TOP HEADLINES INSIDE:
AFTER 58 YEARS, CURTAIN MAY CLOSE ON CENTENNIAL SHOWBOAT ACT PAGE 5
■■ Public forums prompt police reform talks
THE U’S CONTRACT ON THE BOAT ENDS THIS SUMMER.
■■ Philosophy Dept receives $1.2M donation
BLM St. Paul urges policing changes in Falcon Heights. PG 7 The program will receive $500K upfront from an alum. PG 3
PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 90° LOW 74°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
SUMMER EDITION
AUGUST 3-AUGUST 9, 2016
DFL PRIMARY
PHYLLIS KAHN
MOHAMUD NOOR
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
ATHLETICS
ILHAN OMAR
Debate spotlights veteran, newcomers
Prosecutor: No charges in Lynch sex assault case Due to lack of evidence, sexual assault charges will not be filed against Reggie Lynch. BY KEVIN BECKMAN kbeckman@mndaily.com
ZACH BIELINSKI, DAILY
Minnesota Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Mohamud Noor and Ilhan Omar debate in a filled Cowles Auditorium at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs Monday evening. The three are competing for the DFL primary for House Seat 60B.
On Monday, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs held a debate for DFL candidates running in the House 60B race. BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH rfaircloth@mndaily.com
L
ocal residents filled ever y seat in an auditorium at a Monday debate between longtime Minnesota Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and her two DFL competitors, Ilhan Omar and Mohamud Noor. The debate, held at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Af fairs, drew discussion of local and state issues ahead of the district’s Aug. 9 primar y. The winner of the vote will determine which candidate will be on November’s general election ballot.
POLITICS
If either Noor or Omar are elected, they would be the first Somali-American member of the Minnesota Legislature. Kahn, elected in 1972, is tied as the longest-ser ving current legislator in Minnesota. Issues discussed by candidates for the House District 60B — which covers the University of Minnesota’s East and West Bank campuses, Cedar-Riverside, Prospect Park and par ts of the Southeast Como neighborhoods — included higher education af for dability, recent police-involved shootings, racial income disparities and other topics.
In Cedar-Riverside, enduring concerns over ‘ugly’ rhetoric Councilman Abdi Warsame and other Muslim leaders reflect on the impact of Islamophobia. BY RAJU CHADUVULA rchaduvula@mndaily.com
u See 60B Page 5
ENTERTAINMENT
For troupe, it’s all jokes and kisses on stage Founded in 2014, “Boy Kisses” has garnered acclaim for their alternative comedy showcase. BY JOE CRISTO jcristo@mndaily.com
For comedy troupe Boy Kisses, conventional comedy routines are outdated. “We like audience engagement,” said Robert Fones, one of the troupe’s producers. “Ever y year we throw a ‘prom,’ and our shows are in the back of a comic book store. Everything is very relaxed.” Now, the troupe’s audience could be growing thanks to recently having one of its sketches featured on Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0.” Founded by Turner Barrowman and Collin Klug in October 2014, Boy Kisses began as a chance encounter between the two at a stand-up routine; but for both, collaboration immediately seemed fruitful. “The first thing we did together was the [Minnesota] Fringe Festival,” Barrowman said. “Fringe is lotter y-based. Collin got that, so we decided to write a show together.” u See KISSES Page 8
Gophers basketball player Reggie L ynch won’t face sexual assault charges, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Of fice said Tuesday. Hennepin County declined to pursue charges against L ynch — a 21-year-old University of Minnesota junior accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman — Monday, said Chuck Laszewski, an attorney’s office spokesman. “There is insufficient evidence to determine whether a crime was committed,” he said. Lynch was arrested by the University of Minnesota Police Department on suspicion of sexually assaulting the woman in a campus apartment building on May 8. Prosecutors initially deferred charges while authorities investigated the allegations further. He was released from jail May 10. Following his arrest, L ynch — who transferred from Illinois State in 2015 — was suspended from the team indefinitely, pending the outcome of the county’s investigation. University spokesman Evan Lapiska said L ynch remained suspended as of Tuesday afternoon. “The University is aware that the Hennepin County Attorney’s of fice has declined charges related to a member of the Gophers men’s basketball team. At this time, the student-athlete’s status remains unchanged,” he said in an emailed statement.
ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY
Local comedian Jacob Blank performs stand-up for the “Talent Show” edition of the Boy Kisses comedy showcase at Universe Games on Sunday. The group’s sketch comedy saw national exposure in July when it was featured on Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0.”
In April last y e a r, Wa r d 6 Minneapolis Council Member A b d i Wa r s a m e woke up to a Star Tribune opinion piece that heralded Minnesota as the “land of 10,000 ter rorists.” Wr i t t e n b y former Mayor ABDI WARSAME of St. Paul Norm Coleman, the article focused on the recruitment of young Somali men and women by radical, Islamic terrorist groups, likening Minnesota to “ground zero.” Warsame responded in the Star Tribune a few days later, calling Coleman’s ar ticle “fear-mongering,” and spurning the stigmatization of Somali-Americans, who, he said, desperately want to be part of the American dream. For a handful of Muslim and AfricanAmerican politicians, warding of f Islamophobic rhetoric has become commonplace. Warsame, who was elected to the City Council in 2013, was the first Somali member of the council who actively practiced Islam. Since then, Warsame said he has continually found himself answering questions about radicalization and terrorism. u See WARSAME Page 14
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