Shows / Wedge LIVE!
Wedge LIVE!
A show about Minneapolis politics from the maker of Wedge LIVE, the award winning local news website.
Episodes
Wedge LIVE!Bryant Ave with Linea Palmisano, Ward 13 Council Member
We're biking Ward 13 with Linea Palmisano, Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council. We talk Bryant Ave politics, what the critics are saying, her…
Wedge LIVE!Downtown to Uptown with Katie Cashman, candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7
My conversation with Katie Cashman, candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7. We talk transportation, public safety, downtown tax base, office…
Wedge LIVE!Biking Bryant with Kate Mortenson, Ward 13 candidate for Minneapolis City Council
My conversation with Ward 13 candidate Kate Mortenson. We begin by talking about Bryant Avenue. Mortenson has criticized the reconstruction process and the…
Wedge LIVE!Ex-tenant talks about Scott Graham the landlord, before he was a candidate for Minneapolis City Council
My conversation with Julia Curran, who rented in a triplex owned and managed by Scott Graham for four years, ending in 2011. Scott Graham is now a candidate…
Wedge LIVE!David Brauer on Election 2023 in Minneapolis
Wise man of Minneapolis (aka Local Politics Daddy) David Brauer is here to tell us how he's feeling just two weeks before election day. Stay tuned to the end…
Wedge LIVE!This p.m. bike commute brings the Payne
A conversation with Council Member Elliott Payne recorded while on his bike commute home after a day representing Ward 1 at Minneapolis City Hall. With early…
Wedge LIVE!Two Guys Picking Up Trash on Hennepin Avenue
This episode was recorded on location with Henry LaBounta, collecting trash and clearing storm drains in the Wedge and East Isles neighborhoods. Henry is…
Wedge LIVE!The surprisingly boring end to single-family zoning in St. Paul
A conversation with Zak Yudhishthu about the surprisingly boring end to single-family zoning in St. Paul, Minnesota. Five years after a bitter struggle to pass…
Wedge LIVE!BONUS EPISODE: Catching up with Anton at Lyndale Open Streets
A spontaneous unscheduled episode recorded with John's dear old friend Anton Schieffer at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive…
Wedge LIVE!Minneapolis Infrastructure Bike Ride with Elissa Schufman
A conversation about Minneapolis bike infrastructure and transportation politics with Elissa Schufman. Recorded on a bike ride from City Hall, through…
Wedge LIVE!Biking Northeast Minneapolis with Amity Foster
A special episode of the Wedge LIVE podcast recorded on bikes in Northeast Minneapolis, with guest Amity Foster. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the…
Wedge LIVE!Analysis of the Minneapolis City Council race in Ward 13 with Melody "the Monthly" Hoffmann
John is joined by Melody Hoffman to ponder the Minneapolis City Council race in Ward 13 (all 13 council seats in the city are up for election). Incumbent Linea…
Wedge LIVE!The End of Open Streets Minneapolis?
A conversation with José A. Zayas Cabán, the executive director of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization Our Streets Minneapolis, about the future of…
Wedge LIVE!Minneapolis Election Battlegrounds 2023
With the City Council candidate filing deadline elapsing while we recorded this episode (5 pm on August 15), John is joined by google docs maven Josh Martin…
Wedge LIVE!Uptown Porchfest, aka Wedgestock Music Festival
In this episode we go behind the music with the organizers of the Uptown Porchfest, aka Wedgestock Music Festival. John talks to Lisa Martelly and Amy…
Wedge LIVE!Converting I-94 to a "Twin Cities Boulevard" - with Alex Burns
John's conversation with Alex Burns of Our Streets Minneapolis about the ongoing debate over what to do with I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul, which Our…
Wedge LIVE!Checking in with Bill Lindeke, Twin Cities Treasure
John is joined by Bill Lindeke, author, MinnPost columnist, prolific tweeter, and lecturer in Urban Studies at the University of Minnesota, for a wide-ranging…
Wedge LIVE!Car Traffic Does the Unthinkable on Lyndale Avenue (Obey the Speed Limit)
The results are in: the new 3-lane Lyndale Avenue is a big improvement over the 4-lane version. Data collected by Hennepin County regarding their pilot project…
Wedge LIVE!Andrew Johnson Ward 12 Farewell Episode
John's conversation with Council Member Andrew Johnson, who is calling it quits after 10 years of representing Ward 12 in Minneapolis. We talk about the wildly…
Wedge LIVE!Robin Wonsley - Ward 2 Minneapolis City Council Member Running for Re-Election
John's conversation with Council Member Robin Wonsley, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 2. Watch…
Wedge LIVE!The Trash Man of Uptown, Henry LaBounta
There's a saying that sometimes one man's trash is still another man's trash. That other man is Henry LaBounta of the East Isles neighborhood. On land or in…
Wedge LIVE!Where Are They Now: Luna Zeidner
Luna Zeidner was campaign manager for Sheila Nezhad's 2021 run for Minneapolis mayor. But where did she go? What did she learn? And where is she now? John and…
Wedge LIVE!What happened at the Ward 10 Convention?
Three people who attended last Saturday's Minneapolis DFL Ward 10 convention give their firsthand experience of what it was like when Nasri Warsame's campaign…
Wedge LIVE!A Detour Into Crystal, Minnesota
Forest Eidbo was elected to the city council in Crystal, Minnesota in 2022. He was inspired to run for the part-time, $600/month position after his council…
Wedge LIVE!John and Josh Are Forming a Bond With the Audience During DFL Convention Season
John and Josh Martin have teamed up for the 2023 city election year to cover Minneapolis DFL conventions in all 13 wards. In this episode we recap what's…
Wedge LIVE!Marcus Mills - Ward 3 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
John's conversation with Marcus Mills, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3. Marcus is also the winner of a recent contest and the prize was…
Wedge LIVE!Finally Our Chance to Fully Fund the Bus
For this very important episode about transit funding, John has a conversation with Peter Wagenius, legislative director at the Sierra Club North Star Chapter…
Wedge LIVE!Elliott Payne - Ward 1 Minneapolis City Council Member Running for Re-Election
John's conversation with Council Member Elliott Payne, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 1. Watch…
Wedge LIVE!"Walk" - A Wedge LIVE Book Club Selection
John's conversation with Jonathon Stalls, author of "Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour." It's a book about the power of walking: for…
Wedge LIVE!Aisha Chughtai - Ward 10 Minneapolis City Council Member Running for Re-Election
John's conversation with Council Member Aisha Chughtai, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 10. Watch…
Wedge LIVE!Bryant Avenue Switcheroo - Monthly with Melody
John is joined by Melody Hoffmann from Southwest Voices for a conversation about the city's last minute changes to the Bryant Ave South reconstruction project…
Wedge LIVE!Jeremiah Ellison - Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member Running for Re-Election
John's conversation with Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, who's running for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 5. Watch…
Wedge LIVE!Booker Hodges Sex Sting
In an episode inspired by Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, John is joined by Andi Snow of SWOP Mpls (Sex Workers Outreach Project) for a conversation…
Wedge LIVE!111th Episode!!!
John is joined by Jason Garcia and Taylor Dahlin for a fond look back at more than 100 episodes of the Wedge LIVE podcast - and a look forward at some of the…
Wedge LIVE!Katie Cashman - Ward 7 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
John's conversation with Katie Cashman, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation…
Wedge LIVE!Kate Mortenson - Ward 13 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
John's conversation with Kate Mortenson, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 13. Incumbent Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano has been…
Wedge LIVE!Soren Stevenson - Ward 8 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
Today's episode features John's conversation with Soren Stevenson, who's running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 8. In the coming weeks, we hope to…
Wedge LIVE!Conrad Zbikowski - Ward 3 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
John spends significant portions of this episode unsuccessfully goading Conrad Zbikowski, Ward 3 candidate for Minneapolis City Council, into attacking his…
Wedge LIVE!If Not a Sexually Oriented Use, How About a Grocery Store?
We're at the next step of 2040 Plan implementation in Minneapolis. This time it's not about the scary things like density and building height. At the risk of…
Wedge LIVE!Park Planning and the Future of Cedar-Isles
John is joined by former TV weatherman Aaron Shaffer (@AShafferWX) for a conversation about the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's long term plan for the…
Wedge LIVE!Ice Cast Ep. 3: St. Paul Cat Show
With zero degree weather having cancelled our plans for winter sports, John and lifestyle producer Paula Chesley head indoors to spend time with award winning…
Wedge LIVE!Jerome T. Evans - Ward 12 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson leaving office…
Wedge LIVE!Aurin Chowdhury - Ward 12 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson leaving office…
Wedge LIVE!Luther Ranheim - Ward 12 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
It's an election year in Minneapolis. All 13 wards are voting for who will represent them on the City Council. With incumbent Andrew Johnson leaving office…
Wedge LIVE!Ice Cast Ep. 2: Art Shanties
John is joined by Wedge LIVE lifestyle producer Paula Chesley for a special miniseries featuring the stories of real people, not just surviving, but thriving…
Wedge LIVE!Mitra Jalali Reflects on Another Election Year in the Twin Cities
With city councils in both Minneapolis and St. Paul on the ballot in 2023, John has a conversation with St. Paul Councilmember Mitra Jalali about the issues…
Wedge LIVE!Winter Sidwalk Talk with Grammy-nominated recording artist José Antonio Zayas Cabán
John is joined by Grammy-nominated transportation organizer José Antonio Zayas Cabán (Our Streets Minneapolis) for a conversation about the push for municipal…
Wedge LIVE!It Begins: Minneapolis Election 2023
John is joined by Josh Martin (aka "the new new Larry Jacobs") for an introduction to another Minneapolis City Council election year. Why should you get off…
Wedge LIVE!The Work Group Experience with Jonathan Kim
John is joined by biostats grad student Jonathan Kim for a conversation about rent control. Jonathan's claim to fame is that he spent 2022 serving on two very…
Wedge LIVE!Pretend Environmentalists vs. the 2040 Plan
This episode features endless frustration about fake environmentalism weaponized against something that's unquestionably an environmental good, with guests…
Wedge LIVE!Ice Cast Ep. 1: Lake Harriet Ice Dip and Sauna
John is joined by Wedge LIVE lifestyle producer Paula Chesley for a miniseries featuring the stories of real people, not just surviving, but thriving through a…
Wedge LIVE!Holiday Special with Surprise Musical Guest
It's the Holiday Special! John, Elissa, and PeggySue talk about what this time of year in Minneapolis means. We name the persons and/or concepts that Scrooged…
Wedge LIVE!Rent Control Policy with Jennifer Arnold of Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (IX)
In 2021, Minneapolis voters approved a ballot question giving the go-ahead for a rent control ordinance. In 2022, the City Council and Mayor Frey formed a Rent…
Wedge LIVE!Monthly with Melody - December 2022
It's our not-quite monthly appointment with Dr. Melody Hoffmann, PhD. Melody starts us off with the farmers market report. We talk about the massive fire that…
Wedge LIVE!What's needed from a new police oversight commission in Minneapolis
John is joined by Abigail Cerra for a conversation about a proposal for a new police oversight commission in Minneapolis. Cerra is the former chair of the…
Wedge LIVE!What's missing from local news in Minneapolis?
John is joined by Logan Carroll (a recent third place finisher for a prestigious journalism award) for a conversation about what our otherwise vibrant local…
Wedge LIVE!A Drug-Fueled Election Results Episode
John is joined by an excessively large panel of pundits to analyze Tuesday's election results, the Democratic wave across Minnesota, Mary Moriarty's historic…
Wedge LIVE!Sonya Emerick - Minneapolis School Board At-Large
This week on the Wedge LIVE podcast, John is joined by candidates for Minneapolis School Board At-Large: Collin Beachy, KerryJo Felder, and Sonya Emerick (We…
Wedge LIVE!KerryJo Felder - Minneapolis School Board At-Large
This week on the Wedge LIVE podcast, John is joined by candidates for Minneapolis School Board At-Large: Collin Beachy, KerryJo Felder, and Sonya Emerick (We…
Wedge LIVE!Collin Beachy - Minneapolis School Board At-Large
This week on the Wedge LIVE podcast, John is joined by candidates for Minneapolis School Board At-Large: Collin Beachy, KerryJo Felder, and Sonya Emerick (We…