Frederick Melo, Reporter (TwinCities.com, Pioneer Press)
@frederickmelo.bsky.social
A Boston transplant turned longtime City Hall/urban news reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota (twincities.com) but my true claim to fame is I wrote this 3-part comic book: https://fredmelosupervillains.thecomicseries.com
Pinned
For many Black leaders, there’s a feeling of state-sanctioned racial hostility, Jim Crow lawlessness and selective enforcement, the same frightening backdrop that drew generations of Black folks from the south to the north a century ago. www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/s...
Not all ICE agents wanted to be in the Twin Cities. Some were truly conflicted. But “Ray Bands”? You could tell she was living her best life while reaching for hammers and smashing windows as agents gave drivers conflicting commands… www.instagram.com/reel/DUwbKJl...
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February 15, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Not all ICE agents wanted to be in the Twin Cities. Some were truly conflicted. But “Ray Bands”? You could tell she was living her best life while reaching for hammers and smashing windows as agents gave drivers conflicting commands… www.instagram.com/reel/DUwbKJl...
You go to East Seventh Street, the West Side, Lake Street, University Avenue, etc. You find an immigrant-owned restaurant. You eat. They survive. It’s the best middle finger I can give to the shitstorm that has been 2026…
February 15, 2026 at 12:15 AM
You go to East Seventh Street, the West Side, Lake Street, University Avenue, etc. You find an immigrant-owned restaurant. You eat. They survive. It’s the best middle finger I can give to the shitstorm that has been 2026…
I called Manana last night. They said they were closing at 7 pm (on a Friday!). I called today. They said they’d close at 5:30 pm. “Like heck you will!” We got seated at 5 pm. I just asked server if they were really closing at 5:30 pm. “Well, it’s picked up a bit, so I guess we’ll stay open…” See?!!
February 15, 2026 at 12:11 AM
I called Manana last night. They said they were closing at 7 pm (on a Friday!). I called today. They said they’d close at 5:30 pm. “Like heck you will!” We got seated at 5 pm. I just asked server if they were really closing at 5:30 pm. “Well, it’s picked up a bit, so I guess we’ll stay open…” See?!!
Small businesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge can apply to the Minneapolis Foundation for grant dollars. No, you don't have to be located within Minneapolis. www.twincities.com/2026/02/12/m...
Minneapolis Foundation offers $4M in small business grants
The Economic Response Fund will distribute grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to small businesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge.
www.twincities.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Small businesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge can apply to the Minneapolis Foundation for grant dollars. No, you don't have to be located within Minneapolis. www.twincities.com/2026/02/12/m...
Heggie’s is one of the best pizzas in Minnesota. Fight me. Someone dare me to eat an entire Heggie’s on my own. Dare me!!!
February 13, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Heggie’s is one of the best pizzas in Minnesota. Fight me. Someone dare me to eat an entire Heggie’s on my own. Dare me!!!
HOMAN: Operation Metro Surge is done. www.twincities.com/2026/02/12/w...
White House border official Tom Homan announces the conclusion of Operation Metro Surge
At a press conference at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Fort Snelling, Homan said the operation has “yielded the successful results” the administration came to Minnesota f…
www.twincities.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:29 PM
HOMAN: Operation Metro Surge is done. www.twincities.com/2026/02/12/w...
For many Black leaders, there’s a feeling of state-sanctioned racial hostility, Jim Crow lawlessness and selective enforcement, the same frightening backdrop that drew generations of Black folks from the south to the north a century ago. www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/s...
February 12, 2026 at 1:21 PM
For many Black leaders, there’s a feeling of state-sanctioned racial hostility, Jim Crow lawlessness and selective enforcement, the same frightening backdrop that drew generations of Black folks from the south to the north a century ago. www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/s...
On paper, Black leaders who can trace their lineage back generations should seemingly have no worries about heightened immigration enforcement. They say just the opposite. There’s a feeling of Jim Crow lawlessness and selective enforcement… www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/s...
Black leaders in St. Paul call for an end to Operation Metro Surge
“Nobody is safe in these conditions,” said Benny Roberts, executive director of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul.
www.twincities.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:18 PM
On paper, Black leaders who can trace their lineage back generations should seemingly have no worries about heightened immigration enforcement. They say just the opposite. There’s a feeling of Jim Crow lawlessness and selective enforcement… www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/s...
Dilla Ethiopian at Fry and University Ave., St. Paul, hosts a karaoke night tonight… and an interactive comedy show on Feb. 14. They’re really doing everything they can to bring you here. I’m sold…
February 12, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Dilla Ethiopian at Fry and University Ave., St. Paul, hosts a karaoke night tonight… and an interactive comedy show on Feb. 14. They’re really doing everything they can to bring you here. I’m sold…
VIDEO: In case you want to see video of how incredibly deadly this crash nearly was. Thank God “only” one person was injured. This was broad daylight near schools, childcare centers, restaurants, businesses… www.facebook.com/share/v/1Dpx...
February 12, 2026 at 1:20 AM
VIDEO: In case you want to see video of how incredibly deadly this crash nearly was. Thank God “only” one person was injured. This was broad daylight near schools, childcare centers, restaurants, businesses… www.facebook.com/share/v/1Dpx...
ICYMI: ICE agents chased a driver to the corner of Selby and Western avenues, ending in a three-way crash with injuries. Mayor Her says ICE is “causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in St. Paul.” Story by the prolific
@maragottfried.bsky.social www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/m...
@maragottfried.bsky.social www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/m...
Man pursued by federal officers crashes in St. Paul, sustains non-life threatening injuries
Police say he struck 2 vehicles and a snowbank at Selby and Western.
www.twincities.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:19 AM
ICYMI: ICE agents chased a driver to the corner of Selby and Western avenues, ending in a three-way crash with injuries. Mayor Her says ICE is “causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in St. Paul.” Story by the prolific
@maragottfried.bsky.social www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/m...
@maragottfried.bsky.social www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/m...
Gov. Walz authorizes $1.2 million in emergency disaster aid in response to St. Paul’s cyber-security attack from this past summer, which has ongoing costs www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/g...
Gov. Tim Walz provides $1.2M to help with St. Paul’s cyber attack recovery
A cyber-security attack forced municipal digital services like bill payments to go offline for weeks last summer.
www.twincities.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Gov. Walz authorizes $1.2 million in emergency disaster aid in response to St. Paul’s cyber-security attack from this past summer, which has ongoing costs www.twincities.com/2026/02/11/g...
I-94 east of downtown St. Paul closes for the coming weekend (this time for real, I can feel it) as horizontal beams are laid for the new Kellogg Boulevard/3rd Street bridge. Feb. 13-15. Take heed… www.twincities.com/2026/02/10/s...
St. Paul: Bridge work this weekend to close I-94 in both directions east of downtown — again
The interstate closure scheduled for this past weekend was scrapped in progress when a contractor decided they did not have the proper trailer to set the first 200-foot beam.
www.twincities.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:17 AM
I-94 east of downtown St. Paul closes for the coming weekend (this time for real, I can feel it) as horizontal beams are laid for the new Kellogg Boulevard/3rd Street bridge. Feb. 13-15. Take heed… www.twincities.com/2026/02/10/s...
Yes, they finally closed I-94 east of downtown St. Paul in both directions on Friday night, after scheduling that closure 3 times. No, the beam-setting work for the Kellogg/3rd Street bridge did not actually get done. I-94 reopened by noon on Saturday. www.twincities.com/2026/02/09/s...
St. Paul: I-94 closure scrapped Saturday as workers struggled with bridge beam
Work crews struggling to get a beam in place decided the operation was too risky.
www.twincities.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Yes, they finally closed I-94 east of downtown St. Paul in both directions on Friday night, after scheduling that closure 3 times. No, the beam-setting work for the Kellogg/3rd Street bridge did not actually get done. I-94 reopened by noon on Saturday. www.twincities.com/2026/02/09/s...
SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER LIFTED AT ST. THOMAS: Students, faculty and staff at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul locked classroom doors and hid in basements following reports of armed man on campus. Shelter-in-place order issued at 12:27 p.m. was lifted 1:15 p.m. www.twincities.com/2026/02/09/u...
Shelter in place order issued at University of St. Thomas following reports of armed man
Students, faculty and staff locked classroom doors and remained inside buildings.
www.twincities.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:27 PM
SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER LIFTED AT ST. THOMAS: Students, faculty and staff at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul locked classroom doors and hid in basements following reports of armed man on campus. Shelter-in-place order issued at 12:27 p.m. was lifted 1:15 p.m. www.twincities.com/2026/02/09/u...
Pressured into marriage with a 40-year-old at age 15, the girl with deformed feet lived a life of terror and physical abuse. Then she killed him — and tried to kill herself. What happens at her next check-in with Immigration? A harrowing story by Mara Gottfried. www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/s...
A Hmong child bride who killed her husband years ago dreads her next ICE check-in
As the Trump administration touts the “Worst of the Worst” they’ve arrested, her name and picture could wind up on their next list.
www.twincities.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Pressured into marriage with a 40-year-old at age 15, the girl with deformed feet lived a life of terror and physical abuse. Then she killed him — and tried to kill herself. What happens at her next check-in with Immigration? A harrowing story by Mara Gottfried. www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/s...
“Now we have incident after incident after incident of American citizens being detained and being injured at the hands of ICE, people with no criminal record at all. We are hearing more of those cases than actual situations where someone had a criminal record.” www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/a...
February 8, 2026 at 4:06 PM
“Now we have incident after incident after incident of American citizens being detained and being injured at the hands of ICE, people with no criminal record at all. We are hearing more of those cases than actual situations where someone had a criminal record.” www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/a...
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is little more than a month into office, and oh what a month it’s been. Is anything not ICE-related getting done at all? Will she keep the department heads she has or make changes? We sat. We talked. Here’s what she told me… www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/a...
A month of learning, advocacy, frustration for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her
St. Paul’s first refugee mayor now presides over a city where ICE agents have gone door to door looking for immigrants, including members of her own ethnic group.
www.twincities.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:40 PM
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is little more than a month into office, and oh what a month it’s been. Is anything not ICE-related getting done at all? Will she keep the department heads she has or make changes? We sat. We talked. Here’s what she told me… www.twincities.com/2026/02/08/a...
Guests at the funeral of the woman remembered affectionately as Head Nurse Choua Thao include St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
Remember this innocent man? He buried his mother today, a Hmong war hero nurse who tended to countless American soldiers in Laos, as well as the wounded Hmong soldiers who came to their aid when their aircraft was shot down. www.twincities.com/2026/01/19/s...
February 7, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Guests at the funeral of the woman remembered affectionately as Head Nurse Choua Thao include St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
Remember this innocent man? He buried his mother today, a Hmong war hero nurse who tended to countless American soldiers in Laos, as well as the wounded Hmong soldiers who came to their aid when their aircraft was shot down. www.twincities.com/2026/01/19/s...
February 7, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Remember this innocent man? He buried his mother today, a Hmong war hero nurse who tended to countless American soldiers in Laos, as well as the wounded Hmong soldiers who came to their aid when their aircraft was shot down. www.twincities.com/2026/01/19/s...
THE @xanderosier SPEAKS FRAUD: MN's Department of Human Services is combing through state agencies to see where they can find 168 site inspectors to visit high-risk Medicaid programs. They currently have 6 inspectors -- statewide. Read that again slowly. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/a...
February 7, 2026 at 8:55 PM
THE @xanderosier SPEAKS FRAUD: MN's Department of Human Services is combing through state agencies to see where they can find 168 site inspectors to visit high-risk Medicaid programs. They currently have 6 inspectors -- statewide. Read that again slowly. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/a...
THE @xanderosier.bsky.social ON FRAUD: A third-party audit by Optum Health found tweaks that could safeguard up to $1 billion over the next 4 years from MN's high-risk Medicaid programs. No guns or deportations involved. Just good old fashioned accounting/paperwork www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/a...
Audit: Changing procedures may safeguard $1 billion in MN Medicaid programs
Minnesota’s Department of Human Services on Friday released an initial report on fraud vulnerabilities in 14 programs it considers high risk.
www.twincities.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:54 PM
THE @xanderosier.bsky.social ON FRAUD: A third-party audit by Optum Health found tweaks that could safeguard up to $1 billion over the next 4 years from MN's high-risk Medicaid programs. No guns or deportations involved. Just good old fashioned accounting/paperwork www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/a...
CORRECTION: Council Member Yang is helping get the word out about this event, but she's not the main organizer. She's in delegate meetings all day. East Side residents are doing this one on their own...
City Council member organizes event tonight (Saturday) to create a Hmong heart over Lake Phalen. Residents plan to spell the words “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart symbol across the lake shortly after sundown. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/s...
St. Paul: Lake Phalen event seeks to shine light over ICE
Residents plan to spell the words “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart across the lake.
www.twincities.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:36 PM
CORRECTION: Council Member Yang is helping get the word out about this event, but she's not the main organizer. She's in delegate meetings all day. East Side residents are doing this one on their own...
Reposted by Frederick Melo, Reporter (TwinCities.com, Pioneer Press)
Who funded the nonprofit St. Paul Downtown Development Corporation's acquisition of Alliance Bank Center, Capital City Plaza parking, the Empire Building, the U.S. Bank Center bank note...? ANSWER: Securian and the Bush Foundation. There's a fund for that. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/s...
Securian, Bush Foundation invest $30M in downtown St. Paul fund
The fund has already helped administrators acquire rights to five distressed properties, including Alliance Bank Center and the Empire Building.
www.twincities.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Who funded the nonprofit St. Paul Downtown Development Corporation's acquisition of Alliance Bank Center, Capital City Plaza parking, the Empire Building, the U.S. Bank Center bank note...? ANSWER: Securian and the Bush Foundation. There's a fund for that. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/s...
City Council member organizes event tonight (Saturday) to create a Hmong heart over Lake Phalen. Residents plan to spell the words “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart symbol across the lake shortly after sundown. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/s...
St. Paul: Lake Phalen event seeks to shine light over ICE
Residents plan to spell the words “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart across the lake.
www.twincities.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:25 PM
City Council member organizes event tonight (Saturday) to create a Hmong heart over Lake Phalen. Residents plan to spell the words “MN > ICE” with a Hmong heart symbol across the lake shortly after sundown. www.twincities.com/2026/02/06/s...