Minneapolis, MN

Some U.S. Olympians are speaking out after Minneapolis killings

Published

4 weeks ago

February 1, 2026

Some U.S. Olympians are speaking out after Minneapolis killings

The fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal authorities in Minneapolis last month have drawn condemnation from politicians, influencers and celebrities — and increasingly from athletes who will soon be representing the U.S. at the Olympics.

Emotions have been running high in Minnesota, where the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has permeated nearly every aspect of daily life amid weeks of protest and confrontations with federal authorities, and they were on display last Sunday during a Professional Women’s Hockey League game in St. Paul as fans chanted “ICE out now.”

At a postgame press conference, Minnesota Frost stars Kelly Pannek and Taylor Heise, both members of the U.S. Olympic squad, said it was important to acknowledge what was happening in their own community.

“It’s obviously really heavy,” said Pannek, who appeared to be overcome with emotion. “I think people have been asking a lot of us what it’s like to represent our state and our country. I think what I’m most proud to represent is the thousands — tens of thousands — of people who show up on some of the coldest days of the year to stand and fight for what they believe in.”

Heise added that the team has done a good job of making everyone feel welcome and safe during its games, “even though you can’t feel safe, I feel like, in this time and place here in Minnesota.”

Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins also acknowledged the situation last week after her final competition before the 2026 Winter Olympics. Diggins, who won gold in 2018, wrote in an Instagram post that she hoped she was able to bring some joy to people watching and honor all those back home protecting their neighbors.

“Honestly, this week was mentally and emotionally stressful for me for many different reasons, all of which were outside of sport,” Diggins wrote on Jan. 25, the day after Pretti’s killing. “Primarily, it’s been devastating following the news of what has been happening in Minnesota right now and it’s really hard feeling like I can do nothing about it.”

Diggins, Pannek and Heise are three of the 24 athletes from Minnesota who will represent the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Games. But they are not the only Olympians who have spoken out.

Figure skater Alysa Liu, who is from California, has been sharing posts to her Instagram Stories this week about the deaths of Pretti and Good. She also shared a post on Thursday urging people to call their representatives in Congress to oppose the current funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees immigration enforcement.

It’s unclear whether more Olympians will speak out on the world stage in the coming weeks, especially following news that the U.S. will send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Italy to assist with security.

In a video that’s been viewed more than 500,000 times on TikTok and another 60,000 on Instagram, Coach Jackie J, a popular content creator who focuses on sports, urged athletes to use their platform at the Olympics to “speak up” against a government “going after its own people,” describing it as not only an opportunity but a “responsibility.”

“Let everyone know that you’re not representing this government, you’re not representing what it’s doing, you’re representing the people,” she said.

The International Olympic Committee noted that all athletes have the ability to express their views but that there are restrictions in place to maintain the neutrality of the Games overall.

Athletes can’t make political statements during competition or official events, such as a medal ceremony or the opening or closing ceremonies. They are also not allowed to speak out inside the Olympic village. The IOC said these rules have been in place since the Tokyo Games and were made in consultation with the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

The Olympics have been a venue for political expression for more than a century, with the first modern podium protest taking place in 1906 by Irish track athlete Peter O’Connor. After winning the silver medal in the long jump, O’Connor scaled the flagpole to replace a British flag with an Irish nationalist banner in protest of having to compete as a British athlete before Ireland gained its independence.

The 1906 Intercalated Games were considered Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee at the time, but the IOC no longer recognizes the event or its medals.

One of the most well-known protests to Americans happened at the 1968 Summer Olympics, when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists and bowed their heads in a Black Power salute to protest racial discrimination. Smith and Carlos, U.S. track stars, had just won first and third place in the 200-meter race.

Extending gloved hands skyward in racial protest, U.S. athletes Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos stare downward during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze medal in the 200-meter run at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City on Oct. 16, 1968.AP file

Amy Bass, a professor of sports studies at Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York, said that at first the big news was that Smith had broken a world record, but the protest made headlines only after the U.S. Olympic Committee removed their Olympic credentials following pressure from the International Olympic Committee.

“Doing that sort of created a bigger spectacle than had already happened,” Bass said. “And so they kept their medals and they were sent home.”

Their protest was part of a larger movement by a collective of Black athletes, the Olympic Project for Human Rights, who had threatened to boycott the Olympic Games if a set of civil rights demands were not met, according to Bass. But the group failed to find consensus, which led Smith and Carlos to the now famous moment in Mexico City.

Athletes don’t leave their lived experiences or belief systems behind the moment they step into a competition, Bass said, and the platforms they’ve worked hard to build are theirs to use as they see fit.

“The Olympics are inherently political, because one enters the Olympics under a flag which represents some form of nation state,” Bass said. “So there’s nothing apolitical about the Olympic Games, and there never has been. There’s nothing apolitical about sport, and there never has been.”

The 1968 protest led to Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter banning demonstrations at the podium and during specific events.

There are big and small ways athletes can signal their own views.

Bass noted that just before the 2018 Winter Olympics, skier Lindsey Vonn told CNN that she would not visit the White House if she won a gold medal, in a statement against President Donald Trump. At the Tokyo Games a few years later, the U.S. women’s national soccer team took a knee before they took the field, a protest against racial injustice.

It’s up to individual athletes to decide what role they want to play in a larger collective action, something that is a lot to consider, Bass added.

“The ancient Greeks created the Olympics for this reason — to put down swords and see what peace felt like, so that if we ever achieve it, we’ll know when it arrives,” Bass said. “But the world doesn’t stop being the world just because they’re skiers on the hill.”

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Minneapolis, MN

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

Published

11 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken.

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone.

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented.

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request.

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers.

Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face.

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

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Minneapolis, MN

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

Published

23 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

MODE by Flickr

The Twin Cities has long been a hotbed of creative inspiration and artistic storytelling—from world-class cultural institutions to large-scale art and film festivals that propel emerging makers and creators into the spotlight. But, for the first time, local photographers are primed to receive a multi-day that is uniquely their own—geared toward all things visual, digital, and candid.

Today, global photo-sharing platform Flickr announced the launch of MODE by Flickr, a three-day photography festival set to take place Sept. 18-20—right in the heart of Minneapolis. A first-of-its-kind event, the inaugural lineup will gather some of the biggest names inartvisual media, from Emmy-nominated director and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski to renowned culinary photographer Penny De Los Santos, as well as sponsorship support from global media companies including Fujifilm, HOVERAir, and more.

Whether attendees are coming to network, learn, or simply, admire, MODE will feature a variety of welcoming spaces designed to foster a dynamic exchange of creative energy. Expect immersive workshops led by industry legends, hands-on demonstrations, mind-expanding exhibitions, and special programming designed by Black Women Photographers’ Polly Irungu and Inside Out Project.

“MODE is photography in motion—alive, interactive, and deeply rooted in community,” said Ben MacAskill in a prepared statement, President and COO at SmugMug and Flickr. “For more than 20 years, Flickr has brought the world’s photographers together online. Now, we’re bringing that spirit away from devices and connecting in the real world with a festival built for creativity and the future of photography and visual arts.”

Designed around seven thematic pillars, MODE aims to bring the full spectrum of photography to life—uniting world-shifting storytelling, emerging tools, business insights, motion-driven media, cultural diversity, analog processes, and environmental responsibility. These seven pillars will float through each diverse experience, from live portrait shoots, tech demos, and editing workshops to photojournalism panels, film screenings, and instant-film activations.

Flickr’s choice of Minneapolis as its launchpad feels telling of an overarching alignment of values—the city a mirror for MODE’s core mission of celebrating creativity and community while prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. To support this mission, the festival will be equipped with accessible venues, thoughtful sustainability measures, diverse programming, and a careful artist selection process that prioritizes representation and artistic vision.

Tickets are available now, starting at $300 for Flickr Pro members, and between $330 and $660 for general admission and VIP passes. For more information on ticketing, and updated programming announcements, visit modefestival.com.

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Minneapolis, MN

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

In response to Tom McDonough’s recent letter regarding ICE in Minneapolis and the impending doom that could be coming our way from operation “Metro Surge,” I offer a different perspective.

I was born, raised and lived in the great state of Minnesota for many years. Fortunately, I was raised outside of the metropolitan area in a very conservative, rural setting. It was far away from the Twin Cities cesspool that exists amongst the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

I travel home to see family and friends often. Prior to 2020, flying into Minneapolis and taking light rail was comfortable, easy, safe and convenient. However, after COVID, the George Floyd riots and now the Metro Surge fiasco, I will no longer feel safe in Minneapolis. I pretty much despise travelling to my home state any longer.

The state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis created this mess, and they now are trying to blame the U.S. government for it all. Venture outside of the Twin Cities area and you will find that most of the rural folks see it for what it is and are waiting for accountability and change. They don’t believe the hype, finger-pointing and misinformation from afar. Nor do I.

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