🚰 Replacing Minneapolis’ lead pipes

A party priority: Minnesota Republicans have made “getting transgender girls out of girls sports” a campaign focal point, but MinnPost’s Matthew Blake reports actual complaints are hard to find. There’s only one case in Minnesota courts that has alleged harm due to a trans athlete’s participation in the sport. [MinnPost]

Transformation: Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, once predominantly white, are now more diverse than Minneapolis or St. Paul. The Strib’s Sarah Ritter reports this is partly due to white flight, immigration trends, and the availability of affordable housing after Black families were pushed out of Minneapolis during the financial crisis. [Star Tribune]

Tough choices: Minneapolis has 37,000 lines of lead pipes that need to be removed, and not enough money for all of them. Federal and state funding expires in 2027, so the city is prioritizing North Minneapolis neighborhoods with high levels of pollution and childcare facilities. [MinnPost]

Burgled coffee funds: Minneapolis City Council member Aurin Chowdhury is encouraging neighbors to support Crema Coffee + Cream and Rick’s Coffee Bar after burglars smashed their windows and stole cash. Both East Nokomis coffee shops reported break-ins on Friday morning. Rick’s, a coffee shop supporting war veterans and their families, is currently card-only. [Bring Me The News]

Overseas scheme: A Liberian government official is linked to 24 group homes locally, and over the last decade has collected at least $36 million in public dollars, according to an MPR News investigation. The report shows Sekou Dukuly at the center of state investigations, suspicious financial practices, and poor living conditions for people struggling with mental health and addiction. Four residents have died at group homes connected to Dukuly. [MPR News]

A third thing: What if the St. Paul and Minneapolis chambers of commerce came together to form one organization for Twin Cities businesses? Both boards vote on just that this Thursday. Proponents of the idea say it’s less of a merger than a shared infrastructure that expands the network and makes it easier for businesses to interact with one body. But some St. Paul business owners are reluctant, saying their businesses will lose out in a “de-facto” merger with Minneapolis. [Pioneer Press]

Tuesday, August 18

• 📻 LCD Soundsystem | The Armory
• 🎷 Grace Kelly | Dakota
• 📚 Black Authors Book Club | North Regional Library
• ⚾ Wine, Women & Baseball | Target Field
• 🎤 J. Cole | Target Center

Wednesday, August 19

• 🎶 Summer Nights in Rice | Landmark Center
• 😂 FunkyFrogBait | Parkway Theater
• 📖 “God’s Country” | Whittier Recreation Center
• 😌 Community Acupuncture | Queermunity
• ✍️ West Side Writers | Riverview Library
• 🐢 Miniature Desk Pets | George Latimer Central Library

• Senior Art Director at Carmichael Lynch | $90k–$110k per year
• Digital Marketing Specialist at Pinky Swear Foundation | $50k–$55k per year
• Manager of External Communications and Operations at Ramsey County Historical Society | $50k–$56k per year
• Draper/Tailor at Guthrie Theater | $36.17 per hour
• Archivist & Content Writer at University of Minnesota | $25 per hour (PT)