Impeachment Efforts Begin Against MN Man With (Alleged) Drinking, Competency, Sociopathy Issues

News Impeachment Efforts Begin Against MN Man With (Alleged) Drinking, Competency, Sociopathy Issues Plus cursed Kmart history, quickie food/drink hitters, and talkin' indie rock in today's Flyover news roundup. By Jay Boller 5:15 PM CST on November 9, 2026 Add Racket to Google 9 Comments Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories. Stay in touch Sign up for The Flyover newsletter Email Sign Up House to Vote This Week on Impeaching Pete Hegseth On Monday outgoing U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced articles of impeachment against Minnesota-born Pete Hegseth, the hard-drinking , alleged abuser/sexual assaulter , and former weekend Fox News host who now, inexplicably, heads the trillion-dollar U.S. war machine. While reading on the House floor, Massie ( a noted pain in the ass ) accused Defense Secretary Hegseth of “waging the Iran war despite no declaration of war, statutory authorization, attack on the United States, or imminent threat" and “[demonstrating] that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office." Massie's eight charges against the Pentagon chief also call out his “extrajudicial killings" (of alleged drug boaters), “kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader" (ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro), and “unlawful war in Yemen" (self explanatory). President Trump and Vice President JD Vance both cite the deeply unpopular war with Iran as a key reason Republicans got whooped in last week's midterm elections. Per House rules, the impeachment articles against Hegseth will come up for a vote within two legislative days. A simply majority vote could kill or pass the resolution; if successful, the Senate would then decide whether to boot Hegseth from office, though that vote would require a two-thirds majority. When asked if he supports the impeachment push, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) confirmed he's a "hard yes." Hegseth says he'll address the "sham articles of impeachment" against him at a press conference Tuesday, adding, very normally, "I hope you’ll all come loaded for bear with your questions.” With Cursed Kmart in Retail Hell, City Must Ace Future Plans for Lake & Nicollet On November 24, for the first time in almost 50 years, Nicollet Avenue will flow unimpeded through an area previously blocked by the world's most evil Kmart. Reporting for MPR News, Alanna Elder has a nice piece on reopening celebrations, future development plans, and the history of the cursed decision to drop a big-box store at the intersection of Lake Street & Nicollet. My favorite bit? Elder tracked down one of the final folks who enjoyed free passage along that stretch in the '70s. “I brought [my daughter Molly] home from the hospital across this street, probably one of the last ones to go across the street before they closed it off,” says Pat Berg, who opposed the closure yet admits to enjoying the Kmart; a group called Keep Nicollet Open attracted other opponents at the time. Interestingly, after the city razed nearby buildings, plans were drawn in 1972 for an ambitious development that included a movie theater, bowling alley, and health club. When the economy tanked, the city couldn't lure any retailers to the seven-acre parcel, clearing the way for Kmart to negotiate a sweetheart deal : a 75-year (!) lease at 52 times below market rate, all contingent on the city closing off Nicollet to accommodate a parking lot. The Kmart opened in 1978 and, by the late '80s, its arrival was recognized as one of the worst civic planning blunders in city history. This time, Minneapolis has the opportunity to get it right. Subscribe to skip ads Advertisement "I wonder how long the city of Minneapolis is going to have to wait to see some of this project move forward," urban geographer/ Racket contributor Bill Lindeke tells MPR. "Hopefully, they're more patient this time around than they were in the 1970s.” Three Food/Drink News Quickies An opening, a closing, and a trend piece? Let's get into it... Opening: Former RacketCast guests Angry Line Cook make one of the best burgers in town, and soon you'll be able to score those smashies from an honest-to-god brick 'n' mortar location. Co-owners Jesse Hedman and Mona Negasi announced last week that ALC will soon take over 1700 Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Here's Negasi, who notes that no opening date is set as they build the space out... Getting to this point has been a wild ride full of amazing highs and plenty of those stressful, unpredictable lows. But we are pushing forward every single day. Think of this space as a slightly more elevated evolution of our food truck. It is a bit of a step up, but still completely approachable and deeply committed to scratch cooking. While patrons will be welcome to dine-in, we are keeping seating minimal to focus on a thoughtful takeout experience. Ultimately, we hope to make this a space that serves the neighborhood, Macalester and St. Thomas students, and most importantly, our existing customers who have been with us from the start. We have been working on the menu for months are so excited to share it when the time comes. Closing: The dreaded craft beer bubble claimed another victim last week, with Minneapolis's Inbound BrewCo announcing it'll close for good on December 31. "Call it retirement, other opportunities, or just needing some time to pet our dogs more... whatever it is, it’s the end of an era for us," reads a social media statement from the North Loop brewery, which turned 10 this year. Trending: buffets! "And right now, there’s so much happening, especially in the Twin Cities Asian buffet scene on the northern parts of the I-494/I-694 loop," MSP Mag food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl writes in a sprawling rundown of nine such buffets in the northern 'burbs. We Must Discuss the Egregious Pitchfork Indie Rock List On Monday morning my algorithmically juiced feeds became log-jammed with hot takes about Pitchfork's latest mega-list, "The 100 Best Indie Rock Albums of All Time." I'll echo Minnesota-based rock writer Steven Hyden and point out that it's fucking bonkers to omit the Replacements and Hüsker Dü, especially when fellow Our Band Could Be Your Life -era act the Minutemen came in at No. 16 with Double Nickels on the Dime . What are we even doing here, man? Elsewhere in (generously) local angles: Duluth's Low charted at No. 24 with their 2018 album Double Negative , while Brooklyn's the Hold Steady hit No. 55 with 2005's Separation Sunday and Eau Claire's Bon Iver claimed No. 35 with 2011's Bon Iver, Bon Iver . Me, personally, speaking for myself? Loved seeing Titus Andronicus (No. 72, The Monitor ), Rilo Kiley (No. 48, The Execution of All Things ), Vampire Weekend (No. 29, Modern Vampires of the City ), Modest Mouse (No. 12, The Lonesome Crowded West ), and Silver Jews (No. 6, American Water ). Hyden, Sparhawk, and Ryan Schreiber, the latter of whom founded Pitchfork while living in Minneapolis, are among the 33 contributors to a companion piece headlined, "What Is Indie Rock?" Not a surprising question coming from a clueless outlet that didn't list a single Pixies record ?! But seriously, the list is fun. We like lists. More lists, please. Share on Bluesky Share on Reddit Share on Facebook Share on X (formerly Twitter) Jay Boller Co-owner/editor of Racket. Tagged: The Flyover Stay in touch Sign up for our free newsletter Email Sign Up More Stories Events Open Studios in NE, Colson Whitehead, Evan Clark Does ‘Jesse Ventura’: This Week’s Best Events Plus raunchy puppets, Insight's beer b-day, and MN Roller Derby kicks off its 23rd season. 1 Comments Racket Staff November 9, 2026 Food & Drink St. Paul’s Bewick is the Cadillac of All-Day Cafes Here's what makes it special. 3 Comments Em Cassel November 9, 2026 Today's stories are presented by Rac