Melody Hoffmann
@phmelody.bsky.social
Your friendly neighbor and community reporter. Currently at North News and Southwest Voices. I also cosplay as a weather reporter. CONTACT: melody.hoffmann@gmail.com and on Signal @phmelody.143 she/her, Minneapolis, Midwest
in case anyone needs to show this to someone on NextDoor, reporters are trained, for ethical reasons, to not report widely on suicides because it has been shown, via credible research, to produce "copycat" suicides so that is why you won't be seeing everything on the news. need help? call 988. <3
Two feelings at the same time: So happy the country finally is paying attention to the WNBA // mourning not being able to afford this continual level of access for my niblings. (Note how many open seats there are). Photo taken in 2022
Undercover Homeland Security agents joined Signal chats, attended in-person meetings of anti-ICE protesters, used AI to compile photo dossiers of protesters, and more.
Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge • Minnesota Reformer
Homeland Security investigators secretly recorded conversations, infiltrated Signal chats and obtained financial records for labor unions and progressive groups as part of a wide-ranging surveillance ...
minnesotareformer.com
Undercover agent looks like they try to entrap organizer by saying they could build something (dangerous) for a direct action, despite it being a non-violent group
madi mcvan@madisonmcvan.bsky.social · last wk.for example. this is an ROI included in the court filings, from an undercover agent who attended a Sunrise Movement meeting at the Minneapolis Public Library:
More info on the hyperlocal surveillance:
Jon Collins@jcollins.bsky.social · last wk.Legal documents released today show federal law enforcement officials extensively surveilled public meetings and activists during the ICE surge, and created dossiers on political enemies. I've been busy, but will post some takeaways on this thread soon: (1) www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
ICE plans to give officers gloves (ETA March 2027) that can deliver painful electric shocks. Cost: $20 million.
AP Exclusive: ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks that are intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.
apnews.com
After years of being told to go outside, the kids finally do and... The people are terrified? Sheesh.
Interns at @mynorthnews.bsky.social have been reporting on gun violence this summer. According to community orgs that have been around for decades, do you know what helps keep violence at bay? Filling kids time. Sports at night. You could not ask for something better. Leave the kids alone.
Melody Hoffmann@phmelody.bsky.social · 2w agoThe kids have nowhere else to go. Let them ride around on scooters for god's sake.
The kids have nowhere else to go. Let them ride around on scooters for god's sake.
sunrise report: be grateful for our sunlight because we are losing it (I just edited away a newsletter that had 30 more minutes of sunlight). today the sun woke up at 5:57 a.m. and she sets at 8:40 p.m. still a glorious 14 hours and 43 minutes of light.
One neighbor helped another neighbor recoup the cost of their stolen form of transportation in less than an hour. When unfortunate things happen to people who take care of their community, the community responds.
Laura G Mitchell@lauragmitchell.com · 4w agoI'm raising funds to help @lookitup.baby replace their beloved ebike after it was stolen from their garage this week. Please share and donate if you're able! Ian has done so much for our neighbors. This is a great way to support them. gofund.me/e86771edc 🚲 ❤️
I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about not enough street parking in Minneapolis. There is a T tex parked on the street.
I am behind on this, but a final vote to un-veto a veto failed in City Council last week. If I am reading this correctly, Mayor Frey vetoed a Ballpark Authority appointment. To add to the convo, here is why CM Whiting didn't vote to un-veto:
taylr@taylordahlin.com · 2mo agominneapolis mayor jacob frey has vetoed city council's appointment of former state rep jim davnie to minnesota ballpark authority, which had passed council 8-4 (1 absent). local NAACP opposed justin baylor's removal frey said council's idea of davnie's qualifications was out of scope of the role
NO NOPE NO. I DON'T WANT IT. MAKE IT FO AWAY. NEVER ASKED FOR IT. I WANT NO PART IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS PLANET. I GUESS I QUIT GMAIL. WHAT IS MY NEW EMAIL?
In chasing McKinnon's impersonation around YouTube, I stumbled into a skit with McConnell and Graham
Meet the Press Cold Open - SNL
YouTube video by Saturday Night Live
m.youtube.com
Reminder: Memphis is still “under full-blown occupation” by ICE. Task force members have reportedly killed at least two people in four days.
Memphis is “under full-blown occupation” by ICE. Here’s why you may not know that.
Community members face retaliation for trying to spread the word out, a lawsuit alleges.
motherjones.com
Broadcasters, publishers, and platforms are responding very differently to the U.K.’s proposed news prominence rules. Joshua Benton breaks it down for Nieman Lab.
The British government wants to force more trustworthy news into your doomscrolling
The British government is asking social media companies to put more news — real news, produced by public service broadcasters like the BBC — high up in people's feeds. And if companies refuse, it'll pass laws to require it. That's the main takeaway from a new report issued Tuesday on a host …
niemanlab.org
If Fourth of July fireworks aren’t your thing, the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is offering a quieter light show. The annual Firefly Viewing Nights lets visitors trade fireworks for fireflies, as naturalists warn the glowing insects are disappearing in many parts of the country.
Firefly viewing nights return to the U of M Arboretum with a silent fireworks show
A summer tradition at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum lets visitors trade fireworks for fireflies, as naturalists warn the glowing insects are disappearing in many parts of the country.
mprnews.org
Wisconsin wx news: Vernon County got so much rain that the small town of Viroqua had to release wastewater into the Kickapoo River.
Heavy rainfall causes sewer overflow in Viroqua – VernonReporter
vernonreporter.com
TLDR; neighbors are upset, people need help.
Southwest Voices@southwestvoices.bsky.social · 2mo agoDespite social services from Hennepin County and MPD's "high-visibility patrols at Lake Street and Blaisdell Avenue every shift" Whittier residents are seeing open narcotic sales and use move into their alleys. Some are asking why it's taking so long to address the problem.
I know a lot of people will be interested in this: U.S. Supreme Court overturns a 7-2 ruling regarding Monsanto and a man who said "long-term use of the weedkiller Roundup caused him to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer."
US Supreme Court hands win to Monsanto in case related to claims Roundup causes cancer • Minnesota Reformer
State courts cannot find liability for labeling shortcomings in pesticides and similar products because such products are covered by federal law, the U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday in a decision bac...
minnesotareformer.com
I know @deveric.net and I maybe someone else were chatting about spray.bike for painting our bikes. My young nephew used their paint yesterday for his bike. "Floura" paint quality can be frustrating but results are BRIGHT (pink). Regular paint goes on super nice.
The @wedge.live cat tour map for tonight, June 24, has dropped. Instructions sent to attendees include not clapping or cheering for the cats as the cats do not enjoy the noise. The tour starts at 6 p.m. John (Chet Wedgely) is a prompt person so don't dilly dally getting there and avoid driving.
So proud of my North News dream team on consistently producing award-winning work. My local politics/gov't reporting for North News was recognized by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists. This included my piece on Northside mayoral candidate DeWayne Davis. @mynorthnews.bsky.social
The MN Society of Professional Journalists board put together a video of national journalists and a former U.S. president thanking Minnesota reporters for our work this year. It was played at the MNSPJ award ceremony last night. What a gift. @mnspj.bsky.social
Messages of support for Minnesota journalists
YouTube video by mnspj
m.youtube.com
Sylvia Fowles is back in the WNBA. I hope she still does her morgue stuff, though. 💀
Cassidy Hettesheimer@cassidyhett.bsky.social · 2mo agoLynx welcome back Portland Fire assistant coach Sylvia Fowles and asst. coach Sefu Bernard (former Lynx director of player development)
Unless something has change imminently, a person who shot at the police earlier today is still at-large after a shelter in place was lifted at and around 35th & Oliver in North Minneapolis.
