MNDOT’s Giving You Another Chance
Racket is already on the record as hating the bad name “Plowy McPlowface,” because it is bad and hatable. Chosen by Minnesota voters like you (like YOU!) in the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s first “Name a Snowplow” contest, it is truly the Jacob Frey of plow names, a decision to make even the staunchest believer in democracy question the wisdom of the electorate. But now you have a chance to redeem yourselves. Today, *Hanson voice* MNDOT announced that there will be a second contest to name a plow. Says MNDOT, “Previous winners will not be considered (There can be only one Plowy McPlowFace, folks).” Yes, they think you are dumb enough to vote for a name that already won. Please prove them wrong.
More Like… Flu Fighters?
If you’re gonna catch COVID at a football game, you may as well catch it at a Foo Fighters concert. That seems to be the University of Minnesota’s attitude. Yesterday morning, the Foos announced an August 3, 2022 show at the U’s Huntington Bank Stadium (formerly known as TCF Bank Stadium, futurely known as [Some Other Bank] Stadium). Also yesterday morning, the Foos canceled an August 3, 2022 show at Huntington Bank Stadium, citing a “refusal to agree to the band's COVID policies.” The Strib quotes a U rep as saying, "The university declined to change its existing protocols for large events, which have been effective." The band is currently seeking out a more health-conscious stadium for their concert. Unfortunately, the Twins will be playing baseball (if you can call it that) against the Tigers at Target Field that day.
The Fuck Is Wrong with Some People?
Have you been following this shit in Hastings? Not content with harassing a school board member (which is, I guess, just A Thing That’s Done now), an anti-masker Facebook group called Concerned Parents of Hastings (formerly "Conservative Parents of Hastings") went after the member’s daughter, outing her as trans. Fortunately, after CNN aired an interview with the family, the non-shitty members of the community rallied behind them. Bring Me the News has the full rundown here. Now, look, I’m not exactly Mr. Fucking Civility myself, but it seems like we should be able to have differences of opinion without being actual fucking monsters, even in Hastings.
Let Felons Vote, Dammit
Over at MinnPost, Peter Callahan reports on a case before the Minnesota Supreme Court that could restore voting rights to 52,000 Minnesotans. Those folks are felons who have been released from custody, and they’re arguing that the state law that currently bars them from voting disproportionately affects Black individuals and has no rational basis for existing. The plaintiffs have already lost in lower courts, but are hoping they’ll receive more favorable treatment from the state’s top court. So are we.
