Energy & Environment
Save the coyote
January 7, 2022 by Isaac Orr
How Otter Tail Power benefits a North Dakota energy plant.
January 7, 2022 by Isaac Orr
News
Governance
Here is what’s wrong with a state family and medical leave program
January 6, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
Since the Minnesota Management and Budget announced that Minnesota is expecting a $7.7 billion surplus, numerous spending proposals have come out. And among the top spending priorities for Democrats and Gov.…
January 6, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
Public Safety
Pressure mounts on sheriff to resign over DUI amid new revelations
January 6, 2022 by Tom Steward
Despite an attempt to quickly put his DUI conviction in the rearview mirror, Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson faces increasing pressure to resign amid new questions about his conduct in…
January 6, 2022 by Tom Steward
Spending & Taxes
The Surplus: Minnesota has some of the highest tax rates in the United States
January 6, 2022 by John Phelan
On Dec. 7, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its budget forecast for Fiscal Year 2022-23 which foresaw a $7.746 billion projected surplus. This immediately sparked a debate about what should be…
January 6, 2022 by John Phelan
Energy & Environment
Europe’s bad energy policy emboldens Russian aggression in Ukraine
January 6, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Bloomberg reports that European nations have sleepwalked into an energy crisis that was years in the making. Unfortunately, Europe’s increasing reliance on Russian natural gas emboldens Russian aggression along the…
January 6, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Governance
The bad penny
January 6, 2022 by Bill Glahn
John Thompson, still in the legislature, continues to owe $2,700 in outstanding court fines.
January 6, 2022 by Bill Glahn
Spending & Taxes
Spending the budget surplus on childcare is a bad idea
January 5, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
Since the Minnesota Management and Budget announced that Minnesota is expecting a $7.7 billion surplus, numerous spending proposals have come out. And among the top spending priorities for Democrats and…
January 5, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
Education
Teachers’ union celebrates education bill being killed that would have put students first
January 5, 2022 by Catrin Wigfall
The National Education Association (NEA) listed the killing of an education bill that would have expanded educational opportunity for Minnesota families as part of the union’s “major wins” in 2021.…
January 5, 2022 by Catrin Wigfall
Energy & Environment
Gene-edited microbes will help corn fix its own nitrogen
January 5, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Pivot Bio is working to develop gene-edited microbes that will allow corn to “fix” its own nitrogen from the air. This revolutionary technology could significantly reduce the need for synthetic…
January 5, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Culture
Water cooler talk
January 5, 2022
In case you missed it...and what to watch for.
January 5, 2022
Spending & Taxes
The Surplus: Minnesota’s government is already spending more than most other states
January 5, 2022 by John Phelan
On Dec. 7, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its budget forecast for Fiscal Year 2022-23 which foresaw a $7.746 billion projected surplus. This immediately sparked a debate about what should be…
January 5, 2022 by John Phelan
Spending & Taxes
Study: Trump tax cuts pushed Americans up the income ladder
January 4, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
When Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (otherwise known as Trump tax cuts) in 2017, one of its biggest criticisms was that it was a handout for the…
January 4, 2022 by Martha Njolomole
Energy & Environment
Energy costs increased faster than other commodities in 2021
January 4, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that the cost of energy far outstripped the price of other commodities in 2021. EIA based its analysis on the S&P Goldman…
January 4, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Spending & Taxes
The Surplus: Minnesota’s government spending is already historically high
January 4, 2022 by John Phelan
On Dec. 7, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its budget forecast for Fiscal Year 2022-23, which foresaw a $7.746 billion projected surplus. This immediately sparked a debate about what…
January 4, 2022 by John Phelan
Public Safety
Please welcome our new public safety policy fellow
January 3, 2022 by Bill Walsh
Center of the American Experiment announced today the creation of a new Policy Fellow position in the area of public safety and criminal justice that will be filled by experienced…
January 3, 2022 by Bill Walsh
Education
Survey says: Majority of educators believe parents should be involved in curriculum choices
January 3, 2022 by Catrin Wigfall
Increased parent involvement has quickly become a bright spot amid the otherwise frustrating aspects of schooling during COVID-19. More parents are keeping a watchful eye on the learning materials that…
January 3, 2022 by Catrin Wigfall
Transportation
Why is the Met Council hiding the cost and completion date of light rail line?
January 3, 2022 by Tom Steward
The $2 billion Southwest Light Rail Transit Line is the most expensive public works project ever undertaken in Minnesota. Besides that, it also holds the potential to be the state’s…
January 3, 2022 by Tom Steward
Energy & Environment
One new Chinese coal plant is almost bigger than the entire Minnesota coal fleet
January 3, 2022 by Isaac Orr
China is currently building an enormous 4,000 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in the northwestern region of Inner Mongolia. For context, this single coal plant is almost larger than the…
January 3, 2022 by Isaac Orr
Public Safety
Crime in 2021: A year of carnage
January 1, 2022 by Bill Glahn
Now that 2021 has (finally) rolled off the board, we can begin to total up the damage. St. Paul recorded 38 homicides, a new record for the city in a…
January 1, 2022 by Bill Glahn
Culture
Three Twitter accounts to follow in the new year
January 1, 2022 by Bill Walsh
If you want to stay informed about the most important issues in 2022, here are three Twitter accounts you should follow in the new year. @COVID_Clarity for the pandemic, @CrimeWatchMpls…
January 1, 2022 by Bill Walsh
Economy
Minnesota’s Economic News — W/E 12/31/21
January 1, 2022 by John Phelan
Labor market Pine Journal: Can this workforce be saved? Here’s why US workers are quitting in droves Morrison County Record: Letter: Walz to blame for worker shortage Bemidji Pioneer: Child…
January 1, 2022 by John Phelan
Culture
Review: Don’t Look Up
December 31, 2021 by John Phelan
It doesn’t require training in critical film studies to figure out that Netflix’s new movie, Don’t Look Up, which tells the story of a comet wiping out life on earth,…
December 31, 2021 by John Phelan
Education
Faulty decision making by school officials, not the virus, keeps students out of the classroom
December 30, 2021 by Martha Njolomole
Earlier today, the Star Tribune run an editorial encouraging Minnesotans to do their part to control COVID-19 so that kids can stay in school as Omicron surges. The editorial especially…
December 30, 2021 by Martha Njolomole
Governance
Another suburban mayor calls for more prosecution
December 30, 2021 by Bill Glahn
The mayor of Minnetonka has joined fellow suburban mayors in calling for more prosecution of non-violent property crimes. Mayor Brad Wiersum is calling for assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney,…
December 30, 2021 by Bill Glahn