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Marriage in U.S.: from a yoke that bound to 'freedom in a chosen space'
Marriage, the campaign to amend Minnesota’s Constitution to ban same-sex marriage has repeated over and over, should not be subject to “redefinition.” And particularly not by lawmakers or judges, who...
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What the fate of Tampa Tribune means to Minnesota newspaper readers
A couple of weeks ago, a newspaper where I once reported was essentially given away by its owner. The Tampa Tribune, which had an estimated value of about $400 million less than a decade ago, was sold...
View ArticleA major league mistake by a minor league candidate
politics.mn U.S. Amy Klobuchar was endorsed by the Star Tribune over Representative Kurt Bills for the U.S. Senate. I don’t think the decision by the Star Tribune to endorse Klobuchar was surprising...
View ArticleSuperman Peterson finds his cape, and the Vikings are contenders
Their quarterback was atrocious and the Vikings figured out a way to stop Percy Harvin with a dumb penalty. It was going to be one of those unsightly days and it was time for the resident superman of...
View ArticleStar Tribune shock poll: the methodology behind the Nolan-Cravaack outlier
In 2010, a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll showing Republican novice Chip Cravaack within a point of longtime DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar upended the 8th district race. How far has the GOP come in just one term?...
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McGovern and his daughter Terry: What we can learn
If heaven has a special place for fathers and daughters, Sen. George McGovern is now with his daughter Terry. Hopefully an eternity of happiness and joy lie ahead. Judge Kevin S. BurkeMcGovern will for...
View ArticleMondale recalls McGovern's observation about lopsided presidential losses
Former Vice President Walter Mondale was a longtime friend of the late Sen. George McGovern, who died at age 90 Sunday in Sioux Falls and will be buried there Friday.The two were colleagues, serving...
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Reintroducing a wolf to the pack at the International Wolf Center
In this video, a worker from the International Wolf Center documents the painstaking process involved in taking a young wolf, Luna, out of the Center's pack for a brief time to have x-rays made of a...
View ArticleNext debate: Obama, Romney should be asked about the decision to invade Iraq
Tonight is the presidential debate focused on foreign policy. I hope both candidates will be asked about their positions on the Iraq War. Not the boring old argument about whether a president should...
View ArticleArchaic defamation laws threaten Caribbean media
Dominican radio commentator Melton Pineda’s mouth rankled politicians frequently enough over the years to earn him the nickname “The Bazooka.” This month, after he was prosecuted under the country’s...
View ArticleMondale talks candidly about Paul Wellstone’s death and legacy — and the...
Editor's note: This is the first of several articles noting the 10th anniversary of the death of Sen. Paul Wellstone.Ten years ago, Walter Mondale and Ted Kennedy were at a fundraising event in...
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In defense of the Electoral College system … and some responses
One in a series of articles. You can read the whole series here.I guess it’s obvious that I have a pretty bad attitude about the Electoral College system. So I thought I’d better carve out an...
View ArticleHow Russia and Georgia's 'little war' started a drone arms race
TBILISI, Georgia — On the night of August 7, 2008, what military experts and historians say is the world’s first two-sided drone war began.Georgia, convinced Russia was about to annex its separatist...
View ArticleDrone violence along Armenian-Azerbaijani border could lead to war
YEREVAN, Armenia — In a region where a fragile peace holds over three frozen conflicts, the nations of the South Caucasus are buzzing with drones they use to probe one another’s defenses and spy on...
View ArticleRussian 'rendition': Kremlin grabs opposition figure from Ukraine streets
Russian secret services have allegedly carried out a "rendition" by plucking a Russian opposition figure, Leonid Razvozzhayev, from a Kiev street in broad daylight last Saturday and transferring him to...
View ArticleRomney tax plan: How rich could pay the 'same' and still pay less
A centerpiece of Mitt Romney's campaign for president, his plan for tax reform, revolves around a puzzling set of assertions. He says the rich will pay "the same" under his plan. He says the middle...
View ArticleSpanish elections bolster Rajoy's austerity policies
A strong showing in regional elections over the weekend gave the Spanish government much-needed breathing room — especially as it was coupled with the waning clout of its rival — to manage the...
View ArticleWisconsin spa killings: Shooting followed tragic script of domestic violence
The circumstances involved in a mass killing outside Milwaukee on Sunday correspond to what many already know about domestic partner abuse: The signs are often as clear as day that the situation will...
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Transforming an historic building into Seven Sisters Coffee
Minnesota Prairie Roots DAVID AND MICHELLE (DeCock) Van Engen can see beyond the crumbling mortar, the moisture damage, the buckling floor boards, the teal paint.Just barely into major renovation of...
View ArticleReviving downtown Minneapolis by filling up old buildings
A major hotelier has just given downtown Minneapolis a big vote of confidence.U.S. Hotel & Resort Management, a Sioux Falls, S.D., company, finalized a deal to pay $2.7 million for the...
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