Prosecutors charge mosque arson suspect

By Trisha Ahmed Associated Press/Report for America

A man suspected of setting fires to Minneapolis mosques was indicted Thursday on federal charges of arson and damage to religious property while investigators look into a series of crimes targeting Muslims and Somali Americans.

Jackie Rahm Little, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury for an April 24 fire at the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque. Authorities are also investigating him as a suspect in a fire that damaged the Masjid Omar Islamic Center inside a Somali shopping mall on April 23, as well as in the January vandalism of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Minneapolis office and of a Somali American police officer’s vehicle, among other crimes, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said at a news conference.

“The freedom to worship is sacrosanct. We will respond to any attack on any house of worship with urgency and determination,” said Luger, who noted that the charge accusing Little of damaging religious property is a civil rights violation.

Little pleaded not guilty at a brief hearing Thursday, where his attorney said he may seek an evaluation of his client’s mental competency. Hennepin County court records show that Little had been committed as mentally ill three times in 2021 and 2022 but had been free recently on a provisional discharge that was formally revoked last Friday.

Little was arrested Saturday on a state charge of second-degree arson in the April 24 fire, which had prompted the evacuation of about 40 children from a day care at the

A Minnesota man who immigrated to the U.S. and built a successful food business was named Monday as the National Small Business Person of the Year.

The honor for Abdirahman Kahin, CEO and owner of Afro Deli & Grill in St. Paul, was announced at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. marking National Small Business Week.

Kahin, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1996, opened Afro Deli & Grill in 2014 as a fast-casual restaurant serving healthy, fresh African fusion cuisine.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the restaurant to close and change to grab-andgo products, according to a news release from the Small Business Administration.

Afro Deli & Grill now supplies eight stores in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and 15 other stores across the Twin Cities area, and has expanded to four locations. The business also partners with Meals on Wheels and Minnesota Central Kitchen to provide home-delivered meals to vulnerable community members.

Juanny Romero, of Mothership Coffee, which operates multiple cafes and a coffee roasting business in Nevada, was named national runner-up for the award.

Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman will travel to Minneapolis on Wednesday to have a roundtable discussion with small business community leaders and present the award to Kahin.

Minnesota deli owner named Small Business Person of the Year House passes $1 billion investment in housing, including increased metro sales tax

By Tessa Pieper Session Daily

From homeless people to renters to wannabe-homeowners, help is likely forthcoming.

The conference committee agreement on the omnibus housing finance bill passed the House 70-61 Monday.

Sponsored by Rep. Michael Howard (DFLRichfield) and Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), HF2335 would appropriate $1.07 billion during the 2024-25 biennium for needs across the housing continuum, $950 million in mostly onetime new cash.

“This bill makes historic investments all across the housing continuum, all across the state,” Howard said. “… It’s excellent to see it at the 1-yard line here.”

While the Senate agreed to a seven-county metropolitan sales tax increase, the House accepted lower spending on other priorities.

Raising tax for metro shoppers by 0.25%, the increased sales tax would split its estimated $353.2 million in revenue as follows: 50% to metropolitan county aid; 25% to metropolitan city aid; and 25% to statewide rent assistance. A new firstgeneration homebuyer down payment assistance program, originally a $150 million appropriation in the House is now $50 million. The other $100 million would create a community-based firstgeneration homebuyers assistance program. Not in either body’s omnibus bill, assistance would be limited to 10% of the home purchase price, up to $32,000, and it could be used on closing costs, down payment, or principal reduction.

We know that homeownership is a way to build wealth and want to give that opportunity to as many people as possible, said Rep. Esther Agbaje (DFLMpls). “I do hope that this is a signal to future legislators in Minnesota that this is the