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| |  | Smitten Kitten in the LynLake area. (Tiffany Bui / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| How an Adult Store Raised $1 Million in Mutual Aid | I’d describe Smitten Kitten as a Trojan horse of fundraising; the dildos and vibrators draw you into a business that is unapologetically anti-capitalist and radically inclusive. The adult store first garnered local attention for saving a woman’s life with Narcan, and then for a rumor they had a glory hole in the back (they don’t). The store used their online reach to distribute donations to people in lockdown during Operation Metro Surge. In today’s special episode, we explore how a small business marshaled a large-scale effort to keep neighbors in their homes. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities] | - Low barrier: While much of Uptown sat quiet during the ICE surge, Smitten Kitten was a hub of people coming in and out, either to give help or get help. Staffer Anne Lehman says cash donations were key to getting people the money fast. That, and the fact that they didn’t ask people for proof of need. “ It got to the point where I was like, ‘You don't have to show me [proof] because I know that there's 40 people behind you with the same situation’,” Lehman said. “ I'm just gonna trust that people are the expert on what they need.” [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
- A village: Smitten Kitten is one of many mutual aid networks that popped up to support people impacted by Operation Metro Surge. A city report estimates that, overall, residents donated $10 million in mutual aid. [City of Minneapolis]
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Shooting aftermath: Neighbors and loved ones are mourning three employees of a Highland Park apartment complex after a man shot and killed the workers on Monday. The suspect, a tenant of a nearby building the workers managed, allegedly shot them after being told he could not cancel his parking contract. Neighbors say they want the workers to be remembered as good people who were frequently responsive to tenants’ concerns. St. Paul’s last triple homicide was in 2022. [Pioneer Press] | | Factory fracas: Northern Iron in St. Paul might get its permit revoked by the state over pollution violations. Regulators have accused the metal foundry of failing to prove its emissions don’t violate state and federal standards; lawyers representing North Iron say the factory will shut down if their permit is revoked. Neighbors have complained of finding soot on their homes. [Sahan Journal] | |  | Watch our live recording at Claddagh Coffee on West 7th! (James Napoli / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| Come hang: Our next live recording is this Friday at Claddagh Coffee, located in St. Paul’s West 7th neighborhood. Get a coffee on us (I recommend the Coco Lula). We’ll be recording in the basement, and it will be sooo awkward if nobody shows up. Save us from embarrassment – show up at 11 a.m. with a latte! | | Trouble at City Hall: Minneapolis’ firing of a public works employee has sparked a standoff with the laborers union. City reps say Darley Herrera was let go over the status of his commercial driver’s license. The wider context is that the Trump administration has been stripping immigrants of their CDLs, stemming from the president’s belief that immigrants are responsible for semi-truck crashes (which doesn’t seem to be systematically true). More great reporting from Susan Du; I recommend reading the whole story. [Star Tribune] | | Dog days of summer: It’s not just your imagination – meteorologist Sven Sundgaard writes that people under 76 have never experienced a heat wave like this one. The latest 10-day streak of temps in the 90s is the third-longest ever recorded in Twin Cities history. Sundgaard says we should expect more humidity and 90-degree heat, but not back-to-back. [Bring Me The News] |
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| | Thursday, July 23 | | | Friday, July 24 | | | | |
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I’m a little bashful about self-promotion, but please give today’s episode a listen! Like in the summer of 2020, the months and years following a crisis are when the narrative solidifies. Smitten Kitten could set the blueprint for how others respond. Also, Adam composed some gorgeous original music for the episode! |
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