the 14th Amendment. Let's be clear about that. So he does a few here and there throughout Minneapolis, but he doesn't record them. Now, deeds don't become public records until they're recorded and simultaneously, Samuel Thorpe, as in, Thorpe brothers, is president of the National Board of Real Estate, you know, and he's listening to JC Nichols from Kansas City, who said, you know, a few years ago, I couldn't sell a lot with covenants on them, but now I can't sell it without covenants.After that, that real estate convention, there's one in 1910 and Walton is clearly passing this around, that he's he's put covenants in, but no one really talks about it, but they you know, as you look back when the deeds were signed, it's like 1910 1911 1912 the 1912 one when HB, when JC, Nichols said, I can't sell a lot without him.Sam Thorpe immediately picks up on this. He's the outgoing president of the National Board of Real Estate. By June, by August, he has acquired the land that will become Thorpe Brothers Nokomis Terrace. This is the first fully covenanted edition. He doesn't record for a while, but within a few years, they're not only these things are not only recorded, but Walton is advertising in the newspaper about covenants, so it's totally respectable. And then this is where Thomas Frankson comes in. In Ramsey County, he's still in the legislature when he puts his first covenant property together, Frankson Como Park, and in 1913 he's advertising in the newspapers. In fact, he not only advertises in English, he advertises in Swedish to let those Swedish immigrants know maybe they don't read English. So well, you can buy here. This will be safe.Penny says the National Board of Real Estate but she means the National Association of Realtors. Samuel Thorpe was not only the President of this powerful organization, he even coined the term ‘realtor' according to records.I want to take a moment to emphasize that Thomas Frankson is a former lieutenant governor.They were architects of exclusion. By embedding racial covenants into the fabric of land deals, they set a legal precedent that shaped housing markets and defined neighborhoods for decades. As Penny Petersen noted, these practices were professionalized and legitimized within the real estate industry.Michael Corey, Associate Director of Mapping Prejudice explains how these covenants were enforced.MICHAEL COREY: And so in the newspaper, as not only do they put the text of the Covenant, then two lines later, it says, you have my assurance that the above restrictions will be enforced to the fullest extent of the law. And this is a legislator saying this, and so like when he says that people are going to assume he means it.And the way this worked with racial covenants is, theoretically, you could take someone to court if they violated the covenant, and they would lose the house, the house would revert back to the original person who put the covenant in. So the potential penalty was quite high forLEE HAWKINS: Oh, gosh.MICHAEL COREY: And I think, like, in practice, it's not like this is happening all the time. The way covenants work is that, like, no one's gonna mess with that because the consequence is so high.LEE HAWKINS: Is there any record of anybody ever breaking a covenant.MICHAEL COREY: Yeah, there are, like, there are legal cases where people either tried like, and people try a number of different strategies, like as Penny mentioned some of the early ones, they have this, like, laundry list of 19th century racial terms. And so it'll say, like, no Mongolian people, for example, like using this, like, racial science term. And so someone who is Filipino might come in and say, like, I'm not Mongolian, I'm Filipino.So, this professionalizing real estate industry keeps refining the covenants to be more, to stand up in court better. But I think for so many people, it's it's not worth the risk to break the covenant both white and like. For the white person, the stakes are low, right? Your neighbors might not like you. For people of color who are trying to break this color line, the stakes are the highest possible like like, because the flip side of a covenant is always violence.So I'm now clear on how these wealthy and powerful figures in my home state came up with a system to keep anybody who was not white locked out of the housing market.I'm still not clear on how these ideas spread around the country.MICHAEL COREY: these conferences that these real estate leaders, like the like the Thorpe brothers are going to like, this is the, this is the moment when these national Realty boards are being formed. And so all of these people are in these rooms saying, Hey, we've got this innovative technology. It's a racial covenant.And this private practice spreads rapidly after places that are in early. There's some places in the East Coast that are trying this this early too. This becomes the standard, and in fact, it gets written into the National Board of Realty ethics code for years because they're prominent people, they're also, like, going to be some of your elected officials there.And when you get to the era of the New Deal, like these are the people who are on the boards that are like, setting federal policy, and a lot of this stuff gets codified into federal legislation. So what starts as a private practice becomes the official policy of the US government when you get to the creation of the Federal Housing Administration that adopts essentially this, this concept that you should not give preferential treatment on loans to to integrate to neighborhoods that are going to be in harmonious and that same logic gets supercharged, because if we know something about this era, this is the FHA and then, and then the GI bill at the end of World War Two are a huge sea change in the way that housing gets financed and the way that homeownership sort of works.I learned so much from my conversations with Penny and Michael. We covered a lot of ground and at times I found myself overwhelmed by the weight of what I was hearing. What exactly does this mean today? What about the families who didn't secure real estate through night dealings? The families who didn't slip through the cracks of codified racial discrimination? How can we address these disparities now?In the final part of our series, we'll hear from some of the people who benefitted, including relatives of Samuel Thorpe who have become new leaders in an old fight to make home ownership a reality for millions of Americans.MARGARET THORPE-RICHARDS: This could be the conversation. I feel like it's time to say something from my perspective. I have a platform, I have a voice, and I think it needs to be said and discussed and talked about,OUTRO MUSIC THEME/CREDITSYou've been listening to Unlocking the Gates: How the North led Housing Discrimination in America. A special series by APM Studios AND Marketplace APM with research support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation and Mapping Prejudice.Hosted and created by me, Lee Hawkins. Produced by Marcel Malekebu and Senior Producer, Meredith Garretson-Morbey. Our Sound Engineer is Gary O'Keefe.Kelly Silvera is Executive Producer.

Petra Brokken v. Hennepin County

For more information https://www.hennepin.us/en/economic-development/programs/CEO-Start

The Minneapolis City Council is deciding whether to have Hennepin County temporarily take over the city's violence intervention programs. Some city council members say the program is mismanaging the funds. Reporter Cari Spencer will join us with the latest.A local author is helping support survivors through the aftermath of sexual assault. She'll join us to talk about her resource handbook, which is a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award in nonfiction.And our sports contributors Wally and Eric will join us to talk about Philadelphia's dominating victory over Kansas City. Plus, we'll get the latest updates on a decision that will determine who has majority ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Last of Magicians” by Vicious Vicious and our Song of the Day was “Rental Car” by Poor Lemuel.

On Monday afternoon, the Minneapolis City Council are going to hold a press conference about their support for a proposal to have Hennepin County temporarily take over the city's violence intervention programs. These council members say the city's Neighborhood Safety Department is mismanaging the funds. However, city officials including the former director of the department are pushing back on some of the council's criticisms. Cari Spencer has been following developments in this story and joined Minnesota Now with the latest.

We had the opportunity to chat with Sheriff Witt in studio today about Donald Trump pardoning January 6th rioters, schools battling sub zero temperatures, Hennepin County enforcing ICE regulations, winter crime, the new narcotics pup, recruitment and much more!

01/17/24: State Represntative Jamie Long represents District 61B out of Hennepin County in Minnesota. He joins Joel on "News and Views" to talk about the standoff by Democrats in the Sate Legislature, and their plans going forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have travel plans across southern or central Minnesota late tonight or tomorrow -- keep a close eye on weather and road conditions.And Hennepin County commissioners yesterday approved a $3.1 billion dollar budget for 2025. The budget includes a 5.5 percent property tax levy increase.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Bright. Music by Gary Meister.

The Hennepin County Jail faces a Thursday deadline to reduce its population amid a staffing shortage. And Ken Martin — Minnesota's top Democratic Party operative — is facing competition from a neighbor to become the chair of the Democratic National Committee. Ben Wikler of Wisconsin announced Sunday he wants to become the chair of the DNC.This is a MPR News morning update, hosted by Gracie Stockton. Music by Gary Meister.Find these headlines and more at mprnews.org.Minnesota DOC orders Hennepin County to reduce jail population after finding staff negligenceWisconsin Democratic leader Ben Wikler enters the race to lead the national partyRead the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

This week we're joined by Ryan Kelley, Community development Manager for Hennepin County in Minnesota.  Ryan chats with us about the county's transit-oriented communities program and how they support commercial preservation and aid businesses. This episode was produced in partnership with Mpact. For more information, visit http://mpactmobility.org +++ Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site!  And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com  

Minnesota's Democratic party chairman Ken Martin has officially thrown his hat in the ring to lead the democratic party nationally. We learned more about his history and challenges the party faces after the 2024 presidential election.Hennepin County is still working to cut down the jail population after a report from the Department of Corrections. Someone personally impacted by a loved one serving time there joined the show to talk about the effects of understaffed and overcrowded jails. A Minnesota woman survived poverty to come to the U.S. from Somalia, raise four children and start a nonprofit. Her new memoir details her journey and lessons learned. Minneapolis Rock band Pretendians is up for a prestigious music award. They joined the show to talk about the American Indian Music Awards.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 699 people incarcerated in Hennepin County jail — that's 99 more than the limit set by the state Department of Corrections. The DOC says in a report that understaffing in the jail is putting the safety of inmates at risk. The report also says that in the last two years, seven inmates have died there or after being transferred to the hospital. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt has said she's working to move people through agreements with other counties. Her office requested an extension from the DOC and got one — its new deadline is Dec. 7. Rose Lobely has a personal stake in the issue. She has a relative incarcerated in the jail. Lobely and attorney Anna Hall of the Legal Rights Center joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about their experience.

The deadline has passed for the Hennepin County Jail to reduce its jail population via an order from the Department of Corrections. A DOC report found the jail failed to meet minimum staffing levels and violated rules on routine wellness checks.Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt has tried to appeal this ruling, but a first attempt was unsuccessful.Whether the county has complied is still in flux. MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic has been following the story and joined the program to share where things stand.

President-elect Donald Trump is quickly nominating members of his cabinet. U.S. Senator Tina Smith talks about her role in confirming those nominees.We learn how a father who lost his son in a bike accident is advocating for safer streets in the Twin Cities metro area.The deadline for Hennepin County jail to reduce their inmate population was Thursday at noon. We have an update on if they complied with that order.And this chilly weather makes many want to cozy up with a good book. Don't know where to start? We have some tips.Plus community leaders are bringing two historic neighborhoods in St. Paul together for what they're calling “Frondo.” Yep, that's a mix of Frogtown and Rondo. Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Hello” by Babes in Toyland and our Song of the Day was “Any Colour You Like” by Sugar Lads.

Questions are still swirling surrounding last week's election results in Minnesota.The Upper Midwest Law Center has been working to safeguard election integrity in the state for years. Senior trial counsel James Dickey joined Liz Collin Reports to discuss the ballot reporting issues in Sherburne and Scott counties, concerns about transparency in Minnesota elections, a Hennepin County election judge lawsuit, and what a Trump presidency could mean to election changes in Minnesota next year.Support the show

Originally aired on November 1, 2024: A malpractice lawsuit is moving forward in Hennepin County after a couple got pregnant, even though they were told his vasectomy was a success. Plus, have you ever been walked in on while getting busy, and Comedian/Magician Derek Hughes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal grand jury has indicted 11 alleged members of the Minneapolis Lows gang for racketeering conspiracy. The Minneapolis City Council is voting Thursday on a couple of high profile issues. One sets zoning regulations that will apply to cannabis businesses. The regulations include a 300-foot buffer between cannabis dispensaries and K-12 schools. The other is a resolution urging Hennepin County to close its solid waste incinerator by the end of 2027.And with the election just a few days away, Minnesota's most-populous county, Hennepin County, is scrambling to remake a panel overseeing absentee ballots after a court ruling Tuesday.This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Phil Picardi. Music by Gary Meister.Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.Grand jury indicts 11 alleged Lows members amid federal gang crackdownKey Minnesota county ordered by court to reset board that will review absentee ballotsRead the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has sided with a conservative voters group and the state Republican Party in a case tied to the makeup of a Hennepin County board that will review absentee ballots. In other news, there's a winter weather advisory. Several inches of slushy snow are possible on Halloween day Thursday, near Hinckley and Moose Lake and northeast toward Two Harbors.This is the afternoon MPR News update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music by Gary Meister.

A northern Minnesota woman is facing felony charges for allegedly forging signatures on material for two absentee ballots. And Minneapolis city officials are urging Hennepin County to close its solid waste incinerator by the end of 2027. That timetable is faster than the one adopted by the county, which resolved to close the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center — also known as HERC — sometime between 2028 and 2040. Those stories and more in today's evening update. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Police investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy in Minneapolis earlier this week say the child apparently shot himself. Investigators recovered a 9 mm handgun with a round in the chamber. So far no one has been charged.Minnesota Republicans want more eyes on absentee ballots cast in the state after GOP officials raised concerns about ballot security following an incident in Edina last week. A photo surfaced of a vehicle with its trunk open and ballots unattended. Hennepin County election administrators say there were no ballots tampered with and a courier was fired. This is an MPR News morning update, hosted by Phil Picardi. Music by Gary Meister.Find these headlines and more at Mprnews.org.Read the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

Hennepin County lactation station for men. Kamala Harris is the first Presidential candidate in more than 40 years to not attend the Al Smith dinner. More news about Walz regarding his race policies. Johnny Heidt with guitar news.Heard On The Show:Woman who lured realtor to home prior to 2019 murder pleads guilty, gets 20 years after prior conviction overturnedSource: Metro Transit Chief resigns amid internal investigationIsraeli military says it killed a top Hezbollah commander as the two sides exchange more strikes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hennepin County lactation station for men. Kamala Harris is the first Presidential candidate in more than 40 years to not attend the Al Smith dinner. More news about Walz regarding his race policies. Johnny Heidt with guitar news. Heard On The Show: Woman who lured realtor to home prior to 2019 murder pleads guilty, gets 20 years after prior conviction overturned Source: Metro Transit Chief resigns amid internal investigation Israeli military says it killed a top Hezbollah commander as the two sides exchange more strikes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices