PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
March 16 - 22, 2023
Vol. 89
LOCAL OFFICIALS PRESS FOR HYUNDAI AND KIA RECALLS By Cole Miska Contributing Writer
dustry-standard, anti-theft technology.” The investigation will require both Kia and Hyundai to provide documents and n Tuesday, March 7, the office testimony to Ellison’s office, to determine of Minnesota Attorney General if the two auto manufacturers violated Keith Ellison announced a civil state consumer protection and public investigation into sales of Kia of America nuisance laws. “The drastic increase in Kia and Hyunand Hyundai USA vehicles that lack “in-
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dai vehicle thefts is continuing to threaten public safety and do serious harm to our communities,” Ellison said in a press release. “With this investigation, we will follow where the facts lead us and will continue to use all the tools of the law to help keep Minnesotans safe.” ■ See RECALL on page 5
Minneapolis Public Schools data compromised
By Cole Miska Contributing Writer
ticed on Feb. 18. MPS reported that most systems were back online by Feb. 28, but inneapolis Public Schools some teachers within the dis(MPS) has entered its trict said they were still unable third week of what it to access their grade books or describes as an “encryption print documents from their event,” where a ransomware computers at that time. group called Medusa managed MPS announced on March to install an encryption virus on 7 that some of the district’s the district’s servers. data had been accessed durThe virus, which locked ing the encryption. Medusa MPS students and employ- is threatening to release the ees out of several systems for seized data to the public on multiple weeks, was first no- ■ See DATA BREACH on page 5
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Protesters denounce hate crime on Metro Transit
PUBLIC TRANSIT PLAGUED WITH CRIME AND DRUG USE
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
crimes towards trans people remain a problem. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal ast Thursday, March 9, Apprehension recorded six amid a blizzard, about crimes motivated by bias to200 people gathered at wards trans people in 2019, the plaza adjacent to Metro four in 2020, and six in 2021. Transit’s Lake Street/Mid- Data for 2022 are unavailable town Station to denounce as of this writing. However, hate crimes the savage beating of a trans woman nearby weeks earlier. against trans people may be The woman, who has not underreported. Some don’t been publicly identified, re- trust the police, and the police mains in stable condition. The officers currently rely on train- Metro Transit Blue Line train crosses Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. Photo by H. Jiahong Pan assault, which happened inside ing that was last updated in passenger boardings. 2021 levels, according to Metro Transit. By H. Jiahong Pan the Lake Street/Midtown Sta- 1992 to identify those crimes. Seeing people smoke on the train moThis comes at a time when people are Rep. Samantha Vang, DFL- Contributing Writer tion, comes at a time when overdosing on opioids at rates higher tivated Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL-54A), who Metro Transit is struggling to Brooklyn Center, introduced a ou may have been on the light rail than before the pandemic. According to is commuting from Shakopee to Minmake the system safe and com- bill in January that would fix or a Metro Transit bus lately and felt the Minnesota Department of Health, neapolis by bus and train this session fortable. It also comes at a time both issues. It would require unsafe, if not downright uncomfort- 978 Minnesotans died of an opioid over- because his truck is undergoing repairs, of heightened hostility towards the Board of Peace Officers the transgender community Standards and Training to up- able. A trans woman was savagely beaten dose in 2021, more than double the num- to do something about it. He hopes to and people who choose to live date their training materials at Lake Street/Midtown Station [see ber who died of an opioid overdose in pass legislation in the coming weeks that “Protest denounces hate crime on Metro 2019. Meanwhile, 4,349 people survived would allocate $1 million for state agenTransit”]. More likely than not, there usu- an opioid overdose and visited emer- cies, counties and social service nonprofally is someone hunched over on the very gency rooms in 2021, compared to 2,821 its to work together to address drug use— last seat using a lighter to prep drugs by people in 2019. and homelessness—on the light rail in a burning the underside of a piece of tinfoil. Scenes like this make light rail riders like Selena Wade feel uncomfortable. “The train is real bad. People smoke hard drugs, weed, cigarettes, pills. I’ve gotten into it with multiple people telling them it’s not okay to do that on the train,” said Wade, as she rode the 62 with her child, on the way to the Green Line one dreary day. Jae Yates (green jacket) leads chant at a rally for trans lives She and hundreds of light rail riders at Lake Street/Midtown Station. Photo by H. Jiahong Pan are fed up, and so is Metro Transit. And so their authentic identities. every three years. It would are some state legislators, one of whom “What happened to that also provide funding to the introduced a bill to flood the system with woman is wrong. She deserves Department of Human Rights social workers to address the issues beto live [free of harassment],” to take those reports from fore summer arrives. Smoking on the trains has long been a said a frustrated trans person schools, community organizawinter pastime. The agency has tried to at the rally. “And I’m sorry that tions and individuals. Photo by H. Jiahong Pan my trans existence [and] your The bill, HF 181, was heard address it by purchasing real-time surveil- Passengers on the Blue Line trans existence is threatening in January and awaits a floor lance systems for its light rail vehicles and Meanwhile, crimes on transit—not matter of weeks. to your masculinity.” vote. The Senate companion requiring its officers to work overtime in 2020. just light rail—involving assault, fraud, The bill as introduced would also reDespite the work being has yet to receive a hearing. Nonetheless, smoking worsened when gambling, theft, and sex and weapons quire the agency to formally adopt a code done to enshrine trans rights Meanwhile, the assault in the state, with both the comes at a time where Metro the pandemic began. As people aban- offenses more than doubled from about of conduct stipulating what behaviors legislature introducing a bill Transit is struggling to make doned the trains because they began to 100 in September 2020 to about 200 in are not acceptable on transit, excluding and Gov. Tim Walz signing the system safe, which in- work remotely from home, some people December 2022. Meanwhile, November sleeping that does not otherwise vioan executive order affirm- cludes contracting for secu- started to use the trains to smoke not just 2022 light rail weekday boardings, at just late the code of conduct. Police officers ing trans people’s rights to rity personnel, enhancing its cigarettes, but also hard drugs. Narcotics over 39,000, is about half of what it was would be allowed to order anyone off the gender-affirming care, hate ■ See HATE CRIME on page 5 use increased 182 percent in 2022, over in January 2020, with just over 73,000 ■ See TRANSIT SAFETY on page 5
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