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Unrest unfolds after Brooklyn Center police kill Black man

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After Brooklyn Center police shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, protesters and mourners gathered outside the police department to call for change. Police met their emotions with chemical munitions and less-lethal weapons. A curfew was set in place by multiple mayors and Gov. Tim Walz to quell ongoing unrest.

Minnesota

Column: The Peculiar Timing of the $27 Million Settlement

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The “peculiar” timing of the unprecedented $27 million pretrial settlement, paid by the city of Minneapolis to the victim’s of killer cop, Derek Chauvin, wasn’t peculiar at all. Without unwavering accountability, such settlements enable the city and county to repeatedly get away with executing grave injustices against vulnerable populations and no real commitment to cease this behavior, as demonstrated with the violent police raid of the Near North homeless encampment on March 18.

Minnesota

Creating a Change

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By. McKenzie Kemper, Freelance Writer-In-Training 

It feels a little bit like we are on a horrific merry- go- round- the murders in Atlanta, the arrests at the homeless encampment in North Minneapolis, the progression of the Chauvin trial and tensions around it, tensions around persons trying to cross the border from Mexico, the hospital deaths and riots in Jordan, and the spinning continues. 

After President Biden was elected it felt like we had a moment to catch our breath, a moment of relief and peace and then the vicious ride began again. 

Maybe I spent a lifetime with my head buried in the sand, willfully ignorant to the atrocities around us or maybe since there weren’t as many 24/7 news networks as there are now so we did not have access to the information of every atrocity occurring around the world, all the time. 

The interconnectedness of our country, and our world is a good thing. I think we need to be aware of what is going on so that we can do the work to change it. 

We, as a country, are fractured. We were built on a broken foundation with lofty ideals created by people who could not even live up to the ideals they spouted and undoing everything built into that is going to take a LOT of hard work. 

It’s also going to take more Civic Engagement that ever before. It’s going to take a leap of faith to be elected in community elections where your voice can impact the place you live. 

We all have opinions, some more than others (yeah, I’m calling myself out) and it is my belief that people deserve to make their voices heard even if I do not understand or agree with their beliefs.

Minnesota

A look at jury selection and the seated jurors in the Chauvin trial

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In the trial of Derek Chauvin, fifteen jurors were seated — two of those are alternates and one will likely be dismissed by the time of opening statements. Mary Moriarty, former chief public defender for Hennepin County, noted that race is central to this case. The jury panel includes six people of color and nine white people with varying views about Black Lives Matter, racial justice and police.

Minnesota

Chauvin trial kicks off its second week

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Nine jurors have been chosen so far in the trial of Derek Chauvin: five white people, two Black men, a Hispanic man and a mixed-race woman. But a $27 million settlement by Minneapolis in the civil suit with the Floyd family has cast uncertainty on the future of the trial’s schedule and location.

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Near North encampment dodges eviction — for now

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The Near North encampment has been a strong community for months, facing multiple threats of eviction and frigid weather. Residents have raised tens of thousands of dollars with the help of volunteers and social media. While their future is uncertain, many residents said they hope the group can stick together.

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The Federal Reserve Discusses Education

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The 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System recently met to discuss education. The event featured a discussion based on proposals from three of the featured experts, related to reducing implicit bias in schools, supporting early childhood development, and creating a civil right to quality education.

Minnesota

Livetweet: House Capital Finance (Feb. 10)

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By McKenzie Kemper, Freelance Journalist-in-Training

House Legacy Finance Committee met today to discuss funding for BIPOC communities in Capital Finance. Follow the linked tweets below to read about the committee’s discussion. House Legacy Finance Committee will be meeting at 8:30 am today.— UpTake MN Coverage (@uptakemn) February 10, 2021