A Minneapolis politics podcast hosted by four-term Ward 2 city council veterans Cam Gordon and Robin Garwood, with longtime activist Jesse Mortenson
Reading the feed…
North News journalists Azhae’la Hanson, Melody Hoffmann, and Muhamed Ali join us to share reporting from their upcoming special issue on gun violence. North News is a monthly newspaper focusing on North Minneapolis that is dedicated to narrative justice. We talked about the local media ecosystem, including how to cover gun violence with depth (and how not to) and the specific dynamics of reporting over North. We also talked about the human and community impacts, and the importance of trust and consistency in creating programs that prevent violence. Recorded 8/19/26. Read the show notes and fin
After six painful years, the city has stamped an approval on redeveloping the former 3rd Police Precinct building that was ground zero for the 2020 uprising. Big chunks of East Lake Street remain vacant or simply absent. We sat down with co-owner of Moon Palace bookstore, Jamie Schwesnedl, to talk about how city action and inaction have impacted the immediate neighborhood on Minnehaha Ave. The second half of the episode is an interview with Sam Gould of the Confluence community design studio, also located in north Longfellow. Gould reflects on his documentation and community-building projects
We did a rare episode of Mill City Paul, as Robin takes us through four layers of the scandal currently enveloping Mayor Kaohly Her. Her is accused of sexual harrassment and inappropriate workplace behavior. We discussed what this controversy reveals about backstage dynamics in government, as well as dynamics between elected officials and police. Recorded 8/5/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Did you know that city and police representatives are negotiating another three year contract right now? Police are asking for significant pay premiums on top of the historic raise they won in the prior contract. Meanwhile Councilmember Robin Wonsley put out a list of proposals she wants to see in the contract. We talk through those, status of negotiations, and the challenge of trying to use the police contract as an instrument of positive change. Recorded 7/22/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Angry resident testimony, surveillance, new technology and the ethics of hungry corporate vendors: the debate over a proposed first responder drone pilot program had a lot going on. This could still be a live issue going forward: Mayor Frey used it as a talking point just days after the vote failed. We explore this topic, including past examples of technology adoption and policy shifts by the Police Department. Recorded 7/22/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
South Minneapolis legislator for district 63A, Samantha Sencer-Mura, joins us for an interview to talk about the intersection between local and state politics. We talked about the special role of safe seat legislators, what it takes for the city legislative agenda to be effective, and how to move policy work in the divided legislature. This included insights into issues like funding for municipal recovery, the police/emergency training center proposal, public education, and Waymo trying to get autonomous vehicles legalized. Recorded 7/8/26. Read the show notes and find links for further readin
The Park Board voted 8-1 to begin the work of decommissioning the well-used Minnehaha off-leash dog park. We tackle how this emerges from the efforts of that board to meaningfully incorporate Native folks as important community stakeholders, and also the loud backlash that the Board now must manage. Cam also reports on efforts by Minneapolis Schools to build a permanent home for the Anishnabe Academy magnet school at the former Cooper School site. Recorded 6/24/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
The City un-banned bathhouses as part of a Pride month policy agenda. We talk about this ordinance in context of query history, and discuss some of the past city dynamics around regulating business and sex. This is a round-up episode, so we also talked about the latest semi-annual report on Minneapolis Police Department reform progress. In short: not looking good! Recorded 6/24/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
As anger at the Big Tech data center boom seems to be boiling across layers of society, data center politics landed in Minneapolis last month. The City Council passed a temporary moratorium - with generous exceptions - on new data centers in the city. We look at some of the data center projects that exist today, and those that appear to be in-progress. How do we think about hyperscale? We also examine the downtown vacancy dilemma, and the challenges and tradeoffs between data center conversions and housing conversions. When and how do data centers make sense in Minneapolis? Recorded 6/10/26. R
Just weeks after Mayor Frey challenged the City Council to support the re-nomination of his Police Chief, that same Chief has resigned under threat of discharge by that same Mayor. It is hard to remember a more dramatic climbdown in recent city politics. But for this Mayor, it is one of a series of high profile public safety hires to end in disappointment. We talk through what was said, speculate on what actually happened, review the last four years of MPD leadership, and talk about what could and should happen next. Stick around past hour two if you want some Rocco Forte talk. Recorded 5/27/2
Mayor Frey instructed us to basically get serious in his annual State of the City address. Or to seriously get back to the basics? Whatever the case, it was a somewhat jarring call for goverment to do less after Minneapolis communities went above and beyond to push out ICE. Cam and Jesse talk through the speech, and ask what a parallel address by a more visionary mayor might have sounded like, in this historic moment. We also recap the victory at the Charter Commission. Recorded 5/20/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
The vision: build pedestrian and bike safety on 10% of all streets - 450 miles - connected in a grid throughout Chicago. Mill City Hall is in the Windy City this week, and we interviewed Charna Albert and Chris Buie-Gentry from the Chicago Bike Grid, Now! steering committee. Turns out they have built some real momentum, with endorsements from mayoral candidates and legislation moving at the state level. What can we learn this efforts to create a truly systemic solution for active transportation? Recorded 5/11/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Once again the Mpls Charter Commission has proposed to diminish the power of the City Council, this time with confusing amendment language that would strip from the the Council the ability to review a number of high-level city staff appointments. This does not come out of the blue: we trace the lineage of people using the Charter Commission as a decisive instrument of City Father-style politics over the last decade. We also discuss what democracy means to us at the local level, and how that intersects with shifts to government structure and unelected bodies putting a finger on the scale. Recor
There is a spectre haunting the Hennepin County Attorney race... and that spectre is Mary Moriarty... who is NOT running. That leaves a full field of candidates in this open race. We welcome special guest Darcy Sherman, 13-year public defender here in Hennepin. Did you know that this office is considered the largest law firm in the state? We learned what the work looks like behind the scenes, and looked past the platitudes and figure out how to evaluate this hugely powerful position. Recorded 4/15/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
A couple of explosive meetings saw a Minneapolis Cop City (or Corner Store) proposed, and then pulled back. Would a one-stop $48m training center - with purpose-built realistic scenario areas and virtual reality rooms - reform our police? Where did this come from, and why now? This proposal will be back, so we dig deep into those and many arguments around them. We also cover the extraordinary open conflict between councilmembers that broke out in these meetings. Skip to 1:53 if you only want the drama! Recorded 3/30/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Three key city leaders will soon be up for re-appointment: the Community Safety Commissioner, the City Attorney, and the City Operations Officer. We delve into their records, including a progress report on police reform that raises big questions. Do you feel safer in Minneapolis? This is a rare opportunity for the public and for City Councilmembers to scrutinize the record and make demands of highly-paid city staff. We also start with an update on the Mayoral veto of the attempt by the council majority to extend the period of time that residents have to catch up on rent, in the wake of the ICE
The broad impact of the ICE invasion is coming into view as the city, state and researchers attempt to measure it. We talk numbers for arrests, wages, businesses, mental health and more. How are we going to get the help to survive and recover this enormous hit to our social fabric? Increasingly it looks like the weight is on regular people, as demands for an eviction moratorium and meaningful economic aid are being resisted by city conservatives and state GOP, respectively. Who is helping? is the mayor helping himself? and who is just plain against us? Recorded 2/25/26. Read the show notes and
With the surge of federal agents into the Twin Cities metro continuing, we take a step back and assess several dynamics. The agends who killed Alex Pretti were established officers at the southern border, pointing to one of the roots of this crisis. We discuss what strategies and tactics seem to be working - either better or worse - and some of the genesis of those from advocacy non-profits to grassroots leaders. Horizontal initiative and relationship building between regular folks is a significant feature of this moment. Finally, we speculate on hopeful politics that seem to be emerging and w
Operation Metro Surge continues, with federal agents killing Minneapolis residents and terrorizing people across the metro. In a wide ranging discussion, we talk about how the community, cops and city council are responding. Continuity and contrast with the crisis of 2020. Whether a press conference means Trump has lost the support of local law enforcement. How can we think about the wildly different accounts of what is actually happening here. And how local elected officials are engaging with the crisis and showing up (or not) for residents. Recorded 1/21/26. Read the show notes and find link
Council President Payne played his hand: elected a new vice president, returned a version of council majority and council minority leader positions, and enlarged committees. Democratic Socialists have a formal role in leadership. And the Frey camp reacted with open anger. We discuss what this reveals about the theory of change in city hall. Recorded 1/7/26. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Did you know the city council basically cannot ensure that allocated money is spent on the thing for which it was allocated? The city council ended 2025 with a flurry of action, often revealing a power struggle between the lines. We start with the continued federal campaign of aggression against our immigrant neighbors and the now-rewritten immigration separation ordinance. The budget passed with last minute negotiations amidst pointed gestures. A humane homeless encampament response ordinance was passed and vetoed. Oh, and Robin calls for the city clerk to lose his job. Recorded 12/17/25. Rea
With a Dec 18 town hall coming up, the Zero Burn Coalition is building momentum to close the HERC, a garbage burner that burns almost half of our trash and pollutes the air. Consensus is emerging to shutter this source of environmental injustice, but county staff have pushed back against real deadlines. Our own Cam Gordon is a member of the Coalition, and he and Robin Garwood worked on zero waste plans for the city. What will it take to close the garbage burner? Recorded 12/03/25. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
In an environment of historically high city election turnout, did the campaign of Sen Omar Fateh max out his strategy? or is there room to build on a repeat four years from now? We provide our big takeaways from this election, and assess arguments about what it means for our future work. Recorded 11/19/25. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
Election results landed and Minneapolis progressives are likely feeling a bit left out of the national enthusiasm. There are definitely some wins! but how did Jacob hang on to his base so tenaciously? was the strategy wrong? Day-after analysis is suspect, but you gotta start somewhere. Recorded 11/05/25. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
How did Jacob Frey go from pledges to collaborate with the city council and end homelessness to seemingly endless trench warfare with the council majority and rinse-and-repeat encampent sweeps? In this second part of two, we continue to tell the story of Jacob Frey, starting with the crisis following the murder of George Floyd. Recorded 10/08/25. Read the show notes and find links for further reading
