MN Blog Cabin Roundup, 12/7
How much are you willing to lose per hour to provide corporate #wilfare to the NFL?from The Deets by Ed KohlerIf you plan to spend some time losing 15 cents per hand while drinking a beer, how much can...
View ArticlePutting the state on the plate has significant benefits
Recently, in response to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s supersized-soda ban, first lady Michelle Obama’s concern about childhood obesity, and newly mandated restaurant nutritional information,...
View ArticleTwins' Ben Revere trade even better than the Denard Span one
In trading Denard Span to the Nationals last week for pitching prospect Alex Meyer, the Twins cleared the way for Ben Revere to take over as the everyday center fielder and leadoff man, sacrificing...
View ArticleMicrolending and more for women's business dreams: WomenVenture
Laura Ooley thought she had everything in place for a business loan application: revenue projections, analysis of competitors, strategic direction, and larger vision. But, because she didn't have...
View ArticleOne last look at 2012 congressional fundraising and spending numbers
WASHINGTON — Today was the last major deadline for candidates to report fundraising and spending totals for the 2012 election, so we’ve got one last look at where things stood money-wise on Nov. 6.I’ve...
View ArticleTax reform should be smart reform
The following is an editorial from the Mankato Free Press.Minnesota's tax system ranks high among the most complicated in the country and low in providing an even state revenue stream. Add problems of...
View ArticleGov. Dayton not high on legalizing pot
From Friday … Gov. Dayton may be some people’s idea of the ultimate liberal. But he’s not a pro-pot pol.Brian Bakst of the AP reports: “Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton remains resistant to decriminalizing...
View ArticlePhilippines: Can power and cash absolve a bloodbath?
BANGKOK, Thailand— It was once assumed that, in the violence-marred world of provincial Philippine politics, campaigns could at least scare off hired killers by traveling with females and...
View ArticleSix days of riots erupt in the 'New Northern Ireland'
Six nights of riots, death threats issued against politicians, and a constituency office set alight. Welcome to the "New Northern Ireland."The cause? A motion passed Monday night by Belfast City...
View ArticleCharlie Crist joins the Democrats: What drives a political chameleon?
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's decision to formally join the Democratic Party— making the announcement via Twitter after a fist bump from President Obama— suggests to his critics a savvy political...
View ArticleMore Republicans agree to higher tax rates for the wealthy
One by one, Republicans seem to be toppling in the direction of President Obama’s insistence that wealthy Americans pay higher taxes.On Sunday, it was Sen. Bob Corker (R) of Tennessee, who told “Fox...
View ArticleCrapola — a joke that went 'a bit too far'— proves successful
Crapola, says Brian Strom, “is a joke that we took a little bit too far.”How far? Far enough to reach the shelves of Kowalski’s, Lunds, Byerly’s and more than 60 other stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin...
View ArticleAs Syria's rebels close in, Assad has three options
The magnificent views across Damascus from the presidential palace on Mount Qassioun are unlikely to provide much comfort these days for Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s beleaguered head of state.For several...
View ArticleSame-sex marriage: Waiting now for the Supreme Court to act
The US Supreme Court’s announcement last week that it will take up two key same-sex marriage cases sets the scene now for several months of legal speculation and deeply-felt advocacy.The speculation...
View ArticleEgypt's Morsi annuls decree, but controversial vote stands
After threatening to impose martial law, Egypt's besieged President Mohamed Morsi appeased opponents at a press conference late Saturday night, annulling part of the decree that temporarily expanded...
View ArticleNostalgia can help you feel warmer, studies find
It's going to be cold today, with temperatures hovering in the bone-chilling teens.If you start feeling nostalgic, don’t be surprised. According to a study published last week in the journal Emotion,...
View ArticleHouse Minority Leader Kurt Daudt says he's ready to work with DFL
A self-described congenial pit bull, incoming GOP House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt will have to strike a delicate tone to get his caucus agenda taken seriously in the fast-approaching legislative...
View ArticleNew York Times highlights Nolan, incoming House members
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep.-elect Rick Nolan provided the New York Times with the folksy anecdote it needed for today's piece on the make-up of the 2013 class of freshman House lawmakers.Nolan is one of...
View ArticleThe Supremes take up gay marriage
Mr. Dilettante's Neighborhood I suppose it was inevitable:The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would enter the national debate over same-sex marriage, agreeing to hear a pair of cases...
View ArticleFrom student aid to research, fiscal cliff's effects on the U would be huge
Imagine that you are standing on the ground looking up at the fiscal cliff. You, the layperson, will probably see impending doom, the nation’s slow economic recovery teetering on the precipice and...
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