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City Cast Twin Cities

Sean McPherson

We’ve been putting a spotlight on the West 7th neighborhood in St. Paul this month so we’ve crafted some fun questions that rely on your knowledge of our capital city. Good luck to you!

Roseanne Pereira

✏️ Find past crossword puzzles below:

Try out this Twin Cities crossword and put your knowledge to the test!

Can You Solve This Twin Cities Crossword?

Keep It Local

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Twin Cities

To learn and to play mahjong, check out these local spots. As the game’s popularity grows, free community meetups can be found online, such as on this 

rave about walking into it the first time

 on the City Cast Twin Cities podcast (at the 20:33 mark!). It was an experience. The community-focused cafe and Asian-inspired retail boutique in Uptown hosts popular mahjong nights every other Tuesday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Moona Moono offers three modes of play to fit all levels: Learn to play, Reserve a table, and Join our Pool. Owner Angie Lee explains that for folks who join the pool, “we help them find players across a wide range of play variations including Taiwanese, Hong King, 

whose members teach Mahjong 101, most recently Taiwanese mahjong. The class tickets that participants purchase help fund the university mahjong travel team.

Claire Joseph and Tara Duginske are former law firm partners who share a passion for mahjong, both for the game and the way it brings people together. They founded 

. Players can move through Mahj 101, where they learn the basics, to Mahj 102, where they get more practice play, and on to Open Play where they can play without teacher assistance. There’s also a social league that offers a bit more infrastructure and competition (it includes scoring). The club hosts 

 at a number of local businesses around the metro including 

, Dangerous Man, Bad Weather, and Minneapolis Cider Company. Duginske says in the dark days of winter especially, it’s a great way to get out of the house and be with people for a fun event. The founders are proud of how welcoming and inclusive the club is. ”It’s such a wonderful community,” Dugineke says. “I love seeing someone walk in the door who at first looks a little nervous. And they're just taken under somebody’s wing. It’s fantastic.”

 founder, Abbe Blacker, is known to many as the “queen bee” of mahjong and is a popular local instructor of the game. The club’s new storefront in the 50th and France neighborhood offers drop-in days, mixers, and a 4-week beginner class series marketed as “the best most comprehensive way to learn Mahj!” They aim to maintain a low teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:8. You can take a look at their current class list 

Fox and Willow Mahj Club - at Josefina’s (Wayzata)

If you play mahj and are near Wayzata, know that the Fox and Willow Mahj club meets Tuesday mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at local restaurant, 

 is a luxury tabletop and fashion boutique shop and even has a 

 including tiles, mats, and racks. In the past, they’ve partnered with 

, Claire Briggs’ “Mahjong with Southern Hospitality” business. Briggs is a Deephaven, Minnesota-based certified mahjong instructor who offers lessons on Lake Minnetonka and around the Twin Cities.

The game of tiles, strategy, and luck has a growing following in the United States – including in the Twin Cities.

Mahjong in the Twin Cities Metro

Mahjong in the Metro

I see you at that grill. Did you know you can grill cheese? 

originated in Cyprus and can be grilled, pan fried, and seared without losing its shape. It’s typically made from sheep and goat’s milk. Pick it up at 

 or at local specialty cheese shops. Here’s a 

, a vendor at the Kingfield farmer’s market as well as the Lowertown St. Paul farmer’s market, offers Rustica, a cheese that also can be grilled, pan fried, or even broiled. Mary Falk, LoveTree’s owner, says, “You can even make shish kabobs with it, your vegetarian friends will love you for it!”

 in Minneapolis, summer Thursdays-Sundays are particularly exciting. That’s when they make their own hand-pulled mozzarella balls, typically 1/3-1/2 lb. each. Come early to get your fresh mozzarella before it runs out. 

 also sells hand-pulled mozzarella on Fridays and Saturdays – check out this 

. Summer is also burrata season, so get it while you can. Unlike mozzarella, burrata’s center oozes creamy stracciatella. 

that makes excellent use of ripe summer tomatoes.

Of course you can’t go wrong with a variety of snackable hard cheeses. Aged cheeses are easier for lactose-intolerant folks to digest, and you won’t have to worry about 

pulling them from the sun after two hours

. When I worked as a cheesemonger, my favorite crowd pleasers were Chӓllerhocker, a nutty Swiss wonder, and Ossau Iraty, a mild hard sheep’s milk cheese from the French Pyrenees. These can be found at Surdyk’s along with 

, a beloved aged alpine style cheese from Wisconsin made only in the summer months.

Feta is traditionally made with sheep’s milk cheese, or sheep and goat’s milk combined. (Both are easier for lactose intolerant folks to digest.) The quality of feta can vary widely. A local shop known to have the good stuff is 

 in Uptown. They have a variety of feta including French, Bulgarian, and Dodoni (a popular Greek feta). Another option for feta variety is 

 near the University of Minnesota at Stadium Village. Both of these places let you taste, so find your favorite feta, and perhaps try it in this recipe for 

 Honey Habanero Quark is a good choice if your picnic idea is cheese and crusty bread or crackers. They recommend serving it with crackers that include dried fruit. Taste the quark when you next visit the 

 in Kimball, WI is also a cheese and crackers option (sold at 

 sells an herb-encrusted goat cheese called The Big Holmes – and for the even more adventurous, there’s Gin Berry, which includes juniper berries and peppercorns, or Black Bear, dusted with ash.

As a former cheesemonger, I pulled together some ideas to make your summer events that much gooier.

Labor Day Picnic Cheese in Minnesota

Labor Day Picnic Cheese

This beloved, family-owned establishment in Northeast has been around since 1973. From spinach pies to pints or quarts of what I consider the best tabbouleh in town (my desert island food, people!), 

 has many affordable picnics and cabin weekend options. In the mood for meat pies filled with pine nuts, ground beef, and lamb, or smoky baba ganoush and pita? Hot tip: their stuffed grape leaves include ground lamb in addition to rice - mwha! So good.

Whenever I’m in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, I seem to leave 

 with to-go containers of two items – their traditional creamy coleslaw (a guarded family recipe), and their potato salad that’s bright (egg yolks must be involved!) and has notes of mustard and pickle juice. The chunky texture and mix of flavors hits the spot, truly. It’s no wonder, as 

 for decades. The deli’s been around since 1949. With an array of bagels, sliced meats, and in-house baked bread, discover your own picnic go-to to-gos next time you visit.

If I really wanted to impress someone, I would fill my picnic basket with 

,” an artisan elixir made with elderblossom syrup. Add sparkling water or one of the liquors recommended by owner, Mo Kotb, for a refreshing summer drink. (The former Tilia bartender knows his stuff.) Dervish Mazza spreads are familiar, but with a surprising twist, like 

, which takes the fire-roasted eggplant of classic baba ganoush and mixes it with the flavors of tahini, sweet-tart pomegranate, and chermoula herbs. One of my favorites (and a Dervish Mazza bestseller) is 

, where hummus meets Thai chili and sun dried tomato. Here’s a recipe for an 

) that prioritizes personal, engaging service. The friendly staff offers recipes and samples, and they sell dried fruits such as unsulfured apricots, a wide variety of nuts, dates, Middle Eastern pastries, and oh so many olives. You’ll likely discover something you’ve never tasted before. The last time I was there I learned about how the inner kernels of apricots (a sweet, almond-like seed) are eaten as snacks - and of course I was given one to try.

Labor Day weekend will be here before you know it, so let’s eat well on our summer get-togethers while we can.

Easy Minnesota Picnic Delights - Savory Pies, Dips, Salads

Easy Picnic Delights - Savory Pies, Dips, Salads

On a recent trip to Maryland and Virginia, I was bowled over by the treats in Asian bakeries there. This made me want to see what I could find in the Twin Cities. Luckily, I discovered 

 in St. Paul. The light-filled cafe with wooden beams and hanging vines was so enticing that I sat down for some piping hot congee with ginger chicken for lunch and got most of the buns to-go.

Zao’s bakery case includes red bean steam buns, taro twists, and many other delights. If you are uninitiated to the standard offerings at Asian bakeries, check out this 

video on 14 buns you need to try at a Chinese bakery

Responding by email, owner and baker William Ratsamy said the cafe is a family bakery in every sense. “Everything from the recipes (my mom's culinary experience) to the ingredients (from my brother's grocery store) to the design of the space (my architectural background) came from within our family.”

Ratsamy’s recommendations for a first visit are to try “a sesame ball, char siu pork bun, congee and our homemade soymilk. This would fill up your tray nicely. This includes something fried, something baked, something from our kitchen, and a homemade drink that you really can't get anywhere else.”

I can vouch for the slightly, but not-too sweet homemade soy milk which I tried after my congee along with a 

. This is a soft milk bread shaped like an oval, sliced down the middle and filled with buttery whipped cream, then dusted with coconut flakes. In other words, a bun of dreams.

Ratsamy says Zao’s best-sellers are the Spicy Chicken Curry Bun (that has a curry filling), the Pork Steam Bun (minced pork, an egg, and Chinese sausage surrounded by soft white bread), Sesame Balls (chewy, crunchy, nutty, sweet), and Ham Sui Gok (a glutinous fried dumpling).

Many of the baked goods in the case are easy grab-and-go items for a picnic, and for this purpose, Ratsamy’s top recommendation is the 

. It’s a hot dog wrapped in milk bread and arranged into a flower shape before baking. The result is an easy, pull-apart, soft treat that’s pleasing for both adults and kids. (You pull off the “petals”!) My picnic pick? A wilder-looking 

The light-filled cafe was so enticing that I sat down for some piping hot congee with ginger chicken for lunch and got most of the buns to-go.

St. Paul's Zao Bakery + Cafe - Hot Dog Flower Bun, Anyone?

Zao Bakery + Cafe - Hot Dog Flower Bun, Anyone?

Winter Keefer

I recently found the lunchbox of my dreams.

It’s the cutest blue, red, and yellow little zip-up with a perfect cutlery pocket inside. As much as I wanted to gatekeep this find, I’m sharing it with all of you because your kids probably need it more than I do.

So here’s how you get it: If you head to the back corner of 

 in downtown Robbinsdale, you’ll find this lunchbox in a small but mighty children’s section of the store.

Carefully curated by Golden Age Design co-owner Kara Kurth, the store’s selection of children’s items includes high-quality, Montessori-inspired toys and school items. “The kids section was something that we've always really liked to pour into because happy kids make happy parents,” Kurth said.

The space includes items like wooden and plush toys, storage containers, and notebooks for “tiny hopes and dreams.” A parent herself, Kurth said her goal is to foster children’s imaginations and encourage play. “We really believe in them and don’t want their magic to disappear,” she said of the children in her life.

Kurth also thinks about the experience of parents and grandparents of children shopping in the store. Many of the items sold harken back to the days before technology dominated children’s entertainment. For adults, “it's like this passing of the torch – they're excited to share something that maybe they played with when they were little.” 

Kurth emphasizes quality in addition to cultivating whimsy and nostalgia through her collection. Instead of buying pencils, erasers, and scissors from a big-box store that might last only a few months, she hopes her store can offer ethically-made and sustainably-sourced items that last years.

As she looks to the future, Kurth hopes her children will one day pass down items from her store to their own children. “We think those lessons are really important for kids – buying slower, buying quality items so you can use it for a lifetime.”

Carefully curated by co-owner Kara Kurth, the store’s selection of children’s items includes high-quality, Montessori-inspired toys and school items.

Robbinsdale's Golden Age Design Offers Generational Keepsakes

Golden Age Design Offers Generational Keepsakes 

Greetings and happy back-to-school shopping season!

 Do you want to shop local, but you don’t know where to go other than the big-box stores? Do you have a long list of school supplies that’s stressing you out and burning a hole on your kitchen counter? Don’t you worry, City Cast has a list of local shops that will have you and your kids covered this school year.

This St. Paul hidden gem is the perfect place to find school supplies on a budget. The store inside 

 in St. Paul is filled with an assortment of donated and recycled art supplies and materials. I’m talking 20-cent folders, 50-cent notebooks and 25-cent to $2 binders. There’s a whole bin of tape dispensers for $1 each. If your kid has a science project, this is the place to go for construction paper, popsicle sticks, egg cartons, bottle caps, paint – whatever catches your fancy.

This women-owned, women-run children's boutique in Edina has been dressing Twin Cities tykes since 1999. Offering a wide variety for babies to tweens, 

 boasts on its website its “classic, preppy styles you won't find anywhere else in the Twin Cities.” The store believes shopping for kids should be a joyful, in-person experience and offers the merchandise to match.

Looking to find quality designer resale on a budget? Look no further. At 

 in south Minneapolis, you can shop for your kids while trading in the clothes they outgrew last year. The store opened in 1981 as the Twin Cities' first maternity consignment store, so it’s always had kids and parents in mind offering brand-name items without the luxury price tag.

With its new downtown Minneapolis brick-and-mortar storefront, 

 is ready to welcome you in to peruse its collection of children's wear. The family-run store started as an online-only boutique and “grew from a desire to offer clothing that feels comfortable, meaningful, and right for everyday life,” according to its website. It opened its store front earlier this year and this is your perfect opportunity to check it out!

The store inside ArtStart & ArtScraps ReUse Center in St. Paul is filled with an assortment of donated and recycled art supplies and materials.

Back to School Shopping in St. Paul

Back to School Shopping 

Here’s where you can find children’s books for the kids in your life or nurture your own inner child!

Once, during a major time crunch, I stopped by 

 for a child’s gift. In under 10 minutes, an employee had found the ideal gift with my parameters in mind, placed an order to have the books shipped, and rang up my sale. Red Balloon’s service is unbelievably strong – I’ve even had booksellers email me book ideas. The store hosts a number of 

 that meets this Tuesday, where kids ages 8-16 can meet to write and draw together.

 while eating lunch at Brasa in Northeast Minneapolis. The shop carries mostly used and rare books, which means there’s ample opportunity to rediscover books you may have forgotten you loved. On my last visit, the children’s section included classics like Shel Silverstein’s 

as well as Dr. Seuss books, but there was also plenty of manga, graphic novels, and young adult series.

Are you science-minded? If so, check out 

, which in addition to literary and genre fiction, curates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)-focused nonfiction for both kids and adults. The shop also hosts special 

 with speakers who are scientists, engineers, makers, and more. In October, The Thinking Spot in collaboration with The Bakken Museum will present the 

This beloved, Linden Hills bookstore for children and young adults values experiential learning and play. In addition to books, 

 also has animals. These have included chinchillas, doves, ferrets, rats – even a tarantula. You can see current critters 

. Want to hear something wild? Tom Braun, one of the shop’s co-founders who passed away in 2018, 

Bookstores for Kids at Heart in the Twin Cities Metro

Bookstores for Kids at Heart

We’ve been spotlighting on the West 7th neighborhood in St. Paul this month so we’ve crafted some questions that rely on your knowledge of our capital city.

Do You Know Saint Paul?

Twin City Guides

Adam Sage

*This is a free music festival on Nicollet Mall and inside the Dakota. It's a wonderful chance to get to see a show at the Dakota for free as tickets are usually a little pricey for me there. Last year I got to see Davina and the Vagabonds play the closing slot inside the club, and it was one of my favorite shows of the year. I also had the Dakota's pink peppercorn ice cream, which blew my mind. This year I'm looking forward to seeing another one of my favorite artists in the Twin Cities, L.A. Buckner, perform on the outside stage, and I'll head inside to see The New Standards close out the festival. Don't miss this! 

September brings a packed Twin Cities concert calendar, from outdoor shows and fall tours to orchestra performances and free music festivals.

Tips for a Better September in the Twin Cities

Tips for a Better September

Anna Weggel

Tiffany Bui

When are you going? This weekend? Next weekend? Text a pal and pick a date for the park because September is kind of a goldilocks month for getting outside in the Twin Cities. It's not too hot or cold, and it probably won't rain too much. Here in the metro area, it may be your last chance to comfortably wade through the ankle-deep waters of the Mississippi at 

 to look for critters and crawfish and to get a great view of the 

You can also get up close to the Mississippi south of the Twin Cities – if you've been sleeping on 

, try heading over and walking the 3.8-mile 

. You'll get to walk around an island on the river, and it's so gorgeous and secluded that it's hard to believe you're right next to the airport. You might get to see some beavers cutting down saplings and swimming under the Pike Island Bridge as September is a busy month for them preparing for winter. You'll also get to see the 

, or the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, which is a site of immense spiritual and historical significance to the Dakota people. On a clear day, you can see a distinct line where the brownish waters of the Minnesota clash with the relatively clear waters of the Mississippi. Seriously, make plans this month to get to one of these world-class parks that we have in our back yard. 

 deter you from donning that flannel. I’m ready to let go of summer with these autumnal celebrations. We have an unbelievable number of Oktoberfests; you can don your lederhosen and enjoy giant pretzels at 

, on Sept. 19, will feature live music from Gully Boys and others. For the competitive spirit, there’s a boot chugging contest. If you haven’t had enough hot dogs this summer, Insight Brewing is hosting 

, which promises “hot dogs falling from the sky.” The 

 also hosts their own celebrations in St. Paul.

I have the pleasure of editing each week’s 

 newsletter and when one of our writers, Winter, recently told me she found the lunchbox of her dreams, it’s pretty much the 

. As a mom of school-aged children, I want to challenge myself next year (because I failed big time this year) to shop local for school supplies. If it’s not too late for you to shop for your kids this year, or if you’re young at heart and can’t resist school supply shopping for yourself, check out Winter’s 

, Winter had the best recommendations. And I look forward to spending my money at these local shops next year! 

Explore Twin Cities parks, enjoy fall festivals and Oktoberfests, and shop local for school supplies at unique neighborhood stores.

Your Guide to September 2026 in the Twin Cities

 We'd like to welcome Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who is running for U.S. Senate. The primary is today, and this primary competition between Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Representative Angie Craig has been very heated and very expensive – if you've been trying to watch TV without running into these two, you have failed. Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much for joining us on City Cast Twin Cities on this very busy day for you. We appreciate your time.

 Now, Peggy Flanagan, you're no stranger to representing Minnesota – you've been the Lieutenant Governor – but I want to ask: how would your work as an elected official in the Senate most tangibly impact the community you live in?

 Sure. Well, I'd say a couple things. I'm running to make sure that people can afford the lives they want to live. I grew up in the community of St. Louis Park – it's where I still live with my family – and I grew up on the margins. I was a kid who carried a box of commodity cheese under my arm like a football. Section 8 paid the rent. SNAP is what kept food on the table for my family, and I'm alive because of Medicaid.

But what I also watched was my mom being a badass. She worked incredibly hard, and she went back to school – she got her certificate in phlebotomy, and we like to tease her and say she became a professional vampire. But I remember watching her walk across that stage and feeling like I was walking across it too, because I knew how incredibly hard she worked, for me and for herself. So that's what I'm bringing into this race – knowing what it feels like to stretch $20 through the end of the month, and fighting against the status quo.

I think the root of it – and Sean, you mentioned it – all of these ads, this is the most expensive Senate primary in Minnesota's history. $20 million has come against us so far: crypto, AI, tech billionaires, health insurance companies, AIPAC, and all these special interests. I'm not taking a dime of corporate PAC money because I want to be beholden only to Minnesotans. I share that with you because I think that's the root of so many things we don't have access to – like a healthcare system that works for everybody, housing, childcare, all of these pieces. As folks are struggling to afford their lives, the people at the very top are doing quite well, and that's a frustration many people share. I'm going to fight for the many and not for the money. That's what I plan to bring to D.C.

 And you talk in your own personal narrative – obviously there are a lot of ways government programs helped you and your family be more resilient and stronger, and we've seen a lot of that support fall away. A lot of what you needed and received at that time isn't as available now. I assume we're in agreement that we want stronger, more resilient communities. What can you do to make communities more resilient from your vantage point as an elected official?

 Sure, I'd say a couple things. I want to make sure that the way we've campaigned – we've done over 300 events in 112 communities – should also be the way that I govern, by being in relationship with Minnesotans, making sure folks feel like, "Oh, we know her, she represents us." That's why I'm fighting for Medicare for All. I think it's completely outrageous that I talk to families with $16,000 deductibles, who are paying 500 bucks for a med check, who are deciding whether to cover just the kids, or just mom. Our healthcare plan right now is basically to pray that nobody gets sick. Our time has come where folks no longer need to just pay for health insurance, but should actually be able to receive health care.

I'd like to get rid of prior authorization, because I don't think some person behind a desk – or worse, an AI bot – should determine whether or not you get the lifesaving healthcare your doctor prescribed. I want universal childcare capped at 7% of your income as a family. Childcare is the backbone of the economy, and incidentally, there are only four moms with kids under 18 serving in the U.S. Senate – and boy, can't you tell from the outcomes we're getting right now.

So those are some of the issues. I co-chaired the campaign to raise the minimum wage in this state when I led the Children's Defense Fund. At the time, folks said, "You're too ambitious, you're asking for too much" – to raise it and index it to inflation. But we passed that law, and over the last decade, people have seen their wages increase. Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage hasn't increased in 17 years – it's still $7.25, which is completely impossible. I want us to raise the national minimum wage.

I also fought hard – I was one of the co-founders of Minnesotans for Paid Family and Medical Leave, back when my kid was still portable on my hip. We built that coalition, we organized for it, and it passed and was implemented this year – 75,000 people have now taken advantage of this program to bond with a new baby, care for a sick loved one, or care for themselves. That matters, and we need a national paid leave policy.

And after the year we've had, we need to rip ICE apart and hold this Trump administration accountable for the terror, chaos, and loss of life they've caused here in Minnesota. I think folks have heard me use the term "avenge" – and what that really means is that the $240 billion that's been given to ICE and CBP, while we've watched health care being taken from people and food being taken off the table to fund this lawless agency, along with trillions of dollars in tax cuts for people who don't need them – enough. This is madness, and we can do better.

 Now, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, even if these things ring true with somebody, there might be a fear that if we send someone who's really on the Medicare for All bandwagon to D.C., we're sending them to a Republican-majority Senate. Are you going to be stuck on the sidelines because you can't reach across the aisle? Realistically, you're the more progressive candidate, and the candidate with less of a track record reaching across the aisle, at least in my reckoning. So I'm trying to understand: might someone with your values be wasted on a Senate that isn't ready to work on these things because it's controlled by Republicans?

 I would say – I think we have the opportunity to take back the House and the Senate, but as you mentioned, the Trump administration will also be there moving forward, at least for the next two years. But I'm proud of the work I've been able to do with folks across the aisle. When I was at the Children's Defense Fund, I sometimes got a lot of grief from my DFL friends serving in the legislature, because they'd say, "Hey, how come you didn't ask me to author this bill?" And I'd say, "Well, Republicans are in the majority, and I can't wait two years or four years for healthy babies and healthy birth outcomes for kids and their moms." So finding that common ground is important to me.

When I served in the legislature during one term, there were only two bills from DFLers in the House that got across the finish line – one of them was mine, because I'm pretty intentional about building relationships. Regardless of my occupation, I'm an organizer, and finding common ground – my job on day one in the U.S. Senate is to schedule 99 cups of coffee with my colleagues and find places where we can work together.

I'm going to push for Medicare for All, because frankly it's what people deserve. But along the way – banning prior authorization is at the top of my list, and that has bipartisan support; I actually think we can get that done. And things like making sure Congress lives up to its end of the bargain and funds special education – the commitment was always 40% under IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and they've never met that commitment. That also has bipartisan support and is worth fighting for, for our public schools and for kids all across this country.

Those are the opportunities, I think. And as we've been doing this work, we've had DFLers coming to our events, but we've also had independents who say, "I don't have a political home, I'm just super freaked out by what's happening right now." And we've had Republicans who say, "Flanagan, I don't agree with you on everything – in fact, not a lot – but at least you're here listening to us." And I think that goes a really long way in this politics of noise and division, and just spewing absolute hatred from the White House. We can do things differently here, and we have in the past – in the way we showed up for our neighbors this winter. I don't think anyone was asking about political affiliation as they were simply trying to get food to their neighbors and make sure the people they care about weren't just scooped up off the street.

 There's a notable recent poll from the Star Tribune, KARE 11, and the Hubbard School of Journalism that found 81% of respondents worried about fraud in state government. If someone is worried about fraud in state government, why would they vote for somebody who was really high up in state government during this period of massive fraud?

 Well, I'd be really clear that fraud of any kind is completely unacceptable, and I know Minnesotans are angry – I am too, as a former executive director of an organization that served children and families. I find it completely infuriating that anyone would steal from taxpayers, but especially take resources from people who need them desperately. There's been work done to stop fraud and prevent it from happening in the first place – 60 people have been prosecuted, a hundred people have been charged. Aimee Bock, the ringleader of Feeding Our Future, was sentenced to 41 years plus 8 months. And to that, I say good.

What I also know is that Republicans are running against every Democrat on fraud – Amy Klobuchar, Keith Ellison, the legislators. And just last week, there was an ad that popped up showing Congresswoman Craig and me side by side, attacking us both on fraud. She serves on the Ag Committee – that's why they're going after her. It's all political theater to distract from the fact that this president, right out of the gate, pardoned 70 white-collar criminals who've stolen billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid funds. He got rid of 17 inspectors general, whose whole job is to police corruption at the federal level. And this guy is making money hand over fist out of the White House – and for the folks who paid for his gilded ballroom, their reward was government contracts. Enough. I think whoever our opponent is in the fall – Michele Tafoya or whoever it is – it's clear to me they'll be a "yes sir, Mr. President" kind of senator. What we actually need is someone who's going to stand up to the Trump administration.

And I'd say that's also a distinction between me and my opponent, who has voted with Donald Trump more than any other Minnesota Democrat. We can do better, and I think Minnesotans are positioned to make sure we send someone who's going to take on the status quo and push back against the Trump administration. As a Minnesotan, as someone who's lived here my whole life, this state has invested so much in me and in my family, and I really look forward to the opportunity to continue serving the people of Minnesota, if that's their will, in Washington.

 Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, it's primary day, it's a busy day – you taking the time to talk with City Cast Twin Cities means a lot to us. Thank you so much for your time today.

We requested interviews from most candidates running in the major Twin Cities races ahead of the August 11 primary and November general election.

Meet Your Candidates: Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate

 We'd like to welcome Kendall Qualls, who's the GOP-endorsed candidate for governor. Today is primary day, and we're excited to talk to every candidate we can leading up to the election in November. Kendall Qualls, thank you so much for joining us on City Cast Twin Cities today.

 I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me, Sean.

 Now, Kendall Qualls, I wanted to ask you about how your work as an elected official would most tangibly impact the community you live in.

 Yeah, I think – not just for the community I live in, but for all communities – there are three basic things that transcend political parties. Number one, economic conditions. Everyone wants to thrive economically, not just survive, and there are things we can do in government to help with that.

Number two – look, Minneapolis has seen better days when it comes to crime. Forbes magazine rated it the number one safest city with the best quality of life back in October 2009, and we're going to get that back. That's truly the character of Minneapolis – it was never a Detroit or a Chicago. Crime is rampant in the metro as well as the surrounding suburbs, and we want to get that back.

And number three is our public school education. We used to have a marquee public education program that benefited everyone – for people like me, coming out of poverty, education could be a gateway to a very different life. Now we've seen real decline – we're near the bottom-middle of the nation, our test scores are out of whack, and there's all this other foolishness going on in our public schools. We want to get that back too. So: improving economic conditions, safer communities, and quality education for everyone.

 You mentioned in your biography a really unique history and path – you spent time as a child in Harlem and then in Oklahoma, two vastly different places. You've also talked about the importance of education, and really helping people at every stage of life, particularly if they're born into poverty. Beyond the first three things you mentioned – sure, economic opportunity, safe streets, access to education, these are all big – what else can you do in office to build strong communities where people really thrive?

 Well, I think the biggest thing right now is that people sense there's no accountability in elected officials – that we've lost our sense of community, our sense of belonging to each other. Is there a common denominator that brings us all together? Right now, unfortunately, we work and walk and think in tribes of left versus right, and that's wrong in a lot of ways. We didn't used to live like that. I want to bring that sense of commonality back, and we can do that.

But the accountability part is very important. The fraud issue in our state is way beyond out of control – it's a national embarrassment. We don't need special offices to fix this. This is called leadership. This happens in the private sector all the time – it's called embezzlement, and we handle these issues within a single calendar year. Someone's fired, someone's held accountable, someone goes to jail. For embezzlement, it doesn't take eight to ten years and an Office of Inspector General and all these other layers of government – it's called leadership. That's how we bring accountability back, integrity back, and a sense of pride to be able to call ourselves Minnesotans again, because that's been lost for a lot of the population in this state.

 Do you think the Office of Inspector General is unproductive in rooting out fraud, or do you think it just requires leadership above that station to make sure things actually happen? I'd assume even at a business level you need boots on the ground to root out embezzlement. So I'm asking: do you see usefulness in inspectors general, or do you see it as unnecessary red tape?

 It's unnecessary red tape. Listen, this could have been handled day one – Tim Walz could have fired someone. No one – I think one person resigned in the last few months, but he's fired no one. We have $9 billion that's been accounted for by Joe Thompson, the Biden-appointed U.S. attorney, and I believe there's a lot more. No one's been held accountable. It starts with the leader of the executive branch, which is the governor.

And like I said, even in the private sector, this is handled quickly within your finance department – not a special department, a finance, accounting, and audit department. These guys are full-time, they do their jobs. We don't hire outside help unless it's really serious. This isn't that – we've had whistleblowers telling us about this stuff for years.

 I want to switch gears a bit and ask about the struggles state government is having with the federal government right now, and how negative that impact can be for Minnesotans – specifically, $199 million in Medicaid payments that were recently held back. I want to ask what you'd do to improve that relationship, because – Kendall Qualls, I think you and I land on pretty different parts of the political spectrum, but on the other hand, I really don't want to see people not getting Medicaid payments they're counting on. So how can you bring that relationship back so these payments get fulfilled and people get what they need to live?

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Sean McPherson

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