Insight ::: 07.28.2025

Malcolm-Jamal Warner IN MEMORIAM:

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Community groups protest promotion of officer who killed Amir Locke

The Racial Justice Network, Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), CAIR MN, Families Supporting Families, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, Black Lives Matter Minnesota, SWAE (Southwest Alliance for Equity), and Black Lives Matter Twin Cities held a joint press conference last Tuesday, to demand immediate action from Mayor Jacob Frey following the revelation that Officer Mark Hanneman—the officer who fatally shot Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in 2022—has been quietly promoted to sergeant and assigned to train other officers on use-of-force tactics within the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD)—without any public notice, disciplinary review, or independent investigation.

“This is a devastating betrayal of public trust and a slap in the face to Amir Locke’s family and our entire commu-

Obama responds to Trumps treason claims

By April Ryan Black Press USA

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.

Statement from Patrick Rodenbush, Spokesperson for President Obama: Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify

nity,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network, who released a public Open Letter to Mayor Frey calling for Hanneman’s removal, a full misconduct investigation, and immediate transparency from the mayor’s office. Michelle Gross, President of CUAPB, said, “Amir Locke should be alive today. The

Hanri Mostert

A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for opaque assurances of security.

The peace deal, signed in June 2025, aims to end three decades of conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.

A key part of the agreement binds both nations to developing a regional economic integration framework. This arrangement would expand cooperation between the two states, the US government and American investors on “transparent, formalized end-to-end mineral chains”.

Despite its immense mineral wealth, the DRC is among the five poorest countries in the world. It has been seeking US investment in its mineral sector.

The US has in turn

touted a potential multi-billion-dollar investment programme to anchor its mineral supply chains in the traumatised and poor territory.

By April Ryan Black Press USA

The peace that the June 2025 deal promises, there-

the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.

Man, two police officers injured during domestic abuse arrest in Minneapolis

A man and two officers were injured Wednesday in South Minneapolis during a domestic abuse arrest.

Shortly before 12:42

a.m., Third Precinct officers were dispatched to a domestic abuse incident involving a man, a woman, and their two children on the 900 block of 21 Avenue S. Officers said they saw the man and woman physically struggling over one of their children in a hallway and intervened. The man then retreated into his apartment, barricaded himself in the kitchen, positioned himself near a set of kitchen knives, and used a pit bull as a shield.

Officers said they worked to de-escalate the situation by maintaining a dialogue

with the man for approximately 30 minutes and also requested a crisis negotiator to the scene.

“This was a highly dynamic situation where the victim of domestic violence was in fear and our officers placed their lives on the line while taking the man into custody,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “I am grateful for the care, patience, and bravery these officers demonstrated in managing a very tense situation—one that certainly had the potential to escalate even further.”

At approximately 1:15 a.m., as officers moved in to control the dog and arrest the man, he armed himself with two knives. During the struggle

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara reported last week that a brother and a sister are dead, and a mother was injured in a domestic-related shooting.

At approximately 12:37 a.m., July 22, Fifth Precinct officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 100 block of East 59th Street.

Inside an apartment, officers found a deceased man in his 20s, a deceased woman in her 20s, and another woman in her 40s suffering from apparent non-life-threatening injuries.

The injured woman was transported to Hennepin Healthcare for treatment.

Preliminary information indicates a domestic dispute escalated into gunfire. The two women were shot, and the man appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“This appears to be a heartbreaking tragedy that has destroyed a family,” said Chief O’Hara. “While the investigation is ongoing, our hearts are with the surviving family members as we work to understand what occurred.”

Investigators continue working to determine the se-

The changes come after a

Wikimedia Commons Photo by Official White House

Photo by Pete Souza

U.S. President Barack Obama’s official photograph in the Oval Office on 6 December 2012.

Mr. Littlehand / Wikimedia Commons

View of Lorraine Hotel, from second floor bathroom window in the boarding house from where James Earl Ray was alleged to have fired the fatal shot at Martin Luther King, Jr., Boarding house view of Lorraine Motel balcony.

Democratic Republic of Congo has major deposits of critical minerals

The spirit of Rondo welcomes us all

Esq.

I arrived in Minnesota with four suitcases and a quiet prayer for direction.

There was no family waiting at the airport. No familiar streets outside baggage claim. Just the soft hum of a city I had never set foot in and the weight of a life I was building from scratch. At 21, I was leaving the home I had grown up in to step into a new job, a new apartment I had only seen online, and a new chapter of adulthood in a place I barely knew.

It was June 2024. I had just completed an “impact year,” teaching fifth-grade social studies in Fort Worth. After law school, I chose the classroom because I wanted to see how young minds first meet the history that shapes them. For nine months, my students and I traced the roots of American democracy, questioned the meaning of justice, and affirmed that their voices mattered. When the

school year ended, a new calling pulled me north. It was the beginning of my legal career and the hope that I would not only find purpose in my work, but also a place to truly belong.

Before I left Texas, one of my mentors, Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, offered me something more valuable than advice. He offered me community. He knew this kind of transition could be disorienting, even for someone driven by clarity of mission. So he made sure I did not arrive in Minnesota alone. He connected me to someone who could help me find my footing and plant new roots.

That someone was former Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter.

Commissioner Carter welcomed me with grace and groundedness. She did not just open doors. She opened her heart. Over coffee and conversations, she helped me see not only the landscape of Minnesota’s public life, but it’s deeper story. She reminded me that to serve a place, I must learn its people, its history, and its heart.

And that is how I found my way to Rondo.

This past weekend

marked my second time attending Rondo Days. What I experienced was not just a festival. It was a living, breathing affirmation of belonging. A homecoming for some, a welcome for others. For me, it was both. You could feel it in the air, an energy that moved through the music, the food, the laughter, and the storytelling. Elders sat in lawn chairs, watching generations they raised dance to songs they once danced to themselves. Families hugged like it had only been a moment since their last gathering. Children ran freely between booths while local DJs kept the

rhythm of joy steady and strong. This was not just an event. It was a living monument to resilience. The Rondo neighborhood once stood as the vibrant heart of Black Saint Paul. In the 1960s, that heart was fractured by the construction of Interstate 94, a decision that displaced hundreds of families, dismantled Black-owned businesses, and disrupted generations of community. What was lost can never be fully recovered. But what remains is powerful: a spirit that refuses to be erased. That spirit was everywhere on Saturday.

Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Suffice it to say that I was devastated upon learning that Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the veteran actor who drew initial fame playing Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show, had drowned to death while on family vacation in Costa Rica. Warner, 54, leaves to mourn his passing a wife and young daughter. While I will be forever grateful for the one time I got to meet and converse with MJW during a flight to California two

years ago, as my social media timeline was filled with posts from friends my age who were grappling with the death of yet another icon from our youth, I noticed that one of my oldest friends and FAMU High School classmate, Kamela Boyd, had written a Facebook retrospective on his life that perfectly captured what most of us Generation X’ers felt yesterday. Understanding that many of my subscribers are not social media users, I wanted to share her insightful words about the impact of a well lived life that was cut way too short: “...I mentioned some of this in an earlier post, but I had more to say. We are feeling the collective loss of Malcolm Jamal Warner today, and I’m taken back to the 15-year-old

girl I once was. The one with big hair like his sisters. The one who wore some of the same clothes and grew up in a two parent household. That mattered. It still matters.

Bill Cosby created The Cosby Show with his own family in mind. His only son, the late Ennis Cosby, was the inspiration for Theo Huxtable. Whatever came later in Cosby’s personal life was messy and painful. Perhaps something we see all too often. Success eclipsed by personal choices. But the artistic impact he had on Black television history remains powerful and deeply significant. Theo, played by Warner, was likely the first upper middle class Black teen male we saw on prime time television in the 1980s. Not because those young men didn’t exist, but because they hadn’t been shown. Theo was a character who had character. He was

playful, imperfect, loved and expected to succeed. He struggled academically, discovered he had dyslexia and worked to overcome it. He grew. He showed up. He was raised with expectations and didn’t always meet them, but he kept trying. That’s what made him revolutionary. He wasn’t written to be exceptional. He was written to be real.

In a society that often equates status and success with whiteness, media has long reinforced a narrow narrative. Black characters were typically portrayed as the help, the comic relief or the criminal. But on Thursday nights, we saw a family that rejected those stereotypes. And let’s be honest, white audiences had never imagined that black families lived lateral to them, if they even thought about it all. The Cosby Show made that undeniable. It insisted on our visi-

Rondo Days reminded me that survival alone is not the goal. Thriving is. Joy is. Connection is. This community has taken its pain and turned it into pride. It has reclaimed space not just to remember what was taken, but to celebrate what endures.

As a Black woman still relatively new to Minnesota, I felt embraced, not only by the warmth of those in attendance, but by the legacy that made such a celebration possible. The majority-Black crowd, the wealth of local vendors, the historic presence of elders and community leaders, all spoke to

bility, our dignity, our joy. And in 2025, there are still people, especially in majority culture, who remain removed from that truth or choose not to see it. That’s why its placement on television mattered. It was a cultural intervention.

And that legacy is rooted in Bill Cosby’s vision. He chose to center Black professionals, strong marriages and progressive, educated women. His characters didn’t just challenge the status quo. They of-

a story far bigger than me. Yet somehow, it made room for me within it.

That is the power of community rooted in love. It does not just preserve memory. It makes space for growth.

When Commissioner Brooks made that introduction last year, he was not just helping me network. He was making sure I would not be unmoored in a new chapter of my life. He was planting the first seed of connection, one that Commissioner Carter nurtured with care, and one that the Rondo community, in its joy and wisdom, continues to water.

Minnesota may not be where I was born. But it is becoming home, not because of how long I have been here, but because of how deeply I have been received.

Rondo teaches us that history is not just behind us. It is around us. It shapes how we live, how we gather, how we remember, and how we build. And if we listen closely, it invites us in, not just to observe but to bear witness.

The story of Rondo is not finished. It continues in rhythm, in roots, and in each generation that refuses to forget.

fered visibility, dignity and aspiration. Finally, let it be noted that Cosby created a show and gave its child actors financial legacies. Syndication, until his legal issues, meant generational wealth for the Cosby Kids, including Raven Symoné. That’s something we rarely see. Black child actors who go on to thrive. Rest in Power Malcolm-Jamal Warner Lest we forget!

Columnist

By Haley Taylor Schlitz,

Roosevelt Mansfield

Hip-hop legends MC Lyte and Rakim rocked the Rondo crowd in 2024

The late Malcolm-Jamal Warner Kamela Boyd

By Chuck Hobbs

News from City Hall

Ward 12 updates from Council Member Aurin Chowdhury

The Hiawatha Neighborhood Clean-up was a huge success with over 60 volunteers working to clean up public spaces throughout the area of 46th and Hiawatha and beyond, said Minneapolis Ward 12 Council Member Aurin Chowdhury.

ICE presence at Lake & Bloomington during federal raid

On June 3rd 2025, a heavy and unsettling federal presence descended on Lake Street. Agents from ICE, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, Hennepin County Sheriffs and other federal entities conducted a coordinated operation in the heart of Minneapolis’ Latino community. There was nothing publicly shared that was found at the Lake and Bloomington to further the criminal investigation-there were a total of 8 locations were search warrants were executed-- yet only on Lake Street and Bloomington Ave we saw a heavily militarized force, armored vehicles, and federal law enforcement officials including ICE in masks covering their faces.

The intent was clear: to instill fear, create chaos, and intimidate. These are the tools of oppression, used to divide us. Standing up to these tactics must be a priority for our city’s leadership.

We’re living in a time when the federal government is using any excuse to expand ICE’s power. Across the country, people are being swept from their neighborhoods—snatched in unmarked vehicles by heavily armed agents operating without accountability. Families are left behind, desperate for answers, unsure if they’ll ever be reunited with their loved ones. The Trump administration has given directives to do collateral arrests-- that are not accidents— they are deliberate, quota-driven actions.

That’s why Minneapolis has made a clear commitment through our separation ordinance that we will not be doing the work of ICE. That is why many residents, community leaders, and myself and my colleagues were deeply concerned to see the Minneapolis Police Department on scene doing crowd control, assisting the operation by quartering off the perimeter, and showing a lack of communication to the public on what originated their presence and what was happening. We know for a fact that ICE was on the ground that day. An ICE spokesperson confirmed their agents were assisted by local law enforcement. That cannot be ignored.

In response, I joined Council Members Chavez, Chughtai, Osman, and Wonsley

in passing a request to direct the City Auditor to conduct a full, independent review of the incident. This includes a detailed look at MPD’s and any other City employees’ involvement and to understand if the City’s Separation ordinance was breeched. We expect this to come back to the City Council on July 31, 2025.

We’re also reviewing the ordinance itself to ensure it’s clear, strong, and leaves no room for misinterpretation. The City of Minneapolis should not be aiding federal agencies that violate the rights of our residents and we must do what we can to ensure that.

I will continue to keep you informed. We must demand

in immigration matters, adding reporting requirements and clarifying protections. The other ordinance is regarding civil rights, adding protections for discrimination on perceived citizenship or immigration status.

As we move forward with the drafting process of these two ordinances, I will be

accountability, stand up for our neighbors, and defend the values of justice and dignity that define who we are.

On August 5 at 1:30 PM at the Public Service Center 3rd Floor (250 S 4th S) we will be getting a presentation on the findings of the After Action Review and you are welcome to come and share your thoughts during the public comment period.

Clarifying and strengthening the Minneapolis Separation Ordinance Minneapolis has a separation ordinance. When you come to the City for help, the ordinance says that City employees cannot ask about your citizenship or immigration status, ask you for documents to prove your immigration status, or use any knowledge of your status to enforce immigration laws. Further, the separation ordinance prohibits the Minneapolis Police Department from participating in any immigration enforcement actions that the federal government, such as ICE, undertakes in our city. With those protections in place, however, there are still some grey areas when it comes to our separation ordinance. At our council meeting, I passed a notice of intent along with Council Vice-President Chughtai and Council Member Chavez on two ordinances that we will introduce. One is regarding employee authority

sure to keep you updated on the progress we are making. We hope to work collaboratively with the City Council, Mayor’s Administration, and most importantly the community.

Improvements at the 46th & Hiawatha Light Rail Station When I stepped into this role, one of the first things I noticed was the lack of coordination among agencies and stakeholders including Metro Transit, MnDOT, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, residents, and local businesses. Over the past year and a half, my office has prioritized building those connections and forging a consistent path forward.

Key accomplishments include:

• Ward 12 Wellness Walk –I organized this event to bring attention to livability and safety concerns. City leadership, including the Public Health Commissioner, Metro Transit, and staff focused on opioid response, visited the area to see firsthand the challenges and begin joint problem-solving.

• Access to Public Restrooms – Responding to community concerns, I advocated for solutions to reduce public waste and improve dignity for all.

Metro Transit has since installed two porta-potties at the station.

Increased Safety Presence

– After sustained advocacy, Metro Transit began deploying dedicated safety staff at the station from 12 to 8 p.m. daily as of June 23.

Infrastructure Improvements – Metro Transit has committed to upgrading aged infrastructure, improving lighting, conducting a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessment, and making changes to landscaping and building exteriors for enhanced visibility and safety.

Transit Safety Outreach Program – I introduced and passed a budget action in 2023 to establish this initiative through the City’s Department of Neighborhood Safety. It will launch soon and focus on outreach, case management, and visible presence throughout the corridor.

Corridor-wide improvements and community building Beyond the station itself, we’ve worked to uplift the entire 46th and Hiawatha Corridor:

o Lighting Repairs on Hiawatha Avenue – Lighting had been out for years, worsening safety concerns. I prioritized this issue with Public Works, and lights have now been restored. We also successfully lobbied for new state legislation, enacted in January, that curbs copper wire theft by regulating scrap metal sales.

o Improvements to Hiawatha Avenue – I met with MNDOT to advocate for safety improvements to Hiawatha and improvements for pedestrian crossing. As a result, we did a doorknock of neighbors, held an open house, and were able to include the addition of a signalized pedestrian crossing at 45th avenue and put up a barrier (with the ask, it does not look bad) on Hiawatha avenue median across from the light rail to deter unsafe crossings that have led to fatalities and severe injury.

• Working to Address Homelessness- Continuing to bring attention to Hennepin County and the

city of Minneapolis to do dedicated work to help people get to housing and treatment.

• Formation of the 46th & Hiawatha Coalition –Stronger neighborhoods come from collaboration. I launched this cross-sector group in October 2024 to bring together businesses, property managers, government agencies, and residents. We’ve already held four productive meetings and are growing every month.

Neighborhood Clean-Ups – The Coalition led our first major clean-up effort on July 10, with nearly 60 volunteers showing up to beautify the area and build community.

• Exploring a Special Service District (SSD) –We’ve started early discussions about forming an SSD to fund enhanced maintenance, amenities, and public realm improvements that would reflect a unique neighborhood identity.

• Funding for Opioid Response and Needle PickUp – I secured dedicated funding in the last city budget to address public health and safety concerns. We are currently awaiting implementation by the Mayor’s Administration.

• Targeted Neighborhood Safety Services – I moved and passed funding for new services tailored to the Hiawatha area. The Department of Neighborhood Safety is developing the contract, and neighbor feedback has been central in shaping its scope.

• Strengthening Identity and Positive Activation –We’re working to foster a sense of place through programming, partnerships, and design ideas that reflect and celebrate the people who live and work here.

Latino Economic Development

Center

We approved $300,000 funding in the form of an interest-free loan over 20 years, with deferred payments, and forgiveness upon maturity for the Latino Center for Community Engagement (LCCE). This development project is located at 2905 E. Lake St. and led by Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL).

The LCCE aims to better accommodate the needs of the Latino/a/e immigrant community. The LCCE will have 16,000 square feet of new space in the heart of the Minneapolis Latino/a/e Community. It will be a community gathering place to make connections across cultures. It will house the operations of COPAL, a coffee shop, bookstore and space available to partner organizations from which they can meet or work.

COPAL leads social impact initiatives to improve the quality of life for Latino/a/e Families, by 1) influencing environmental justice policies, training the community in green jobs and offering education in energy efficiency practices, 2) health and wellness activities, including Community Health Promoters connecting individ-

Hiawatha Neighborhood Clean-up

culture of impunity. This is the exact opposite of accountability, and the community will not stand for it.” Amir Locke, 22, was asleep on a couch when MPD SWAT officers stormed into the apartment and killed him within nine seconds—despite the fact that he was not a suspect. The killing reignited national outrage over no-knock warrants

and police violence. Mayor Frey had previously promised to end the use of no-knock warrants during his 2021 re-election campaign.

3 Ben Hovland | MPR News Mayor Jacob Frey

Minerals

From 3

fore, hinges on chaining mineral supply to the US in exchange for Washington’s powerful – but vaguely formulated – military oversight.

The peace agreement further establishes a joint oversight committee – with representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the US – to receive complaints and resolve disputes between the DRC and Rwanda.

But beyond the joint oversight committee, the peace deal creates no specific security obligations for the US.

The relationship between the DRC and Rwanda has been marred by war and tension since the bloody First (1996-1997) and Second (19982003) Congo wars. At the heart of much of this conflict is the DRC’s mineral wealth. It has fuelled competition, exploitation and armed violence.

This latest peace deal introduces a resources-for-security arrangement. Such deals aren’t new in Africa. They first emerged in the early 2000s as resources-for-infrastructure transactions. Here, a foreign state would agree to build economic and social infrastructure (roads, ports, airports, hospitals) in an African state. In exchange,

MLK

From 3

To the dismay of the children of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, President Donald Trump has ordered the release of more than 240,000 pages of FBI documents related to the assassination of Dr. King in 1968.

“The emphasis here is to give Americans the truth,”

Arrest

From 3

for mental health, particularly in the Black community. Just days before his death, Warner

“It’s like they’re trying to erase what happened to my son,” said Andre Locke, Amir Locke’s father. “To promote the man who took Amir’s life and put him in a position of leadership is beyond disrespectful. It’s re-traumatizing. Amir was a beautiful soul. He didn’t deserve to die, and we don’t deserve this kind of cruelty. We want truth, transparency, and

it would get a major stake in a government-owned mining company. Or gain preferential access to the host country’s minerals.

We have studied mineral law and governance in Africa for more than 20 years. The question that emerges now is whether a US-brokered resources-for-security agreement will help the DRC benefit from its resources.

Based on our research on mining, development and sustainability, we believe this is unlikely.

This is because resources-for-security is the latest version of a resource-bartering approach that China and Russia pioneered in countries such as Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC.

Resource bartering in Africa has eroded the sovereignty and bargaining power of mineral-rich nations such as the DRC and Angola.

Further, resources-for-security deals are less transparent and more complicated than prior resource bartering agreements.

DRC’s security gaps

The DRC is endowed with major deposits of critical minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum. These are the building blocks for 21st century technologies: artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, wind energy

said Trump Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields.

In late January of this year, President Trump signed Executive Order 14176, declassifying the records on the assassinations of President John Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

The King FBI files have been sealed since 1977.

Subsequently, the two surviving children of Dr. King, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King,

to disarm and handcuff him, the man injured two officers — one suffered a cut to the head, and the other to the hand. The man also sustained injuries to his

quence of events leading up to the shooting.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the de-

released what would be his final episode of his podcast Not All Hood, a series focused on unpacking generational trauma, wellness, and healing within marginalized communities.

Fans and celebri-

and military security hardware. Rwanda has less mineral wealth than its neighbour, but is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, used in electronics, aerospace and medical devices.

For almost 30 years, minerals have fuelled conflict and severe violence, especially in eastern DRC. Tungsten, tantalum and gold (referred to as 3TG) finance and drive conflict as government forces and an estimated 130 armed groups vie for control over lucrative mining sites. Several reports and studies have implicated the DRC’s neighbours – Rwanda and Uganda – in supporting the illegal extraction of 3TG in this region.

The DRC government has failed to extend security over its vast (2.3 million square kilometres) and diverse territory (109 million people, representing 250 ethnic groups). Limited resources, logistical challenges and corruption have weakened its armed forces.

This context makes the United States’ military backing enormously attractive. But our research shows there are traps. What states risk losing Resources-for-infrastructure and resources-for-security deals generally offer African nations short-term stability, financing or global goodwill. However, the costs are often long-term because of an erosion

oppose President Trump’s January executive order. The King children cite the personal nature of their father’s 1968 assassination as the reason to keep the files sealed.

Reverend Al Sharpton the head of the National Action Network and close friend of the King family, said in a statement, “We need to be crystal clear on the fact that Trump releasing the MLK assassination files is not about transparency or justice, it’s a desperate attempt to dis-

hand and an apparent self-inflicted stab wound to his chest.

A Taser was deployed during the incident but was ineffective, officers reported.

ceased, along with the official cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact MPD by emailing policetips@

ties flooded social media on Sunday, expressing shock and heartbreak. One longtime fan, 43-year-old Jalen Cooper of Washington, D.C., said, “He was more than Theo to us—he represented a generation of young Black men who finally

real accountability—not cover-ups and closed-door promotions.”

The statement announcing the Noon City Hall press conference said civil rights leaders, the family of Amir Locke, organizers, and impacted community members, are demanding accountability.

Demands include: Immediate removal of Officer Mark Hanneman from any training or leadership position

An independent in-

of sovereign control.

Here’s how this happens: certain clauses in such contracts can freeze future regulatory reforms, limiting legislative autonomy

• other clauses may lock in low prices for years, leaving resource-selling states unable to benefit when commodity prices surge arbitration clauses often shift disputes to international forums, bypassing local courts

• infrastructure loans are often secured via resource revenues used as loan security. This effectively ringfences exports and undermines sovereign fiscal control.

Examples of loss or near-loss of sovereignty from these sorts of deals abound in Africa.

For instance, Angola’s US$2 billion oil-backed loan from China Eximbank in 2004. This was repayable in monthly deliveries of oil, with revenues directed to Chinese-controlled accounts. The loan’s design deprived Angolan authorities of decision-making power over that income stream even before the oil was extracted.

These deals also fragment accountability. They often span multiple ministries (such as defence, mining and trade),

tract people from the firestorm engulfing Trump over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility among the MAGA base.”

When Black Press USA asked Fields to comment on the timing of the release of the Epstein files, Fields directed this news organization to the Department of Justice.

The King family requested to review the files before their release. Since the examination of the FBI files the

Once restrained, officers immediately rendered medical aid to the man, who was transported to Hennepin Healthcare. The two injured

minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact

saw themselves reflected on TV. His voice will be missed.”

Warner’s enduring presence in American pop culture spanned four decades, and he remained active in film, television, music, and podcasting until his final days. As tributes continue to

Creative Commons/Chad Davis

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara

avoiding robust oversight or accountability. Fragmentation makes resource sectors vulnerable to elite capture. Powerful insiders can manipulate agreements for private gain.

In the DRC, this has created a violent kleptocracy, where resource wealth is systematically diverted away from popular benefit.

Finally, there is the risk of re-entrenching extractive trauma. Communities displaced for mining and environmental degradation in many countries across Africa illustrate the long-standing harm to livelihoods, health and social cohesion.

These are not new problems. But where extraction is tied to security or infrastructure, such damage risks becoming permanent features, not temporary costs. What needs to change

Critical minerals are “critical” because they’re hard to mine or substitute. Additionally, their supply chains are strategically vulnerable and politically exposed. Whoever controls these minerals controls the future. Africa must make sure it doesn’t trade that future away.

In a world being reshaped by global interests in critical minerals, African states must not underestimate the strategic value of their mineral resources. They hold considerable leverage.

family declared the federal government’s investigation of their father,” an invasion of privacy,” as they assert, “The intent of the government’s COINTELPRO campaign was not only to monitor, but to discredit, dismantle, and destroy Dr. King’s reputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement.”

In her piece for Vanity Fair, Bernice King writes, “Our mother, Coretta Scott King, prepared us for these repeated attempts saying, ‘They keep

officers were also transported to the hospital, treated, and released.

The mother and her two children were not injured.

vestigation into whether MPD policies were violated in Amir Locke’s killing A public explanation of Hanneman’s promotion and assignment

A full review of all MPD use-of-force trainers, including their disciplinary histories, qualifications, and appropriateness to serve in a training role

Full implementation of reforms recommended by the 2022 Community Safety Work Group.

But leverage only works if it is wielded strategically. This means: investing in institutional strength and legal capacity to negotiate better deals • demanding local value creation and addition requiring transparency and parliamentary oversight for minerals-related agreements refusing deals that bypass human rights, environmental or sovereignty standards. Africa has the resources. It must hold on to the power they wield.

Disclosure statement

Hanri Mostert receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. She is a member of the Expropriation Expert Group and a steering committee member of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Academic Advisory Group (AAG) in the Sector for Energy, Environmental, Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL). Tracy-Lynn Field receives funding from the Claude Leon Foundation. She is a non-executive director of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.

trying to assassinate your father over and over again.’”

The King family requests that “these files must be viewed within their full historical context.” Dr. King’s children also say, “During our father’s lifetime, he was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).”

The man remains in custody at the hospital.

CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.CrimeStoppersMN. org. All tips are anonymous, and information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward

pour in from across the entertainment industry and beyond, many are remembering Warner as a trailblazer who helped redefine Black manhood on screen.

Actor and director Keegan-Michael Key posted simply, “Rest easy, King. You gave us more

than you know.”

Warner’s family has asked for privacy during this time of grief. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made public.

MNJRC is seeking candidates for its Just Lead Fellowship

The Just Lead Fellowship is a new 12-month program designed to develop leadership skills for justice-impacted individuals and prepare them for positions on state boards and commissions.

Fellows receive a monthly stipend. Apply by August 1, 2025. Contact kayla@ mnjrc.org with questions.

MNJRC says it wants to know if the “Clean Slate” law—enacted by the Minnesota State legislature in 2024 to automatically seal many criminal records from public view after a waiting period—is really working. The organization is connecting with community members and criminal legal system practitioners to learn more about Minnesotan’s broad experiences with expungement, background checks, and having

a criminal record in Minnesota. Listening sessions for community members with lived and relevant experience dealing with expungements and background checks and focus groups for professionals and practitioners for whom expungements and background checks show up in their work include the upcoming practitioner focus group August 15 at 1pm (VIRTUAL)

The August 15th focus group is for professionals who have worked with clients to expunge a record, have used criminal background checks in their work and run into issues, or have helped clients remedy or challenge a criminal record.

MNJRC says the consequences of a criminal record can be devastating. Private sector criminal background checks are widely used to screen appli-

cants for housing, employment, and volunteering opportunities. A law in 2024 sought to address this discrimination: “Clean Slate” was enacted by the Minnesota State legislature to automatically seal many criminal

records. But the extent to which these companies comply with the new law is unknown. Minnesota Justice Research Center, said it wants to know if the law working. Are private companies complying?

Are people experiencing the impact? Learn more at mnjrc. org/background-checks.

Dr. Shawn Ginwright launches “The Work Within Us” as space for reflections on systemic change

MNJRC’s

The focus group sessions consist of facilitated dialogue circles with connections to resources for more information about Clean Slate and time to connect with other professionals/practitioners. For further information: mackenzie@mnjrc.org.

cation) called The Work Within Us — a space for essays and reflections on healing-centered leadership, justice, and systemic change.

Omar: Israel’s genocide continues and the situation only gets worse

By

The inhumanity on display is two-fold. On one hand, Netanyahu’s government is deliberately starving the population of Gaza by blocking almost all food and aid from entering the strip, including aid from the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations. Millions are now experi-

“I am asking you today: Sign my petition calling on Congress to end the Gaza aid blockade and stop the forced starvation of Palestinians. Adding your name is a simple but powerful act of solidarity at a time when every ounce we can give is necessary.”

- Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-MN5-

encing a man-made famine. On the other hand, Israel has allowed a singular fake “humanitarian foundation”

controlled by Israel and the US to establish aid distribution sites — sites that have become deadly for Palestinians. Thousands

have already been killed by Israeli soldiers and US contractors who are opening fire on civilians who are simply waiting for food and medical aid. Even though the time has long passed for the world to take action to stop the bloodshed and suffering, I will not stop doing everything I can.

A couple days ago I voted against any and all military funding and supplies being sent to Israel’s army as they carry out this genocide. And I am committed to pushing for Congress to take action to intervene and stop this deliberate starvation and killing. The genocide in Gaza will go down in history as one of the greatest crimes against humanity of the 21st century. We have a moral and human responsibility to take action and stop this nightmare, no matter how hard it may seem.

Toxic free kids program updates chemicals of high concern list

Expanded

From lead in toys to mercury in skin-lightening products to formaldehyde in laundry detergent, many consumer products sold in Minnesota contain chemicals that can harm people’s health. The 2025 Minnesota Chemicals of High Concern Report contains an updated list of these chemicals along with examples of how the Toxic Free Kids Program at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is working to protect people, especially children, from negative health effects.

Since the last Chemicals of High Concern update in 2022, the Toxic Free Kids Program has listed 15 additional chemicals and removed 200

and education

based on an extensive review of the latest toxicology research and statutory requirements. The program also stepped up its education and outreach efforts.

“We conducted a needs assessment with health care professionals, community members and community advocates to give us a deeper understanding of how to tailor health messages so they are relevant, clear and useful to the people most impacted,” said Nini Mentan, the Toxic Free Kids program coordinator.

Raising awareness about the health risks associated with harmful chemicals has involved practitioner trainings, tabling at community events,

developing multilingual educational materials and digital media engagement. Through these efforts, the program has educated and trained hundreds of people across the state. Among the program’s latest collaborations is a partnership with Hamline University, where last year students carried out a semester-long, community-based research project. The project focused on exposure to chemicals in personal care products and how different communities understand and seek information about chemical risks. This project will inform communication and outreach efforts for women of reproductive age.

The Toxic Free Kids

Program was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2009 and was charged with generating its first list of Chemicals of High Concern by July 1, 2010. The Toxic Free Kids Act requires MDH to review and revise that list at least every three years. The 2025 list represents the fifth update of the original list.

A “Chemical of High Concern” is defined by Minnesota statute as a chemical identified on the basis of credible scientific evidence by a state, federal or international agency as being known or suspected with a high degree of probability to: Harm the normal development of a fetus or child or

cause other harmful developmental effects.

Cause cancer, genetic damage or reproductive harm.

• Disrupt the endocrine or hormone system.

• Damage the nervous system, immune system or organs, or cause other harm to the entire body. Be

Funding opportunity - Urban Farm and Garden Community Ownership Program

Homegrown Minneapolis, housed within the Minneapolis Health Department, last week announced a funding opportunity to support local community-focused organizations orindividuals in long-term access to land to sustainably grow food in the city of Minneapolis. cAs part of the proposal, applicants will propose a lot to be purchased and put into trust for long-term urban agricultural use. The Program may also provide funding to pay for infrastructure, tools, and supplies

to grow food on lots selected for purchase. The deadline to submit an application is 2pm on October 7, 2025. Prospective applicants have two opportunities to learn more about this funding

Arrest made in Atkins murder

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced that a 16-year-old male has been arrested for the murder of 11-yearold Amir Lamar Atkins.

The 16-year-old was arrested on July 22, 2023, at approximately in Apple Valley. He was taken into custody without incident and was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center. “I am incredibly grateful to the hard work of the investigators who worked to complete a thorough investigation of this heinous crime,” said Chief O’Hara. “I am hopeful

that this arrest brings a sense of justice for Amir and his family.”

The shooting occurred on June 23rd in the afternoon at Folwell Park on Dowling Avenue North. Gunfire erupted in the park and Amir Atkins was shot and killed.

Governor Walz announces Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle stepping down on September 10

Charlie Zelle, chair of the Metropolitan Council. Zelle retires from his position on September 10, 2025.

Charlie Zelle was appointed chair of the Metropolitan Council in January 2020. Prior to his appointment, he served as chairman of Jefferson Lines and held the position of president and CEO for more than 20 years. In 2012, he was appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. In that capacity, he oversaw a multimodal state transportation agency with an annual budget of more than $4 billion.

Zelle has been recognized for his work in transportation policy as a recipient of the George Rucker Award by the Community Transportation Association in 2009 and the Ray L. Lappegaard Distinguished Service Award by Center of Transportation Studies in 2012. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Zelle received a B.A. from Bates College and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Plans for Interim leadership for the Metropolitan Council will be determined over the coming months. The Council is committed to maintaining operational continuity and will provide updates as decisions are finalized, Governor Tim Walz’ office said.

“Chair Zelle’s years of public service have made a

lasting impact on not only the Met Council but public transportation and infrastructure across Minnesota,” said Governor Walz. “His service has positioned the council and our state for continued success and innovation. I wish Chair Zelle all the best in his retirement, and I thank him for years of tireless work and public service.”

“Chair Zelle’s outstanding service as chair of the Met Council will benefit the state for years to come. His compassionate approach and genuine care fostered growth and innovation, forged partnerships, and made a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I thank Chair Zelle for his visionary leadership and wish him a wonderful retirement.” Since his appointment as chair of the Metropolitan Council in 2020, Zelle has been the driving force behind achievements that have strengthened and expanded the council’s reach. Key among his accomplishments include approval of Imagine 2050, the Metropolitan Council’s deployment guide; funding and scheduling for the Green Line expansion; securing the largest investment in transit infrastructure through legislative action; and securing funding for regional park investments.

opportunity and to ask questions live by attending an online webinar: Noon to 1 p.m.,Thursday, July 31, 2025 Online via Teams: Join using this link the day of the webinar or 6 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20,

2025 Online via Teams: Join using this link the day of the webinar

These webinars will be recorded and made available. Questions can be submitted to homegrown@minneapolismn.gov. The deadline to

submit a question is September 18, 2025. City staff will reply directly to questions received by the deadline. Responses will be compiled and shared in the e-Supplier portal following the deadline.

Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle

Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz

X/CAIR National

Gaza health ministry says 33 people died from malnutrition in 48 hours.

MN 5th District

Rep. Ilhan Omar

By Tinashe Mushakavanhu Assistant Professor, Harvard University

When the announcement of Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi’s latest novel Dream Count was made, it was regarded as a major event in African literature. The internationally celebrated Nigerian writer had not published a novel in the past 12 years, and her long-awaited return stirred both anticipation and speculation. In the post-COVID context in which the book comes, so much has changed in the world.

The first leg of her three city homecoming book tour coincided with my stay in Lagos as a curatorial fellow at Guest Artist Space Foundation, dedicated to facilitating cultural exchange and supporting creative practices. After Lagos, Chimamanda took the tour to Nigeria’s capital city Abuja and finally Enugu, where she was born and grew up.

As a scholar of African literature, I arrived here in search of literary Lagos. But my attachment to the city may also just be romantic, a nostalgia born out of years of reading about it in fiction. No doubt, Lagos is a city of imagination and creativity.

Chimamanda’s book event was a reminder that literary celebrity, when it happens in Africa, can exist on its own terms. It’s rooted in a popular imaginary that embraces both the writer and the spectacle. Lagos superstar

The launch in Lagos took place at a conference centre on the evening of Friday 27 June. The MUSON is a multi-

purpose civic auditorium located in the centre of Lagos Island which can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. And on this night, the auditorium was packed. When I arrive, the scene outside is buzzing. A crowd gathers in front of a large canvas banner bearing a radiant image of the author. It’s more than just decoration; it’s a backdrop. It is an occasion for the selfie, a digital marker that you were there. There is even a hashtag for this: #dreamcountlagos. People take turns posing in front of it, curating their presence in the frame of Chimamanda’s aura.

The atmosphere is festive, electric. And yet beneath the surface shimmer is something more urgent: a hunger for story, for presence, for return. Perhaps that explains why people come not just to witness, but to be counted. Inside the lobby, piles of Chimamanda’s books are neatly arranged on long tables. People are not just buying a copy. They are buying several in the hope that the author will autograph them. The sight

is striking, almost surreal. In many parts of the continent, a book launch is often a quiet affair. Writers are lucky to sell a handful of copies. But this is something else entirely. This is not just a book launch, it is a cultural moment.

It would have been easy to mistake the event for a political townhall. There was a VIP section reserved for the who’s who of Lagos, but those class distinctions easily dissolved into the collective energy of the room. The auditorium was filled with genuine enthusiasm.

Even after a delay of more than an hour, when Chimamanda finally walked in, she was met with rapturous applause. She wore a bright yellow dress, an Instagrammable outfit, suited for the many fans who rushed forward to take selfies with her. Chimamanda, no doubt, is as much a fashion icon as she is a literary figure.

On stage, she was joined by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, widely known as the host of the reality TV show Big Brother Africa.

But here, he was also something more intimate: the author’s friend. Chimamanda even credited him with being a “great reader”. This is a rare compliment in a literary world that often separates celebrity from critical engagement.

Their conversation was relaxed and full of laughter, offering the audience both intimacy and insight. Chimamanda addressed the question that had lingered for years: her decade-long silence. She spoke candidly of writer’s block, of the grief that came with losing both her parents in quick succession, and how that loss eventually reignited her desire to write.

Dream Count, she explained, is shaped by that rupture. It is one of the major postCOVID novels from Africa, and centres on the lives of four women. It is a book about love, friendship and independence. Africans do read

When she spoke about her characters on stage, it was as though she was talking about relatives that the audience recognised. They responded

by shouting out the characters’ names, to the delight of the author.

When I asked people about the launch afterwards, many said that it was a very Nigerian event – big, colourful, exuberant, festive. It was indeed a celebration that felt communal, even joyous. It was also a public demonstration of how literature can still command space and attention, not just in private reading rooms or crammed bookstores, but on a civic scale.

This was a remarkable event because it defied the tired cliché that Africans do not read. People, mostly young, came out in their hundreds. They bought books, they took selfies with their “favourite” author, they screamed the names of fictional characters as though greeting friends.

But more significant was Chimamanda’s choice to work with a local publisher, Narrative Landscape Press, which produced the Nigerian edition of Dream Count that is now available and accessible locally, at the same time as its release in Europe and North America. That alone is a radical act.

In returning to Nigeria to launch her book, Chimamanda also disrupts the assumption that African literary prestige must only be validated abroad. Even though she belongs to a cohort of African writers shaped by the diaspora, she actively insists on presence – on homecoming – not as simply nostalgia, but as active engagement. Of course, Chimamanda is an exception. Her stature as a global literary figure, combined with her deep connection to home, allows her to move between worlds with remarkable

ease. Few writers command the kind of multigenerational, cross-class attention she does. I found myself wishing though that more book launches could carry this same sense of occasion, of meaning, of return. That they could gather people in such numbers, not just to celebrate the writer, but to affirm the African book as something still worth gathering for. And perhaps that is what made this book launch unforgettable: not just the celebrity or the spectacle, but the sense that literature still matters here, and that it belongs to the people.

statement Tinashe Mushakavanhu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

John Lamparski

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Caution in the C-suite: How business leaders are navigating Trump 2.0

By Erran Carmel Professor of Business, American University Kogod School of Business

Joseph Garbowski

Master’s student, American University

In the first months of Donald Trump’s second term as president, his policies – from sweeping tariffs and aggressive immigration enforcement to attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion – have thrown U.S. businesses into turmoil, leading to a 26-point decline in CEO confidence.

Yet despite this volatility, many American corporations have remained notably restrained in their public responses.

This might come as a surprise. After all, in recent decades, CEOs have become increasingly willing to speak out about social and political issues. But while some universities and law firms have publicly pushed back against the Trump administration, business leaders are seemingly opting for caution.

What would it take for these titans of corporate America to speak out against Trump’s policies? We are a professor and a graduate student who study business, and back in 2018, one of us – Dr. Carmel – conducted an analysis asking this very question. More recent-

ly, we gathered new data looking at how business leaders are responding to Trump’s second term.

The 2018 analysis, involving data from about 200 leading U.S. CEOs, found that most business leaders remained publicly neutral on Trump, and only a handful expressed strong opposition. Silence was often a strategic choice, with many leaders staying mum due to fear of retaliation. The evidence also suggested that Trump could one day cross a line that would prompt a broader CEO backlash.

Seven years later, that line hasn’t yet appeared, even as Trump’s footprint on corporate America is now far more direct and substantial.

Most notable are Trump’s tariffs, first announced in April 2025, which have roiled global markets and unnerved CEOs. And there are many other ripples: Some companies,

such as CBS’ parent company, Paramount – which is seeking the Trump administration’s approval for a merger – have decided to self-censor. Others, including Disney and Meta, gave in to Trump’s lawsuits and paid multimillion-dollar settlements, against the counsel of many outside experts. CEOs also have to deal with the threat of backlash from both the right and left.

Against this backdrop, we collected new public data to see how corporate leaders are responding to the second Trump administration. Just as in 2018, we examined the 232 companies that make up the Business Roundtable – a club of the most powerful American businesses.

We assessed the actions that these companies took regarding DEI and whether they experienced any backlash. We focused on these criteria as a way to assess whether CEOs are seeking either to support or pla-

cate Trump, or to stand on other principles. We also collected other data, including public statements from CEOs and campaign donations. DEI as a bellwether

Corporate DEI actions were an early, useful way to gauge a business’s stances, since, from the outset, the Trump administration identified DEI as a “scourge” to be eliminated. Although the White House’s anti-DEI directives have applied to the executive branch and federal contractors, some private businesses rushed to make changes as well.

By May, just a bit over 100 days into Trump’s second term, a significant number of companies had decided to go along with Trump’s preferences. Sixty-nine of the 232 companies in the Business Roundtable rolled back their DEI initiatives in some way, while just 20 companies announced that they kept their DEI programs in place. There’s no information either way on the remaining 61% –likely because they decided it’s better to stay out of the news.

DEI-related actions have tapered off since May, but there’s still an impact. For example, the Federal Communications Commission pressured T-Mobile to eliminate DEI. Only then was its merger approved.

Companies that scaled back their DEI initiatives sometimes pointed to the po-

litical environment as a factor.

Meta, for example, said in an internal memo that it was ending its DEI efforts due to a “shifting legal and policy landscape.”

Other companies, including Verizon and Comcast, reportedly rolled back DEI programs because they feared legal action by the federal government. Some corporations announced changes through internal announcements, legal filings or quiet updates to their websites, suggesting they want to stay out of the media spotlight.

A small number of Business Roundtable companies stood firm on their DEI policies – to mixed results. When Marriott’s CEO voiced support for DEI at a corporate leadership event, he reportedly received 40,000 appreciative emails from employees. On the other hand, after Coca-Cola reiterated its “commitment to sponsoring an inclusive workplace,” the rightwing activist Robby Starbuck — who The New York Times has described as “the anti-DEI agitator that companies fear most” – said Coca-Cola “should be very nervous about continuing with its woke policies.”

Bracing for backlash

Overall, 22% of Business Roundtable companies saw some sort of backlash to their actions. Most came from the political right: 36 companies were called out by conservatives, another eight by progressives,

and eight more faced bipartisan backlash.

With more than three years left in Trump’s second term, it’s worth asking what lies ahead. We think the most likely scenario is that companies will continue to try to stay off the president’s radar and placate him when they must. After all, following the split with Elon Musk, Trump quite explicitly threatened to use presidential powers to hurt Musk’s businesses. Any CEO gets the implications.

While our analysis primarily focused on social issues, policies at the business core may push U.S. companies to confront Trump. Tariff policy is a prime example. Back in April, major retailers like Walmart quietly warned Trump that tariffs could lead to empty shelves and higher prices. More recently, the CEO of Goldman Sachs publicly warned that tariffs “have raised the level of uncertainty to a degree I do not think is healthy for investment and growth.”

These are voices of criticism – but worded quite softly.

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

A new study found Minnesota is the No. 22 most prepared place in the nation for the AI revolution based on jobs, education and government funding.

A 2025 World Economic Forum report found 41% of employers intend to replace workers with AI by 2030. The time for companies and workers to upskill and reskill is now. Encouragingly, the number of students with AI-related degrees reached 424,000 in 2023, up 32% from five years earlier. Brainly released a

The MN Department of Administration is partnering with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis on a short survey to give local businesses a voice. Responses to this survey will help the Minneapolis Fed and its local partners understand the impact that the economy is having on local businesses.

study on the States Most (and Least) Prepared for the AI Revolution after analyzing key factors including share of companies that use AI, AI-related degrees per capita, federal funding per $1 million of GDP, and high school foundational courses.

The most recent data from Census Bureau, BLS, and the National Center for Education Statistics was used to determine the rankings.

Key Findings: No. 22 Minnesota: Among the key findings, Min-

nesota scored well on businesses’ use of AI (11.5%, No. 4) and AI-intensive jobs (16 per 1,000 workers, No. 7). It scored worst for the low share of high schoolers in computer science classes (2.5%, No. 38).

10 Most AI-Ready Places: D.C., New Hampshire, Utah, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado, California, Washington, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

10 Least AI-Ready States: Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Louisiana, Idaho, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Oklahoma,

Montana, Mississippi. The complete rankings and methodology are available at Brainly.

Scan the QR code below to access it.

Answers to these questions contribute to regional data that directly inform the Minneapolis Fed, local partners, policymakers, and others — a public good ultimately benefiting your business and others like yours. Scan the QR code to take the survey.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) last week released the draft 2025 Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The updated strategy shows the state’s progress in reducing nutrients and ways to achieve Minnesota’s water quality goals. The public is invited to comment on the draft through Aug. 28, 2025.

The updated strategy documents a decade’s worth of progress that has helped reduce phosphorus in Minnesota water, shows mixed results on nitrogen, and identifies where work should be intensified.

The Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) includes the latest science, research, and data and recommends the most effective strategies to reduce nutrients in our water. The strategy serves as a framework outlining how voluntary and regulatory actions can reduce nutrient pollution

Survey submission deadline is Friday, August. All responses are confidential.

to meet long-term water quality goals.

Reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus in Minnesota’s water are needed to reach in-state water quality goals, as well as the downstream water quality goals aimed at reducing nutrient levels in the Gulf, Lake Winnipeg and Lake Superior.

The MPCA finalized the first Minnesota NRS in 2014 and released a five-year progress report in 2020. The draft 2025 NRS update contains chapters on:

• reducing nutrients in lakes, streams and groundwater in-state reducing nutrients in downstream waters urban land and water; rural land and water

• watershed focus from Minnesota’s Water Management Framework tracking and showing progress

The MPCA will host a virtual question-and-answer session will be held on Thursday, July 24, from 1-2:30 p.m. Questions for the July 24 event can be submitted in advance on the MPCA website.

The public can review the draft 2025 Minnesota NRS update and submit public comments by visiting the Smart Comment portal on the MPCA website or by mail to:

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

c/o Corrie Layfield

520 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155

After the public comment period, all comments will be reviewed, and a final 2025 update will be published to MPCA website.

For further information, contact the Office of Equity in Procurement. The Office of Equity in Procurement Vendor Kiosk is available to assist vendors with a variety of tasks, including: registering for a Minnesota Supplier or Bidder ID number in the Supplier Portal; selecting the appropriate category codes in the Supplier Portal;

Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3

Powderhorn Art Fair Powderhorn Park | 10 am - 5 pm Wednesday, August 6

Annual Summer Celebration Luxton Park | 4-7 pm Thursday, August 7

Lynnhurst Festival Lynnhurst Park | 5:30-8:30 pm

Family Fishing Night Powderhorn Park | 6-8 pm Friday, August 8

Lake Hiawatha Neighborhood Festival Lake Hiawatha Park | 5-8 pm Saturday, August 9

Festival for Fathers North Commons Park | Noon-4

pm Thursday, August 14

Keewaydin Festival Keewaydin Park | 5:30-8 pm Sunday, August 17

Skatin’ at the Commons The Commons Park | 11 am - 2 pm

helping vendors learn how to do business with the state; searching for state solicitations; downloading solicitation materials; answering questions about the Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) small business program; preliminary review of TG/ED/VO certification application materials; and referral to appropriate small business and equity resources. Walk-in Hours: Wednesdays, 9:00am to 3:00pm Location: 112 Administration Building, 50 Sherburne Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55155 Additional hours available by appointment. For more information, please call 651-201-2402.

Armatage Summer Jam

Armatage Park | 4-7 pm Tuesday, August 19

Community Sing-A-Long Loring Park | 7-8:30 pm Wednesday, August 20

End of Summer CelebrationSlip & Slide Day FREE | Ages 5 and older East Phillips Park | 4-5:30 pm Saturday, August 23

K-Pop in the Sunset The Commons Park | 5:30-9:30 pm Tuesday, August 26

Neighborhood Event at Jackson Square Jackson Square Park | 6-11 pm Friday, August 29

Cycle the Summer End of Summer Celebration Lake Nokomis

Pool via AP

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Business Roundtable quarterly meeting in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, as Business Roundtable Chair and Cisco Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins watches.

Sports

Collier delivers her franchise best in Lynx victory over Skye

The Minnesota Lynx held the Chicago Sky to just 68 points on 39.3% shooting (24-of-61) from the field, marking the 11th time this season Minnesota has held an opponent under 40% shooting. The Lynx triumphed with a 91-68 final score moving their season standing to 21-4, while the Skye slipped to a 7-16 season standing.

The Lynx are now 174-9 since 2011 in keeping opponents below 40% from the floor.

Tuesday’s final 23-point spread equals Minnesota’s largest winning margin against Chicago, all time. The Lynx posted a 110-87 victory

on Sept. 1, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center, in their previous largest victory.

Minnesota now improves to 21-4 on the season, tying the franchise’s best 25 game start to the season in 2012, 2016 and 2017.

Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier each tallied a game-high 19 points in the contest against Chicago. McBride shot 8-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, while Collier went 8-of16 from the floor, adding eight rebounds and four assists. This marks the eighth time this season the duo have each scored 15+ points in the same game.

Collier’s 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks is her franchise-best, and fourth career 4x4 game (pts/ reb/ast/blk).

McBride’s eight field goals moved her into eighth place on Minnesota’s leaderboard for made field goals, totaling 739 as a Lynx and surpassing Svetlana Abrosimova (734).

Diamond Miller notched eight points, all from the free throw line, finishing a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Miller is shooting a career-high 94.7% from the line this season.

Bridget Carleton post-

ed 11 points, five rebounds, and tied a season-high three steals tonight. The game marked Carleton’s sixth double-figure performance of the season, and her fourth with three or more baskets from beyond the arc. Carleton has totaled 393 three-point baskets in her career, the second most among current Lynx players behind McBride (674).

Alanna Smith finished the night with 10 points, four assists, two assists, one block, and one rebound. Smith marked her 300th career assist at 1:45 in the second quarter with a pass to McBride beyond the arc.

How social media is changing the game for athletes

By Elyse Gorrell, PhD Candidate, Social and Cultural Health, Brock University

A landmark multibillion-dollar legal settlement is set to transform the landscape of college sports in the United States. A court recently approved the House v. NCAA settlement, requiring the NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) to pay nearly US$2.8 billion in damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed from 2016 through to the present day.

The settlement opens the door for college athletes to earn a share of revenue moving forward, marking a shift away from the traditional ideals of amateurism in sport.

Amateurism was traditionally defined as the notion of athletes playing sport for the love of it rather than for financial reasons. Historically, it

(name, image and likeness) has only exacerbated this by encouraging athletes to promote themselves on social media.

Some sport organizations now even factor social media presence into recruitment decisions.

These developments raise key questions: should we be treating athletes as brands? And what are the consequences of doing so, both on and off the field?

Social media and the modern athlete

Social media offers a way for athletes to build a community of followers, share and discuss their personal lives, and interact with fans.

For many athletes, social media platforms have become tools for building a personal brand and differentiating themselves from other competitors and ultimately having more control over their public image. In turn, social media can allow them to seek out sponsorships and endorsement deals.

However, research also shows there are negative side-effects of social media use.

It also exposes athletes to public scrutiny and online abuse from fans, and can lead to effects similar to cyber-bullying.

One study of NCAA Division I athletes found that maintaining a polished image on Twitter lead student-athletes to censor themselves to uphold a certain image, which stifled their self-expression. Athletes also reported that social media affected their concentration and raised performance anxiety due to pressure to perform well or face negative critiques.

stress and insecurity.

My master’s thesis found that social media, and the way athletes use it, influences self-efficacy in combat sport athletes. I found that what athletes see online can disrupt their belief in their own abilities, sometimes more than their actual experience in sport.

Impact on youth athletes

My PhD research found that many athletes are unaware of how social media affects their mental game and performance. There’s even less information about how social media impacts youth athletes.

Elite athletes already face a unique set of pressures: rigorous training schedules, limited leisure time, injury risks, competition pressure and the pursuit of scholarships or team placements. For young athletes, these challenges are layered on top of the developmental process of forming a sense of self. Social media now plays a central role in this development.

can negatively impact mental health and well-being, increasing risk of depression, low self-esteem, harassment and burnout. Despite these risks, there is limited social media training for athletes, and many are unaware of the effects social media use has on their performance.

Coaches see the impact Since social media is now a constant part of athletes’ lives, understanding how coaches view it is essential. Research shows coaches are often more aware of how social media impacts their athletes’ performance and engagement. Many see it as a growing challenge.

For my PhD thesis, which was later published as a peer-reviewed paper, I interviewed six high-performance coaches across a range of sports to understand their perspectives of athletes’ social media use.

could become overly concerned with their public image and how they are perceived. What role should coaches play?

Current recommendations for coaches recognize that an outright ban of social media and technology use for athletes is outdated and unrealistic. Athletes, especially younger ones, are digital natives.

Instead, coaches are encouraged to adapt their methods to better align with the generation they are working with.

But there aren’t many resources tailored for this purpose.

What’s needed are tools to help coaches engage with their athletes and help them understand how social media influences their mental performance and well-being. Resources need to go beyond helping coaches use technology to providing them with information on how to communicate with their athletes safely or protect them from liability.

In addition, trust between coaches and athletes has been strained in some cases by problematic social media-related incidents. For example, one study found that Snapchat has been used by coach perpetrators to sexually abuse their athletes by overcoming internal inhibitions, avoiding external barriers and breaking down victim resistance.

Unlike

Because of this, they need to understand how to balance healthy engagement and harmful overuse.

At

Coaching

was created by upper-class elite groups as a way to exclude others. Today, its definition continues to be contested, especially since many athletes have been exploited by amateurism.

The concept of NIL

Other research has found that platforms like Facebook can distract athletes from optimal mental preparation. The pressure to manage and maintain a personal brand can result in some athletes prioritizing online presence over performance. Constant exposure to competitors’ content can also heighten

For youth athletes, athletic identity becomes a major part of this process. It shapes how they think, feel, behave and relate to others through their connection to sport.

But there is a complex relationship between social media and adolescent psychosocial development. Excessive or problematic social media use

Many of the coaches I interviewed expressed concern that social media places too much emphasis on results and encourages constant comparison with others.

They felt the instant feedback loop introduced too many voices that competed with their own, making it harder for athletes to focus on performance goals and training. Many of the coaches also believed athletes

Rather than focusing on controlling what athletes post on social media, organizations should educate athletes on the way social media might affect them while they are using it. This starts with awareness. Navigating the realities of social media

The American Psychological Association offers general guidelines for recognizing problematic social media use in youth. While these recommendations provide a useful starting point, athletes face a unique set of challenges.

Matt Krohn/Imagn Images

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier Shutterstock

In the new era of NIL (name, image and likeness), athletes are increasingly expected to market themselves online.

AP Photo/Noah Berger College soccer player Lexi Drumm leaves federal court during a hearing for a landmark US$2.8 billion settlement impacting NCAA college athletics on April 7, 2025, in Oakland, Calif.

AP Photo/Larry Lage Michigan junior Riley Ammenhauser practises on a track in April 2024 in Ann

Books, Art & Culture

What Do I Do…When Mommy Is Gone?

Sharing Our Stories

By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

By Tanika J. West-Moore

Grief is an experience

that is as complex as it is diverse and unique, especially when it comes to the loss of a mother. Children process grief differently from adults, but the end result is that it is a process. With sensitivity and love, Tanika J.

An Adult’s Children’s Book on New and Old Grief

West-Moore takes us through the questions and the processes that arise in her book, What Do I Do When Mommy is Gone— An Adult’s Children’s Book on New and Old Grief.

West-Moore’s book starts with the questions a child would ask, whether they were to others or to themselves, and steadily work up to the kind an adult with more years behind them than ahead of them would ask. Many of them relate to things about Mommy and experiences with her we took for granted, believing she’d be here forever, but now she’s no longer here.

From there, the book transitions into the things we can do going forward, concluding with the stages of grief and “10 Things to Remember About Grief.” We are reminded that grief is a process. It has no timeline, and everyone experiences it differently. Having gone through the grief over the loss of her mother, West-Moore states the importance of being kind to ourselves and talking it out with someone. In addition to the book, West-Moore includes a journal to help us express ourselves as we go through this process.

I couldn’t get through this book without thinking about my own mother, who passed away a couple of years ago, and my father 13 years earlier. One item resonated with me after I read it: “Grief and loss don’t get better, just different.”

What Do I Do…

When Mommy is Gone is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and her website, thecounselingchef.com.

Thank you, Tanika, for the support you have given to those of us who have experienced loss.

#GallerySoWhite: a digital exhibition exposing racism in contemporary art spaces

By Susuana Amoah PhD Candidate in Art, Goldsmiths, University of London

Art institutions are facing a reckoning over colonial histories and racist legacies. Though the issues aren’t new, calls to unpack the British art museum and heritage sector’s ties to colonialism have increased significantly over the past decade. As a result, institutions like the Museum Association, Pitts Rivers and Bristol Museums have begun to explore what it means to “decolonise” – the practise of exposing and undoing systems that reproduce colonial legacies – a museum.

Many of these projects include investigations into how items in museum collections were acquired and how they are interpreted and displayed. In some cases, this involves reviewing the processes of returning looted artefacts from the colonial era. Contemporary art galleries, however, appear to be absent from these discussions and actions. My research aims to tackle racism within English public contemporary art galleries. As part of it, I asked artists, curators and gallery workers to share their experiences with me for #GallerySoWhite, a digital exhibition highlighting people’s experiences of institutional rac-

ism in English contemporary art galleries. What I found was alarming.

Dismantling the white cube

If you asked someone living in the west to imagine the inside of a contemporary art gallery, most would picture a timeless, minimalist, whitewalled, cube-shaped space with no historical context. The concept of “decolonisation” might not seem relevant at first.

However, if you look at the history of these white cube galleries, you will find that the overwhelming whiteness of these spaces – both in terms of the walls themselves and the people they are catered towards – is not something that has occurred by chance. Many of them rely on approaches that specifically elevate western art and culture above others.

Over the last few decades contemporary galleries have attempted to address cultural diversity issues through surface-level diversity and inclusion initiatives that focus on programming and optics. Projects like these have been around for decades, yet they have not helped to majorly improve the representation and treatment of people of colour.

Amplifying marginalised voices

One anonymous testimony I received as part of my research, from a gallery employee in the south-east of England, shows

how challenging it can be to work in these environments:

I tried to help create relationships with local communities and organisations from marginalised backgrounds, but the efforts were not welcomed by the director and it was all seen as secondary to the hobnobbing with the white rich potential benefactors, artists and arts sector.

Another anonymous submission from a person who worked in a London gallery reads:

Where interacting with galleries becomes exploitative is when you look at the number of Black and brown people on zero hours contracts or working freelance. From curators to gallery assistants, being Black in the art world means that you would have to come to terms with, and participate in, your own precarity. It is demoralising.

These are just a few of many testimonies I received that provide a glimpse into the hostile environments within many white cubes across the country. Participants completed an anonymous online survey where they were asked to share information about their experiences. It’s fascinating to see how many similar stories have been submitted. Overall, they show how urgently contemporary galleries need to confront the legacies of discrimination and racism.

The inspiration behind using social media to collect and present research came from observing how the art world responded to 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. In attempts to show their commitment to anti-racism, a number of galleries posted black squares and statements on social media.

Not long after, people took to social media to share examples of racism that they had experienced within these galleries. These online exchanges revealed how easily institutions can perform diversity while maintaining discrimination.

Social media plays

an important role in providing platforms for marginalised communities, but working in the arts can be precarious. More people may be speaking up, yet going public about racism is not something that everyone can do without facing repercussions.

That’s why some people prefer to share through anonymous platforms like @ changethemusuem, an Instagram account that shares insider stories about museums in the US. In a similar respect, #GallerySoWhite aims to give people who have worked in these spaces in England a chance to share their experiences with the

world.

Public spaces like galleries shouldn’t simply provide for small, privileged pools of people. To tackle institutional racism, they need to look beyond tokenism and diversity projects and embrace conversations about decolonisation. Only once these issues have been addressed can we experience the kind of long-lasting change that the art sector needs. Disclosure statement Susuana Amoah is affiliated with Black Curators Collective and Free Black University. Originally published: February 8, 2021

What Do I Do…When Mommy Is Gone? Book Cover Art