Minneapolis, MN
Journalist Michele Norris to headline Minneapolis MLK breakfast
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast is scheduled for Jan. 20 in Minneapolis with a keynote address by journalist and Minnesotan Michele Norris.
The 35th annual breakfast, which host General Mills says is one of the largest in the country, will be held from 8-9:30 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m., with pre-event programming starting at 7:30 a.m.) at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It’s held every year in support of the United Negro College Fund.
“Every year, the Breakfast brings together nearly 2,500 people – community leaders, elected officials, teachers and students, nonprofit members, corporate employees, and more – all who have a passion and commitment to bringing people together and serving others,” General Mills Communications Manager Mollie Wulff said. “Year after year, we hear that the breakfast is like ‘a big family reunion.’”
The theme of the new year’s event is “One People,” inspired by a message from Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
“The Breakfast is an opportunity for the local community to honor Dr. King and live out his message of unity and serving others,” Wulff said.
Award-winning journalist, radio host and author Michele Norris will speak on topics of race, culture and communication in America. The program will be moderated by Blue Cross Endowed Professor of Health and Racial Equity Founding Director, Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, Dr. Rachel Hardeman.
A former NPR journalist, Norris was born in Minneapolis and “encouraged by her parents to read the newspaper and watch the evening news” growing up, according to thehistorymakers.org. She attended Washburn High School and eventually majored in journalism and mass communications at the University of Minnesota.
Norris reported for multiple media outlets including the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and L.A Times. Because of her work, she has won numerous awards including the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award, the National Association of Black Journalists’ Salute to Excellence Award, Ebony magazine’s Outstanding Women in Marketing & Communications Award and was named one of Essence Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Black Americans.
A current resident of Washington, D.C., Norris is also an MSNBC Senior Contributing Editor; founder of “The Race Card Project,” which asks people globally to share their thoughts and questions about race in six words; host of podcast “Your Mama’s Kitchen“; and author of the New York Times Best Selling book, “Our Hidden Conversations,” which explores uncomfortable conversations surrounding race and identity.
Sounds of Blackness, a three-time Grammy-winning band that got their start at Macalester College, is scheduled to perform at the event as well. The band’s sound is a blend of jazz, blues, spirituals, rock and roll, hip-hop and soul. Threads Dance Project, with a Choral Reading by VocalEssence Singers of this Age, will also be performing.
Proceeds from the breakfast will go to UNCF Twin Cities, helping under-represented students attend college in honor of King, who graduated from a historically Black college.
“We are grateful for General Mills’ partnership in bringing this cornerstone event to the Twin Cities community every year,” Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF said in the release. “This event helps provide life-changing support for students to help them get to and through college and go after their dreams.”
To purchase tickets and for more event information, visit MLKBreakfast.com.
Originally Published:
Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
Minneapolis, MN
Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws
AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
-
World4 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO4 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers