Advertise on podcast: News from the Crabby Coffee Shop

Former Saint Paul City Council member Dave Thune pulls up a chair at the Crabby Coffee Shop to talk about what’s happening at City Hall: Mayor Kaohly Her, Police Chief Axel Henry, the lawsuit, and what it takes to actually run a city. Thune spent two decades on the council representing Ward 2, downtown, West Seventh, the West Side. He knows how council, mayor, and police actually work when the cameras are off. Kenny and Jay get into the current fight: Henry’s lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, unwanted contact, and retaliation; the city’s investigation that found “offensive and inappropriate behavior” but did not substantiate harassment or retaliation; and the budget pressure on sergeants and commanders. They talk city council dynamics, how a mayor and police chief have to work together (or don’t), public safety staffing, and the politics of a high-profile lawsuit that landed days after the city released a short summary of its report. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saint Paul resident Stacey Hanlin, living near the encampment off the running waters of the Mississippi, sits down and talks about what it actually feels like on the ground: the 911 calls, the crime, and the slow grind on everyday quality of life. Not a press release. Not a slogan. What it costs to live next to a camp that grew into an outdoor settlement. Then downtown weighs in. Bill Collins, owner of Alary’s Bar on East Seventh, joins the table. Collins helped organize two dozen Saint Paul business owners to put their names on a letter backing Mayor Kaohly Her’s push to get the encampment problem under control. They talk about taxes, lost customers, staff who don’t feel safe, and why shopkeepers finally decided the status quo was more expensive than speaking up. This episode is about the bill nobody wants to itemize: public safety, property values, emergency response, and the human wreckage that doesn’t stay neatly in the woods. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Minneapolis Ward 5 Council Member Pearll Warren pulls up a stool with Kenny Olson and Jay Kolls to talk North Side life, City Hall chaos, and cars that drive themselves while the rest of us still need coffee. She took the seat in 2026 and now gets the fun job of explaining what the council actually does, what it pretends to do, and what still is not working on the ground. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Kenny Olson and Jay Kolls sit down with Dr. Manjeet Rege, professor and chair of the Department of Software Engineering and Data Science at the University of St. Thomas and director of its Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence. Rege, the author of Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence, cuts through the hype and the panic. The conversation covers what AI actually does well, where it still fails, who is accountable when it goes wrong, and what “ethical AI” means once the press release is over. Bias, deepfakes, jobs, data centers, governance, and whether Minnesota is ready for any of it all get a turn at the counter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former DOJ national-security prosecutor and Guantanamo war-crimes attorney Michael Lebowitz joins The Crabby Coffee Podcast to talk 9/11, the second wave of attacks that almost followed, and terrorist vs. counterterrorist tactics. Dive deep in his new book Second Wave: Inside Al Qaeda’s Post-9/11 Attack Plan and America’s Secret Effort to Stop It. A prosecutor’s view of the first strike, the plot meant to come after, and whether we’re ready for the one that hasn’t happened yet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barb Johnson, The longest-serving council president in city history sits down to share her unfiltered thoughts on today’s City Council, the ups and downs of keeping Target Center competitive, and the behind-the-scenes work that helped bring US Bank Stadium (and its economic impact) to Minneapolis. From navigating a changing council to the deals that shaped downtown’s sports and entertainment landscape, Johnson brings decades of institutional knowledge, North Side perspective, and the kind of no-nonsense insight that only comes from 20 years on the dais.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Sheriff Bob Fletcher breaks down the use of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras across Ramsey County, how they’ve contributed to sharp drops in auto theft and violent crime, the auditing and data practices in place, and why he sees them as a key public-safety tool amid ongoing debates in St. Paul and beyond. Then the conversation turns to the upcoming Minnesota State Fair: the extra security measures, increased staffing (especially after dark on the Midway), warning letters sent to hundreds of young people with possible gang ties, and the overall plans to keep the Great Minnesota Get-Together safe for the expected crowds. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on News from the Crabby Coffee Shop, Kenny and Jay sit down with Jen Merrill. A Minneapolis Police officer, military helicopter pilot, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, and longtime Third Precinct officer. Jen takes us inside life on the force before, during, and after the George Floyd riots. She shares what it was like working out of the Third Precinct, the same station that became a national flashpoint and was ultimately overrun and burned. Standing on the opposite side of the crowds, the chaos, and the flames consuming parts of the city, she gives access into the behind the curtain workings of the department. From the realities of day-to-day policing in Minneapolis to the intense, personal experience of defending order when large parts of the city were on fire, Jen offers a firsthand account rarely heard in the mainstream.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bob pulls his Mobile Command Center into the parking lot to share what it’s really like living the full-time nomad life on the road. From the freedom of ditching the fixed address and becoming one of the early podcast pioneers, to the day-to-day realities of life in a converted rig, endless back roads, truck stops, and the people you meet along the way. Bob dishes on the joys, the challenges, and the lessons of the nomad lifestyle. The crew swaps old radio stories, digs into the ups and downs of life without a permanent home base, and gets Bob’s unfiltered take on what keeps him rolling year after year.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Breaking exclusive news out of St. Paul on the Mayor Kaohly Her / SPPD “Weiner Wednesday” saga. In this extra, we do a deep dive on the why behind the what bringing first hand evidence with first hand facts. If you are looking for a full cup on the political theater of Saint Paul, heres your shop. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of News from the Crabby Coffee Shop, we talk with Kevin Urban, a Minnesotan approved for paid family leave who isn’t receiving the amount indicated or the benefits he’s been approved for. We also cover Weiner Wednesday with Mayor Kaohly Her and the latest from the Saint Paul Police Department squabble. Then Rep. Dave Baker joins the conversation to discuss Minnesota’s paid family leave program and what’s happening in the state legislature.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher joins the Crabby Coffee crew for a no-BS conversation you won’t hear anywhere else in Minnesota media. The longtime Ramsey County lawman sits down and lays it out straight: the growing problem of Somali youth gangs fueling violence in the Twin Cities, the hard numbers on the roughly 300 kids driving the chaos, and why pretending it doesn’t exist helps no one, especially the Somali community itself. Fletcher talks candidly about what it’s like to wear the badge in today’s political climate, where telling the truth gets you labeled and common-sense policing takes a backseat to optics. But at the heart of it all? A guy who’s spent decades building youth programs, gang intervention, and safe schools because he genuinely wants to do right by the kids and keep families safe. No political agenda, no grandstanding, just a cop who still believes in results over rhetoric. If you’re tired of tip-toeing around real problems, this episode is for you and remember: anything that needs figuring out can still be figured out… even when the politicians don’t want to hear it See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grab your cup and settle in for a strong pour of straight talk on public safety leadership and big-city fire department politics. In this episode of News from the Crabby Coffee Shop, Kenny and Jay are joined by former Minneapolis City Council President Paul Ostrow, a seasoned voice on local government, budgets, and accountability. They dive deep into the nomination and tenure of Reginald Freeman as Hartford Fire Chief, along with the federal lawsuit tied to his time in the role. Ostrow brings his no-nonsense perspective on what it takes to lead a fire department through scandals, staffing crises, line-of-duty tragedies, and the legal fallout that follows. From hiring decisions and department culture to the real-world pressures facing urban fire services, this conversation cuts through the smoke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Minnesota State Representative Kristin Robbins, Chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, joins for a no-BS deep dive into the state’s exploding welfare fraud crisis. She breaks down how the same networks kept reappearing, why the system failed to stop it, and what her committee has uncovered through whistleblowers and public records. The conversation also covers Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s role in sponsoring the federal MEALS Act, which relaxed key oversight rules for meal providers and helped create the conditions for the Feeding Our Future scheme to explode. Robbins details the committee’s repeated attempts to get Omar to testify or turn over records of communications with individuals later tied to the fraud (many of which appeared in federal trial exhibits), and why those requests have gone unanswered. Plus: the latest on daycare fraud with over 400 open investigations into publicly funded providers and the long-overdue rollout of electronic attendance tracking. For years, only a tiny fraction (around 10% in the initial phase) of providers were using real-time online records, making it ridiculously easy to bill for kids who were never there. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this raw and deeply personal episode of the Crabby Coffee Podcast, Jay opens up about his unexpected battle with Lyme disease. From the first confusing symptoms to the relentless pain that’s upended his daily life, Jay shares the real, unfiltered story of his journey so far — the frustration, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights, and the small victories along the way. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.