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Michael Walker

@micwalker1.bsky.social
383 followers 156 following 651 posts

Retired educator, hiking enthusiast and advocate for social justice issues.

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Reposted by Michael Walker
FOX 9 @fox9mn.bsky.social · 13h
The State Department is monitoring reports of a suspected fatal pneumonic plague case in Russia and is urging Moscow to share accurate information quickly as details remain unconfirmed.
bit.ly
US monitoring suspected fatal pneumonic plague case in Russia, State Department official says
The State Department is monitoring reports of a suspected fatal pneumonic plague case in Russia and is urging Moscow to share accurate information quickly as details remain unconfirmed.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Covie @covie93.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The man who took out full page ads demanding the death penalty for five Black and Latino teenagers falsely accused of rape is out here worried that the seven majority white Cornell frat boys accused of rape "won't get a fair shake".
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David Brauer @dbrauer.net · 01/10/2026
Please reskeet
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Pat Thompson @pattho.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thursday morning bridge brigade in Prospect Park (Minneapolis) over I-94.
People standing inside a cage-like pedestrian bridge over a highway. Long banner reads Vote early, he fears your vote. Smaller signs read Your voice - vote, Medicare for ALL, Jack Smith Fan Club, Keep Hope Alive, ICE out now. One person holds a Canadian flag, others small American flags.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 01/10/2026
"Federal agents engaged in a persistent and systematic pattern of flagrantly unconstitutional, indiscriminately abusive and frequently criminal acts during 'Operation Metro Surge,' " law professor Michael Stokes Paulsen writes.
bit.ly
Opinion | Months later, legal accountability for Operation Metro Surge has finally begun
"Federal immigration agents are not above our laws. Those who commit crimes must be held responsible."
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thanks, @katiecashman.bsky.social for showing up and speaking out for our low income families burdened with high energy costs.
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EHB on BET @ehbforbet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Many people who were critical of MPD cost overruns were denounced as alarmist or anti-police. Now MPD has admitted to the abuse of overtime hours. I am grateful current leadership is cracking down but deeply frustrated by this betrayal of the public trust and the time it took to get answers.
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Mike Spangenberg @mikespangenberg.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
MPD reports directly to Jacob Frey. This is entirely his responsibility.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 29/09/2026
An interim police chief is allowed to say things like "I inherited a mess." A three term mayor can't get away with that formulation. www.startribune.com/minneapolis-...
startribune.com
Interim Minneapolis police chief says he inherited a budget ‘mess’
Police leaders acknowledged during a City Council budget meeting that overtime was handed out too loosely in years past and said they’re now monitoring it more closely.
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Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 29/09/2026
🚨Take the Minneapolis 2050 survey. It will inform the goals and priorities of the city's next comprehensive plan. Deadline is September 30. www.reddit.com/r/CyclingMSP...
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Join us tomorrow, 8 am!! Let the mayor know that stealing from the Climate and Equity fund not only puts us further back of our goals, it takes money from hard working families who would benefit from home energy upgrades! Sign up here! secure.ngpvan.com/DWFnoopoUUy9...
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Peggy Flanagan @peggyflanagan.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Trump’s illegal war may be happening over there, but we're paying the price right here. My TV ad on rising prices is premiering during the Vikings game today. I hope you’ll tune in.
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SWAE Mpls @swaempls.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Tomorrow! Join us for SWAE on a Stick: Bite-sized political updates, each complete with action items or ways to connect with your Southwest neighbors organizing for things that matter. Thurs, 9/24, 7pm Meraki Center RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/swae-on-a-...
Yellow, blue, and green graphic with photos of fair food and the following text:

Monthly SWAE Gathering 
Thurs Sept 24, 2026
Meraki Center
100 W 46th Street 
7:00-9:00pm
Hosted by Southwest Alliance for Equity 

SWAE on a Stick
Bite-sized political updates...
Elections
Early voting 
Public schools
The city budget 
Defending democracy 
& More

It's a potluck! Bring something fair-like, bite-sized, or on a stick.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If we don't ramp up, the MN PCA says we will potentially add 50% more to the city budget JUST to address damage due to climate. We need to ramp up, to make us more resilient.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Erin Thompson from Ward 11 asking that the mayor not cut Climate and Equity funding.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"After experiencing the hottest summer ever recorded, it's irresponsible to NOT fully fund the Climate Legacy Initiative ($118M per year by 2030), and it’s beyond irresponsible to cut it. Costs from climate change are rising dramatically, and every level of government should be acting now" -Erin T.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Thanks to Erin for speaking to the Board of Estimate and Taxation about Mayor Frey's cutting of Low Income Home Weatherization.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
FOX 9 @fox9mn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The emotional toll of Operation Metro Surge played out on Capitol Hill Tuesday as the loved ones of two Minneapolis residents killed by federal agents took their grief and their demands directly to Congress.
bit.ly
‘No one is safe’: Minneapolis families demand answers after federal agent shootings
The emotional toll of Operation Metro Surge played out on Capitol Hill Tuesday as the loved ones of two Minneapolis residents killed by federal agents took their grief and their demands directly to Congress.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 23/09/2026
Here are the slides from my presentation at today's Documenting the Impact of DHS Activity in Minnesota conference at the U of M - Watching ICE Air at MSP: How many are they taking away? This work is done entirely by volunteers; help MN50501 cover our airport parking fees: mn50501.org/donate 🧵👇
Watching ICE Air at MSP
How many are they taking away?
Nick Benson, MN50501, September 22, 2026Background

Self-employed
* Smart flight alert app for airplane nerds
* Got interested in aviation angle of ICE’s detention apparatus in early 2025
* Got serious about ICE in October 2025
* The most important work I’ll ever doWhat is ICE Air?

*ICE Air is a conglomerate of charter airlines that fly detainees between local prisons, detention centers, and out of the country
* “Shuffle” flights are domestic
* Detainees are shackled before/during/after
* Denver Air Connection / Key Lime, Global Crossing, Eastern Air Express
* Akin to FedEx or Amazon, hub/spoke
* ~65,000 currently in ICE detention,
~70% don’t have a criminal conviction ICE Air at MSP

* Shuffle flights, taking detainees to detention centers via Alexandria, LA and El Paso, TX

* 2-3 flights per day during Metro Surge; now 2-3 per week

* ICE vehicles carry detainees to/from the airport from Whipple

* Loaded at Signature Aviation, the private jet terminal

* Started counting in November
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Micah @rincewind.run · 22/09/2026
stand up for trans people: it is the right thing to do and it just will not hurt you, not now, not in this environment and maybe folks can start to relearn that trans people are pretty fucking cool, actually
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Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 22/09/2026
Making executive branch officials available to answer questions and follow-ups, in public, is the lowest possible bar for government. Frey says it creates a "spectacle" and a "circus." www.startribune.com/mpd-budget-o...
Deputy City Attorney Dan Abelson told the committee the city charter gives the council the authority to request information and the mayor must provide it, but the charter doesn’t specify what form that information must take. The council can’t compel city departments to give presentations, for example, he said.

The council president, Elliott Payne, said proponents of a strong-mayor system promised more accountability and efficiency, but limiting staffer time at the council won’t accomplish either.

“This is about government structure,” Payne said. “This is about the promise of the executive mayor form of government leading to more efficiency and more accountability and the failure of this to deliver on that.”

The mayor said one way or another, the council will get answers. But sometimes that will come in a written response.

“We are going to give them whatever information that they need, under the law,” Frey said.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · 12/09/2026
Program's up! 30+ teams share evidence abt impacts on health, educ, & econ + community response. Great folks @ziibiing.com @ottergoose.net @aaronrosenthal.bsky.social @chrisuggen.bsky.social @casemcnich.bsky.social @ngraetz.bsky.social @craigstetter.bsky.social docs.google.com/document/u/1...
Documenting the Impact of US DHS Activity in MN

Conference Date: Sept 22, 2026

Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Purpose

In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began a significant, sustained agent surge in Minnesota that affected the daily lives of many residents, but had severe impacts on immigrant communities and communities of color.

This one-day, in-person convening provides researchers from across disciplines and organizations with an opportunity to share and discuss research related to the effects of Operation Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS.
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Elena @misseleneous.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A preview of research from law professor and former UN Special Rapporteur, who said she was initially unsure if could apply international standards of *crimes against humanity* onto what happened in MN this winter. And came away from the research absolutely certain that it was.
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Schrödinger's Sneetch Belly @rtodkelly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Please know that this is one of my few legitimate areas of actual, high-level professional expertise: Kicking the healthiest people off of a health insurance program will bankrupt it. Not 'could;' not 'might,' not 'probably," but absolutely will, with mathematical certainty.
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Scott Santens @scottsantens.com · 22/09/2026
Next up, time to kick every living person out of life insurance pools for not dying yet. And what are all of these people doing with car insurance who aren't getting into accidents?
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Bibi Black sharing how the election process in Minnesota works. youtube.com/live/MnznfH-...
youtube.com
Elections 2026: What Can Go Wrong?
YouTube video by Lake Harriet United Methodist Church
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I thought his customers were his constituents. And what got passed? What bills has he sponsored? How many days were they actually in session?
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This should be a much bigger story. kstp.com/tracking-you... @wedge.live @dbrauer.net @sahanjournal.bsky.social @deenawinter.bsky.social
kstp.com
Minneapolis police skip council meeting on $21 million overspending, following mayor's direction
Minneapolis police leaders did not take City Council questions about $21 million in overspending, frustrating council members seeking answers before budget decisions.
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Adam Miller @ajm6792.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
A president who wasn’t so weak and lacking influence over his own party would get Congress, which his party controls, to do what he wants.
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Peggy Flanagan @peggyflanagan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Minnesota, early voting starts TODAY! MNVotes.org
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Salty @dfedmpls.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We keep us safe.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Passive Solar Home Development pairs Climate Resilience and Affordability @unidosmn.bsky.social sahanjournal.com/climate-envi...
sahanjournal.com
Pioneering passive energy homes go on sale in Minneapolis
Green on 14 is a Minnesota multifamily passive energy home construction, with townhomes going on sale in Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood.
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Steve Benen @stevebenen.com · 17/09/2026
House Republican Whip Tom Emmer boasted this week that ground beef prices are now “less than $2 a pound.” Among the questions: - Has Tom Emmer been to a grocery store in recent decades? - Does he expect voters not to believe their own wallets? www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
ms.now
GOP leader claims ground beef prices are ‘less than $2 a pound,’ despite reality
Politicians can get away with all kinds of dishonesty, but asking voters not to believe their own wallets is a losing proposition.
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Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 17/09/2026
instead of "gee whiz, must be hard when the city council isn't on the side of the police" we should ask, "why have you ordered MPD not to stand for questions in front of the city council, re: $21 million in overspending, at the same time you're requesting an 11% tax increase?"
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Peggy Flanagan @peggyflanagan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
@aoc.bsky.social has shown us what it looks like to take on powerful interests while unapologetically standing up for working people. I'm honored to have her endorsement, and I look forward to joining her in the fight to hold Trump accountable and help people afford their lives again.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Join us tomorrow to learn about Climate and Equity in Minneapolis! Register to attend here: unidos-mn.org/events/2026/... #minneapolis #climate
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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 11/09/2026
Just did a quick look around and I don't see very many headlines about the President of the US making people pledge allegiance to him personally while telling everyone to commit election fraud and "cheat like hell" to support his party. Seems like it should be a story?
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is a smart plan! @jamiemlong.bsky.social
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Here is mine: The Franchise Fee $ for low income home weatherization would do more for public safety than taking that $ and using it for more cops. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Public funds, public safety: a scoping review of government spending decisions and their impact on interpersonal violence and suicide
To conduct a scoping review of research on government spending and violence. We searched nine databases for peer-reviewed publications evaluating the association between government spending on public ...
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Reposted by Michael Walker
Alex @mplsalex.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Ten days to go!!! Check out the map online for all the taco deals, and make your plan for the day!!
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taylr @taylordahlin.com · 09/09/2026
the city of minneapolis had to pay the star tribune $31,500 to settle public records lawsuits already this year... what a waste of taxpayer dollars and they're apparently risking even more by continuing to refuse to hand over data www.startribune.com/minneapolis-...
startribune.com
Minneapolis to pay Star Tribune $31,500 to settle public records lawsuits
The news outlet sued over the city’s failure to turn over the name of a homicide victim, and the names of people who filed misconduct complaints against a former police chief.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
No Climate and Equity funding.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I did see The Wallets at the Cabooze, but that was probably before you were born...
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Peggy Flanagan @peggyflanagan.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Michele Tafoya would rather be in Mar-A-Lago than Minnesota, and it shows.
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
"Cut them off till they come correct!" M. Howard
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
"The Department of Homeland Security doesn't know what they did for us due to what they did to us!" Marsha Howard speaking at the @target Labor Day rally. #BoycottTarget
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
As Minneapolis looks at the Budget for 2027, this study may prove helpful in directing funds to improve public safety. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... @elliottpayne.org @sorenwithward8.bsky.social @aishaforward10.com @ward2.minneapolismn.gov @ward13.minneapolismn.gov
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Michael Walker @micwalker1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
So much winning!
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Robin for Ward 2 @robin4mpls.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Data centers do not belong anywhere in Minneapolis, but it is particularly appalling to see a proposal to allow data centers in our cultural corridors, green zones, and some of our most vibrant neighborhoods.
flyer for data center public input. Public hearing on October 13 at 4:30pm at Room 350, 250 S 4th Street Minneapolis MN
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