By Al Brown Assignment Editor
t’s
revisit the April 3, 1986 front page article of which MSR explored the ongoing struggle and complexities surrounding police reform efforts in St Paul, highlighting the historical context and the continued relevance of the issue today.
By Binta Kanteh Contributing Writer
ver the past 14 months, all sense of normalcy, peace and stability has been under a brutal siege in Sudan. To the world’s dismay, including Sudanese people living within and outside of the country, the current war in Sudan was launched on April 15, 2023, when seriously rising tensions erupted in the streets of Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the
Rapid Support Services (RSF).
Since then, the latest data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that nearly 10 million people have been displaced, and the World Food Program reports that around 26 million are now acutely food insecure. The death toll is staggering in both what we can confirm and what is yet to be known due to varying reports coming out of the country. As late as June 18 of this year, the reported number of people killed is well
■ See SUDAN on page 4
■ See RONDO on page 4
By Cole Miska Contributing Writer
he Minneapolis Park workers union, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 363, announced on July 10 that an ongoing strike would continue indefinitely. A.J. Lange, Local 363’s business manager, said workers were polled and approved to continue the strike past the original July 11 end date. Negotiations between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the union have been ongoing for over seven months. The strike was originally slated to last a week, but with no deal in sight, local 363 decided the strike would continue until they got a “fair contract.”
“I was hopeful it wouldn’t come to this; I was hopeful that a week [-long strike] would be a day because they would see the necessity of bringing this group of workers back, hear our message, value us,” Lange said. His words reflect the op-
timism and positive outlook of the union members despite the ongoing strike. “But we’re gonna be here. We’re gonna do whatever it takes.”
On Friday, July 12, MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura requested that Local 363 send a counteroffer, saying they would return to negotiations once the offer was received. Liz Xiong, communications director and political coordinator for the Minnesota chapter of LI-
By League of Women Voters Minneapolis
n the evolving landscape of democracy, elections have long stood as the cornerstone of citizen participation and political representation. But with the rise of data-driven campaigning powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the electoral process is rapidly being revolutionized in unprecedented and unpredictable ways. While AI represents clear progress in campaign outreach, messaging, and fundraising, all of which benefit the electoral process, it also threatens the foundational principles of democratic systems by enabling the widespread dissemination of disinformation.
This new technology will affect over 60 elections worldwide in 2024. This article examines the enormous impact of these AI transformations on campaigns and elections and what can be done about it.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an advanced computer technology that uses smart, human-like cognitive abilities to analyze enormous amounts of data and perform tasks such as making predictions, recommendations, and problemsolving.
Many AI applications have become part of our daily lives, including virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, personalized content suggestions on
Spotify and Netflix, Face ID on smartphones, and online search engines like Google and Amazon.
While AI has been around for decades, its potential and influence increased significantly when ChatGPT, a powerful language processing technology that generates human-like text responses to user prompts, was introduced in November 2022. ChatGPT has been fine-tuned to engage in dialogue and simulate conversations so effectively that it is now widely used in chatbots. Its emergence has vastly expanded the possibilities and accessibility of generative AI to millions of users worldwide through apps and consumer software. It has quickly become the fastest-growing con-
sumer application in history. Benefits and dangers of AI Data-driven campaigning has greatly benefited communications and messaging in elections. Political parties and candidates can leverage AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, to identify key issues and understand voter sentiment. This results in improved personalized voter outreach, reduced administrative costs, potentially higher voter turnout, and a better-informed electorate.
Its powerful ability to supercharge disinformation by spreading deceptive and misleading content on a large scale with the intent to harm poses a significant threat. One
UNA, said Bangoura’s request is believed to be in good faith, highlighting the union’s trust in the negotiation process.
“To break this stalemate, resolve this contract, and work toward providing relief to workers and the community, the MPRB requests that Local 363 provide a substantial and meaningful counteroffer to the MPRB’s last, best, and final offer by noon Monday, July 15 to the [Bureau of Mediation Services],” Bangoura said in an email. “Once received, the MPRB is happy to resume mediated negotiations with local 363 at the [Bureau of Mediation Services].” Local 363 members originally voted 94% to authorize the strike. The park board claims around 40% of the union’s 300 workers went on strike. Still, Lange and other union members claim that MPRB is downplaying the number of striking
■ See STRIKE on page 4
By Mike Moen
Minnesota could see temperatures reach the 90s in the coming days and as residents try to stay hydrated, one health expert said consistency is key.
There is guidance for employers to keep outdoor workers safe.
Dr. Katie Loth, associate professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said that if you are engaged in strenuous activity on a hot day, it is important to drink water throughout the day. Do not front-load your water consumption before heading out or solely replenish fluids at night.
She stressed consistency is one way to keep your body’s internal temperature in check.
“Giving it water throughout the day is one of the best ways to manage that,” Loth recom-
mended. “The best way to know if you need more water is to pay attention to your thirst.”
“The best way to know if you need more water is to pay attention to your thirst.”
Dehydration signs include dry mouth, dizziness, and reduced urination. Loth emphasized that employers should ensure outdoor workers, especially those on remote job sites, have frequent breaks for water they do not have to go far to get. Other safeguards, such as shade, can reduce the need for water.
This past week, the Biden administration announced a proposed federal standard for protecting workers from excessive heat. The rule would
be the first of its kind on a national scale, as millions of workers around the country endure more extreme heat in a changing climate.
Loth noted workers can help themselves, too.
“A lot of people do really well to just have some kind of visual reminder,” Loth observed. “Carrying a water bottle with them, having it with them at their work site, rather than sort of looking for water where they’re at. You know, the more accessible it is, the more likely people are to drink water.”
Another aid is to set an alarm or notification on your phone to remind you to drink water. Meanwhile, Loth also pointed out that not sweating during vigorous physical activity could be a sign your dehydration levels are putting you at greater risk for heatstroke.
Mike Moen writes for Minnesota News Connection.
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Experience a one of a kind, walk thru historic photo exhibit and a grand gala that recalls the MSR 90 year legacy that reflects almost a century of events around our local and national community. The evening also features theatrical and musical entertainment, esteemed guests like MPR President Duchesne Drew, and emcee, MPR correspondent, Angela Davis. Your generous contribution of $1000 for five tickets as a "Community Supporter" also secures the name of your organization in a highlighted section of the newspaper and will also be mentioned at the event.
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Anyone can be a victim of scams. They happen when scammers go after individuals of all ages, using tactics like phone calls, emails and messages to reel in unsuspecting victims to get their money and personal information.
Older adults are often key targets, so it is important to stay alert to common scams and financial abuse signs that can help protect older loved ones from becoming a victim.
Know the signs of a scam
Scammers have grown very convincing. They often can impersonate companies or organizations and make you believe the urgency or need behind their attempts. If you encounter the following signs, you’re likely dealing with a scammer.
1. Urgent demands to take action, send money and personal information requests. An imposter may demand quick action, claim that you will lose money, and push for access to your personal account information, passwords or confirmation codes. Remember: neither banks nor the government will threaten you or demand money to protect your accounts. If you receive a call from your bank that you are unsure about, hang up and call the number on the back of your credit or debit card.
2. New relationships that take an interest in their money. Financial abuse often happens from persons known to the victim, like a caretaker or a new acquaintance. Be wary of any new friends approaching you with investment “opportunities” or who take an interest in your financial information.
3. Unexpected contact from “loved ones.” Scammers can use artificial intelligence (AI) to replicate familiar voices, posing as friends or family. They’ll call you on the phone sounding like a loved one in danger and demanding that you send money. Hang up and contact your loved one directly to confirm it’s really them.
4. Unusual financial activity. Scammers could be accessing your account if you see withdrawals or changes to your accounts, such as new authorized users or missed bill payments. Also, be sure to keep your checkbook safe and keep an eye on check activity. Automate all the payments you
can and discuss who are trusted contacts to support money decisions if you ever need help.
5. Changes in ownership and responsibility. If you notice changes to wills, power of attorneys or any other financial plans, it could be a sign of financial abuse.
Take action to avoid scams
You and your loved ones don’t have to be victims. These steps can help reduce the chance of falling for a scam:
• Ignore and block calls and messages from numbers you don’t recognize and don’t trust caller ID alone. When in doubt, hang up and contact the company, bank or loved one di-
rectly to ask if there is a problem.
• Throw away unsolicited mail and be careful with suspicious emails or messages on social media. Don’t answer questions about personal finances.
• Keep your personal information, account details and passwords safe so you don’t give scammers access to your money and identity.
• Be cautious when using checks. Digital payment methods or your bank’s online bill payment feature can help you get money to your intended recipient while eliminating paper checks that can be stolen and altered.
• Enable online alerts to be aware
of large purchases. You can act quickly if you see fraudulent charges.
• Shred bank statements, receipts, unused checks and credit cards before throwing them away.
If you’re an older adult, have conversations with trusted family members about how they can support your money needs as you age, which can help protect you from being exposed to fraud and financial exploitation. For those with older loved ones, start the conversation now and use digital tools to help alert you to possible scams.
Remember that financial scams can happen to anyone. If you feel you’ve been scammed, contact your bank to verify recent transactions to ensure there is no unusual activity on your account. Don’t feel embarrassed if you become a victim, share your experience with friends and family and ask for help.
You can learn more about ways to detect financial abuse and to protect loved ones at by scanning the code to the right.
For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any individual. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy.
Continued from page 1
Pilgrim Baptist Church, St. Peter Claver Church, and the Sterling Club.
From 1956 to 1968, It would become a victim of urban revitalization, a slow 12-year death by bulldozers, as the MN Department of Transportation made room for Interstate 94. It took years for the Rondo community to rebound from the devastating effects of urban revitalization, and many acknowledge it will never regain what was lost. However, this generation’s unwavering commitment to restoration and maintaining a living tribute through the Rondo Days celebration is a powerful testament to the community’s resilience and hope.
Yusef Mgeni, a proud product of old Rondo, speaks passionately about his youth in the thriving neighborhood. His
Continued from page 1
over 15,000.
Over 7,000 miles away from Minneapolis, the war that has been unfolding in Sudan may seem like a distant conflict. However, the diverse and flourishing Black diaspora in Minnesota encompasses a Sudanese population that has family, friends, and neighbors fighting for their lives and livelihoods in Sudan and in countries where they’ve been forced to resettle for some semblance of refuge. The Spokesman-Recorder talked to three Minnesotans with Sudanese origins to hear more about the complex and compounding impact the war has had on them.
Community organizer Saria Abubaker shared the pain she’s
Continued from page 1
workers and that the majority of union members went on strike. Minneapolis parks are currently being maintained by non-union staff and unionized employees who did not strike.
Local 363 filed an unfair labor practice charge against MPRB after MPRB threatened to not allow striking workers to return to work until the conclusion of the strike. Some local 363 members allege MPRB was attempting to intimidate workers so they would not strike.
Continued from page 1
imminent danger is the newly created phenomenon of deep fake images and videos. These highly realistic digital manipulations, created by AI tools, can be produced by anyone using readily available technology in just a matter of minutes and used to promote election disinformation.
Deep fakes are typically generated to replicate the appearance and voice of specific individuals without their consent. They are often so convincing that they can be difficult to distinguish from real photos or videos. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned about the growing threat, saying generative AI makes it easy for “foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence.”
personal experiences, from attending church and school to falling in love and developing life-long friendships, embody the spirit of Rondo and Rondo Days, creating a sense of shared history and belonging.
Mgeni shared, “As the associate editor of the Spokesman/ Recorder back in the early ’70s, I wrote the first editorials encouraging Twin Citians and folks who spent any time in Minnesota to come to the Capital City and help celebrate the first Rondo Days in 1983. I also facilitated a retreat for the early Rondo Board of Directors and helped them clarify their vision for the organization and the future.”
The lifelong St. Paul resident also gave his opinion on the essence of Rondo Days. “So, what are Rondo Days, and what do they represent? The Rondo/SelbyDale or Summit University neighborhood is the home of Saint Paul’s longest-standing African American communi-
experienced in witnessing the media coverage minimize the dynamics of the war, including the history that precedes April 15, 2023, and how other countries and institutions are implicated in enabling the war.
“When
a person is displaced, so many memories are destroyed, and so much of familiar life has completely changed.”
“I’d like to challenge the narrative of ‘Oh, this is just corruption in Africa, or this is just how African politics is’ that is very dismissive and very hurtful to the reality of what is taking place on the ground,” she said. Saria was born in Sudan and
Arborist Scott Jaeger says that some of his coworkers crossed the picket line in tears, as they wanted to strike but were too afraid for their jobs.
Striking workers are demanding better pay and benefits, improved scheduling, standard procedures around safety, and better access to safety equipment. MPRB put forward what they called a “last, best, and final offer” of a 10.25% wage increase over three years plus market adjustments for some employees. Jaeger says the offer is not nearly enough. Jaeger also believes the health insurance offered to park workers needs
Another risk is the ability to manipulate election outcomes on a much larger scale by discrediting candidates or misleading voters through targeted, biased campaign messaging. One tactic involves producing multiple deep fakes loaded with factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations of information; another is inundating Facebook and online forums with fake information generated easily by AI tools from accounts posing as real users. This can significantly influence voter opinions and decisions and potentially alter election results.
Recognizing fake information Often, it’s hard to know if something is real or not. If something seems off, try to exercise some caution—things aren’t always as they appear. Ask some questions first before drawing any conclusions. It’s especially important to avoid shar-
ty. Rondo Days are a time for celebration, family reunions, partying, meals provided for and served to senior citizens, and generally just getting together to relax and have a good time,” he explained.
festival operations. “I’m no longer involved and kind of moved on from Rondo Days about four years ago,” he said. “It’s now under the direction of Gayle Smaller, son of Floyd Smaller, and Nick Mohammed, two younger men.”
“While Rondo was divided into two distinct neighborhoods—Cornmeal Valley, East of Dale Street, and Oatmeal Hill, west of Dale Street— it is really one neighborhood.”
“In past years, Rondo Days has included a golf tournament, a parade, food trucks, a dance, and a daylong celebration on the lawn behind Hallie Q. Brown, with live music and fun for all ages. Needless to say, Covid put the brakes on nearly every gathering, large or small, and Rondo Days was one of the casualties.”
Due to age, the surviving co-founder, Marvin Anderson, 90, has stepped away from any
moved to Minnesota when she was seven. Her Nubian parents, who hail from the Halfawi and Mahasi people, have lived in Sudan’s capital for over six or seven generations.
Saria continued, “We have to survive here, but I don’t know who I’m going to send money to this month. Not only do we have to make sure we take care of our mental health, but we’re also taking care of our families as well.”
Mohamed Yousif, who was born in El-Obeid, a village several hours southwest of Khartoum, says that what is missing from the narrative of what is taking place in Sudan is the impact of the war on the lives of Sudanese civilians. These details help demonstrate the carnage that has materialized, Mohamed explains.
“When a person is displaced, so many memories are de-
to be improved, saying most employees are unable to afford to use it.
“All our money is gone to necessities. All our money is gone to stuff that we need to survive,” Jaeger said. “So, if you have something that needs medical attention that you think you can get away [without treatment], you don’t go because that’s something that unless you absolutely have to, you don’t spend money on it because you have to eat, you have to live.”
MPRB had not sent negotiators to meet with Local 363 since before the strike and asked the union to bring its offer to a vote of the union’s
ing information that might be false and intentionally malicious. The National Conference on Citizenship has developed a useful tool designed to help detect fakes. It’s referred to as SIFT: Stop, Investigate the claim, Find better sources, and Trace the claim to its original source. While it’s not foolproof, examining the content and identifying its original source can often provide insight into its intent and help determine its trustworthiness.
Reliable fact-checking
So, there’s some good news: Taking personal responsibility for critically evaluating the information can be effective. Anyone can be the target of disinformation, so it’s important to be aware, ask questions, and be informed as best as possible.
In 2023, a new Minnesota State Law was enacted that
Anderson directs all questions on this year’s festival to Smaller and Mohammed. But he adds humorously that the return of the festival this year is “like watching your son or daughter come back home after four or five years with no idea of what they’ve been doing.” He adds that he supports the new festival managers “100 percent.”
This year’s Rondo Days celebration will feature hip-hop legends, MC Lyte and Rakim.
stroyed, and so much of familiar life has completely changed. People have lost generational wealth. They’ve lost homes that their parents, grandparents, and ancestors have worked centuries to preserve, build, and pass on. And within a few months, all of that work is just lost instantly,” he said.
Mohamed, who holds both Minnesota and Sudan as home, went on to highlight the deafening silence that is shrouding a specific population in Darfur, far outside of the capital city.
“They are being systematically erased from the earth, and because they aren’t from the capital or the surrounding areas, they don’t have technological means or as many families outside [of Sudan] who can tell their stories,” he stated.
“So we’re only getting glimpses of what is happening there, but by the time we get those
members. Lange expressed frustration with the idea.
“This is just outrageous to me. We voted to go on strike,” Lange said. “I gave them a
“This
In a press release, Rondo Days board member Mohammed is quoted as saying, “We are excited to bring back Rondo Days and to have such iconic figures in hip-hop as MC Lyte and Rakim headlining our event. This year’s celebration is about remembering our past, celebrating our present, and inspiring our future.”
St. Paul Ward 1 City Councilmember Anika Bowie states, “I am grateful that we can partner in gathering the community to celebrate one of the most important legacies and demonstrations of resilience in Minnesota history. As a descendant of Rondo, my sense of community service, collective ownership, and identity were heavily influenced by Rondo Days. We are eager to uplift, celebrate, and continue the legacy of Rondo’s story through supporting this event.”
Mgeni concludes by speaking on the unifying power of Rondo Days. “If Minneapolis had a Juneteenth celebration and Urban
glimpses of what is happening, it’s already too late.”
Aya Elmileik, audience development and engagement strategist for Al Jazeera English Podcasts, calls Sudan, Japan, Qatar, and for the past 24 years, Rochester, Minnesota, home. As a media professional, she is moved to name what may be at play in the dim coverage of the war in Sudan.
“No one can help but think in the back of their mind, at the end of the day, it’s a majority Muslim country, they are Black, and they are in Africa,” she said.
“When you give a story or a situation attention as much as possible, it puts pressure on those that are harming, those that are causing these catastrophes in Darfur, Khartoum, and all across Sudan.”
Aya, Mohamed and Saria all emphasized the critical need for more people in Minnesota
on salary analysis comparisons that were based on job descriptions, job functions, and qualifications, not job titles,” MPRB said in a July 5 statement.
is just outrageous to me. We voted to go on strike. I gave them a counteroffer. It’s none of their business how we conduct our vote.”
counteroffer. It’s none of their business how we conduct our vote. This is misdirection.”
“MPRB believes its wages are fair and equitable based
bans election-related deep fakes. It makes it a crime to share a deep fake within 90 days of an election if the person knows, or should have known, it was a deep fake and acts with the intent to harm a candidate’s reputation or influence the election result.
The office of the MN Secretary of State is training and supporting election administrators through in-person training and conferences to ensure they are aware of new technologies and legal changes. MN Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office also collaborates with tech partners like Open AI, Microsoft, Meta, Snap, and Google through the National Association of Secretaries of State. They share resources and get feedback on using their platforms to direct people to trusted sources. Public messaging is another critical component of their
League Family Day, St. Paul has celebrated Rondo Days and, for the past 24 years, added the Selby Jazz Festival as well.
“While Rondo was divided into two distinct neighborhoods—Cornmeal Valley, East of Dale Street, and Oatmeal Hill, west of Dale Street—it is really one neighborhood, one extended family, regardless of what you refer to the neighborhood as. Rondo Days is open to everyone.”
The festival press release also says the event will feature a kids’ area, local hip-hop artists, food trucks, and various vendors, promising a day filled with fun, community, and culture.
Rondo Days will occur on Saturday, July 20, from noon to 7 p.m. at the MLK Recreation Center, 271 N. Mackubin Street. It is free and open to the public.
Al Brown welcomes reader responses at abrown@spokesmanrecorder.com.
and beyond to pay attention and their hearts to the war that has produced a sprawling humanitarian calamity.
“There are so many Sudanese people here, and they love being in Minnesota; they are proud to be from Minnesota, and they’ll stand [in solidarity] with different communities. It would feel nice that we feel supported and seen and that people understand that we’re going through something really hard to explain,” Aya said.
All three advised Minnesotans to stay updated on the war in Sudan by contacting Sudanese people in their communities, posting about it on social media, and including the war in their communications to elected officials.
Binta Kanteh welcomes reader comments at bkanteh13@ gmail.com.
and golf courses for the season if they cannot be maintained. Several concerts that had been scheduled in parks around Minneapolis were canceled in the past week.
Lange says that an extended strike could disrupt park conditions, including trash collection, bathroom cleaning, and the closure of pools
strategy. Secretary Simon and their office members frequently engage with news media, voter outreach groups, and the public to educate them about AI and its implications.
The MN Secretary of State’s website is continually updated and serves as a resource for Minnesotans to understand how the voting system works and how to be smart media consumers.
There’s some good news: Taking personal responsibility for critically evaluating the information can be effective.
This issue extends beyond the state level and will require federal regulations to be effective. Senators Amy Klobuchar
Xiong called the community’s response to the strike “tremendous” and said they have received lots of support. “In the conversations we’re having, they’ve been very receptive and sympathetic to the cause of the local 363 park workers,” Xiong said. “It’s been very, very affirming.”
Cole Miska welcomes reader responses to cole.miska@ my.smsu.edu.
and Susan Collins, highlighted here, support bipartisan measures to address AI’s impact on elections at the national level. Secretary Simon recently testified in the U.S. Senate Committee hearing on AI and elections. Simon’s testimony called for a multilevel approach to the challenges of emerging AI technologies, advocating for the federal government and the private sector to work alongside state governments to prevent the creation and amplification of dangerous election disinformation.
For reliable election information, visit trusted sources like MNvotes.gov/elections-voting, Vote411.org, and Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. This is the third article in the
By Al Brown Assignment Editor
In a special tribute to the iconic film Purple Rain, The Target Center is gearing up to host a momentous event on July 27th. The public is invited to a screening honoring the 40th Anniversary of the movie - released in 1984 - with all proceeds benefitting the When Doves Fly Foundation, managed by one of his sisters, Norrine Nelson. The foundation’s
Rain on the big screen, perhaps in a way they have never seen before,” she said. The 4000-seat capacity would mark the largest ever single indoor theater showing of the award-winning film.
Shrouded in some secrecy, “the event holds tantalizing surprises for attendees,” she expressed. Expect special accolades to be posthumously bestowed upon Prince, with family members present to accept the awards on his behalf.
ducer of the event, expressed that the showing caters to both first-time viewers and longtime fans of the beloved classic. “As
Additionally, special guests who played a pivotal role in making “Purple Rain” will grace the occasion, adding a touch of star-studded glamour to the evening. The film, which was a box office sensation, raking in $70 million and earning an Academy Award for Best Original Score, continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans worldwide.
Sharon hinted at a significant surprise tied to the award,
keeping the anticipation high among attendees. She also shared rare photographs of a youthful Prince, offering a glimpse into a time before his illustrious career began. Reflecting on Prince’s musical genius, she emphasized the influence of their late father, John Lewis Nelson, in shaping the ‘Minneapolis Sound,’ the musical legacy that Prince help cement. This event is an ongoing reminder of Prince’s unparalleled artistry and enduring impact on the music industry.
“As fans gather to immerse themselves in the larger-than-life theater experience, they will witness the magic of Purple Rain on the big screen, perhaps in a way they have never seen before.”
From 4 to 8 pm, fans of Prince will have the opportunity to come together, reminisce, and revel in the magic of Purple Rain. The gathering of like-minded admirers promises a night filled with camaraderie, shared memories, and support for a charitable cause. As attendees bask in the nostalgia of the 40th Anniversary screening, the spirit of Prince’s music will undoubtedly reverberate through the halls of the Target Center, uniting fans to celebrate his timeless legacy.
Al Brown welcomes reader responses to abrown@spokesmanrecorder.com
As the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder approaches its 90th anniversary, you’re invited to commemorate this historic milestone by donating $90 to celebrate 90 years of continuous publication.
Your generous contribution will support our legacy of dedicated community empowerment through journalism and ensure our vital work continues into the future.
As a “$90-for-90” contributor (non-business), your name will be prominently displayed in our print and digital editions until the week of Aug. 10 — the date of our founding in 1934.
Please consider this unique opportunity to stand collectively with the MSR, honoring 90 years of tradition and community service. For inquiries or to join as a “$90-for-90” supporter, call 612-827-4021, visit our website, or email admin@spokesman-recorder.com.
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By Ben Jealous
What if there was a blueprint for a future presidential administration to unilaterally lay waste to our constitutional order and turn America from a democracy into an autocracy in one fell swoop?
One far-right think tank and its contributors created that blueprint, and more than a hundred other far-right organizations have now signed on to support it. Maybe you have heard about Project 2025. It was cooked up by the far-right Heritage Foundation. That organization’s leader says we are in a “second American Revolution” that he suggests could turn violent if people do not get in line behind it.
For its 51-year history, the Heritage Foundation has always been an instrument of the far right. Around 2016 it started to become dangerously extreme. Project 2025, and its 900-page guidebook for ending the American experiment, is perhaps its most extreme—and dangerous— initiative yet.
Although our country has too often bucked the very principles of our founding, we used to be able to agree that, generally, America is a republic that elects its leaders through representative democracy. And that we must protect debate and a free exchange of ideas, as well as the mechanisms of democracy itself and the separation of powers among the three branches of government.
Project 2025 wants to throw all that out the window. It attacks democratic institutions that separate nonpoliti-
cal civil service from loyalty to any particular party or leader.
It prescribes purging the federal government of anyone who might be considered disloyal to the ruling party.
It allows the president to usurp power from other branches of government, like Congress’ power of the purse.
Project 2025 endorses presidential powers that include ignoring how Congress appropriates spending, where the president has the unquestioned authority to redirect congressionally passed spending at will.
We have big problems to solve. An authoritarian power grab that guts checks and balances is not the answer.
Democracy Forward, a pro-democracy legal organization, refers to Project 2025 as “among the most profound threats to the American people.” That is due to the plan’s clear harm to the lives, livelihoods and well-being of countless millions of Americans— “from attacking overtime pay, student loans, and reproductive rights, to allowing more discrimination, pollution and price gouging,” according to Democracy Forward.
It is no wonder that when Americans learn about the Project 2025 roadmap, they reject its policy prescriptions overwhelmingly.
A recent survey by Navigator Polling found strong opposition to Project 2025’s
Why isn’t America working the way it’s supposed to?
By William Cooper
A frenzy of polarization and misgovernance has overtaken American politics. Actors and institutions—on both sides of the political divide—are silencing speech.
Prosecutors are criminalizing politics. The Republicans are undermining the electoral system. And a new breed of social-media celebrities in Congress are failing to address numerous public-policy failures, from a broken immigration system to hugely expensive and dysfunctional health care to staggering economic inequality.
People all around the world are asking: “What’s wrong with America? Why isn’t it working?”
all, the hearts and minds of its people. And Americans are becoming increasingly untethered from both reality and the essential principles and traditions that have shaped their nation’s historic success.
A big part of why America isn’t working is because far too many Americans neither know nor care how it’s supposed to work.
system exacerbates tribalism by pitting two juggernauts (Democrats and Republicans) against each other in a bitter, all-consuming rivalry—and gerrymandering, closed primaries, and the Electoral College only make things worse.
This flywheel spins faster every day, culminating in two overlapping threats to the American experiment. The first is the criminalization of politics, as prosecutors from around the country target partisan rivals. Since every political salvo must be met with greater opposite force, this has set in motion a pernicious dynamic that may spiral into catastrophe.
submissions@spokesman-recorder.com
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possible impacts on health care: “83 percent oppose removing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, 81 percent oppose putting a new tax on health insurance for people who get coverage through their employer, and 80 percent oppose banning Medicare from negotiating lower prices and eliminating the $35 monthly insulin cap.”
Project 2025 also calls for defunding public education and eliminating Head Start, the early education program that serves a million primarily low-income children. It lights the path for actions that could reduce food assistance for 40 million people and cost hundreds of thousands of people their jobs.
Project 2025 also supports the defunding or dismantling of key federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is vital in tracking hurricanes and the impacts of climate change.
Rather than acknowledging the urgent need for climate action, Project 2025 accuses NOAA of being “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.” That is a level of climate denialism not even seen among fossil fuel companies and petrostate governments these days
How could anyone in their right mind think eliminating agencies on the frontlines of climate science is a good idea at a time like this? Our cities are cooking under extreme heat. Forests are burning. Experts say Hurricane Beryl, which just slammed Texas— the strongest tropical storm ever recorded this early in the season—indicates we could be facing one of the most devastating hurricane seasons ever.
In Texas alone, Beryl killed at least eight people and caused power outages for more than 2.5 million in this summer’s extreme heat. And, again, the season is just getting started.
We have big problems to solve. An authoritarian power grab that guts checks and balances is not the answer. A strong democracy that is responsive to its people is the only way to create a rising tide of opportunity that lifts all boats.
We have seen enough examples of dictatorships around the world to know it is a road to failure and misery. Project 2025 emphasizes consolidating power, punishing political opponents, and making the government work for the powerful few over the many.
That is not the country Americans want or deserve.
The answer isn’t one of the common partisan narratives. It isn’t the “radical progressives” who want to tear the system down. Nor is it the “deplorable conservatives” who want to punish America’s elites.
It’s not a dysfunctional, gridlocked Congress. Nor is it a right-wing, reactionary Supreme Court. It’s not an everolder Joe Biden. Nor is it an ever-angrier Donald Trump (though he sure isn’t helping).
The answer, rather, is broader than any narrow category or single person. The answer is the American people themselves. A nation is, above
Of
A big part of why America isn’t working is because far too many Americans neither know nor care how it’s supposed to work. The root cause of this mania is the combination of three things. The first is tribalism. Americans, like all humans, have deep tribal roots. This expresses itself in powerful biases in favor of one’s own political clan—and searing antipathy for the other side.
The second is social media.
Sophisticated algorithms behind major online platforms exploit Americans’ cognitive vulnerabilities and intensify their tribal prejudices.
And the third is the structure of the U.S. political system itself. The two-party
The second threat involves the central premise of American government: the sanctity of the vote. America’s election system is under attack—not just by ineffectual zealots at the margins of power or howling mobs in the street, but by the Republican party’s undisputed leader, Donald Trump, and his loyalists throughout federal and state government.
The election in several months will reveal a lot about the nation’s current state. It will be not only a bumpy ride until November, but also a tumultuous four years from then.
Willaim Cooper is the author of “How America Works…and Why It Doesn’t.”
By Keith Boykin
“Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between Keith Boykin and Word In Black, examines the issues, the candidates, and what’s at stake for Black America in the 2024 presidential election.
Whoot, there it is. Convicted criminal Donald Trump has picked Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.
After all that talk about former prosecutor, senator, and current Vice President Kamala Harris being a “DEI hire,” 78-year-old Trump picked a 39-year-old opportunistic freshman senator with only one year of experience as his running mate.
And after all the clowning and capitulation by Tim Scott, Byron Donalds, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marco Rubio, and Nikki Haley, Trump skipped over all of them and picked yet another white man.
Did you really think he was going to pick a Black guy? Or an Indian? Or a woman?
Donald Trump? The man who spent five and a half years lying about the first Black president’s birth certificate? The guy who was the first president since Richard Nixon to appoint no Black judges to the federal courts of appeals? The guy who tried to throw out millions of Black votes in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee after he lost the 2020 election? The guy who targeted Black election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss?
As Denzel Washington said in the film “Malcolm X,” “You’ve been had. You’ve been took. You’ve been hoodwinked. Bamboozled.”
ica’s Hitler” and a “cynical a–hole” and said that any American would have to be an “idiot” to vote for him. But now that Vance has hypocritically blamed the assassination attempt on Biden, he’s Trump’s running mate.
Scott said that Trump’s moral authority was “compromised” after he announced there were “very fine people on both sides” of the racist Charlottesville march in 2017. But with the prospect of a new job dangling in front of him, this year Scott got engaged and sang a different tune. “I just love you,” he told the twice-impeached former president.
Rubio called Trump a “con artist.” But this year he was willing to be considered as Trump’s running mate.
After all that talk about former prosecutor, senator, and current Vice President Kamala Harris being a “DEI hire,” 78-yearold Trump picked a 39-year-old opportunistic, freshman senator with only one year of experience to be his running mate.
2021, when Trump learned that his supporters planned to “hang Mike Pence,” Trump said that Pence probably deserved it.
Assassination attempt or not, Donald Trump remains a threat to democracy. He is the same lying, racist demagogue he was all along. And no matter how many $400 gold sneakers or $60 Bibles he tries to sell, Black people still aren’t buying them.
Don’t be fooled by the handpicked rappers and staged appearances of Black people at this week’s Republican Convention. It’s not just Trump “The Apprentice” celebrity we would be electing.
Electing Trump would embolden all the white supremacists, white nationalists, and Nazi sympathizers. It would usher in an army of right-wing judges, White House staff members, and other political appointees hellbent on dismantling 50 years of reproductive rights law, 70 years of civil rights law, and 100 years of the federal administrative state so they can implement the radical agenda of Project 2025.
submissions@spokesman-recorder.com.
Ben Jealous is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
They all knew he was a racist. And they all fell in line with it.
Vance called Trump “Amer-
Haley said, “A man that chooses not to disavow the KKK, that is not a part of our party. That’s not who we want as president.” But now she’s moved on and released her delegates. And let’s not forget why Trump had to pick a new running mate in the first place — because he tried to kill the last one. After inciting a deadly insurrection on January 6,
A white male Republican trying to shoot another white male Republican doesn’t make Donald Trump any less dangerous as a political figure in America. He has yet to take responsibility for the violent and toxic rhetoric he contributed to make America as divided as it is today.
And now that he has picked his running mate, I’m more determined than ever to stop him—at the ballot box.
Keith Boykin is a New York Times–bestselling author, TV and film producer, and former CNN political commentator. This commentary is republished with permission from Word in Black.
By Keith Schubert Contributing Writer
Latanya Daniels wanted to be an engineer. She never necessarily pictured herself as a teacher, much less second in command of an entire school district. But that’s exactly where she has found herself as assistant superintendent at Richfield Public Schools.
Her first experience teaching came at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where she was a math teacher in a summer camp for all girls. “I did that, but I didn’t feel like teaching was my thing,” Daniels said. “I really was aspiring at that time to be an engineer and this could be a side hustle.”
From there she became a paraprofessional at Hennepin County’s Youth Connection Center, which at the time she said was a dropout reentry program. While she was there, she graduated from the University of Minnesota.
After graduating Daniels went to St. Thomas, where she received her master’s in education and her doctorate. In 2021, she was named one of the University of St. Thomas’ 2021 Outstanding Tommies, receiving that year’s Humanitarian Award. The University’s website describes her as a “rock star in the world of education.”
What started as side hustle has blossomed into a very successful academic resume. Daniels’ dream job was to be a principal of a high school on the North Side, which led her to Camden’s Patrick Henry High School, where she served as principal from 2010 to 2015. During her time there, she increased the graduation rate from around 70% to 86%—the highest graduation rate of any
“Our equity work can stand on its own because we put the time and energy around ensuring that it happens.”
Minneapolis public school at the time. Under her tenure, the school was ranked the thirdbest high school in Minnesota by “U.S. News & World Report.” Now at Richfield she is helping the district tackle racial disparities, boost retention, and increase family engagement. She has increased the graduation rate and doubled the number of students of color
taking advanced courses.
The decision to leave Minneapolis Public Schools was not easy, though. To help guide her, Daniels called her dad, who asked her, “Have you accomplished what you went to Patrick Henry to accomplish?”
After going through a quick mental checklist, she decided she was satisfied with her accomplishments and it was time
for the next chapter.
She started her journey in Richfield as principal of the high school. In 2020, her last year as principal, she saw the graduation rate increase 13% to nearly 90% and effectively eliminated the gap between students of color and their white counterparts.
After five years as principal she accepted the job as assistant superintendent, which she saw as the next step in impacting more meaningful change.
“The reason why I switched into a district leadership role is because I want it to have a greater impact on the system,” she said. “And I want to be a key decision maker and impact what happens in the system.”
One of the first things she noticed when she toured Richfield Schools was the segregation of advanced placement classes, where white students, only accounting for around 30% of the school population, nevertheless made up the majority of the advanced classes.
She immediately knew this was something she wanted to tackle. Last year, she said 51% of the senior class took at least one advanced class during their high school career—something that was not happening before.
“Originally the school was segregated, and now you walk
into an advanced class and you don’t know the difference between an advanced class and a regular comprehensive class, because they are equally representative of the students that are in our building,” she said. That is just one example of what Daniels is trying to achieve when it comes to her equity work in the Richfield Public School Systems. When it comes to that work, she said it’s important for stakeholders to be meaningful and intentional with their work.
“What makes Richfield very unique is that we’re not transactional in how we go about doing equity work. Our equity work can stand on its own because we put the time and energy around ensuring that it happens,” she said.
For example, she is focusing on centering the voices of students and parents who have historically been shut out. But the work is not without its challenges.
“We’re still recovering from the pandemic and the impact that the pandemic had on students, both educationally as well as socially and emotionally,” she said. “So, we’ve definitely seen an uptick in mental health challenges.”
Keith Schubert welcomes reader comments at kschubert@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Continued from page 10
the Edina native.
The 6’4” Kalscheur split time during the 202324 season with the Iowa Wolves and Capital City GoGo in the NBA G-League, appearing in 22 total games. Before that, he split his college career, first at Minnesota for three seasons, then his final two seasons of eligibility at Iowa State. He played his high school ball at De La Salle High School, winning three Class 3A state championships. Now, Kalscheur is a professional basketball player. “Oh, for sure,” he pointed out, “something I already learned from high school
Continued from page 10
Kone is seeing reserve minutes off the bench. “I have to improve,” admitted the Mali native. I play inside, so I have to work more on my shots to get more confident, to be able to improve my game.”
After she led Mali to a fourth-place finish at the 2021 U19 World Cup in Hungary and made the All Star 5, Kone was selected by New York in the third round of the 2022 WNBA draft. She made her WNBA debut in 2023 with Chicago, who claimed her off waivers two days after being waived by
to college. It’s about up and down, which means staying in shape.”
The physicality was the biggest adjustment once he left college and turned pro, noted Kalscheur. “Guys are playing the G-League for a while, four-year guys that know how to use their body against yours. I feel like holding my own against those guys has been good for me.”
After Vegas, Kalscheur plans to return home and play in the Twin Cities ProAm as he stays in playing shape, waiting for that call from a team looking at him.
“Just trying to figure out my options whatever it is.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
the Liberty.
“When I started basketball,” recalled Kone, “I started very young.” She eventually went to Spain. “I was still going to school and was playing basketball competitively,” she pointed out. “I played like a pro so young when I went to Spain.”
But the WNBA, the world’s best pro league, is another platform altogether. “I have a lot of things to work on being in the league,” concluded Kone. “I’m ready for this. I gotta learn to get clever.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Continued from page 10
do better as a community, as society, and have some uncomfortable conversations.
“I’ve been in the WNBA for 20 years,” added Knox. “It’s so much bigger than basketball.”
Porter, a Black filmmaker, also pointed out how unified the 144 WNBA players were despite major concerns of backlash from the public and
league officials.
“I think that was a major point of it, just seeing the unity of the WNBA come together for a cause like that,” noted Washington’s Myisha Hines-Allen. She and Ariel Atkins were in the Wobble that 2020 summer and also wore Vote Warnock shirts.
“We weren’t just playing basketball,” added Atkins. “A lot of people don’t understand the power of the vote, in the power of the voice. And
I think that was something that we’re able to show. If there’s anything that people can get from [watching the documentary] it is that the power of your voice is so powerful.”
“The voice is powerful,” concluded Atkins. “Do your own research and be your own advocate when it comes to the polls.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Especially in this election year, all of us can use a reminder on how important elections are, how important our voice is. “Power of the Dream” serves just that.
BA Summer League basketball is virtually an on-the-job audition.
For most players, they are playing for an invitation to the particular team’s fall training camp. If not, hopefully, they will get invited to play in the G League or an overseas team.
Gabe Kalscheur is one of 12 rookies on the 2024 Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Summer League Las Vegas roster. “Some of those guys won’t be playing in the NBA,” said ESPN2 announcer Marc Kestecher during last Friday’s Wolves-New Orleans contest.
With Rob Dillingham and
“I
feel like holding my own against those guys has been good for me.”
Terrance Shannon Jr, Minnesota’s two top draftees last month, both all but assured to make the team’s fall training camp, Kalscheur is working hard to prove that announcer wrong.
“I feel very competent…and just use my assets, which is shooting the heck out of the ball and playing defense, playing hard on both ends,” stressed
■ See SOE on page 9
ports documentaries on television these days have become a regular fixture. Watching them on a streaming service is often a treat because you can watch them in their entirety, or stop and start it to fit your viewing schedule.
“Power of the Dream,” now on Amazon’s Prime Video, is a perfect tutorial for those of you who thought the WNBA is only about basketball. Dawn Porter directed the film in which she, current W player Nneka Ogwumike, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, and retired player Sue Bird also are producers.
It uniquely documents perhaps for the first time how
By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist
e recently talked to two WNBA players: one a longtime local favorite, and the other looking for her chance to stick and shine.
Banham says coaching ‘still in my blood’
When a reporter jokingly called Rachel Banham a grizzled WNBA veteran, she couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s so funny,” the Lakeville, Minn. native said. “I’m the third oldest on our team.” She celebrates her 31st birthday July 15.
“And it’s so weird to me to even say that, but it’s fun being a vet because I just feel like I’ve seen so much and I’m able to give advice or be able to handle a lot of different adversities.”
“My role is always to be that light in the locker room.”
Banham signed with the Connecticut Sun back in February as a free agent. She returned to the team that drafted her out of Minnesota in 2016, fourth overall, and played her first four seasons there (2016-19). Then the 5’10” guard signed with Minnesota and played the last four seasons here.
A flat-out scorer in college, Banham can still do the same when the opportunity presents itself. She needs less than 70 made field goals to reach 500 in her career. She already
has surpassed 200 made three-pointers and 1,000 points in her career as well.
Banham on Sunday hit a pro career high 24 points and tied a team record with eight 3-pointers in a win over Phoenix.
“For the first time, my leadership role is a lot bigger,” continued Banham. “My role is always to be that light in the locker room, to be the energy to keep people locked in and happy and feeling good. That’s always been my role.”
Now in her second stint with the Sun, “I think my leadership role is bigger, and then just being adaptable and being able to play in different positions,” she said proudly.
The last two off seasons Banham was a Minnesota Golden Gophers assistant coach, a position she left when she signed with Connecticut.
The power of speaking up and speaking out ‘Power of the Dream’ shows WNBA is ‘bigger than basketball’
an entire league toppled a team owner and helped elect Georgia’s first Black U.S. Senator that “forever changed the
landscape of their sport and the course of U.S. politics,” noted a press release from TOGETHXR, a media and commerce company that greenlighted the film.
The film isn’t your typical hoops piece but instead a candid look at America’s majority-Black women’s pro league that takes seriously their place in a society that too often devalued their athleticism and their skin color.
WNBA social activism didn’t start in the “Wobble” during the summer of 2020
dates, including Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat.
What happened that summer four years ago was a watershed moment in the WNBA’s long history of speaking up and speaking out when other pro leagues often stayed mute. Remember when local police officers walked off their off-duty security jobs after the Minnesota Lynx wore T-shirts protesting recent police killings of Blacks in 2016?
“The Lynx have paved the way in terms of our activism
“I think that was a major point of it, just seeing the unity of the WNBA come together for a cause like that.”
in the throes of the pandemic and upheaval due to police killings and other violence. Then-Atlanta Dream co-owner and Republican U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler spoke out publicly against the players’ support of Black Lives Matter and wearing T-shirts supporting anti-police shootings when she was also in a primary election fight against many candi-
and our social justice work, whether it was fighting for marriage equality, whether it was what happens with the [police] shootings,” recalled Carley Knox, Minnesota Lynx president of business operations. “We’re the first team to wear Black Lives Matter shirts and have the press conference talking about how we need to
“Maybe I’ll go to the pro side next. I need to figure that out and start exploring it.
“But I definitely want to keep coaching in some capacity.”
Kone ‘started very young’
She was part of a seemingly complicated draft-day trade between Chicago and Minnesota in April that brought second-year forward Sika Kone to the Lynx this season. The 2024 first-round draft pick that Minnesota shipped away eventually resulted in Angel Reese being selected by the Sky.
“I got to learn a lot,” said Banham. “The technology side probably was the biggest thing.”
Was the Gophers job a oneoff?
“Coaching is definitely still in my blood,” said Banham.
“I gotta learn to get clever.”
n 2014, Tartan High School busy basketball player Marlon McCoy accomplished something that had become a family ritual. The senior guard became the sixth person in his family to play in the state boys basketball tournament.
His father. Marlon McCoy Sr., teamed with Char Davis, Lester Jackson, Jahmai Phipps, Craig Vaughn, Kamani Lloyd and Juan Taylor to lead St. Agnes High School to the Class A boys basketball championship in 1994.
Uncles Charles Pattain (Mechanic Arts, 1975), Kevin Pattain (St. Paul Central, 1979), Terrill Pattain (St. Paul Central, 1982) and Derrill Pattain (St. Paul Central, 1982) were all boys basketball state tourna-
ment participants.
The young McCoy, most recently a junior varsity boys basketball coach and teacher at Richardson High School in Texas, announced via Facebook last week that he will be a graduate assistant for the Florida State University men’s basketball team.
It seems as if McCoy is embarking on another family tradition.
Marlon McCoy Sr. has had coaching stops at St. Paul Central (boys assistant, girls head coach) and Tartan (boys assistant) and is currently at St. Agnes (girls assistant).
McCoy., who played college ball for Paine College and Palm Beach State College, has another family member who recently completed her freshman year of basketball. Sister Ma’Lon McCoy, a 5’6” guard, averaged 11.2 points per game last season for St. Agnes.
As for her older brother, he made his feelings clear at the end of the announcement: “Looking forward to this new journey.”
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments at mcdeezy05@gmail.com.
