Show Notes
Minneapolis is under intense national scrutiny — from public safety concerns to immigration enforcement and declining trust in political leadership.
In this episode of The Middle Ground Mic, Joe sits down with Dalia al-Aqidi, an Iraqi-American journalist, legal immigrant, and congressional candidate running against Representative Ilhan Omar in Minnesota's Fifth District.
Rather than leaning into partisan outrage, this conversation takes a middle-ground approach to the issues shaping Minneapolis today. Dalia explains why she believes the city needs a renewed focus on public safety, accountability in law enforcement, community trust, and bipartisan solutions to address economic and social challenges.
Topics include the long-term impact of defunding the police, immigration reform from a legal immigrant's perspective, political leadership during unrest, and what effective representation should look like for Minneapolis residents.
🔗 Learn more about Dalia al-Aqidi's campaign: 👉 https://www.daliaforcongress.org [https://www.daliaforcongress.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dalia al-Aqidi 01:01 Dalia's Background and Immigration Story 02:36 Public Safety and Law Enforcement in Minneapolis 04:56 Political Leadership and Community Trust 07:25 The Impact of Defunding the Police 09:19 Bipartisanship and Political Solutions 10:00 Immigration and Community Dynamics 11:13 Economic Challenges and Public Assistance 12:23 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions
🎙️ The Middle Ground Mic No Left. No Right. Forward.
Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]
More from The MiddleGround Mic
Are we raising our children to succeed, or are we simply hoping they survive?
What happens when partisan politics become more important than your own family? Right now, parents and children are literally stopping speaking to one another over differences of opinion—but it doesn't have to be this way.
What actually happens behind the scenes of Michigan's election system?
What do China, Greenland, Iran, artificial intelligence and the price of gasoline have to do with each other?
Can an Independent candidate realistically win a seat in Congress? Former firefighter Mike Thurow joins host Joseph Steagall on The MiddleGround Mic to share why he bypassed party politics to run in Wisconsin's 6th District. Thurow breaks down the corrupting power of corporate money, the challenges of third-party ballot access, and how direct public service shapes his approach to representation.