Olympia Snowe departs with pious baloney
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, shocked Washington by denouncing the partisan polarization of Congress and backed her words by announcing her retirement from a Senate seat she could easily have retained....
View ArticleGov. Dayton says Minnesota working on Asian carp threat
Gov. Mark Dayton says the state is working hard to stop Asian carp from advancing up the Mississippi River into Minnesota.He wrote an op/ed piece for Outdoor News on the issue; it was published Friday,...
View ArticleGeneral manager of KQRS, 93X, LOVE105 out
It's no secret KQRS's ratings have plunged in the past couple of years; the station's new owner, Cumulus Media, just parted ways with the general manager installed a few months ago, Pete Frisch.Frisch...
View ArticleRomney's RomneyCare problem just won't quit
Poor Mitt Romney, just can’t live down his greatest accomplishment.I know, things are blowing his way, at the moment, SuperTuesday-wise. And when he has the nomination locked up and can start drifting...
View Article'Tax the rich' still on Dayton's agenda
If the Senate and House swing back his way, he might actually have a shot. The AP story says: “Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll push his plan to raise income taxes on the richest Minnesotans regardless of...
View ArticleExpected bill offering stadium financing alternative doesn't surface
Despite expectations, an alternative to last week’s $975 million Vikings stadium proposal didn’t surface Monday at the Capitol. GOP Sen. Roger Chamberlain was supposed to bring the legislation before...
View ArticleMining on the Range: Half the story is half the truth
ELY, Minn. – On Feb. 29, according to WDIO.com, there was “Mining Support in St. Paul.” Unfortunately, it neglected to report the rest of the story.“Ely Mayor Roger Skraba said his community supports...
View ArticleNix on the expanded Castle Doctrine, says Dayton
Despite their pleasantries last week, Gov. Dayton vetoed GOP Rep. Tony Cornish’s latest gun bill. The MPR story, by Tom Scheck, says: “In his veto letter to the Legislature, Governor Dayton said he...
View ArticleCast your Readers' Choice Award vote before April 1
Now that this year's Minnesota Book Awards finalists have been chosen, it's time for readers to have their say.All Minnesotans are invited to take part in the Readers’ Choice Award by voting for one...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Anoka-Hennepin settlement: a closer look
Sometimes, the fine print turns out to be fine indeed.Yesterday, after the ink had dried and Monday night’s fireworks subsided, it became clear that the settlement between the Anoka-Hennepin School...
View ArticleHow I lost 150 pounds in one year
As a little kid, I was always skinny, but when my growth spurt to 6-foot-2 began around age 15, that turned into chubby, and by the end of high school, I was fat. After a year of college, fat gave way...
View ArticleWhy we know so little about effects of vitamin D supplements
The March issue of The Scientist has a great article outlining the considerable barriers facing researchers who are seeking proof that vitamin D supplements can help prevent a slew of diseases,...
View ArticlePlants that changed Minnesota
My Northern Garden When the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum announced it was sponsoring a contest to name 10 plants that changed Minnesota, my first thought was…Asian milfoil? Creeping...
View ArticleCountries struggle to deal with global markets: Dollarization, eh?
“Step one in Canada’s quest for world domination… is to take over Iceland.”I chuckled when I read this headline and thought it came from the humor site The Onion, along the lines of “Road-Kill Squirrel...
View ArticleCan electronic pull-tabs pull in enough stadium revenue?
A major pillar of the Vikings stadium proposal unveiled last week is tax revenue from an expansion in charitable gambling.But such a financing plan has lots of unknowns — and one key question: Will the...
View ArticleWashington County seeks public input on number of commissioner districts
With statewide redistricting complete, it's now time for Washington County to reset the boundaries of its commissioner districts to reflect the new census numbers.The board is also considering whether...
View ArticleColumnist Charles Krauthammer to make two Minnesota appearances
Washington Post syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer will speak at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter on April 12.He'll give the keynote speech at the 2012 Lindau Symposium at 7 p.m. Thursday,...
View ArticleFormer Luverne Mayor Bill Weber to seek state Senate seat
Republican Bill Weber, a former mayor and city council member in Luverne, will run for the state Senate in District 22.There'll be no incumbent in the race; Republican state Sen. Doug Magnus announced...
View ArticleStar Tribune, nearby landowners, would split $26 million in Vikings stadium plan
The Star Tribune has taken lots of fire for its full-throated, conflict-of-interested Dome-area Vikings stadium advocacy, but how many millions would the the newspaper reap from selling its nearby...
View ArticleLegislators hear both sides of wolf-hunting issue
With bills advancing in the Legislature to open a hunting season on wolves, some opposition to the plan is surfacing, reports the Fargo Forum.The current plan is to allo,w the shooting in the area...
View Article