‘‘It’s hard to argue with the data” is one of the most overused phrases wreaking havoc on honest debates — especially regarding crime. Politicians, academics, and pundits use crime data…
Derrick John Thompson, son of the former State Representative John Derrick Thompson, had his 3rd-degree murder trial postponed, again, this time until late May. He is accused of killing five…
The state House of Representatives held its fourth floor session of 2025 this afternoon. It was a pro-forma session conducted to satisfy the requirements of the state Constitution, Art. 4,…
Xcel’s plan to shut down the venerable Alan S. King coal-fired power plant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota exposes one of green energy’s dirty little secrets. Namely, the hugely disproportionate…
As Minnesota extends its nation-leading streak of voting for the Democratic presidential nominee to 52 years, political and cultural observers would be remiss to ignore a shifting undercurrent that gave…
The Minnesota House opened Tuesday as predicted with Democrats not showing up, Secretary Simon declaring “no quorum,” and House Republicans installing their own chair to conduct business. Nothing like this…
Today’s presidential inauguration will take place in Washington, D.C. amid the highest security designation our nation affords — a National Special Security Event (NSSE). This designation not only provides for…
“That’s some catch, that Catch–22,” he observed. “It’s the best there is,” Doc Daneeka agreed. Yesterday, in a unanimous verdict, Minnesota’s Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Walz’s calling of a special election for House seat 40B…
The Minnesota Star Tribune headline sums it up: Xcel said a nearly $8M land sale was a good deal for ratepayers. The buyer flipped the land to Amazon for $73M.…
State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: The nuts and bolts — and necessity — of county tax levies Star Tribune: Ramstad: With Legislature in chaos, at least lawmakers…
It was a busy pre-holiday-weekend, late-Friday-afternoon in the state’s ongoing Constitutional Crisis. Two important court decisions were issued on either end of the state that move in opposite directions, but,…
Border patrol agents report illegal aliens continue to attempt to cross the border with Canada into North Dakota and Minnesota in higher than usual numbers. While the influx remains exponentially…
This week saw confirmation hearings for several Cabinet positions that will be crucial to defining energy and environmental policy under the Trump administration. Luckily, all take energy seriously and prioritize…
The headline in the Sahan Journal is shocking: Feeding Our Future suspect threatened to kill witness, prosecutor reveals Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson says Salim Said threatened to kill a…
Back from his failed bid for the Vice Presidency, Gov. Walz released his proposed budget for FY 2026-27 yesterday. As my colleague Bill Glahn noted, “This exercise is largely meaningless, with…
They say that the world is run by the people who show up. All week long it has been just the 67 Republicans who have shown up to attend the…
HF 9, a bill to, among other things, repeal the state’s ban on building new nuclear power plants, was introduced in the state House of Representatives today. The bill was…
One of the most tragic mistakes made during the pandemic was to keep kids out of school. Apparently they got the message. Ever since the lockdown, hundreds of thousands of…
It is by the grace of God that St. Paul Police Officer Abdirahman Dahir was not killed Monday night, and that our region isn’t mourning the loss of yet another…
Amid the tragedy of the ongoing California wildfires, the Los Angeles Times published a piece yesterday entitled “L.A. fires have added another concern for potential EV buyers: Power outages.” Our…
The next trial of four defendants begins February 3 and will feature some of the biggest names in the scandal: Aimee Bock (Defendant No. 1), two co-owners of the now-defunct…
On one level, the dispute in the Minnesota House of Representatives this week is straightforward: Does a “quorum” — which is a necessary precondition for the House to do business…
To help reduce classroom distractions, curb online bullying, and encourage face-to-face interactions among students, more states are introducing legislation on cell phone use during school. North Dakota, Mississippi, Missouri, New…
On Oct. 21, 2024, pro-Palestinian student protestors took over Morrill Hall, the University of Minnesota’s administration building. The students covered security cameras with spray paint, smashed windows, and secured doors…