Latest news with #AxiosTwinCities
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minneapolis Democrats endorse democratic socialist for mayor over incumbent
A Democratic socialist member of the Minnesota state senate won his party's endorsement for the Minneapolis mayoral race over the incumbent, giving momentum to the progressive left's political rise. Omar Fateh, a state senator from Minneapolis's southside, beat Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, who served as mayor during the George Floyd protests and through the pandemic. Fateh gained momentum after Zohran Mamdani, also a democratic socialist and state lawmaker, won the primary for New York City mayor. Fateh was first elected to the state senate in 2020 and won re-election in 2022. He was the first Somali American and Muslim elected to the chamber. He chaired the higher education committee and advanced a plan for free college for families who make less than $80,000. 'I am incredibly honored to be the DFL endorsed candidate for Minneapolis mayor,' Fateh said after the endorsement win, referring to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, the Democratic party in Minnesota. 'This endorsement is a message that Minneapolis residents are done with broken promises, vetoes, and politics as usual. It's a mandate to build a city that works for all of us.' Frey's campaign contends that the endorsement process in Minneapolis was flawed and an electronic voting system didn't properly count all votes. He is planning an appeal to the state party, multiple local news outlets reported. It is not unheard of for an incumbent to lose the party's endorsement in the city – Frey came in second in his two prior runs for the office and still won the elections. In the endorsement process for Minneapolis races, local delegates vote for which candidate they want to endorse, then narrow down until a candidate tops 60% of the vote. In the first ballot this weekend, Fateh got 43% of votes to Frey's 31%. The tabulation took longer than expected, and some questioned whether all votes were actually included in the eventual tally, Axios Twin Cities reported. Frey's supporters left the convention, and the remaining delegates voted by a show of hands, giving Fateh the win. 'I want to thank everyone who showed up to support my campaign,' Frey said after the endorsement loss. 'This election should be decided by our entire city, not by a handful of delegates.' The city uses ranked-choice voting, and the general election is this November. After Mamdani's win in June, Fateh posted a video in a similar style, talking about his plans for affordability, defending the city against Trump and public safety. 'Everyone keeps asking me, Omar, why aren't you doing more videos? As a state senator with a second full time job and a kid on the way, I just haven't been able to find the time,' he says while walking through the city. Like Mamdani, Fateh focused on affordability and has emphasized that he is a renter throughout his campaign – topics he has been committed to as state senator as well. There are some Minnesota twists: 'We'll shovel sidewalks, build shelters, and finally reopen public spaces,' he wrote on X about his platform. 'I'm here to fight for the people this city's left behind.' Fateh has been attacked with racist and Islamophobic comments by rightwing commentators in recent weeks. Charlie Kirk, the leader of Turning Point USA, claimed there has been an 'Islamic takeover' in the country and shared Fateh's video, saying people need to 'commit to stopping all third world immigration'. Fateh was born in Washington DC. Solve the daily Crossword
Axios
14-03-2025
- Health
- Axios
How COVID has changed our lives, 5 years later
Five years ago this week, Gov. Tim Walz first declared a statewide emergency over the newly-declared COVID-19 pandemic — and Axios Twin Cities readers have shared how the fallout impacted them. The big picture: The virus upended our daily lives. It sent us into quarantine, closed our offices and schools, introduced us to the N95 mask, and for a time seemed to transform every face-to-face interaction into a potentially fatal health risk. Catch up quick: Saturday marks the five-year anniversary of Walz's order sending home nearly 1 million K–12 students — the second in a series of escalating directives in response to the spreading virus. On March 19, health officials confirmed Minnesota's first COVID death. Less than a week later, Walz signed the first "stay at home" order. State of play: COVID itself remains in our lives. In the last year, the virus hospitalized more than 18,000 Minnesotans and killed 777 people — almost ten times more deaths than influenza caused. Beyond that, readers say the pandemic still shapes their lives. What you're saying:"In hindsight, I choose to be thankful," reader Julie J. wrote us. "I got COVID but I got better," she said. "I had a white-collar job so I could transition to working at home pretty easily — unlike so many frontline workers who lacked that luxury." 💔 Debra Q. observed that in some families, the pandemic exposed lasting divisions that "set off a continuing litany of differences." Strain over "COVID, vaccines in general, immigration, abortion, climate change, etc. [is] all part of the family dynamic now," she wrote. 🏡 Wendy M. "became a total introvert who loves being home." Wendy also quit drinking during the first winter wave. "Four years' sobriety," she wrote, "but my anxiety is off the charts." The pandemic even altered how she shops: "I'm still hoarding more of the things we ran out of — just in case. I'll never run out of essentials (like toilet paper, masks, M&Ms, etc.) again." 🎙 Kerri A. changed careers, moving into voice acting — which she now does entirely from home. 🚛 Ruth J. decided to retire from teaching and move to Minnesota to be closer to family. "Now we attend every concert, basketball game, play, and school event our grands are in," she said. 🙏 Julie J. started playing trivia online during lockdown and still meets in person with the same team. Looking back, she said, "I know I was one of the lucky ones."
Axios
11-03-2025
- General
- Axios
World's 200,000th Little Free Library opens in St. Paul
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 school district, staff said at the unveiling. How it works: People interested in joining the "take a book, leave a book" movement can build or buy a box to house their donated items and register it online to receive an official plaque. Zoom in: This newest library, which is located in the school's atrium, is designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse. It's a replica of the very first Little Free Library, which was built in 2009, Little Free Library Executive Director M. Greig Metzger told Axios. Go deeper: See more from of the unveiling on our Axios Twin Cities Instagram.
Axios
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
September is Minnesota's best month, according to readers
Our readers have spoken: September is Minnesotans' favorite month. Why it matters: Despite the best efforts of winter enthusiasts to convince us to embrace the cold, we like it warm, but not too warm. By the numbers: September earned an average rating of 4.7 / 5 stars in a survey of 370 Axios Twin Cities readers. It barely beat out June (4.6) and October (4.4) for the crown. What they're saying: September-philes wrote that they love the warm-but-not-hot air, low humidity, abundant sunshine, evening bonfires and the kids being back in school. It also got points for the start of football season, Oktoberfest and fewer bugs. 🎃 October lovers cited many of the same reasons as September, but also because of peak fall color, the Twin Cities Marathon and Halloween. "Generally good weather, multicolored leaves, and a holiday that doesn't require me to visit my in-laws. Unbeatable combo," wrote one reader, who wisely didn't include their name. 🌹 June got lots of flowers — no pun intended — because of the lush vegetation, long days and the end of warm weather being nowhere in sight. "Warm, but not too hot," one reader wrote. "Perfect days for a Hamm's in a canoe on Lake of the Isles." The other side: February (1.7 stars), January (1.8) and March (2.6) were the bottom three months in our survey. 🏒 Nick is a March defender, which prompted one reader to call him a "frickin idiot." But others like it for sports on TV, maple syrup tapping and the first breath of spring air. ☃️ "February!" one reader said. "Holidays are over, best snow of winter, typically, and a bargain time to travel." ❄️ A reader who picked January moved here from New Jersey because they weren't getting real winters anymore. "I expected to find winter enthusiasts here. I found some, but I was surprised by the number of people bellyaching about the snow and the cold and editorializing in the media against season-appropriate weather in winter, ignoring its beauty, clarity, and fun. Why live in Minnesota if you hate the cold?" The bottom line: We live here for the four seasons, even if we only like three of them. The fourth, as Prince said, is "so cold it keeps the bad people out."
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
General Mills orders many Twin Cities workers to return to office 3 days a week
General Mills has ordered most of its corporate employees in the Twin Cities to return to its Golden Valley office for three days a week. A spokesperson from General Mills confirmed to Bring Me The News that employees in its North America retail department are expected to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday starting Feb. 17. There is an exception to the rule for employees who live outside of the Twin Cities, according to spokesperson Mollie Wulff. The change was first reported by Axios Twin Cities, which reports that the North America retail department accounts for 63% of the company's revenue. Employees have had the option to work remotely since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Hubble reports since 2022, companies like Amazon, Apple, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Google, J.P. Morgan, Meta, and multiple others have returned workers to its offices in at least some capacity. President Donald Trump has already ordered federal employees back into the office five days a week.
