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| | | Vance Boelter Won't Face the Death Penalty | June 14 will mark one year since the killings of Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the shooting of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that they will not be pursuing the death penalty against Vance Boelter, who has been charged with the shootings. [KSTP] | - Why not? I was surprised to hear this, as President Trump directed the DOJ on the first day of his second term to "prioritize seeking and implementing death sentences." In this case, it may not be legally possible to sentence Boelter to death if he is found guilty. Boelter is charged with the murders of Mark and Melissa Hortman as well as stalking, and the DOJ said stalking would not qualify as a "crime of violence" necessary to secure a sentence. This comes just after a federal judge denied the DOJ's efforts to seek a death sentence for Luigi Mangione, who is also charged with stalking and murder. [Death Penalty Information Center]
- What could happen now? Boelter is also facing state charges in Minnesota, though the death penalty was abolished in Minnesota in 1911. If found guilty, Boelter could face life without parole. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 16 for a motion hearing. [KSTP]
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Good and bad beer news: Dangerous Man Brewing is making its return to Northeast, opening in Headflyer Brewing's old taproom for the first time this Saturday. Also in Northeast, 56 Brewing announced that they will be demolishing their gardenside patio tomorrow. The patio was illegally built on land that belongs to Xcel Energy almost a decade ago, and Xcel has asked the brewery to remove it. Grab one last patio beer while you can! [Bring Me The News] | | Hunger hits new highs: Minnesota is on track to break its annual record for visits to food shelves for the fifth year in a row. Demand for food assistance has shrunk some since the height of Operation Metro Surge, but it is still above last year's all-time highs as federal cuts to food assistance, rising fuel prices, and other factors are compounding to create more food instability. Folks can donate to help hungry Minnesotans at hungersolutions.org. [Star Tribune / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities] | |  | Post Modern Times has been operating as a free and donation-based restaurant since January. (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| Post Modern New York Times: Business is still going well at Minneapolis' beloved free restaurant Post Modern Times, and they're receiving more national attention. The New York Times just covered the business as a part of a flurry of Minnesota-related reporting this week. Owner Dylan Alverson transitioned Post Modern Times to a free and donation-based model as a way to stop paying sales taxes during Operation Metro Surge, and enough donations are coming in to keep the restaurant sustained even as 40 to 50% of customers don't pay for their food. [New York Times] | | Two-wheel connection: A new segment of bike trail has been completed between the 26th Avenue N. Mississippi River overlook and Orvin "Ole" Olsen Park in Minneapolis. The relatively small segment of trail is a big deal, as it connects the bike infrastructure on 26th Avenue going across the North Side to the River Trail, making it easy for folks to travel from Theodore Wirth Park to the Mississippi River to downtown. [Star Tribune] | | Waymo or way less? Driverless vehicles remain in a "legal gray area" in Minnesota, as this year's legislative session came and went without any new regulations being passed. In the absence of state-level guidance, local officials are trying to come up with their own regulations. At a recent panel at the Minneapolis Central Library, several community members voiced skepticism at the promise of autonomous vehicles. [MinnPost] |
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| | Wednesday, June 10 | | | Thursday, June 11 | | | |
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Stay dry out there as we could be in for some big storms today! See y'all back here tomorrow morning. 🫡 |
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