Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.
The Mind Reels: Rep. Stauber Bringing YouTube Grifter Nick Shirley to State of the Union
For your own mental health, it's best not to think about how Nick Shirley—a barely literate YouTuber whose mother reportedly follows him around the country—helped spark Operation Metro Surge with his shoddy, propagandist Minneapolis fraud doc. But U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber ain't letting his state forget. The hockey-cheating congressman invited Shirley and his collaborator, Minnesota GOP lobbyist David Hoch, to be his guests at Tuesday's State of the Union address. (Hoch says things like "demon Muslims," to give you an idea of his character.)
“By revealing stunning levels of obvious fraud to the American people, Nick and David did more work and showed more transparency than the Minnesota Department of Human Services," Stauber says via statement. If it was so obvious, why didn't you, guy with extraordinary political power, do anything to stop it before seeing Shirley's unserious video?
Moving right along: Rep. Betty McCollum invited Colin Hortman, son of assassinated state Rep. Melissa Hortman; Rep. Ilhan Omar is bringing ICE detainees Aliya Rahman and Mubashir Hussen, as well as Gerardo Guzman, the son of an ICE detainee, and Columbia Heights School Board Chair Mary Granlund; Rep. Tom Emmer will attend with Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany and trucking supplier Dean Dally.
Meanwhile, soon-to-retire Sen. Tina Smith plans to boycott the State of the Union, and will instead join MoveOn's "People's State of the Union" along the National Mall. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will speak at another protest event, "State of the Swamp," alongside Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, and honorary Minnesotan Tom Arnold, who did more cocaine here in the '80s than most full-time residents.
ICE: Still Around, Unfortunately
We decided to sunset our months-long MN ICE Watch series, but as you know DHS agents are still out there and we've just begun to process the damage Operation Metro Surge inflicted. On Friday, U.S. Reps. Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar told reporters that fewer than 500 ICE officers remain, which, yeah, still seems like a lot. As such, here's a mini version of MN ICE Watch featuring stories that grabbed our eyes...
- "‘That could have literally killed me’: Bystander recalls night immigration agent accidentally fired gun in Eagan hotel" (Sahan Journal)
- "ICE detained a Minnesota teen, labeled him an ‘unaccompanied minor,’ and lost him" (Star Tribune)
- "The end of Operation Metro Surge, in data" (Minnesota Reformer)
- "A new lawsuit alleges DHS illegally tracked and intimidated observers" (MPR News)
- "Despite claims of a drawdown in Minnesota, suburban observers say ICE still active as ever" (WCCO)
- "‘I was shocked’: Three Minnesotans describe unexpected ICE detentions" (Sahan Journal)
- "Former ICE instructor testifies agents were trained to discard constitutional rights" (Star Tribune)
- "'We Belong to Each Other Now': Lessons from Minneapolis" (Organizing My Thoughts)
- "Brandi Carlile's Twin Cities concert raises $600,000 for those impacted by ICE" (Bring Me the News)
Saying Goodbye to 2 Titans of Local Weather
Hm, actually let's say "happy retirement" instead—meteorologists Belinda Jensen and Paul Huttner ain't dead yet.
For nearly two decades Paul Huttner issued the forecast for MPR News, and earlier this month the station's chief meteorologist announced he'll retire after his last day on air, April 30.
“They were the highlight of my day and the broadcast. Paul doing weather on the radio is as good as it gets,” longtime All Things Considered host Tom Crann recently said of his old colleague. “He's credible, affable and flexible, filling any time or slot you need with just the right essential information for our audience.”
Huttner's popular Updraft blog is still humming away (did ya hear Hovland got dumped with 38.6 inches of snow?), as is his "Climate Cast" segment (what does Lake Superior ice tell us about climate change?).
News of Belinda Jensen's upcoming retirement rocked the local weather world early Monday. KARE 11's chief meteorologist began as an intern way back in 1993. Bel has been a fixture at the station ever since, serving as anchor on Saturday mornings and as a garden guru during her "Grow With KARE" feature.
“Belinda Jensen has connected like no other with Minnesotans about the weather and how it affects their everyday lives,” KARE 11 News Director Matt Kummer says of Jensen. “Her passion for every season, every kind of weather, and how it impacts getting outdoors is what has endeared her to KARE 11 viewers.”
Jensen will hang up her green-screen clicker after the May 2 morning broadcast, though she plans to pop in "from time to time" during Saturday shows beginning this fall.
How to Help: Rebel Loon Project
Minnesota United FC fans bear the unfortunate burden of having Target Corp.'s logo splashed prominently across the chest of team jerseys. But! Loons fans have a killer upgrade opportunity with the Rebel Loon Project.
First, a tiny bit of back story: Bernardo Anderson, a web developer from Moorhead, cooked up a viral loon logo that riffs on the Star Wars Rebel Alliance; it has become a symbol of anti-ICE resistance, seen everywhere from T-shirts to Green Day guitars at the Super Bowl.
And Target? Like so many other local corporations, it displayed extreme cowardice amid the recent federal ethnic cleansing campaign that rampages through our state. (If I were a killjoy, I'd ask Loons fans to remember the health-care villain who owns their favorite team, but as a morally superior fan/co-owner of the community-owned Green Bay Packers, I'll take the high road.)
The Rebel Loon Project aims to support the Immigrant Defense Network by helping fans retrofit the Target logo on their jerseys with a rebel loon one. Local print shops remove the Target image, heat-seal a radical loon in its place, and then charge $20-$30 before you're prompted to donate to IDN. Pretty cool! The Rebel Loon Project has been hosting events around the city, and Saturday's at Bauhaus will also serve as a watch party and special beer release.
