Minneapolis, MN
Evalulators lay out plan for Minneapolis PD reforms
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A report released last week outlines the plan for policing reforms for the Minneapolis Police Department after an investigation in the wake of the killing of George Floyd found a pattern of racial discrimination by the department.
Background
In 2023, a court approved a consent decree order between the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the City of Minneapolis after an investigation following the murder of George Floyd. A consent decree is an agreement between two parties that is enforced by a court. In this case, the two parties are the state and the city.
The decree laid out the framework for a plan for the Minneapolis Police Department after an investigation found a “pattern or practice of race discrimination” within the department.
The consent decree laid out the goals for the department. The new progress report released last week looks at where things stand and outlines the path moving forward.
What’s new?
On Friday, the independent evaluator (Effective Law Enforcement For All) was hired to oversee the consent decree process for Minneapolis released its plan to implement changes.
The report shows the goals for the next four years. The first two years will focus mostly on implementing changes and the second two years will focus mostly on evaluating the progress of the new programs and their effectiveness.
- Year 1 (Mar. 2024 to Mar. 2025):Review and update policies for body-worn camerasPolicy and training updatesRevamp the accountability systemIncrease support for officers and officer wellness servicesBrief supervisors on their new dutiesCreate a data systems plan and map of community resources
- Review and update policies for body-worn cameras
- Policy and training updates
- Revamp the accountability system
- Increase support for officers and officer wellness services
- Brief supervisors on their new duties
- Create a data systems plan and map of community resources
- Year 2 (Mar. 2025 to Mar. 2026):Complete policy changesEnact data systems planEvaluate officer wellness progressEnhance coordination with crisis intervention teamsConduct audits on plan progress
- Complete policy changes
- Enact data systems plan
- Evaluate officer wellness progress
- Enhance coordination with crisis intervention teams
- Conduct audits on plan progress
- Year 3 and 4 (Mar. 2026 to Mar. 2029):Continue to assess the progress of the evaluator’s plan; receive public inputBegin annual policy reviews to determine if implemented policies are effective in moving forward with decree goalsOfficer wellness and data system plans should be fully enacted.
- Continue to assess the progress of the evaluator’s plan; receive public input
- Begin annual policy reviews to determine if implemented policies are effective in moving forward with decree goals
- Officer wellness and data system plans should be fully enacted.
Read more
The full report is available online and below:
Minneapolis, MN
‘No Kings’ Rallies on March 28 across Minnesota: List
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Several “No Kings” rallies are planned across Minnesota for March 28, with a flagship event being held in St. Paul.
Over 3,000 “No Kings” events are planned across the U.S. for that day.
‘No Kings’ rallies
What they’re saying:
Organizers are calling the upcoming “No Kings” rally “the largest single-day nonviolent nationwide protests in U.S. history.”
“Just months ago, millions of people took to the streets across thousands of events to say no to Trump’s abuses of power, and today that movement is only growing. With every ICE raid, every escalation abroad, and every abuse of power at home, Americans are rising up in opposition to Trump’s attempt to rule through fear and force. Each day Trump crosses a new red line, and more people are deciding they’ve had enough,” said Ezra Levin, Co-Executive Director of Indivisible. “That is why people across the country are organizing, showing up for their neighbors, and making one thing unmistakably clear: we are done with the corruption, the cruelty, and the authoritarianism. This No Kings will be the largest protest in American history. We are all united in this fight to save our democracy from this administration, and we will win. From every corner of this country, we are all saying: NO KINGS.”
The backstory:
Several nationwide “No Kings” rallies have been held over the past year to oppose the Trump administration, including events in June and October.
This “No Kings” rally comes after a major Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surge in Minnesota, and the fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
No Kings meaning:
The rallies are organized by the 50501 movement – which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement – which was created by Reddit users.
With the “No Kings” slogan, protesters are opposing what they see as authoritarian behavior by President Trump.
‘No Kings’ rallies planned across Minnesota
Local perspective:
Some of the speakers expected to speak at the St. Paul rally are Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, singer and activist Joan Baez and actor and activist Jane Fonda.
READ MORE: ‘No Kings’ rally in St. Paul on March 28: List of speakers
Here is a list of some rallies being held across Minnesota on March 28.
- St. Paul: The march and rally held in the capital city is the “flagship event” for the “No Kings” rallies. The marches in St. Paul will start at noon, with the rally starting at 2 p.m. There will be three marches that will all converge at the Minnesota State Capitol. The marches will start at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul College and Western Sculpture Park.
- St. Paul: 1–3 p.m., Lexington Parkway and 7th Street West
- St. Paul: 12-2 p.m., Cleveland Bridge over Interstate 94
- Stillwater: 12-2 p.m., Oak Park Crossing Park, 15125 60th Street North
- White Bear Lake: 1–3 p.m., Railroad Park, 4752 Highway 61 North
- Eagan: 12-1 p.m., Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road
- Inver Grove Heights: 12-2 p.m., 80th Street Bridge over Highway 52
- Minneapolis: 12-3 p.m., Lake Nokomis, East 52nd Street and Cedar Avenue
- Columbia Heights: 1-2:30 p.m., 49th Avenue Northeast Pedestrian Bridge
- New Brighton Bridge Brigade Bonaza: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. six locations across six bridges in the city: Silver Lake Road at Interstae 694, Long Lake Road at I-694, County Road E2 at Interstate 35W, County Road D at 35W, 10th Street at I-35W, County Road H at I-35W
- St. Louis Park: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 3663 Park Center Boulevard
- Richfield: 1-3 p.m., Penn Avenue South and West 66th Street, and Lyndale Avenue and West 66th Street
- Golden Valley: 12-1:30 p.m., Highway 55 and Winnetka Avenue North
- Burnsville: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Burnhaven Library, 1101 County Road 42 West
- Lakeville: 2–4 p.m., Kenwood Trail and Kendrick Avenue
- Chaska: 1–3 p.m., North Chestnut Street and Hazeltine Boulevard
There are several “No Kings” rallies scheduled all over Minnesota on March 28. To see if there is a rally in your area, click here. Some require sign-ups to see the exact location.
The Source: This story uses information shared by Indivisible Twin Cities and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Duluth-to-Minneapolis Electric Train Doesn’t Have to be a Dream
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared as an opinion column in the Duluth News Tribune on March 9, 2026
“There are those that look at things the way they are and ask, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’” This quote from Irish playwright and political activist George Bernard Shaw was popularized by Robert F. Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign.
In August 2019, White Earth Nation member and Anishinaabe activist Winona LaDuke offered a suggestion in a column for Forum Communications: “How about an electric train, Duluth? You could be the leader in the next economy. Driving is highly overrated. … An electric train would be quiet, a lot quieter than what they’ve got going in Duluth for sure.”
I would add to her wise words that, despite having higher initial infrastructure costs to build because of overhead lines and electric substations, electric locomotives usually cost 20% less than diesel locomotives, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. They offer superior performance and efficiency over diesel, featuring over 90% energy efficiency, higher acceleration and hauling power, lower operating costs (25%-35% less maintenance and costing up to 50% less to run) and zero tailpipe emissions. Electric locomotives don’t carry the weight of 3,000 to 5,500 gallons of diesel fuel. They surpass diesel locomotives while pulling urban and commuter trains, as well as pulling heavier freight trains because of their ability to be quieter with steady and high torque.
In addition, I’m sure Minnesota Power would be happy to sell electric power, created by renewable resources, to power an electric train in Duluth.
Inspired by LaDuke’s sensible words, I started researching electrically powered railways in Minnesota. A few weeks ago, I found a website describing the Arrow Line Railway marker sign on the Sunrise Loop trail in Wild River State Park, about an hour and 50 minutes south of Duluth. The marker sign tells visitors, “If the dreams of the promoters of the Arrow Line Railway had come true, trains would be crossing the St. Croix River into Wisconsin at this spot. Forty feet above your head, a steel bridge would have carried a double-tracked, electrically-powered railway on the shortest route between the Twin Cities and the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior.”
The Historical Marker Database website further explains, “Construction by the Twin Cities & Lake Superior Railway Company took place in 1907-1909. Forty miles of roadbed were built from the edge of the Twin Cities to this spot, and thirteen miles of grade were built near the Duluth end of the line. But, no rails were ever installed and no trains ever ran.”
Promoters proclaimed the Arrow Line Railway was designed to travel passengers and freight from the Twin Cities to the Twin Ports and return in about two hours. They made this prediction using the electric-locomotive technology and the structural engineering that was available in the early 1900s. Just imagine how much faster that travel time could be using the electric-locomotive technology and the structural engineering available in the 2020s.
George Bernard Shaw also said, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
More than 100 years ago, this dream died when the line’s strongest promoter, L.N. Loomis, president of the Twin Cities & Lake Superior Railway Company, died unexpectedly. His death, however, does not mean his worthwhile dream has to be gone forever.
Throughout the U.S., state departments of transportation build and own railroad lines. Imagine if the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Wisconsin Department of Transportation built this groundbreaking (in more ways than one) Arrow Line Railway. It would become one of the most useful state-supported Amtrak rail corridors.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them,” Walt Disney said.
Construction-project dreams can be abandoned and then years or decades later be brought back to life. One of many examples is New York City’s Second Avenue Subway that was first proposed in 1920. It was then partly constructed between 1972 and 1975, before being canceled because of a fiscal crisis. The first phase opened in 2017. The second phase has started planning, design, environmental studies, and utility relocation. If the electric Second Avenue Subway had 97 years between first proposals to completion of the first phase, then our electric Arrow Line Railway can also be brought back to life.
Midwesterners should stop asking why business-building go-getters of the past couldn’t complete the line. Instead, we should have the courage to ask how we present-day people can now complete it.
LaDuke and other promoters of sustainable transportation realize the dream of an electric railway between Minneapolis and Duluth. They are aware of the numerous benefits it could bring to current and future generations of citizens. Let’s help them revive the Arrow Line Railway as soon as possible.
LaDuke asked, “How about an electric train, Duluth?” Our answer should be, “Yes.”
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Minneapolis, MN
Allina To Join CA-Based Sutter Health
Allina Health and Sacramento-based Sutter Health have signed a letter of intent for Allina to join Sutter, creating a combined nonprofit health system serving Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northern and central California, the two organizations announced Tuesday.
Under the agreement, Allina Health would become the Upper Midwest Division of Sutter Health, keeping the Allina name, brand and regional headquarters in Minneapolis. Sutter would maintain its headquarters in Northern California. Lisa Shannon would remain president and CEO of Allina, and Warner Thomas would lead the combined system as president and CEO of Sutter.
A more than $2 billion investment in Minnesota and western Wisconsin will be used to establish new ambulatory care locations and expand specialty institutes, and accelerate physician and clinician recruitment, among other things, according to the announcement.
The new health system would have a combined 18,000 physicians and 88,000 employees serving over 5 million patients across three states. The system would include 39 hospitals and more than 400 primary and specialty care sites.
“As one nationally leading, locally committed nonprofit health system, we will be uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of innovation, building upon the expertise of our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and team members to chart a new path for healthcare,” Shannon said in the news release announcing the agreement.
Allina has had operating losses over the past four years, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported, noting the Sutter deal is similar to an acquisition but Sutter is not paying for its controlling interest.
“Healthcare organizations across the country are facing complex challenges and a rapidly evolving landscape,” Thomas said in the news release. “As trusted nonprofit health systems, we have a responsibility to fundamentally transform care for patients and communities across the country.”
Executives told the Tribune that Allina patients shouldn’t see near-term charges in their doctors, services or insurance coverage.
Allina and Sutter anticipate closing on the agreement by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
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