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Melody Hoffmann

@phmelody.bsky.social
2.5K followers 247 following 1.3K posts

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

PostsRepliesMedia
Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
No one asked for this
apnews.com
From motorcycles to booze, US ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports goes into effect
U.S.-Canada relations, already tense, are likely to deteriorate further after the United States went ahead early Tuesday with a decision to ban nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including a...
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
BREAKING RAIN NEWS (Sept. 29 before noon)
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Breaking hyperlocal news: French Meadow on Lyndale Avenue is closed. A new owner took over earlier this year.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm at a coffee shop working alongside two other local news outlets. I am jealous of myself.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We have a guest editor for the Monday newsletter. His name is "Our You Finished With Your Yogurt Yet?"
My orange cat staring at me from my desk
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This summer, we challenged our interns to report on gun violence in North Minneapolis. They did that while also developing an interest in City Council and law enforcement's use of drones. You can support North News by reading these articles and the others posted on mynorthnews.org
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A long overdue sunrise/sunset forecast: The sun will wake up TOMORROW (Thursday) at 7:01 a.m. and will set at 7:06 p.m, gracing us with roughly 12 hours of sunlight. NOTE: We are losing a few minutes of sunlight a day right now, so be grateful for what you have//bring your lights.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
On this day in 2021, a student mentioned this song, so we had an online dance party (it was pandemic times) and it really set the tone for the last semester that I taught.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A breakdown of the options for the Southwest and Washburn High School pathways. #hyperlocaljournalism #educationnews
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
It's cool everyone, I saved the US Postal Service with this purchase.
A stack of ten sheets of Mr Rogers stamps
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
As the different options were presented last night, parents, school board members, and the press slowly got a picture of what schools were being suggested to close.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Full house at the MPS school board work session to discussion the district's school transformation plan.
Rows of seats filled at the John B Davis center meeting room
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Nice work, Minneapolis
A portion of a PR from WeWork email reads: "Hi Melody,

A new WeWork analysis of U.S. Census data* shows that Minneapolis posted one of the smallest gains in AI adoption among the nation's 25 largest metros between January and July 2026 — rising just 0.4 percentage points to reach 26.4%, still well above the national average of 21.7%.

The gap between expectation and reality is significant. In January, Minneapolis firms projected that 30.2% would be using AI by July. The actual figure came in at 26.4% — a miss of 3.8 percentage points, in line with the national trend of businesses overestimating their own AI uptake."
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madi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
the alex pretty memorial was vandalized today when someone poured motor oil all over it, per @nicoleneri.bsky.social, but volunteers are cleaning it up and expect it to be back in good shape soon.
minnesotareformer.com
Caretakers clean Alex Pretti memorial site after vandalism • Minnesota Reformer
Early Friday morning, caretakers arrived at Alex Pretti’s memorial, finding it doused in two gallons of synthetic motor oil. Motor oil is not flammable, and much of the memorial remains unharmed. Volu...
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EHB on BET @ehbforbet.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🚨🚨🚨 Important Event Alert 🚨🚨🚨 TOMORROW (Wed.) the BET will take public comment on the Mayor's proposed budget. This is your opportunity to speak on funding for parks, police, or anything else. 5:05pm in the Public Service Center. Come and be heard! Details: lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/Agenda...
lims.minneapolismn.gov
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I got a full encapsulation of the Hennepin/Franklin Avenue Problem on video. Note: I recorded this for educational/reporting purposes. Do not record while driving.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Re: today's federal charges against Christian Castro for perjury. This is @mynorthnews.bsky.social team coverage reporting from that night. I will never forget watching the video coming from inside the house. While my colleagues were on the ground, I was tracking everything accessible online.
Text from the article reads: 

The man shot by an ICE agent, later identified as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, is a Venezuelan immigrant and allegedly had “a struggle with a federal agent,” according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. 

A video from inside the man’s house, shared on social media, documents his wife’s call to 911 after he was shot. “ICE agents were following my husband, and they hit his vehicle,” she said through a 911 translator. “And we closed the door on him, and they shot him.” 

Two men, Alfredo Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, were outside with ICE agents after being chased in a vehicle, and, according to reporting by MPR News, Aljorna was being beaten and choked by an ICE agent. 

Early reports by the police chief that Sosa- Celis was 

NOTE: the "a video" paragraph is highlighted to add emphasis by original poster
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
FYI
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
If this wasn't a life/death situation at times, it would be funny.
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John Maddening! @johnmaddening.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
So the State Fairgrounds markedly increased the size of the Como bike lot this year. It’s still not big enough.
A packed-to-the-gills Como bike lot at the Minnesota State Fair
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Hugs Minneapolis. This is the beginning of a rough year of anniversaries.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
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
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
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
A picture of a WNBA basketball court from
the seats where you can see the basketball players. Many floor seats are empty.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
This morning's newsletter assistant.
An orange male cat sitting on a Trader Joe's tote bag in a colorful living room setting.
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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 13/08/2026
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.
minnesotareformer.com
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 ...
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
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
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
More info on the hyperlocal surveillance:
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
In Loring Park:
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
ICE plans to give officers gloves (ETA March 2027) that can deliver painful electric shocks. Cost: $20 million.
apnews.com
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.
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MarniOpe! 🤬🧊 @silentmachine.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
After years of being told to go outside, the kids finally do and... The people are terrified? Sheesh.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
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.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The kids have nowhere else to go. Let them ride around on scooters for god's sake.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
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.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
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.
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The Jack of Kingfield @thejackofkingfield.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Jurassic Parking
Head on angle of T rex parked
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The Jack of Kingfield @thejackofkingfield.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about not enough street parking in Minneapolis. There is a T tex parked on the street.
A T rex! Parked on the street
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
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:
Text reads: Council Member Whiting voted no on overriding the Mayor’s veto of this nomination. The motion to override was unsuccessful, 6 ayes to 6 nays, with 1 absence.
CM Whiting’s Thoughts on this Vote: CM Whiting has full faith that Jim Davnie would be an excellent member of the Ballpark Authority, and he regrets that this appointment has become contested, and frankly, political. His decision to not override this veto is almost entirely based on objections raised by groups like the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP and concerned members of the public regarding the removal of the sole member of color from this board.
The Ballpark Authority is a body whose decisions touch our entire City, and while CM Whiting is sure that the current members of the Ballpark Authority bring their own lived experiences to their work which positively inform their decisions, he also believes that maintaining broad diversity at the table on a board like this is in the public interest. Maintaining diverse representation on the board is essential to prevent the exclusion of communities of color and ensures ample opportunities for economic participation, community benefits, and equitable outcomes are actively considered. CM Whiting is thankful for Jim Davnie’s many years of public service and the work he continues to do in community, and he looks forward to finding alternative opportunities where former Rep. Davnie
can positively impact our City.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
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?
a screenshot of my Gmail inbox with a NEW AI Inbox I never asked for.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
In chasing McKinnon's impersonation around YouTube, I stumbled into a skit with McConnell and Graham
m.youtube.com
Meet the Press Cold Open - SNL
YouTube video by Saturday Night Live
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 10/07/2026
Reminder: Memphis is still “under full-blown occupation” by ICE. Task force members have reportedly killed at least two people in four days.
motherjones.com
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.
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Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard @niemanfoundation.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
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.
niemanlab.org
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 …
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MPR News @mprnews.org · 03/07/2026
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.
mprnews.org
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.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Wisconsin wx news: Vernon County got so much rain that the small town of Viroqua had to release wastewater into the Kickapoo River.
vernonreporter.com
Heavy rainfall causes sewer overflow in Viroqua – VernonReporter
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
TLDR; neighbors are upset, people need help.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
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."
minnesotareformer.com
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...
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
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.
A bike frame with turquoise paint on top half of frame and bright pink paint on bottom half of frame. Handlebars and pedals are on, wheels and seat are taken off. Some painters tape is wrapped around parts of the bike
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
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.
An illustrated map for the cat tour through the Wedge neighborhood of Minneapolis that shows the start at Mueller Park and the end at 24th and Dupont Avenue. There are silly pictures of cats throughout the map. The event starts at 6 p.m.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
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
Three people smiling and holding Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists awards Me holding my award for third place in local
politics reporting My boss, Dave Pierini, smiling after winning first place for his reporting on kindergarteners going to school after being babies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
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
m.youtube.com
Messages of support for Minnesota journalists
YouTube video by mnspj
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Melody Hoffmann @phmelody.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Sylvia Fowles is back in the WNBA. I hope she still does her morgue stuff, though. 💀
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