Short trip to Timbuktu reveals long road ahead for Mali
For a moment the lieutenant searched for words. The French column was rolling through the town of Tonka, three weeks ago in northern Mali, on the heels of retreating Islamists. It was not long after...
View ArticleSupreme Court to take up case that could overhaul campaign finance
The US Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to take up a case examining whether limits on the total amount an individual can contribute to political candidates and federal campaigns over a two-year period...
View ArticleBloomberg vs. NRA: Big spending could swing Illinois race
New York CityMayor Michael Bloomberg is sending a message to Democratic officials nationwide with upwardly mobile ambitions: Support the National Rifle Association at your peril.Through the "super...
View ArticleMassive cyberattacks from China? Report claims to expose secret 'Unit 61398'
China’s military is the silent hand behind a major cyberespionage organization located inShanghai and blamed for stealing titanic volumes of intellectual property from more than 100 companies worldwide...
View ArticleAs clock ticks on 'sequester,' Washington runs short on ideas
Deep, automatic federal spending cuts do not start for 10 days, but the blame game is already in full swing.Pointing a finger at Republicans in Congress, President Obama painted a dark future Tuesday...
View ArticleWhy motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory
A study issued earlier this year found that motor vehicle drivers and cyclists are equally responsible for car-bike collisions in Minneapolis. But, as comments to media reports of that study...
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Minnesota's 'Think Big' effort aims to produce 'World’s Best/Smartest Workforce'
Sometimes, politicians do think big. Sometimes, pols even do more listening than talking.Tuesday night, for example, members from a number of House education-related committees gathered to take on the...
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Howard Casmey's legacy: 'He was a positive, futuristic visionary'
Courtesy of Sandra CasmeyHoward CasmeyHoward “Hap” Casmey believed that education was society’s great equalizer, that it ought to be funded equitably and by taxpayers, and that it should change...
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Going preppy: Checking out St. Paul's early-'80s hot spots
MinnPost illustration by Andy SturdevantParts of the metro area certainly fit snugly into the larger scheme of preppy things.One of the most amusing satirical artifacts of the 1980s — a period with no...
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Elsie Fairbanks dedicated her life to helping American Indians
Courtesy of Saint Paul Area Council of ChurchesElsie FairbanksElsie Elaine Fairbanks worked throughout her life to better the lives of American Indians, from mothers-to-be to those struggling with...
View ArticleFeral cats? Minneapolis to consider St. Paul's approach to the problem
When it comes to feral cats, St. Paul is more than five years ahead of Minneapolis — if “ahead” is defined as a spay-neuter program, rather than euthanasia.“Minneapolis is a very late comer to the...
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Republicans' factional duality on bright display at U of M panel
It will come as no surprise to many among MinnPost’s politically well-informed readership that members of the Republican Party, both nationally and in Minnesota, find themselves in an awkward, painful,...
View ArticleGOP Sen. Branden Petersen says he's preparing to co-sponsor pro-gay marriage...
A GOP state legislator appears ready to support a bill that would legalize gay marriage in Minnesota. State Sen. Branden Petersen, a Republican from Andover, says he's preparing to co-sponsor such a...
View ArticleMinnesota delegation Democrats want Oberstar as transportation secretary
WASHINGTON — The seven Democrats in the Minnesota congressional delegation want former U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar to be the next Transportation Secretary.The group signed a letter to President Obama asking...
View ArticleMinnesota students above average in passing college-level AP classes
Minnesota high school students in the Class of 2012 did slightly better than average when it came to taking and passing Advanced Placement classes.The classes, when taken and passed in high school, can...
View ArticleGov. Dayton appoints Tony Sertich to Duluth Port Authority board
Gov. Mark Dayton has appointed Tony Sertich to a seat on the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, which oversees the Lake Superior port in Duluth.Sertich, a former DFL legislator, also serves as head of the...
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Controversial exam for Minnesota teachers faces new criticism
Here’s another consequence of a change of power at the Capitol.Tim Weber of MPR says: “Teachers and school administrators across Minnesota are asking lawmakers to rethink a law they passed last year...
View ArticleThe man who would be Italy's next prime minister: Pier Luigi Bersani
Two months ago, his election as Italy’s next prime minister seemed all but assured.But a lackluster campaign and a persistent failure to land knockout blows against his main adversary means that...
View ArticleUpbeat Rajoy says Spain is on the mend, despite economic woes
An unapologetic Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Wednesday tried to inject optimism into his first state of the union speech before parliament, suggesting that while much pain remained ahead, the...
View ArticleNew leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, same security forces
CAIRO, Egypt— The governments that rose to power in Egypt and Tunisia in the wake of the Arab Spring are increasingly relying on the oppressive security apparatuses crafted by their...
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