Minneapolis, MN
OPINION EXCHANGE | Counterpoint: On road to liberation, there's only one 'lane'
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Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw’s recent commentary (“On Gaza, council out of its lane, meeting out of control,” Jan. 11) is a far reach from the call for collaboration she claims it is. Vetaw’s article, published on the eve of South Africa’s appearance in the International Court of Justice to provide evidence of Israel’s violation of the Genocide Convention, demonstrates that Minneapolis leadership needs to pay attention to the voices of its constituents now more than ever.
The City Council has a moral obligation to place pressure on the state and national governments to end aid to Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza. As a collective of Ward 4 constituents and stakeholders, we are concerned by Vetaw’s blatant lack of regard for the more than 23,000 lives stolen since Oct. 7, and the many thousands still under the rubble.
This genocide has been livestreamed for the world to see. Despite numerous human rights organizations concluding Israel is engaged in war crimes and a “textbook case of genocide,” Vetaw suggests the issue is just too complicated for constituents and leaders in Minneapolis to understand.
In reality, passage of resolutions supporting a cease-fire by local governments is neither new nor unfounded. A number of cities across the United States have already passed resolutions supporting a cease-fire, including Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit, San Francisco and Oakland, Calif.
Council Member Vetaw poses a question: “What makes my colleagues think anyone in Israel or Gaza cares what they think?” A brief Google search will show you that Palestinians have been tirelessly sharing about their struggle for decades. Mohammed El-Kurd, a Palestinian poet and correspondent for the Nation, challenges us to “be unabashed in [our] support and articulation of Palestinian’s right to liberation and self defense against Israeli terror.”
On Nov. 1, Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer shared one of his last poems before being killed by an Israeli airstrike, “If I must die, you must live to tell my story … if I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.” Our timelines are flooded with videos of airstrikes, hospitals in ruins and parents mourning their children, because Palestinian people want us to know what is happening and they are insisting that we speak out against it.
For Vetaw to even pose this question demonstrates that she is not listening to the Palestinian people in Gaza or in Minneapolis.
Council Member Vetaw’s claim that Israel’s decadeslong occupation in Palestine is a complicated geopolitical issue, somehow beyond the scope of the City Council, is in direct contradiction with her decision to sign onto the council’s April 2022 resolution expressing unity with the people of Ukraine, and calling for additional funding from the U.S. government.
She describes the first City Council meeting of 2024 as “chaotic,” and the impassioned community members voicing their support for the cease-fire and the passage of the resolution as “disgraceful,” falsely labeling them as bullies. In reality, this was an act of community, with many stakeholders on all sides of the issue showing up to participate in the democratic process of our city.
Council Member Vetaw’s article also claims no “major” Jewish organizations were consulted in creating the City Council’s resolution. However, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Minnesota) names numerous organizations, including IfNotNow MN, Jewish Voice for Peace and American Muslims for Palestine, who contributed to the writing of the resolution. These organizations and their members asked that the city of Minneapolis support a “full, immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza and for state and federal delegations to use their full authority to advance immediate and permanent cease-fire, and urgently needed humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
Council Member Vetaw wants the City Council to “stay in its lane.” As we honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, we find his words as timely as ever: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
We believe that all of our lanes converge on the road to liberation.
Noah Schumacher, Anusha Ramaswami, Amber Buck and D.A. Bullock are residents of Minneapolis, Ward 4. Jordan Kushner is a member of the National Lawyers Guild. Samantha Alsadi is a member of the Minnesota Anti War Committee.
Minneapolis, MN
Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis
It happened early Monday morning in Minneapolis.
One person is dead and another is hospitalized after an early-morning crash in south Minneapolis on Monday that sent a Metro Transit bus into a home.
It happened at around 4 a.m. at 10th Avenue South and East 38th Street, just a few blocks east of George Floyd Square.
A spokesperson for Metro Transit police tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a truck was speeding down 10th Avenue when it hit the back of the bus, ripping a tire off the bus and sending it into the front of a home.
The driver of that truck died, according to Metro Transit police, while the driver of the bus was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK.
Officials say nobody besides the driver was on the bus at the time, and the home the bus hit was also empty at the time.
Investigators are still at the scene, working to clean up all of the debris and determine exactly what led up to the crash.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is at the scene and working to learn more. Download the KSTP app and follow 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on social media for the latest updates.
Minneapolis, MN
Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season
The Atlanta Dream trailed by double digits, fought back twice and still needed Angel Reese’s game-saving block in the final seconds to survive.
Atlanta opened the 2026 WNBA season with a 91-90 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, powered by Allisha Gray’s 24 points, Te-Hina Paopao’s pull-up jumper with 12 seconds remaining, and a performance that left little doubt about what this team intends to do this season.
Reese’s block on Emese Hof’s layup attempt in the closing seconds sealed one of the most dramatic opening-night wins before 10,821 fans at Target Center.
When Minnesota pushed its advantage to 13 points in the second quarter and the Dream looked like they were in serious trouble, Allisha Gray took over. The veteran guard finished with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting, going a near-perfect 9-of-11 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Gray’s ability to get to the line and convert kept Atlanta within striking distance throughout a game that could have spiraled out of control multiple times. She scored 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Dream chipped away at Minnesota’s lead.
Rhyne Howard was equally important on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five assists and three steals. Jordin Canada ran the offense efficiently with 12 points and six assists, and Paopao added six points and four assists in a composed performance off the bench.
With Atlanta trailing 85-87 and the clock winding down, Naz Hillmon stepped back and drained a 22-foot three-pointer with 2:44 left to tie the game and silence the fans in the Target Center. It was the shot of the night, and arguably the play that won Atlanta the game.
Hillmon finished with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, adding seven rebounds in 33 minutes. She was the Dream’s most reliable scorer off the bench and delivered her best basketball when Atlanta needed it most.
Rookie Madina Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.
Angel Reese’s first game in a Dream uniform was complicated. She shot 4-of-11 from the field, committed five turnovers and picked up a first-quarter technical foul that gifted Minnesota a free point. At one point in the first half, she missed three consecutive shots on the same possession.
But Reese also grabbed 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass, blocked three shots, came up with two steals, and made the most important play of the game when it mattered most. Her block on Hof’s layup in the final seconds was the kind of athletic, instinctive play that changes games and defines seasons.
That is the player Atlanta acquired this offseason. On opening night, in the most pressure-packed moment of the game, she showed exactly why.
Minnesota had every opportunity to win this game and couldn’t finish it. Olivia Miles finished with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight assists to go along with eight free throws made. Kayla McBride scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:11 left that looked like it might be the dagger.
Courtney Williams added 14 points and six assists, and the Lynx shot 50 percent from the field, a number that should have been good enough to win.
But 15 turnovers and an inability to execute in the game’s final minute proved too costly. Minnesota had chances to put Atlanta away in the fourth quarter and couldn’t. The Dream made them pay every time.
Atlanta continues its opening road trip Tuesday against the Dallas Wings before returning home for the May 17 opener against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena. Minnesota hosts Atlanta again on May 27.
Minneapolis, MN
Woman dead after argument leads to shooting in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A shooting in south Minneapolis left a woman dead Saturday night.
Fatal shooting on Pillsbury Avenue South
What we know:
According to Minneapolis police, officers responded to a report of gunfire near Pillsbury Avenue South and West 25th Street around 5:30 p.m.
A woman was found at the scene with life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
Police believe that an argument inside an apartment led to gunfire.
The suspected shooter fled the scene before police responded.
What we don’t know:
Police did not say what led up to the shooting or if they made any arrests.
The woman has not yet been identified.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on the shooting can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or click here to submit a tip.
The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department.
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