Dayton offers game-changing transit plan
Presto chango!With one modest proposal, Gov. Mark Dayton may have put the Twin Cities on a fast track to build out its transit system.In his budget, presented the other day to the Legislature, was a...
View ArticleKlobuchar, Franken accept — diplomatically — modest filibuster change
WASHINGTON — Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken diplomatically welcomed changes to the Senate filibuster on Thursday, even if, reading between the lines, they joined fellow reformers in wishing the new rules...
View ArticleEssence of Obamaism is the push for equality, says former aide Bill Burton
President Obama's view heading into his second term is that he is going to deal with the issues central to his view of pragmatic progressivism -- on guns, on climate change, on issues of equality --...
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Minnesota budget: How Dayton's team put the ‘Big Plan’ together
In November 2011, Gov. Mark Dayton told Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans to pack a bag and hit the road.This was to be something more than one of those “listening tours” that fast-talking pols always...
View ArticleThink you're great at multitasking? Think again
Think you’re great at multitasking?You’re probably wrong. According to a new study, people who believe they can multitask effectively — say, talk on a cell phone while driving — are the least likely to...
View ArticleTaxed or not? Here's list of items in and out of Dayton's sales tax plan
Not everything would be subject to sales tax under Gov. Mark Dayton's proposal, which would lower the overall sales tax rate from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent, but then broaden the tax by adding to the...
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Vintage Greg LeMond Taco Bell commercial
Here's a blast from the past: Medina resident Greg LeMond, one of the most successful American cyclists of all time, made an ad for Taco Bell, who at the time were looking to promote their tacos to go....
View ArticleGov. Dayton's office launches budget proposal website
Gov. Mark Dayton has put up a budget proposal website that includes links to all aspects of his plan to increase state revenue by raising income tax rates for top earners and broadening the state sales...
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Obama names Minnesota native Denis McDonough chief of staff
WASHINGTON — Calling him “a great friend to me” and “one of my closest and most trusted advisers,” President Obama officially named Stillwater native Denis McDonough his new chief of staff on...
View ArticleDFL, GOP legislative leaders frame budget discussion very differently
Democratic and Republican legislative leaders on Friday framed their reactions to Gov. Mark Dayton’s sweeping budget proposal with very different questions.DFL leaders say they support many of the...
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Maple Grove 'sex video'? 'No comment'
And on the “sex video” assumed to be at the heart of the Maple Grove hockey team’s problems … the Strib's Mike Kaszuba and Dennis Brackin say:“At a news conference called Thursday to talk about how to...
View ArticleCredit where credit is due
Gillette offers a tongue in well-shaven cheek salute to an old, unhip slice of Americana.Watch Credit Where Credit is Due on PBS. See more from Almanac.
View ArticleAmy Koch reviews her ‘bad year,’ hits back at GOP critics
It’s been a bad year for former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, capped by a particularly bad week.On Wednesday, Michael Brodkorb, the staff member with whom she had the relationship that...
View ArticleMinneapolis City Council looks at residential parking, temporary appointment...
A plan that could reduce the number of parking spaces required for multi-unit residential properties in the University of Minnesota area will be examined this spring by members of the Minneapolis City...
View ArticleFun and games with the Electoral College system
In the course of my "Imperfect Union" series, I spilled more than enough ink (or pixels, or whatever it is I'm spilling these days) on the vagaries and potential vagaries of the Electoral College...
View ArticleMichael Brodkorb improving after serious car crash, his wife says
Michael Brodkorb's condition has reportedly improved after a serious car crash Wednesday night, according to a statement from his wife, Sarah.Initial reports said Brodkorb was in critical condition...
View ArticleMN Blog Cabin Roundup, 1/25
Newflash: St. Paul isn’t Minneapolis (and that’s a good thing)from streets.mn by Nathaniel M. HoodThe odd thing about these projects is that they aren’t what the average resident of St. Paul really...
View ArticleBackground checks for gun buyers need upgrades
The following is an editorial from the Mankato Free Press.The story was too bizarre to be true. A convicted murderer — a man deemed by the state of Minnesota to be mentally ill and dangerous — had...
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Bush Foundation's Lars Leafblad on leadership: from 'top down' to 'around'
The Line first talked with Lars Leafblad back in 2011 focusing on Minnesota's self-image and how the state might redefine itself to remain competitive and attractive in the 21st century. When Leafblad,...
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Poverty level and payday lending locations mapped
The map below shows the percentage of population below the poverty line by ZIP code alongside locations of payday lenders in the Minnesota.
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