March 12, 2025
Torey Van Oot,
Kyle Stokes,
Nick Halter
🐪 Good morning! It's Wednesday. Make it count.
Sunny with a high of 57, per NWS
🎶 Sounds like: " One Tequila," by Darius Rucker.
🏛️ Situational awareness: Democrat David Gottfried won yesterday's special election for a vacant state House seat in Roseville.
The chamber will return to a rare 67-67 tie when he's sworn in early next week.
Today's newsletter is 911 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: What the stats say about violent crime
Kyle Stokes
The latest Minneapolis police data show incidents in most major crime categories decreased in early 2025, even as city leaders admit they have a long way to go in reversing a yearslong increase in violence.
Why it matters: Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara touted this year's early statistics as evidence their crime prevention efforts are working, even as MPD has suffered an exodus of officers.
"We're on the right track," Frey told Axios.
By the numbers: Minneapolis reported two fewer homicides, nearly half as many robberies and an 11% drop in aggravated assaults through February, compared to the first two months of 2024.
The big picture: Violence in the city has surged since 2018, well before the pandemic or George Floyd's murder, and that increase hasn't fully receded.
Minneapolis saw 76 homicides last year, four more than in 2023. Other crime metrics also rose slightly in 2024, a year when other mid-sized U.S. cities reported fewer violent crimes than the previous year, according to the Real Time Crime Index.
What they're saying: When asked why the city hasn't made more headway, O'Hara and Frey pointed out that MPD is still historically short-staffed, with only three-quarters of the positions required by the city charter currently filled.
Frey said MPD staffing has "turned a corner," with officer hires outpacing departures in 2024 for the first time since the pandemic.
Between the lines: There has been "essentially no correlation" between Minneapolis' murder rates and MPD's officer count in recent decades, University of Minnesota sociologist Michelle Phelps told Axios.
That said, a larger police force can disrupt violence — if officers are deployed more deliberately, she said.
Friction point: Minneapolis has aimed to contract with an array of non-profit groups to offer on-the-street interventions to de-escalate situations that could turn criminal.
Phelps said these "beyond police" efforts deserve resources and scrutiny, especially as Frey and the City Council trade accusations that those programs are being mismanaged.
Frey's staff has pushed back on criticism, telling the Minnesota Star Tribune that improvements are underway.
2. 🏀 Ben Johnson's Gophers tenure may end soon
Nick Halter
Ben Johnson could be coaching his final game for the Gophers men's basketball team today.
State of play: Barring a miracle run to win the Big Ten tournament this week, the Gophers will miss out on March Madness for the fourth season with Johnson at the helm.
Yes, but: Johnson's been praised for his basketball acumen, but has been hamstrung by a lack of name, image, likeness (NIL) money compared to other Big Ten programs.
Last season, Johnson led a turnaround and the Gophers went 19-15, but programs with more NIL money poached two of the team's top players, the Pioneer Press reported.
What we're watching: The opening round of the Big Ten tournament, which pits the Gophers against Northwestern at 2:30pm.
If they lose, we'll be waiting to see if athletics director Mark Coyle gives Johnson another season or sends him packing.
What else we're watching: The Selection Sunday show, which will tell us if the Gophers women's team makes the NCAA tournament.
3. The Spoon: Vikings sign three free agents
🏈 The Vikings made a big splash in NFL free agency by bolstering their offensive and defensive lines, agreeing to deals with center Ryan Kelly, guard Will Fries and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. (NFL.com)
🍋🟩 A Mexican restaurant in the Northern Minnesota town of Esko changed its sign to "Tequi town" after city leaders objected to "Tequila Town" being displayed close to a school. (Bring Me The News)
💰 Hospitality industry leaders said this week that they'll lobby the Legislature for an exemption from the state's "junk fees" law, which banned "health and wellness" charges from menus. (MPR News)
🏒 Some Hockey Hall of Fame Museum board members are sounding the alarm over a push to move the museum from Eveleth to St. Paul as part of the proposed Xcel Energy Center renovation. (Mesabi Tribune)
The Wild confirmed to Axios that there have been discussions "regarding a potential move," but noted that relocating the hall "would need to be approved by the board, and we will respect its decision."
4. Quote du jour: Walz downplays 2028 buzz
"I don't need to be on that ticket. But I do understand I have a national voice."
— Gov. Tim Walz, in an interview with WCCO Radio, on whether he's seriously considering a 2028 presidential run.
Driving the speculation: The 2024 VP nominee has dipped his toes back into the national (media) waters, sitting for interviews with Vox, the New Yorker Radio Hour and fellow potential 2028 contender Gavin Newsom's podcast.
Sponsored event listings
Fresh Finds
🌱 Discover new local events.
Liz Gillies at the Great Hall on April 1: Join Elizabeth Gillies, who most recently starred and produced the Tubi film, Spread, and can be seen in the independent film, ARIZONA, opposite Danny McBride which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. $10-$17.85.
Civic Celebration at Quincy Hall Apr 10: Join the Citizens League for the Civic Celebration. Hundreds of civic leaders, policy thinkers, and community builders gather for an evening to celebrate the people and ideas that contribute to Minnesota's enduring civic culture, and to recognize our honorees, Peter Bell and Sharon McMahon. Tickets and sponsorships available now.
5. 📚 1 fun thing to go: A big milestone for Little (Free) Libraries
Dozens of St. Paul's most well-read elementary schoolers gathered Tuesday for a ribbon cutting marking the world's 200,000th Little Free Library.
Driving the news: The St. Paul-based nonprofit behind the miniature book-sharing boxes celebrated the milestone at Rondo's Benjamin E. Mays School.
They picked that location in part because its students have checked out more school library books than any other school in the St. Paul district.
Zoom in: The school's book exchange box is a replica of the very first Little Free Library, which was built in 2009.
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