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Neat: Trump Using Shutdown Cuts to Hurt Political Enemies (That's Us)
Welp, we're two weeks into the government shutdown with no end in sight, and along with all the bad stuff that comes with your "typical" gov shutdown, this one has some extra-special twilight of democracy features. According to an analysis by Tony Romm and Lazaro Gamio for the New York Times (gift link), "the Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion that had been reserved for more than 200 projects primarily located in Democratic-led cities, congressional districts and states."
In Minnesota's Fifth District, which Ilhan Omar represents, the administration has canceled five grants totaling $76.5 million. In the Betty McCollum-repped Fourth District, that total is $465.9 million from two grants. How much funding has been canceled in red regions, you ask? Oh, less than $1 billion nationally.
As Ford School policy professor and newsletterer Don Moynihan notes, there's "a bunch of unprecedented stuff about this shutdown," including the use of public resources, like airports, to spread a partisan message. (As we reported yesterday, MSP has so far declined to screen those dystopian Kristi Noem videos blaming Democrats for the shutdown.) Using the period to make retaliatory cuts that hurt your political enemies is, similarly, unprecedented.
Me personally? I miss precedent. A little precedent never hurt anybody!!
Unemployment Is Bad, and Black Women Are Bearing the Brunt of It
According to recent federal reports, more than 300,000 Black women have either been laid off or left the workforce so far in 2025, and as KSTP's Renée Cooper reports, MN's numbers appear to be on par with that trend. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Matt Varilek tells Cooper that, historically speaking, marginalized groups have it the worst during times of high unemployment, and we're in one—did you catch that recent Strib story about the "worrisome" rise in long-term unemployment?
If you're among those struggling to find work, local entrepreneur and force for good Sheletta Brundidge is hosting a job fair and brunch for Black women this Friday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Coliseum Building in Minneapolis. She's asking folks to register here in advance.
Wait, Are We Not All Wearing Seatbelts?
This link caught my eye in MinnPost's Wednesday a.m. edition of The Glean: Apparently Minnesota law enforcement "beefed up" seatbelt enforcement during late September, which resulted in 1,000 citations (!) in just one week. The St. Paul Police Department issued the most, according to the MN Department of Public Safety, with 92. (I wonder if they get a pizza party or something?)
Anyway, sorry, you guys aren't all wearing your seatbelts? Was it a specifically millennial experience to go to school assemblies where they showed you videos of bodies that had been launched through the front windshields of cars at 75 mph? I know I sound like my mom, and possibly yours, but it is simply the easiest thing in the world to put your seatbelt on.
Click it or ticket, ya dinguses.
Sobering News: Seward's Soberfish Restaurant to Close
Sad! After 11 years, Minneapolis Thai restaurant Soberfish has announced that it will close next month. "We are deeply grateful for your support, laughter, and kindness over the years—it’s been an unforgettable journey thanks to all of you," their social media farewell reads. Your last day to get some sushi and choo chee curry will be Saturday, November 15.
