The policy As of this morning, assistant county attorneys in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) have been directed by official policy to consider the race of criminal defendants when…
The DFL deficit In February 2023, Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) forecast a state government budget surplus of $17 billion for the 2024-2025 biennium. In the subsequent “historic” session, the DFL trifecta…
This month, China’s Ministry of Commerce blocked seven rare earth elements from imports to the U.S. The vulnerability of rare earths — and in general, critical minerals — to supply…
What matters for economic welfare is per capita income. This is a general measure of welfare, telling us how much per person is available to be consumed, invested, or put…
There are three full weeks left in the 2025 Minnesota legislative session. The House, Senate and Gov. Walz each put forward budget proposals that rely on surplus dollars to meet…
In our 59-minute webinar, John Hinderaker and I break down the two audio recordings from 2021 where Keith Ellison is heard in his own voice meeting with figures from the…
The financial behemoth Blackrock has proposed taking over the Duluth-based electric utility Minnesota Power. The debate over the transaction is revealing some unexpected fault lines. The debate has a tiny…
Our own David Zimmer first noticed the phenomenon over a month ago: Crime rates in the state’s largest city, in every single category, are down from 2024 levels, year to…
State and local taxes and spending WCCO: Minnesota Legislature to return from break Monday with budget battle ahead Austin Daily Herald: Sen. Gene Dornink: Financial pressures mounting KROC: Minnesota Tax…
A lot has been written about the polarization of American politics in the era of Pres. Donald Trump. The left suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, and the right…
Photo credit: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The Justice Department filed charges against, and the FBI arrested, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan for her conduct last week in obstructing…
When conservatives show up to speak on too many college campuses these days, it’s anybody’s guess whether they’ll be cancelled, attacked or otherwise shut down or shut up. While the…
On Wednesday night, Governor Tim Walz delivered his seventh State of the State Address. During one part of his speech, he notably emphasized Minnesota’s generous welfare system as a point…
State lawmakers have a duty to taxpayers to set responsible budgets. The normalization of spending increases and tax hikes as the panacea for every societal concern that has characterized the…
Over a two-week period in March, Dylan Bryan Adams, 33, an employee of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, intentionally damaged at least six Tesla cars by “keying” them while…
It is refreshing to see that the Senate has advanced an energy omnibus bill, SF 2393, which faces some budget realities and energy realities at the same time. The bill…
The Minnesota Department of Education will not comply with federal reforms that include curbing the use of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in K-12 education.
The perennial refrain regarding Minnesota’s public education system is that we must fully fund education and that teachers need more resources in the classroom. So, common sense says that the…
According to court records and media reports, Mohamed Adan Mohamed, 24, was arrested last week in St. Peter, MN, after posting threatening messages on social media and following that up…
If the purpose of Keith Ellison publishing his “commentary” yesterday on his December 2021 Feeding Our Future meeting was to kill the story, it didn’t work. The state Attorney General’s…
As discussions on what to do about the budget deficit continue, more proposals for (new) tax hikes are appearing. This should be concerning. Not only will tax hikes raise costs…
The death of George Floyd in May 2020 set off a series of events that would have both immediate and long-term consequences for a city that was once seen as…
In the seventy-second episode of the American Experiment Podcast, Grace and Kathryn break down the latest grab at your wallet: a new tax hike proposal from Minnesota Democrats—this time targeting….*checks…
Our public prosecutors wield a great deal of influence over our criminal justice system. It’s one of the reasons why many, including me, have tried to sound the alarm about…