Good News 5/3/26 - 5/9/26
Good News - Sports Edition
Sunday, May 3, 2026
After a really tough winter, we are now looking into spring and craving some JOY! Minnesota knows how to lose. Our beloved Vikings has never won a SuperBowl, but we keep getting close. And still, we show up. We are loyal.
And, this last week, Minnesota is celebrating sports across various events! We believe in karma, the fierce love and passion we give out is bound to return to us 70x7, and it is seemingly starting with our sports teams this week.
Minnesota Timberwolves knocked out Denver 110–98 in Game 6, advancing to the next round in the playoffs. Wolves move into the Western Conference Semifinals for a third straight deep playoff run, building real consistency and momentum in front of a packed Target Center
Minnesota Frost women’s hockey beat the top seed Montreal Victoire 5-4 in the first game of the play-offs. The Frost are two-time champions chasing a third straight Walter Cup.
Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 in Game 6, winning the series 4-2 and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Minnesota will host the 2028 NFL Draft at U.S. Bank Stadium, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors and a national spotlight to the Twin Cities
Minnesota will host the Special Olympics USA Games in June 2026.
Minnesota Vikings focused their draft on line strength and depth, reinforcing protection and long-term stability in a way that reflects Minnesota’s grounded approach
Twin Cities fans are showing up in full force with playoff crowds filling arenas, bars, and streets across both sides of the river, creating a shared citywide energy
That same spirit showed up on May Day across Minneapolis, with people gathering, marching, and standing together in steady, visible community presence. Minnesota’s organizing continues to influence broader national movements, offering a model rooted in consistency, care, and showing up
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
Minnesota’s Flag Represents our Ability to Respectfully Disagree
Monday, May 4, 2026
Minnesota changed its state flag in 2024. And in 2026… we’re still talking about it. Minnesota is having a real disagreement, out loud, in public, across cities, councils, and communities. . . And nothing is breaking.
While the rest of the country seem to deem Minnesota a Blue State, what they don’t know is that we are more of a Middle State, rather than blue or red. We just know how to disagree respectfully and still work together as a whole.
Minnesota adopted a new state flag in 2024 after years of criticism of the old design, which included imagery many felt was harmful or outdated, especially in how it depicted Indigenous people
The new flag was designed through a state commission process and features the North Star and water symbolism meant to represent all Minnesotans
At the same time, multiple cities and counties are choosing to keep or return to the old flag, including Elk River, Zumbrota, Champlin, and Inver Grove Heights
Some of those decisions are coming directly from residents, including surveys where large majorities supported keeping the old flag in their communities
City councils are actively debating and voting on this in real time, with close votes like Zumbrota’s 3–2 decision showing how evenly people feel about it
People who support the new flag say it reflects a more inclusive Minnesota and removes imagery that caused real harm, especially to Indigenous communities
People who prefer the old flag say they felt left out of the process, want a public vote, and feel the original design represents history they don’t want to lose
There’s even a proposal at the state level to financially penalize cities that refuse to fly the new flag, showing how seriously this debate is being taken
Some communities are choosing a middle path—flying the old flag in certain spaces, the new flag in others, or opting out of flying a state flag altogether
And through all of this… Minnesota continues to rank near the top nationally in health, education, civic engagement, and quality of life. This is what the middle actually looks like. Neighbors disagreeing—and still fiercely loving each other.
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
Good News in Minnesota
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
After a long hard winter with way too much ICE, Minnesota processed our grief with abundant JOY this weekend in Minneapolis May Day Celebration and St. Paul Cinco de Mayo celebration. This is what it looks like to be alive together. Celebration and mourning in the same breath.
The May Day Parade and Festival filled South Minneapolis on May 3, 2026, with thousands walking down Bloomington Ave into Powderhorn Park for a fully community-led return of the tradition
A Tree of Life Ceremony gathered the hillside at Powderhorn Park, where performers raised symbolic figures and the crowd stood shoulder to shoulder in a shared moment of song and a performance about the surge and the Minnesota response.
The parade featured massive puppets and creative expressions of resistance, including anti-ICE imagery, some Mad Maxx themed floats, and symbolic pieces reflecting what neighborhoods experienced this winter
Community-created pieces included whistles, costumes, and movement inspired by neighborhood alert systems used during raids, turning lived experience into public storytelling
Music carried through the park all afternoon, including brass bands and Singing Resistance, with people gathered across the grass, along the lake, and up the hill
The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta brought thousands to Cesar Chavez Street May 1–2, 2026, for one of the largest Latino cultural celebrations in Minnesota
The St. Paul parade stepped off at 10 a.m. Saturday along Cesar Chavez Street, with dancers, community groups, and neighborhood organizations filling the corridor
The West Side festival featured 80+ vendors, 40+ food stands, and live music across two stages, turning the entire neighborhood into a full-day gathering space
The celebration began the night before with a lowrider and classic car show at Harriet Island, bringing together music, cars, and community ahead of the main event
Lake Street in Minneapolis was also alive with Cinco de Mayo celebrations, with local businesses, food vendors, and performers drawing crowds into the corridor
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
Good News
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
On May 1, six protestors with the Sunrise Movement blocked the southbound lane of Hennepin Avenue Bridge as part of the May Day General Strike. They were arrested. Minnesota is still staging peaceful civil disobedience.
Maine and Massachusetts are following Minnesota’s lead. Twelve people were arrested last week while trying to deliver care packages of food, personal items, and letters of support to ICE detainees in Massachusetts. Several dozen faith leaders and volunteers participated in the action at ICE’s Burlington field office. The group was not allowed into the ICE office even though they arrived during normal working hours. They were arrested for trespassing. Rev. Allison Smith, senior minister of the Congregational Church in Cumberland acknowledged that it was unlikely the care packages would make it to the detainees, but it sent a message.
Minnesota was the first state in the nation to pass legislation to prevent harm caused to children by the use of AI nudification technology. Representative Jess Hanson authored the bill. After a couple high school girls discovered their prom pictures were “nudified” and turned into pornography, Minnesota acted fast.
In the wake of the assassination of Mark & Melissa Hortman in Minnesota, their children were left with their home that had military grade chemical irritants deployed inside the home. It took over eight months to fight insurance and clean the house of effects. Minnesota passed legislation to prevent the use of chemical irritants inside homes and to require insurance agencies to cover such events.
In 2020, in an effort to get out of the house during the pandemic, the city of Minneapolis started the Minnehaha Creek Duck Race, run by the Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group. The tradition continues each spring, with families dumping 2000+ rubber ducks down the creek, selling sponsorships for each racing duck. Volunteers equipped with waders, nets, and kayaks retrieve every last duck.
The two Twin Cities women who aided an ICE agent during a seizure have had their charges dropped.
In 2021, Minnesota created the first-in-the-nation Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Governor Walz named Tuesday, May 5th 2026 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness Day.
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
Good News in Minnesota
Thursday, May 7, 2026
GOOD NEWS: Minnesota Still Shows Up for Renée Good
Today marks four months since Renée Good was killed by an ICE agent in South Minneapolis on January 7, 2026.
Also, today, neighbors and city council members are reporting increased ICE activity since DHS received funding. We are still vigilant.
May 6, 2026 — for the first time, the federal government reportedly turned over investigative evidence connected to Renée Good’s killing to lawyers and officials involved in the broader investigation after months of legal pressure and court fights
The evidence release reportedly came because of a ruling connected to a separate federal shooting case, showing how multiple investigations are now intersecting and forcing greater transparency
March 24, 2026 — Minnesota, Hennepin County, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension sued the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security for withholding evidence related to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti
January 9, 2026 — Tim Walz proclaimed “Renée Good Day” in Minnesota after the shooting sparked protests and vigils across the state
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly pushed to preserve evidence and continue state-level investigation efforts after Minnesota authorities were initially blocked from accessing the case
January 23, 2026 — an estimated 75,000 people marched in Minneapolis during the statewide Day of Truth and Freedom protests connected to the winter surge and Renée Good’s killing
Renée Good’s family continued speaking publicly after her death, including appearances in Washington, D.C., where her brothers Luke and Brent Ganger called for accountability and transparency
The May Day Tree of Life Ceremony at Powderhorn Park this past weekend explicitly honored Renée Good through puppetry, ceremony, and collective remembrance, weaving her story into one of Minneapolis’ oldest community rituals
Four months later, people are still gathering, still asking questions, still demanding evidence, and still refusing to let the story disappear. Four months later, neighbors are still active in rapid response groups and showing up when ICE appears.
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
GOOD NEWS: Minnesota Is Paying Attention (And It’s Showing)
Friday, May 8, 2026
Minnesota is not ignoring what’s happening. People are tracking it, challenging it, rewriting it, and forcing it into the open.
The Minnesota House voted 127–5 to create a new independent Office of Inspector General with authority to investigate fraud in state programs, run a tip line, and recommend law changes, with Senate approval expected next week
Keith Ellison filed suit against two Minneapolis nonprofits alleging more than $2 million in charitable funds were spent on luxury travel, designer clothing, and personal payments, with the state seeking restitution and dissolution
The Minnesota Senate passed SF 1750, a bipartisan HOA reform bill led by Susan Pha, banning HOAs from charging legal fees for residents questioning fines and requiring transparency around conflicts of interest. The HOA bill was shaped by testimony from hundreds of homeowners after a 2025 investigation found management companies hiring their own subsidiaries for inflated construction projects, including at least one foreclosure tied to assessments
A compensation package advanced in the Minnesota House that would award $4.5 million to Marvin Haynes, who spent nearly 20 years in prison after being arrested at age 16 and exonerated at 36. Haynes’ case directly led to 2024 Minnesota legislation banning deceptive interrogation of juveniles and removing the two-year limit on postconviction relief based on new evidence
Federal prosecutors dismissed 14 of 36 cases against individuals accused of assaulting immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge, reducing nearly 40% of those charges. This week also marked the first known transfer of federal evidence from the shooting of Renée Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross into U.S. District Court, placing the case into formal judicial review for the first time. At the same time, Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension still has not been allowed to independently investigate Renée Good’s killing, keeping pressure on state and federal accountability systems
Court data reported May 7, 2026 showed federal felony filings in Minnesota dropped to 90 cases from January–April, roughly half of the previous year, while gun and drug prosecutions fell from 77 to 8 cases
Reporting confirmed that about half of the 3,700 people detained during Operation Metro Surge have now been deported, with families across Minnesota actively adjusting, reorganizing, and deciding how to move forward
This is what it looks like when details matter. Votes, filings, lawsuits, dismissed charges, evidence transfers—real things moving in real systems.
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
GOOD NEWS: Minnesota Is Writing Itself Into History
Saturday, May 9, 2026
While everything is happening, people across Minnesota are writing it down. Not just through headlines, but through books, stories, and spaces that hold memory in real time.
WOMN of the Resistance, by Teri Leigh (yes, me) documents what’s unfolding across the Minnesota as a result of Operation Metro Surge through the eyes and stories of average Minnesota women, turning lived experience into immediate history.
The Land of Everlasting Sky by Jill D. Swenson will be touring through the midwest this month. A memoir about returning to her mother’s hometown after her funeral, Swenson finds a new Seven Clans Casino under construction in Warroad, Minnesota, on Lake of the Woods. There, she learns, Red Lake Nation has recently dispossessed descendants of Ojibway spiritual leader Kakaygeesick from their land—land where the family has lived for the last two centuries—and has also denied them tribal membership.
The Scenic Route: Building Minnesota’s North Shore by Arnold R. Alanen (2025) traces Highway 61 from Duluth to Grand Portage, showing how a rugged mail route became one of the most iconic drives in the country
People the Planet Needs Now by Dudley Edmondson (2025) brings together first-person stories from BIPOC scientists and activists, many connected to Minnesota, documenting environmental justice work happening right now
The House on Rondo by Debra J. (2025) tells the story of Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood and the destruction caused by I-94, through the eyes of a young girl fighting to protect her community
Enmity and Empathy: Japanese Americans in Minnesota During World War II (2025, Minnesota Historical Society Press) brings forward a lesser-known Minnesota history with a specific focus on wartime experiences in the state
The Gales of November by John U. Bacon (2025) revisits the Edmund Fitzgerald through a Great Lakes lens, tying Minnesota’s shipping and industrial history into a story many people thought they already knew
Sinkhole by Juliet Patterson (forthcoming 2026, Milkweed Editions) is a memoir-in-essays written from Minneapolis, exploring family, grief, and place through a deeply local lens
Holy Cow! Press continues publishing 3–5 new Midwest-focused books each year, including 2025–2026 titles rooted in regional voices often overlooked by larger publishers
Minnesota Historical Society Press continues releasing new titles documenting immigration, war-era Minnesota, and community memory across the state
Independent bookstores like Moon Palace Books and Black Garnet Books are hosting readings, launches, and community events that give Minnesota authors a physical space to share their work with neighbors
Minnesota has always been a place where stories are told close to the ground, shaped by the people living them. What’s happening now is part of that same tradition, with writers, journalists, and communities documenting this moment as it unfolds.
Tim O’Brien continues to shape national understanding of memory and storytelling, with roots in Minnesota that still inform his work
Louise Erdrich, based in Minneapolis and owner of Birchbark Books, continues publishing award-winning work centered on Indigenous experience and place
William Kent Krueger continues releasing bestselling novels set in Minnesota, bringing the state’s landscapes and communities into mainstream fiction
Marcie Rendon, a White Earth Nation writer, continues producing crime and literary fiction rooted in Indigenous life in Minnesota while gaining national recognition
The Minnesota Star Tribune won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for its coverage of the August 27, 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 17 people were injured
A Prairie Home Companion, created by Garrison Keillor, built one of the most recognizable storytelling traditions in the country from St. Paul, bringing small-town Minnesota life into the national imagination
Thanks for giving a shit.
I love you all fiercely.
TeriLeigh💜
