Gov. Tim Walz met with legislative leaders yesterday afternoon. No agreement was reached, so he sent lawmakers a post-meeting letter laying out what he wants in a special session: Among…
At the height of the pandemic last year, Gov. Tim Walz told the people of Minnesota he was so afraid of dead bodies piling up outside funeral homes that he…
Three unions that always have DFL Gov. Tim Walz’s political back have left the governor out on a limb when it comes to rank-and-file support for his vaccine mandate for…
On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring all employers with 100 workers or more to “ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated.” This is yet the country’s most…
During a press conference on Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed what most people have been suspecting for a while — the COVID-19 virus might be here to stay. “I…
Last week the U.S. Senate released their FY2022 Budget Resolution Agreement Framework. This represents the outline of how Democrats in Congress plan to implement President Biden’s $3.5 trillion budget plan…
With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surging, health care companies are taking numerous measures to control the virus. Those measures include encouraging workers to get vaccinated. The Mayo Clinic, for example,…
Yesterday I wrote about the the surge of the ‘Delta variant’ of COVID-19 in Minnesota. What might our state be facing in this situation? The recent experience of the United…
‘As delta variant causes surge in cases, officials closely watching new mutation.’ So KSTP reported at the weekend. ‘Minnesota Officials Urge Shots as Delta Variant Surges,’ U.S. News reported. “‘I’m…
In late June the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would pare back several key policies put in place during the Trump Administration related…
State officials manipulate COVID-19 data about minorities.
Youth hit hard by drug overdoses during pandemic.
In 1999, 23 percent of adults in Minnesota reported smoking a cigarette. By 2018, that number was down to just 14 percent. Similarly, in 2000, 32 percent of Minnesota high…
While the Affordable Care Act provided coverage through Medicaid expansion and generous premium subsidies, it also put the individual market in chaos and on the verge of collapse. Back in…
Earlier today, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 134 new positive COVID-19 cases and one death. This is 92 percent lower than the number of new cases reported in May…
Center of the American Experiment announced today the return of Peter Nelson as senior policy fellow, focusing on health care policy reform. Nelson spent over three years as a senior…
No one is arguing against the dangers of tobacco or cigarette use. But e-cigarettes present a way to reduce the harm caused by combustible cigarettes and even offer smokers a…
Smoking rates have gone down precipitously since the introduction of e-cigarettes and vaping products. It is true, smoking rates were going down even before e-cigarettes. However, a lot of evidence…
On May 13 2020, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order. The tweet below, from DFL Chair Ken Martin, was typical of the reaction: As…
Overdose deaths were up 27 percent in 2020 from 2019. This is unfortunate, fueled by COVID-19 restrictions, has also been seen nationally. According to the National Vital Statistics System, between…
Earlier today, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that as of May 13, 464 Minnesotans were hospitalized due to COVID-19. Among them, 123 are receiving ICU care. These numbers…
On May 14, 2020, Minneapolis Star Tribune Cartoonist Steve Sack drew a cartoon in response to the conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Governor Tony Evers (D) stay-at-home…
In 2020, on average, individuals aged 54 and younger were about 4 times more likely to die from an overdose than from COVID-19.
COVID “doesn’t discriminate by age”: Serious cases on the rise in younger adults So ran an MPR News headline at the weekend. I last wrote about this in November: The…