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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · 5d

🗼 I arrived in Tokyo recently excited to try their legendarily efficient train system.

I left wowed by another mode of transit: its surprisingly safe streets.

Can Minnesota learn lessons from Japan’s war on traffic deaths? My reflection for @axios.com >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

What Minnesota can learn from Japan about street safety

Most major U.S. cities, including Minneapolis, have struggled to reduce traffic deaths. Japan has all but eliminated them.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · 5d

I recently returned from vacation in Tokyo, where I was excited to try Japan’s legendarily efficient train system.

I left wowed by another mode of transit: its surprisingly safe streets.

I reflected on whether lessons from Japan apply to Minnesota for @axios.com >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

What Minnesota can learn from Japan about street safety

Most major U.S. cities, including Minneapolis, have struggled to reduce traffic deaths. Japan has all but eliminated them.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Aug 15

thanks David!

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Jul 23

TODAY, the St. Paul City Council will take a key vote that could help kick off redevelopment of the former Hamm's Brewing complex

St. Paul Brewing — whose patio arguably made the complex a destination in the first place — argue the plan will kill their business >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

St. Paul Brewing sounds alarm over Hamm's site redevelopment

Council members are set to vote to rezone the property Wednesday, a major hurdle facing the redevelopment project.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Jun 18

These high school competitors proved themselves in the Twin Cities.

Now they're in Des Moines, hoping to once again dominate the National Speech & Debate Tournament — where Minnesotans have *cleaned house* since 2000

Fellow Minnesota Speech kids, this one's for you: www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

Minnesota students have owned this national speech and debate tournament for years

The next great voice in politics or pop culture? They just might be at the championships this week.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 29

Explore the data across the Twin Cities in this story, which ran in our @axios.com newsletter this morning >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

How open enrollment is reshaping Twin Cities school districts

Open enrollment was established to give parents more choice, but critics fear it's worsening school segregation.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 29

This all coincides with a resurgence of school segregation in the Twin Cities — and there’s some evidence that open enrollment is making the problem worse

A study of 2010 data found that white parents flocked in larger numbers to districts that were whiter than their own

A chart displaying data about open enrollment moves by race, showing 19% of white parents moves were integrative, and 36% of white parents moves were segregative

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 29

On the other extreme is Minneapolis Public Schools.

MPS' overall enrollment has stabilized, but OPEN enrollment remains a huge drain. Students went to:

• Robbinsdale (971)
• Edina (856)
• Hopkins (754)
• Columbia Heights (710)

…and in smaller but still big #s elsewhere >>

A map showing boundaries of Twin Cities school districts with the Minneapolis school district highlighted. The map shows that 6,116 students left Minneapolis for other districts, and the shading shows where they mostly left for: largely Robbinsdale, Edina, Hopkins and Columbia Heights, but many other districts as well.

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 29

🗺️ In 13 out of 47 districts in the metro, at least 20% of the student body comes from open enrollment

WHY THIS MATTERS: State dollars follow students who open enroll

So each incoming student brings additional state funding to a district, and each student lost comes at a cost.

A map of Twin Cities metro school districts highligthing: Orono, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Edina, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Columbia Heights, St. Anthony-New Brighton, Spring Lake Park, Centennial, Mahtomedia and West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 29

📢 Hey Minnesota parents: We should talk more about open enrollment!!!

Take Minnetonka Public Schools. Nearly 40% of its students live in other districts, but open-enroll in.

They're the most extreme example — but they're far from alone

A map showing boundaries of Twin Cities school districts with the Minnetonka school district highlighted. The map shows that 4,419 students from other districts enrolled in Minnetonka, and the shading shows where they mostly came from: largely Hopkins, Eden Prairie and Eastern Carver County.

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 23

The debate is about more than just street design — it's about who gets to shape the future of George Floyd Square.

🔎 PLUS: A closer look at the survey that's become a central point of contention at City Hall >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

The fight for the soul of George Floyd Square

Five years after Floyd's murder, debate remains about the future of the intersection where he died

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 21

Today, the Justice Department moved to dismiss Minneapolis' federal consent decree for police reform — which a judge is still reviewing

MPD is already under a state-level court settlement

Here's how the agreed-upon federal reform plan is(/was?) more detailed >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

Comparing Minneapolis' federal, state police reform plans

The new federal oversight document does include some new requirements for MPD.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 14

St. Paul has rejoined Minneapolis on a growing list of major cities with sweeping tenant laws meant to protect high-risk renters

Landlord groups say parts of the new ordinance are "unworkable" >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

Renter protections return to St. Paul

New limits on landlords' actions are meant to protect tenants with the least housing security.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · May 9

👀 < 🍩🍩

A search for the Twin Cities' best donut

My toughest assignment yet for the @axios.com newsletter >>
www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

The Twin Cities' best doughnuts, according to Axios readers

We tried more than 30 of them just to make sure.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Apr 21

SCOOP: A fight over where to store St. Paul's garbage trucks almost halted citywide trash pickup.

Under City Council pressure to move the truck lot elsewhere, emails @axios.com obtained show Mayor Melvin Carter's staff has already rejected 3 other sites >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

Scoop: St. Paul officials rejected alternate trash truck sites

The dispute over where to keep garbage trucks nearly halted citywide trash collection this month.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Apr 15

In today's @axios.com Twin Cities newsletter >> A vibe check on St. Paul City Hall — and there's definitely some tension.

Some of it is legitimate disagreement over policy issues

But some of the friction is over process and workplace behavior www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

St. Paul City Hall drama spills into public view

There are serious policy disagreements, but some of the tension is about process and workplace behavior.

www.axios.com

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Apr 2

Tonight, the St. Paul City Council again deadlocked on selecting a new Ward 4 representative, which will in all likelihood will leave Mayor Carter to make the appointment

But most council members *did agree the appointment process was at least “clunky” and at worst untransparent

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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · Mar 31

BREAKING: St. Paul's trash will be picked up, at least for the next three days

Mayor @melvincarter.bsky.social declared a temporary state of emergency, but the City Council would still need to extend the emergency this week >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c...

St. Paul averts trash pickup crisis, for now

Mayor Melvin Carter declared a state of emergency Monday to continue trash pickup.

www.axios.com

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