Toxic flame retardants common in household dust and sofas, studies find
Today brings more disturbing news about the prevalence of flame-retardant chemicals in our homes: A new study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology has found that household dust exposes...
View ArticleChavez travels to Cuba for more cancer treatment
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will return to Cubatoday for more cancer treatment, just weeks after winning a hard-fought presidential election to push his tenure to two...
View ArticleStaying afloat: Europe releases more money for Greece
After weeks of struggling in marathon meetings, Eurogroup finance ministers have finally come up with another bailout package for Greece, removing from Athens the imminent threat of a state bankruptcy...
View ArticlePlaneloads of Syrian currency exposed, but does the Kremlin care?
According to the New York-based nonprofit corporation for investigative journalism, ProPublica, an examination of flight manifests obtained by the organization andpublished on its website proves that a...
View ArticleGender pay gap is eroding, especially among younger women, US data show
Women are, slowly, making inroads in the gender pay gap – an issue that got some attention in the presidential campaign this fall, as President Obama touted his signing of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay...
View ArticleThe fight for Iraq plays out in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria — Divided by history, geography and God, Abu Mohammed and Abu Hamza both smoke Marlboro cigarettes and agree on one point: The war for Syria is also a war for Iraq.Driven from their...
View ArticleProtesters fill Tahrir as Egypt's President Morsi stands firm
Tens of thousands of Egyptians packed into Cairo's Tahrir Square today to protest a move byPresident Mohamed Morsi to remove most checks on his power.In other cities, protesters clashed with the...
View ArticleObamacare countdown: States all over the map on insurance markets
The Affordable Care Act may be the law of the land, settled by the recent presidential election. But the 50 states have a big role to play, too, and many are scrambling to decide what that role will...
View ArticleMinnesota’s Hmong veterans seek recognition for Vietnam War service
For most of us the Vietnam War has taken its place in U.S. history books.Yet for about 400 older Hmong Minnesotans who fought with U.S. troops during the war in northern Laos, there is a wound still...
View ArticleEducation-funding overhaul plan OK'd by task force
An hour into Tuesday’s meeting of the panel tasked with overhauling the state’s education finance system, Tom Melcher paused to draw breath. “Any questions?” he asked.There were none, just some...
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Dark chapter of Minnesota history gets national treatment
Minnesota Brown Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society"Public Execution of 38 Sioux Indians at Mankato," lithograph by W.H. ChildsLast weekend's episode of "This American Life" was entirely...
View ArticleJoint Heading Home Hennepin project trying to keep up with needs of homeless
The lower-level apartment in Northeast Minneapolis filled with water every time it rained, forcing the young tenants to sandbag their bed with a ring of towels when they headed off to work on a cloudy...
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Minneapolis rapper Brother Ali interviewed by Canada's Nardwuar
During a visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, Minneapolis musician Brother Ali took time to talk with Canadian celebrity interviewer Nardwuar. In a wide-ranging interview, the two discuss Minneapolis...
View ArticleState flags at half-staff to honor New Prague Marine killed in Afghanistan
Gov. Mark Dayton has ordered flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota to be flown at half-staff Wednesday to honor Marine Lance Corporal Dale Means of New Prague, who was killed in...
View ArticleHomes on opposite sides of street face vastly different property tax increases
The folks from Arbor Lane in Mound rode their “squeaky wheels” into the Hennepin County Board room to complain about 2013 property tax increases ranging from 28 to 33 percent, while their neighbors...
View ArticleHennepin County to sell tax-forfeited property Dec. 7
Hennepin County will hold an auction Dec. 7 to sell tax-forfeited property, including houses, duplexes and vacant lots.The property, from around the county, is sold as is, and may be in poor condition,...
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It's a 're-think' for three state Norquist pledge signers
You did see Kevin Diaz’ Strib story on Minnesota’s Grover Norquist-pledge signers “rethinking” their allegiance and loyalty to that sacred oath? “U.S. Reps. John Kline and Erik Paulsen, both potential...
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REAL ID, No Child Left Behind, and the future of the Affordable Care Act
Few federal laws have survived the type of bruising attacks that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has endured during its brief history. President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law helped foment the...
View ArticleDomain wars: South America vs. Amazon.com
LIMA, Peru — Brazil and Peru are attempting to block online retailer Amazon.com Inc. from acquiring new internet domains using the name of the world’s greatest tropical rain forest.The two South...
View Article'Death evictions'? Guatemala's violence takes an unusual toll
The epitaph on a simple bronze-colored tombstone in Guatemala City’s main national cemetery reads: “Pray for your eternal peace.”But peace is hard to come by in Central America’s largest city — even in...
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