What's Virginia got to do with hummus?
JERUSALEM — It used to be that whenIsrael and Lebanon were not actually at war, they engaged in well-publicizedproxy battles over hummus.But in a world gone upside-down, it now appears that the...
View ArticleBolivia's Evo Morales says 'adiós' to USAID
Bolivia's President Evo Morales announced today that his government will expel the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The move coincides with Bolivia's annual May Day...
View ArticleNew Kenyan lawmakers vote themselves free luxury car perk, worth $60,000
Barely a fortnight into their jobs, Kenya’s new lawmakers have forced through a change to their salary that includes a perk of $60,000 for a luxury car.Under a review of legislators’ earnings agreed in...
View ArticlePolice break up Golden Dawn food handout in Athens
Police in Athens broke up a Greeks-only food handout by far-right party Golden Dawn on Thursday, carrying out Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis's vow to prevent "thuggery" in his city. Riot police met...
View ArticleVol. 74's inspirational essays, lists and videos
Pollenite Kavon W. Nikrad urges Republicans to take the lead in ending the drug war, in an op-ed piece the Star Tribune. Susan Schuster interviewed in national human resources trade publication...
View ArticleAs world dials back death penalty, Japan heads in opposite direction
Few Japanese are likely to have mourned the deaths of Katsuji Hamasaki and Yoshihide Miyagi. In 2005, the two members of the gangster underworld conspired to shoot dead two rivals in a restaurant,...
View ArticleSt. Paul ponders future of Dorothy Day Center for needy
Many cities have familiar gateways: St. Louis, has its Arch; San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge; New York City, the Statute of Liberty.St. Paul? A wrought-iron fenced courtyard and a modest building...
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South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard heads to Minnesota, ups effort to lure job...
Gov. Dennis DaugaardSouth Dakota, which has been recruiting Minnesota job seekers for the past few years, has ramped up its efforts in recent months — and its governor plans to visit the state next...
View ArticleUK tallies the costs of an independent Scotland
A "yes" vote in next year’s Scottish independence referendum would damage Britain’s international reputation and incur unforseen costs for a new state, a committee of members of Parliament has...
View ArticleNew arrests hint at unseen side of Boston bombing suspect
Three men have been charged with impeding a federal investigation of the Boston Marathonbombings in allegations that would seem to blend criminality with teenage stupidity.After realizing that their...
View ArticleFranken draws celeb donors, including Garrison Keillor
WASHINGTON — The Hill dug into Sen. Al Franken’s first-quarter campaign finance report and found this interesting tidbit:A slew of Hollywood celebrities, including Tim Meadows, Carl Reiner and Lily...
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Kluwe-punted football recovered from Pantages ceiling; you can own it
The autographed soft football punted by Vikings punter Chris Kluwe from the stage of MinnRoast 2013 has been recovered from the upper cove of the Pantages Theatre ceiling.And this piece of MinnRoast...
View ArticleMedical marijuana bills introduced at Minnesota Legislature
Bills that would allow medical marijuana use in Minnesota were introduced in the state House and state Senate today and referred to committees.Supporters say they have bipartisan support for the...
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Coming soon: Love is (truly) the law
It’s perfect, really.The Suburbs’ 1983 anthem “Love Is the Law” is poised to become the unofficial theme song of the moment when the bill to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota becomes law, which could...
View ArticleLives saved at Boston Marathon: Preparation, heroic actions, luck helped
Extensive disaster preparedness training, heroic and rapid actions by first responders and a bit of luck were responsible for the extraordinary high survival rate among the people injured in the April...
View ArticleProspects of state aid for undocumented immigrant students ‘looking really,...
Wednesday was the third time over the years that the Minnesota Senate has passed a bill that would allow Minnesota’s undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition. Before, similar measures have...
View ArticleWeek of 'Placemaking Events' is part of St. Paul's Great River Gathering
As part of St. Paul's annual Great River Gathering next week, consultant Katherine Loflin will hold a series of discussions to examine, as the organizers say, "what makes a community a desirable place...
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Kathleen Hall Jamieson and the 'attack on fact'
Kathleen Hall JamiesonThere’s a fairy-tale model of how a democracy is supposed to work. It fundamentally requires an informed electorate expressing its wishes through political participation, and...
View ArticleMinnesota should act now on transportation
Much of the focus at the Minnesota Legislature this session, appropriately, has been on education and the need to prepare a world-class work force for Minnesota to compete. Legislators who have...
View ArticleMinnesota's gun control bill doomed by caucus split, pragmatic politics
House Speaker Paul Thissen’s decision to retreat from the gun issue was based on pragmatic politics.After a DFL House caucus session Tuesday, it was clear that legislation that would have tightened...
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