Minneapolis, MN

The mayor of Minneapolis joked that remote work turns you into a 'loser' with a 'nasty cat blanket'

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

The mayor of Minneapolis joked that remote work turns you into a 'loser' with a 'nasty cat blanket'

Minneapolis’ mayor Jacob Frey took aim at remote workers during an address, saying WFHe turns you into a loser.
The mayor was discussing the benefits of visiting the city’s business district and his revitalization efforts.
Minneapolis, like many cities, is struggling to attract people to its downtown post-pandemic.

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey made a jibe about remote workers being ‘losers’ while touting the benefits of visiting the city’s business district.

Frey was speaking during the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s annual meeting on Wednesday about his vision for downtown Minneapolis — the city’s central business district, as reported by Fox 9. The area has struggled with empty office buildings as people continue to work remotely.

“Come back to work,” the mayor said during the address. “I don’t know if you saw this study the other day, but what this study clearly showed is that when people who have the ability to come downtown to an office, don’t.

“When they stay home, sitting on their couch with their nasty cat blanket, diddling on their laptop. If they do that for a few months, you become a loser. It’s a study. We’re not losers, are we?”

He added: “We’re winners, we’re resilient, we’re tough, we’re strong, we’re innovative. We rise to the challenge, we get knocked down seven times, and we get back up eight. That is who we are as a city.”

Although the remarks appeared to be a joke, Frey has previously emphasized the issue of empty office buildings in the district.

He said that office buildings in the district will only go back to being “75% to 80% occupied” at maximum since the pandemic, which leaves a lot of office space unused, per CBS News.

And as remote work continues to persist, the demand for traditional office spaces is also decreasing.

As a result, Frey proposed revitalization efforts in 2023 to turn the area into a “playground” with bars, restaurants, and other attractions. Part of these efforts include encouraging businesses to bring workers back to the office.

The mayor’s views are shared by major companies across the US. Firms like Meta, Salesforce, and X have walked back their flexible working policies and have put in place strict return-to-office mandates.

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Minneapolis, MN

Metro E Line opens in Minneapolis

Published

8 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

article

Metro Transit E Line. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Local leaders celebrated the opening of the new Metro E Line at Minneapolis College.

READ MORE: South Minneapolis business owners cautiously optimistic about new E-line

Metro E Line opens

What they’re saying:

The E Line runs along France, Hennepin and University Avenues, connecting Southdale, downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.

The 13-mile route runs from Southdale to the University of Minnesota and is expected to serve 3,000 riders a day, officials say.

The project utilized $12 million in federal funding as well as state funding with Metropolitan Council investments.

Metro Transit emphasized better lighting conditions, more security cameras and heated bus shelters.

‘Construction was tough’

The backstory:

For Victoria Ford, opening a bookstore for adults in Linden Hills was a fairytale, but soon “Comma, A Bookshop” will begin a new chapter, when it comes to customers getting to her business.

“Excited. It’s been a long time coming. We had the construction last year and I’m just glad to see it ready and see what happens with people riding it,” said Ford.

Last year, FOX 9 showed you how construction on the project caused road closures and detours at 50th and France and Linden Hills, with some business owners saying their bottom line was down 60%.

The 50th and France Business Association says customers are slowly coming back, and it is cautiously optimistic the new E-Line will bring more people to the area.

“It was unconscionable what happened. But we believe in forgiveness and we are excited for this line to come here and do all the things it says its going to do,” said Rebecca Sorensen, Executive Director of the 50th & France Business Association.

For Victoria Ford, opening a bookstore for adults in Linden Hills was a fairytale, but soon “Comma, A Bookshop” will begin a new chapter, when it comes to customers getting to her business.

“Excited. It’s been a long time coming. We had the construction last year and I’m just glad to see it ready and see what happens with people riding it,” said Ford.

The Source: This story uses information shared by Metro Transit officials and local legislative leaders.

TransportationMetro TransitMinneapolis

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Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota weather: What to expect with Saturday’s snow

Published

21 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota weather: What to expect with Saturday’s snow

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Another clipper system swings through the Midwest on Saturday afternoon, which will bring some quick snow accumulation to southern Minnesota.

Snow for southern Minnesota

Local perspective:

The Twin Cities are on the northern edge of this storm, so expect a little bit of snow up to around an inch for the metro. This will be similar to what fell this Friday morning, but this time falling after 2 p.m.

Southern Minnesota will get the bulk of the snow, with snow totals quickly increasing once you go south of the Twin Cities.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for all of southern Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.

Snow is expected to wrap up for everyone by overnight.

How much snow could MN get?

By the numbers:

The highest snow totals will be found along the border with Minnesota and Iowa. Some North Iowa counties will exceed 6 inches of snow.

Meanwhile, the Twin Cities will see a trace of snow to about an inch of accumulation.

Winter WeatherMinnesota

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Minneapolis, MN

ICE agents enter Minneapolis restaurant without signed warrant – MinnPost

Published

1 day ago

December 5, 2025

Press Room

ICE agents enter Minneapolis restaurant without signed warrant – MinnPost

An owner of a south Minneapolis restaurant said ICE agents entered the facility during business hours without a signed judicial warrant, KARE 11-TV reports. Hola Arepa owner and chef Christina Nguyen said “the officers were using intimidation tactics to instill fear in the restaurant’s employees, including telling them that agents ‘have the place surrounded.’” The agents left after staff asked them to present a signed warrant.

Gov. Tim Walz has joined in condemning President Trump’s remarks disparaging Minnesota’s Somali population, calling Trump’s words “vile, racist lies.” At a Thursday event on the state budget forecast, “Walz started by addressing Trump’s comments,” MPR News reports. “He lamented that ‘we’ve got little children going to school today, who their president called them garbage.’” But Republican lawmakers at the event “gingerly fielded questions about Trump’s remarks.” “Asked directly if she agreed with the president, GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth avoided condemning them and focused her remarks mostly on fraud cases.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE arrested 12 people in Minneapolis this week, including six men were from Mexico, five from Somalia and one from El Salvador. “The department called ICE’s focus on the Twin Cities ‘Operation Metro Surge,‘” reports the Minnesota Star Tribune.

ProPublica obtained a recorded conversation between police and leaders at a Duluth church that reveals a years-long practice of sweeping child abuse under the rug with a “forgive and forget” approach. As ProPublica reports: “’This was like a fucking machine,’ said assistant St. Louis County attorney Mike Ryan, ‘that was basically trying to roll over these girls.’”

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