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Taylor Dahlin is your host for a conversation with Josh Martin, who devastated friends and family recently by announcing his candidacy for chair of the DFL's 5th Congressional District. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Mayor Adam Jennings (Tonka Bay) is running for Minnesota State Auditor with the understanding that it means he is now "the boring guy at the party." Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

I'm joined by Minneapolis Council Member Soren Stevenson and AsaleSol Young, executive director of Housing in Action, for a conversation about local housing policy. We talk about proposals for extending the eviction notice requirement in Minneapolis, the strain that puts on affordable housing non-profits, and policies necessary at the state and local level to ease a shortage of affordable housing. Housing in Action: https://housinginaction.org/ Support the 2026 "Yes to Homes" agenda at the state legislature: https://www.moreneighbors.org/yes-to-homes Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Taylor Dahlin and Josh Martin join me for a conversation about something none of us has witnessed before: a mayoral appointee getting voted down by the Minneapolis City Council. On Thursday, Todd Barnette failed to secure the majority vote required to be reappointed as the Commissioner of Community Safety. Mayor Jacob Frey says the council's action has nothing to do with Barnette's job performance; the council is simply acting to spite the mayor. In reality, as we discuss, there is plenty of fault to find with Barnette's tenure. Plus we blow your mind with the philosophical question: can a mayor veto the absence of an action? We also talk about the successful reappointment of City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher and City Attorney Kristyn Anderson. In the second half of the show we go into detail on the Minneapolis Charter Commission's attempt to eliminate the public hearing and confirmation process for a handful of mayoral appointees (Civil Rights, Regulatory Services, Health, and Assessor's Office). If approved, this proposal would be decided by voters via a ballot question during this year's general election. This is an idea so bad, it's uniting people from across the political spectrum against it. Email all 15 members of the Charter Commission using the addresses found at this link: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/boards/charterc Public Hearing on the Charter Proposal: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 4:00 PM Charter Commission Regular Meeting Location: Room 350, Public Service Center 250 S 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55415 Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Melody Hoffmann is back for another edition of Monthly with Melody to talk about her article "Uptown in crisis" for Southwest Voices. Local business owners are unhappy with a lack of city response to their concerns about homelessness, drug use, and general state of disorder. We talk about the city and community response, and ask whether these issues in Uptown are a side effect of the city's whack a mole approach to homelessness. Read Melody's article: https://www.southwestvoices.news/stories/uptown-in-crisis,151587 Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

I'm joined by José Antonio Zayas Cabán, executive director of Our Streets, to talk about his organization returning to host Open Streets in Minneapolis. And they're doing it entirely apart from the city of Minneapolis, which will continue to sponsor alternative open streets events. José also explains how the community reaction to a violent federal occupation is an example of how a "democratized economy" could create more durable and resilient communities. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Anders Folk about his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Francis Shen about his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Rep. Sam Sencer-Mura (district 63A) about the ongoing federal occupation and what it means to be a state legislator under a federal government intent on crushing Minnesota. Plus an attempt to answer the question: are we the special heroes the national commentators make us out to be? Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Hao Nguyen about his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Mye Hoang about her new movie "25 Cats from Qatar" - a followup to "Cat Daddies." "When an American flight attendant and cat cafe owner becomes aware of the crisis [in Qatar], she hatches a plan to fly 25 cats to Milwaukee, where her cat cafe provides a pipeline for adoption." More about the film: https://www.25catsfromqatar.com/ TICKET GIVEAWAY: For free tickets to the screening at the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights on Feb 6, email host John Edwards at the email address provided during the episode. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

I'm joined by Josh Martin as we process the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents, during what feels like an occupation or hostage crisis for Minneapolis. It's the third shooting and the second killing in less than three weeks. And even though state and local government feels powerless to do much of anything right now, we talk about all the major races up for election in 2026; the importance of showing up to caucus; and why some of our neighbors may not feel safe enough to participate. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

My conversation with Rep. Cedrick Frazier about his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Special live episode with hosts Taylor Dahlin and John Edwards. We're tracking the movements of some creepy little weirdos through downtown Minneapolis. We are asking our audience to guess the number of racist jellybeans who showed up for the anti-Somali protest on January 17. We hope you'll commit to donating at least $5-10 per jellybean, to help us raise money for the Cedar Riverside Protection Alliance (Venmo: CRwork26). Thank you to our on-the-ground Chud Watch reporter Ethan for his meticulous counting of racist jellybeans. And thanks to Minneapolis's most obscure elected official Eric Harris Bernstein, of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, for speaking with us. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

The Minneapolis City Council is in the middle of their annual, charter-mandated tradition: amending the mayor's recommended budget. I ask Budget Committee Chair Aisha Chughtai what a "budget" even means if one department (MPD) can overspend their budget by $20 million. We talk about Mayor Frey calling council members "mean-spirited" for proposing cuts to his office staff. Chughtai says adjusting the size of the mayor's office is about eliminating redundancy under the new government structure that took effect in 2021. Plus, why she thinks it's a good idea to fund a non-fatal shooting task force but not a first responder wellness and training center. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://bsky.app/profile/wedge.live Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee