Marine corporal from Kasson, Minn., had inaugural guard duty
Jeff and Cindy Bernards of Kasson, Minn., were surprised to see their son on national television Monday during the inauguration broadcast.Marine Cpl. Adam Bernards, standing straight and tall, was on...
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Watermelon bowling in the Minnesota cold
As you may have noticed, it's been cold in Minnesota of late — very cold. While you might be tempted to let the low temperatures keep you inside, Minneapolis resident (and Hope Academy principal)...
View ArticlePresident Obama writes to Ely; ice fishing invite stands
On Monday, NBC's Today Show aired a feature story on the Iron Range city of Ely. A local resident wrote a letter to President Obama asking for a letter to put in the town's 50-year time capsule. After...
View ArticleObama stops begging for bipartisan compromise — finally
Feeling a little embarrassed by my first take on the inaugural address, I'd like to, as they sometimes say on the floor of Congress, ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.In listening...
View Article'Motivated reasoning' helps myths persist about Obama's health-care reform,...
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be law, but misinformation — indeed, downright myths about what’s in the law — persist in the minds of many Americans.That’s true even of what may be the biggest...
View ArticleCautious DFL lawmakers praise Dayton’s budget vision but demur on details
DFL lawmakers greeted Gov. Mark Dayton’s far-reaching budget proposal with a mix of lukewarm policy support and broadly worded admiration for his bold “vision” of a better Minnesota.Top Democrats were...
View ArticlePoll: Franken has an early lead over potential 2014 challengers
U.S. Sen. Al Franken, whose narrow victory in 2008 lead many political observers to label him a potential Republican target in 2014, has sizable early leads over a cast of potential challengers,...
View ArticlePoll of Franken and likely challengers mostly good news for Franken
Way too soon to take a poll like this seriously, but Public Policy Polling is out with results of a robo-dialed poll of Minnesotans' feelings toward Sen. Al Franken and some of his likely challengers....
View ArticleGOP gives Dayton budget a cold shoulder
The Republican response to Governor Dayton’s budget proposal approximated the outdoor temperatures this week.Senate and House minority leaders Sen. David Hann and Rep. Kurt Daudt found nothing to like...
View ArticleMinneapolis weighs tougher policies on conflicts of interest
Yeah, that system might need a re-working …Curtis Gilbert of MPR says: “Minneapolis is considering changes to its conflict of interest policy, after citizens raised concerns about the city's planning...
View ArticleRighteous hiker meets trespassing four-wheeler
Across the Great Divide Less than a mile from our house sit a few hundred acres of empty private land. It's unfenced and unposted and apparently—except for its future value as desert home...
View ArticleSouth Korea tries to recall a US adoption
The bitter legal struggle of an American couple to adopt a Korean baby is touching on nationalist and ethnic sensitivities in South Korea.The couple, Christopher and Jinshil Duquet, wait at home in...
View ArticleCuba's 'resale' economics
HAVANA, Cuba — Cracker Man’s cry echoes down the streets of Havana's Buena Vista neighborhood, trailed by the clatter of his shopping cart over potholes.“Crackers! Crackers!” he barks. “Fresh from the...
View ArticleAlong Sudan's border, old disputes trigger new violence, hunger
Continued fallout from the 2011 separation of Sudan into two states, including military strikes by the government of Sudan on rebel factions and villages, may have forced as many as 700,000 Sudanese...
View ArticleMalians want the French to stay
DIABALY, Mali — Twisted carcasses of incinerated vehicles tucked between Diabaly’s mud-brick houses were the first signs of the devastating French strikes in northern Mali.The French air strikes, which...
View ArticleUN unanimously condemns North Korea rocket launch: why China joined in
China’s support Tuesday afternoon for a US-sponsored Security Council resolution condemning North Korea for a December rocket launch suggests both Beijing’s desire to find common ground with Washington...
View ArticleWhite House, gun advocates find small piece of common ground
To read the headlines, one might think Vice President Joe Biden’s recent meeting with gun groups was a total bust.After all, the National Rifle Association, which had a representative in the room Jan....
View ArticleCentrists make strong show in Israel, tempering Netanyahu
There is a future for Israel’s center after all. In fact, it’s looking surprisingly good.Yair Lapid, the former TV anchor who entered politics only a year ago, defied all pollsters with a stunning...
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The Dayton tax plan: A major leap forward
Gov. Mark Dayton took a historic step toward the return of fiscal sanity in Minnesota by proposing reforms that will increase tax fairness, adequately fund critical public investments, and solve the...
View ArticleGov. Dayton faces a tough sell on far-reaching budget ideas
After spending months painfully putting together a budget and tax reform, Gov. Mark Dayton needs only to sell what he and his administration have created.But there’s no part of the proposed changes...
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