💜 Flags you won’t fight about

Monday, August 3

Good morning, Twin Cities! Tiffany here. We were clearing out the ol’ City Cast merch closet, and we found some extra pennants to give away! But you gotta become a member to get one. Neighbors get perks like extra podcast content and invites to members-only events. Plus, Sean sends a personalized email to members every week, and let me tell you, this week’s email has some spicy hot takes. Get ya pennants!

Woman smiles at camera and holds hand up as if to display two pennant flags hanging on wall behind her

These City Cast Twin Cities Oxford Pennants (in purple) are limited edition, and will look great hanging on your wall. Trust me, I know. (Tiffany Bui / City Cast Twin Cities)

What the Cities Are Talking About

No place like home: IndieWire named Minneapolis “Best Home Base for Documentary Filmmakers.” The city has been ripe for nonfiction filmmaking following the uprising over George Floyd’s murder and Operation Metro Surge. The publication also credits MSP Film for fostering a community around indie cinema. Keep an eye out for our upcoming interview with Chris Newberry, director of the Jacob Wetterling documentary, this coming Tuesday. [IndieWire]

‘It was bizarre’: Drips and drabs of information about St. Paul Mayor Her’s behavior keeps leaking to the press. A former deputy police chief said she retired partially because the mayor once went up to her in the locker room and commented on her breasts while comparing them to her own. The mayor also reportedly grabbed a former City Hall employee’s butt, and then announced to other people she’d done it. Reports of her “bizarre” behavior seem to span months since her election. [Pioneer Press]

Four panels, each with a different flag design in them

Minnesota flag designs for Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. By designers Hillary Taymour (top left), Fletcher Kassell (top right), Clare Vivier (bottom left), and Sami Miró (bottom right). (Credit: Council of Fashion Designers of America)

Fashionable flags: Want a flag people will (probably) not fight about? Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America commissioned leading artists to reimagine state flags for America’s 250th anniversary. Designers Sami Miró, Hillary Taymour, Clare Vivier, and Fletcher Kassell created four different flags based on their interpretation of Minnesota’s identity. The bespoke flags are being flown at the Rockefeller Center Rink in New York City this summer. [Council of Fashion Designers of America]

Steel yourself: After numerous neighbor complaints and an attempt by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to revoke its operation permit, the Northern Iron foundry in St. Paul is closing. The state has long scrutinized the foundry over pollution concerns, and neighbors filed a class action lawsuit against the owners last year. Starting in October, the foundry will begin laying off its 86 workers. [Pioneer Press]