Big losers in Israeli election: American political strategists
Two of the big losers in Israel’s parliamentary vote Tuesday were Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and the Labor Party of Shelly Yachimovich, with both underperforming initial polling expectations.But...
View ArticleMystery of the fake Matisse masterpiece leads to jail time
Nearly a decade after being lifted from a Venezuelan museum, a painting by French master Henri Matisse is heading home while the two individuals who tried to sell the $2 million art work on the black...
View ArticleMali's Ansar Dine rebels split, call for ceasefire
Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split – and the new faction wants to begin peace talks.In a statement to Radio France Internationale, the splinter group announced that it was called the Islamic...
View ArticleShould we stay or go? Cameron pledges British referendum on EU
Britain's prime minister used a long-awaited speech Wednesday to declare himself in favor for the first time of an up-or-down referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the European Union...
View ArticleLooks like a weak deal is coming on changing filibuster rules
In case you've lost track of the effort to change (I decline to use the word "reform") the filibuster rule, a compromise deal will likely be announced soon, perhaps as soon as today.The New York Times...
View ArticlePentagon lifting ban on women in combat, opening new opportunities
At the direction of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the Pentagon is announcing tomorrow that it will allow women to serve on the front lines of battle, according to top Pentagon officials.This...
View ArticleClinton highlights Al Qaeda affiliates in Africa during Benghazi hearings
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified in front of the Senate on Wednesday morning about the attack on a US consulate in Benghazi that left four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya,...
View ArticleObama has many independent options to move U.S. on clean energy, climate
It will be some time, and perhaps not until his State of the Union address on Feb. 12, that we really know how Barack Obama intends to take up the challenge of climate change in his second term.But his...
View ArticleRepair bill for Minneapolis water main now at $325,000
The cost of repairing the water main that spilled l4 million gallons of water in downtown Minneapolis earlier this month is now is estimated be $325,000, according to City Engineer Steve Kotke.The...
View ArticleMinnesota outscores Wisconsin on 39 health measures, UW study finds
Wisconsin health officials are using their state’s natural rivalry with Minnesota to urge its residents improve their health — and the health of their communities.A new report released yesterday by the...
View ArticleGoing off the rails with the Second Amendment
Thoughtful Bastards Blog Cabin contributor Paul Udstrand has started publishing on his blog, Thoughtful Bastards, a six-part series on the interpretation of the Second Amendment especially as it...
View ArticleCities see lots to like in Dayton budget, but effect of sales tax change unclear
The mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis are praising Gov. Mark Dayton's proposed state budget because of the increases in Local Government Aid that would flow their way, starting in 2014.For the past 10...
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Minnesota Senate leaders react to Gov. Dayton's budget proposal
In reacting to Gov. Mark Dayton's budget which was unveiled Tuesday, the leaders of the Minnesota Senate were a study in contrasts. DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk called the governors budget “a...
View ArticleCommissioner Dohman outlines proposed Dayton's proposed public safety...
Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman is at the Capitol today outlining some of Gov. Mark Dayton's budget proposals, which he says will improve public safety.Dohman's testimony before the House...
View ArticleIs Canada telling Hungary's Roma 'Do not seek asylum here'?
Canada has long had an international reputation of welcoming refugees from around the world. But now it's telling Hungary's Roma community that that doesn't apply to them.The Canadian government is...
View ArticleStrong turnout in Jordan's elections belies deep-seated cynicism
By mid-afternoon yesterday, Mohammad Audeh still hadn't decided if he was going to vote or not. He said he didn’t see anyone he wanted to vote for as he hung around outside the polling station,...
View ArticleThe people Egypt's revolution left behind
Amr Esmat guides his tuk tuk through a rutted dirt street between brick buildings so close together that they almost entirely block the sky. Bright laundry flutters from the balconies above as the...
View ArticleThe Phil Mickelson effect: Do millionaires flee states with high taxes?
The question of whether millionaires move to other states to avoid taxes is being asked afresh here in California after golfer Phil Mickelson, the world’s seventh-richest athlete, said he may move to...
View ArticleSenate Democrats unveil assault weapons ban. Can it win any GOP support?
Facing long political odds, congressional Democrats nonetheless unveiled legislation on Thursday that would greatly restrict the availability of assault weapons, one of the major legislative changes...
View ArticleThe most innovative state in the country
NextMinnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s budget has set off a flurry of commentary. Those who believe that critical state needs have been ignored for much of the last decade are rallying in praise of the...
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