With 42 homicides, Chicago sees most violent January in 11 years
One month into the new year Chicago has already set an ignominious record for homicides.By late Tuesday, the Chicago Police Department had logged 42 such killings, making this the second consecutive...
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Happy trends in Minneapolis bicycling: Commutes are way up, collisions down
After nearly 30 years of living in Minneapolis, plus a few more within commuting range, I rarely encounter a statistic about life in the city that surprises me.But this month's city report finding...
View ArticleMinnesota GOP insiders wonder where they go from here
Ronald Reagan incarnate could not have united the 250 Republicans who gathered Wednesday night in Arden Hills to discuss the future of their party.Billed as “Minnesota GOP: Where Do We Go From Here,” a...
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Melanoma rates are rising rapidly in Minnesota, health officials report
One of the most deadly forms of skin cancer — melanoma — is increasing at a disturbing rate in Minnesota, according to new data released by the Minnesota Department of Health on Wednesday.Incidence of...
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Going off the rails with the Second Amendment: Its the assault weapons, stupid
Thoughtful Bastards Welcome to Part 5 of my series and about the Second Amendment and gun violence in the United States. In the previous four parts I explored the history, nature, legal realities and...
View ArticleDayton's human services budget drawing general enthusiasm from health care...
Lawmakers across a broad political spectrum have praised Gov. Mark Dayton’s human services budget — nearly a third of state expenditures — even if they haven’t had an opportunity to fully digest the...
View ArticleMinnesota Chamber of Commerce wants spending cuts to tackle state deficit
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce continues to push the Legislature to cut spending, not raise taxes, in the effort to resolve the state's budget deficit.That's the message from Jim Pumarlo,...
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Budget 101: A graphic primer to Dayton's budget proposal
The numbers below are comparisons of Gov. Dayton's budget proposal with the forecast for the 2014–2015 biennium. All plus and minus dollar amounts reflect changes to the general fund balance.
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DNR attempts to find out why Minnesota moose are dying
With increasing evidence that the Minnesota moose population is in decline, the DNR has launched a program to try to determine the cause of this disappearance. The program uses new technology —...
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St. Paul divorce lawyer writes the book of (fizzled) love
You would think that if anyone knew how to get divorced, it would be a lawyer.Over the course of her career, Kristi Skordahl had helped many couples sever ties and divvy up property. But when her own...
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Culture-conscious Higher Ground Academy serves largely East African student body
When Subis Dini arrived here in April of 2000, her family enrolled her in the sixth grade. Her first day at a Minneapolis middle school was her first day of school — ever.She could not read or write....
View ArticleProposal would help prosecutors crack down on gun crimes
Two DFL legislators who've been prosecutors and a prosecutor who was once a legislator said Thursday they're pushing for tougher gun laws in Minnesota.State Sen. Ron Latz of St. Louis Park, who was...
View ArticleGroup demanding background checks on private sales to protest at Duluth gun show
Protect Minnesota, a group trying to end gun violence, plans to protest sales loopholes Saturday at an event outside a gun show in Duluth.The silent protest is designed to draw attention to laws that...
View ArticleGov. Dayton to lead summertime trade mission to Germany, Sweden, Norway
Gov. Mark Dayton will lead a 10-day trade mission to Germany, Sweden and Norway in June.The goal, says the governor's office, is "to increase state exports, attract foreign direct investment...
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Seven-month fight over new Lake of the Isles house moves step closer to decision
After seven months of public and private arguing and 10 postponed votes by the Zoning and Planning Committee, the owners of a disputed house under construction at Lake of the Isles got a favorable...
View ArticleSenate passes debt limit bill, sending it to Obama
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation Thursday ending Congress’s debt limit debate for at least a few months, delaying enforcement of the limit on federal borrowing until mid-May and making timely...
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Best Buy will close 15 stores ... in Canada
Best Buy is closing another 15 stores … all in Canada.Hollie Shaw of the National Post writes: “Best Buy Canada will close 15 of its big box stores before opening smaller outlets. The move, which...
View ArticleFranken introduces student mental health bill
WASHINGTON — Sen. Al Franken used a Wednesday hearing on gun violence to preview a new bill he said would increase students’ access to mental health care at schools around the country.Franken’s Mental...
View ArticleWhy liberal Martin Sabo is allying with the deficit hawks
Former Congressman Martin Olav Sabo popped up in the news recently as co-chair of the Minnesota branch of the national Campaign to Fix the Debt. His co-chairs are former Congressman Tim Penny and...
View ArticleFor Chinese studying in US, graduating into an uncertain future
It’s Saturday night, and Wei, a senior majoring in economics and math, is having pizza and French fries with his American roommates in the dining hall of a prestigious liberal arts college inNew...
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