Transportation

Mayor Frey Vetoes Rideshare Plan — Uber/Lyft Threatens to Leave Minneapolis 🚗

The Summary: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed a pay hike for rideshare drivers approved by the City Council. If the original vote count holds, the city council can override Frey’s veto. 

Uber and Lyft Threaten Departure: The rideshare companies have threatened to leave Minneapolis, saying the cost increase would make it unsustainable to continue operating in Minneapolis. 

State Study Impacts Debate: A new state-commissioned study shows that drivers in Minneapolis make less than the $15 minimum wage. The report also suggests drivers would need to make $1.20 per mile in order to make minimum wage – a number that is lower than the $1.40 per mile rate that the city council approved. 

From Frey: Mayor Jacob Frey has stated his support for raising wages for rideshare drivers, but not to the point where Uber and Lyft leave the city. 

“There’s a lot of reasons to increase the pay for drivers, and there’s a lot of reasons to keep this important service here in our city. I support a rate of pay in line with the data provided in the statewide study.” -Jacob Frey

What’s next: Mayor Frey plans to hold a special city council meeting on March 14th where a new vote will be held to determine if the veto will be overridden. 

Police

Minneapolis Police Launches Recruitment Campaign – Shows Wrong City in Advertisement Video 🚔

The Summary: The Minneapolis Police Department launched a marketing campaign, “Imagine Yourself”, to recruit candidates to help address staffing shortages in emergency-response agencies.

Comprehensive Marketing Effort: The city is investing $950,000 in the campaign with the funds coming from a $7 million federal grant allocated for recruiting and retention.

Staffing Shortages: As of January, the police force decreased to 565 from nearly 900 in 2019, with the dispatch center understaffed by 10 to 15 operators

Campaign Video Mishap: A video ad for the new campaign showed a clip of Baltimore, not Minneapolis. The video has been removed from YouTube.

Business

❯ Cannabis Sales Face Delays: Minnesota's plan to launch full-scale retail marijuana sales by the first quarter of 2025 is facing hurdles, primarily due to regulatory procedures in drafting rules and issuing licenses. Government officials say its possible some retailers could still open by next year. 

❯ UHG Pays Ransom in Cyberattack: A hacker forum post claimed that UnitedHealth Group paid $22 million to recover access to data compromised in last week’s cyberattack, although neither UnitedHealth nor the hackers confirmed the payment. The cyberattack has affected many healthcare practices nationwide with some unable to bill patients for their services.

❯ Xcel Admits Blame: Xcel Energy admitted its facilities contributed to the massive wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, one of the largest in Texas history, prompted a lawsuit against Xcel Energy, with claims that a broken utility pole caused the blaze.

Government/Politics

❯ St. Paul Passes Ceasefuire Resolution: The St. Paul City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Israel and Gaza after months of urging from protesters. Council Member Cheniqua Johnson introduced the resolution which passed with a 7-0 vote.

❯ Housing Bill Advances: A bill prohibiting corporate developers from converting single-family homes into rental units advanced to the House Judiciary Committee. Corporate ownership of single-family homes has doubled in Minnesota since 2006. 

❯ Phillips Drops Out: Rep. Dean Phillips suspended his campaign after a disappointing performance on Super Tuesday. Phillips, although maintaining some criticisms of Biden, endorsed the president's reelection.

GAME: Three Headlines and a Lie

The rules are simple. There are four headlines, three are real ones and one is a fraud. Try to spot the lie — the links will reveal which one’s are real and which one is the lie.

❯ Minneapolis community members paid their respects over the weekend to a turkey named ‘Gregory Peck’ who was found dead (link)

❯ Minneapolis recently ranked in the top 10 “loneliest” cities in the United States (link)

❯ Cake sales skyrocketed at local Edina bakery after the high school hockey team won the Class AA state championship (link)

❯ For just $9, two guests will get to spend the night in the St. Paul Cathedral (link)

What Else We’re Reading…

A Minnesota tradition unlike any other: The All Hockey Hair Team

The Minnesota Boys High School State Hockey Tournament wrapped up this weekend with Edina and St.Cloud Cathedral capturing the titles in Class AA and A, respectively. The other champions being crowned were the members of the All Hockey hair team, part of an annual tradition that fans celebrate each year. Check out the full video here.

Sports

🏀 The Gopher women’s basketball team ended their season at the Target Center with a loss to Michigan in the second round of the Big 10 Tournament.

🏒 Gopher Men’s Hockey defeated Penn State in the first round of the Big 10 hockey tournament. They will face Michigan at home in the semifinals.

🏀 The Timberwolves’ Karl Anthony-Towns is set to have surgery on a torn meniscus but could still return early in the post-season for the Wolves.

🏒 The Gopher women’s hockey team is the #5 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and will face Clarkson in the quarterfinals on March 16th.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ A Minneapolis woman's Kia has been stolen 5 times since 2020 (Star Tribune)

❯ University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a nearly $1M contract for the incoming president (Kare11)

❯ July 4th fireworks are returning to downtown Minneapolis this summer (Fox9)

❯ New luxury retailers like Gucci and Moncler are set to open in Edina’s Southdale Mall later this year (Bring Me The News)

❯ Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting the Twin Cities on Thursday as part of her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour (Fox9)

Beyond the Twin Cities

Headlines From Greater Minnesota ✔

❯ Small businesses that rely on Minnesota winters could be eligible for federal disaster assistance due to lack of snow (MPR)

❯ New reporting shows that suicide rates are rising fastest in rural Minnesota (MPR)

❯ Cargill family member's company bought more homes on Duluth's Park Point (Star Tribune)

❯ St. Michael Police killed a man after he pulled a metal pipe from his waistband which officers mistook for a knife (WCCO)

The Final Word: Overcoming Adversity

You’ll want to watch this video about a Minneapolis North wrestler, Lamarcus Osborne, who recently placed 5th at the state meet. Osborne lost his dad at an early age and his mom passed away just last month. Despite this adversity, he became the most successful wrestler in Minneapolis North history.

-Patrick