Star Tribune
4 Muslim legislators condemn Star Tribune editorial cartoon; publisher apologizes
Responding to criticism from four DFL Muslim legislators about a recent Star Tribune editorial cartoon they described as racist and Islamophobic, the newspaper’s publisher apologized Wednesday.
“I’m sorry that the Star Tribune published it,” CEO and publisher Steve Grove said in a statement. “We will work harder to do better as an organization to ensure we’re holding ourselves and our community accountable in constructive ways that speak to our values of respect and integrity.”
The four legislators, along with many allies, including Attorney General Keith Ellison and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, held a State Capitol news conference to condemn recent vandalism at mosques. After the news conference, the legislators issued the written statement that focused criticism on the Star Tribune.
“Globally, many Muslims report not being respected by those in the West, and this cartoon adds to that sentiment right here in Minnesota,” the statement said. A news release attributed the comments to Reps. Hodan Hassan, Samakab Hussein and Mohamud Noor and Sen. Omar Fateh. Hussein represents St. Paul. The other three represent Minneapolis.
Grove, who is in his second week as publisher, said that he’s spent a lot of time in recent days speaking with readers and community leaders, including Muslims.
“It’s clear to me that the intent of the cartoon did not match its impact,” Grove said. “While the cartoonist was trying to support the decision of the Minneapolis City Council, the piece drew many — particularly those in the Muslim community — to feel disrespected by its depictions.”
The cartoon at issue was published Sunday in the Star Tribune’s opinion section, which is run separately from the news department. It was the first editorial cartoon published from recently hired cartoonist Mike Thompson. It featured an image of a man grousing to a woman that the recently amended noise ordinance allowing the Muslim call to prayer at any time would make Minneapolis “too noisy.” In the second image, the same couple stood inside a home while four masked assailants fired guns.
As the editorial cartoonist, Thompson works independently of reporters and editors in the newsroom. While his intent with the cartoon is open to interpretation, the legislators said they were disappointed, called the image “blatantly racist” and noted that the two mosque fires came after the cartoon was published.
The lawmakers’ statement said the cartoon insinuated that Islam and the call to prayer are weapons that incite violence and cause “death among innocent victims, similar to what guns do.”
Ellison, who is Muslim, spoke briefly at the news conference, condemning the mosque attacks, but he did not mention the cartoon.
After the news conference, Carter said in a written statement, “An attack on a mosque is an attack on every place of worship and fundamentally undermines our right to freely practice our beliefs. As leaders and neighbors, we must ensure that our rhetoric never inspires the kinds of sentiments that could end up pouring out in hateful ways.”
Staff writer Katie Galioto contributed to this report.
The Lynx are in the hot seat.
The team lost Game 3 of the WNBA Finals series against the New York Liberty on Wednesday night 77-80, setting the stage for a decisive match at Target Center on Friday night. Fans in the arena reacted with resounding disappointment after Sabrina Ionescu sunk a three-pointer to break away from the tie game and dashed the Lynx’s chance at forcing overtime.
Before we get to the reactions, first things first: The Lynx set an attendance record, filling Target Center with 19,521 spectators for the first time in franchise history. That’s nearly 500 more than when Caitlin Clark was in town with the Indiana Fever earlier this year.
Despite leading by double digits for much of the game, the Lynx began the fourth quarter with a one-point lead over the Liberty and struggled to stay more than two or three points ahead throughout.
The Liberty took the lead with minutes to go in the fourth quarter and folks were practically despondent.
Of course, there were people who were in it solely for the spectacle. Nothing more.
The Lynx took a commanding lead early in the first quarter and ended the first half in winning position, setting a particularly jovial mood among the fanbase to start the game.
Inside Target Center, arena announcers spent a few minutes before the game harassing Lynx fans — and Liberty fans — who had not yet donned the complementary T-shirts draped over every seat.
DULUTH – The Minnesota and Wisconsin transportation departments will make upgrades to the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge in the summer of 2025, in preparation for the structure to become the premiere route between this city and Superior during reconstruction of the Blatnik Bridge.
Built in 1961, the Blatnik Bridge carries 33,000 vehicles per day along Interstate 535 and Hwy. 53. It will be entirely rebuilt, starting in 2027, with the help of $1 billion in federal funding announced earlier this year. MnDOT and WisDOT are splitting the remaining costs of the project, about $4 million each.
According to MnDOT, projects on the Bong Bridge will include spot painting, concrete surface repairs to the bridge abutments, concrete sealer on the deck, replacing rubber strip seal membranes on the main span’s joints and replacing light poles on the bridge and its points of entry. It’s expected to take two months, transportation officials said during a recent meeting at the Superior Public Library.
During this time there will be occasional lane closures, detours at the off-ramps, and for about three weeks the sidewalk path alongside the bridge will be closed.
The Bong Bridge, which crosses the St. Louis River, opened to traffic in 1985 and is the lesser-used of the two bridges. Officials said they want to keep maintenance to a minimum on the span during the Blatnik project, which is expected to take four years.
Red Wing will celebrate the grand opening of its first permanent set of pickleball courts next week with an “inaugural play” on the six courts at Colvill Park on the banks of the Mississippi, between a couple of marinas and next to the aquatic center.
Among the first to get to play on the new courts will be David Anderson, who brought pickleball to the local YMCA in 2008, before the nationwide pickleball craze took hold, and Denny Yecke, at 92 the oldest pickleball player in Red Wing.
The inaugural play begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with a rain date of the next day. Afterward will be food and celebration at the Colvill Park Courtyard building.
Tim Sletten, the city’s former police chief, discovered America’s fastest-growing sport a decade ago after he retired. With fellow members of the Red Wing Pickleball Group, he’d play indoors at the local YMCA or outdoors at a local school, on courts made for other sports. But they didn’t have a permanent place, so they approached the city about building one.
When a city feasibility study came up with a high cost, about $350,000, Sletten’s group got together to raise money.
The courts are even opening ahead of schedule, originally set for 2025.
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