Today sees the release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of its estimates of Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment. These can be a useful way to compare economic performance. Minnesota’s…
The German-Spanish wind power company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has recently announced it will lay off thousands of workers in their wind energy sector, will the same thing happen in…
Conservatives often complain about surprises uncovered in the fine print of legislation that gets slipped into bills late in the process. “We have to pass the bill so that you…
Wages are just one part of total worker compensation. A new paper shows that when minimum wages are hiked, it is these other parts of worker compensation that are hit.…
The Supreme Court has up to another month to rule on Janus v. AFSCME, a case asking the High Court to overturn a 1977 decision that forces government employees to…
The author, the great-grandmother of Kim Crockett, came with her parents to the United States from Czechoslovakia as a very young girl, then Katharine Jirsa. She later taught school in…
The NFL’s self-defeating experiment with enabling players to kneel during the national anthem ended just in time for Memorial Day. Ultimately the league’s open-minded tolerance of players’ patriotic petulance came…
In Endcliffe Park in my hometown, Sheffield, there is a memorial to Lt John Kriegshauser, John Humphrey, Robert Mayfield, Charles Tuttle, Vito Ambrosio, George Williams, Lyle Curtis, Melchor Hernandez, Harry Estabrooks,…
It’s always a special treat when a smart person writes compelling, idea-rich prose. And Charles Kesler delivers just that with his terrific essay in the new issue of the deservedly…
A full-page ad warning readers their “access to local news just got more expensive” has popped up again in the Star Tribune. Higher U.S. tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Democrats, including (Cryin') Chuck Schumer, have attempted to fault President Trump for high gas prices in the wake of the administration's decision to impose sanctions on Iran, but it has…
Where is the teachers’ union? Teachers are being assaulted. At work. Where is their union? Is it calling for tough discipline, or throwing kids out of school who hurt and…
[Photo Source: NEA] Is NEA’s proposal to broaden the scope of who can have union membership a safety net for its political power? Does the union fear its members will…
St. Louis County Assessor Dave Sipila and his team went big this year, jacking up the assessed market valuations on scores of mostly commercial properties in Duluth essentially overnight. But…
All too often, the policy debates of today are simply refights of the battles of yesteryear. Because of this, old arguments often retain a modern relevance. Milton Friedman was an…
Tax something more you get less of that something. Policymakers have long applied this logic to things they want to discourage like smoking and drinking, so why don't they apply…
Mark Haveman, our friend who runs the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence, penned a brilliant op-ed in today’s Star Tribune that blows up Gov. Dayton’s stated main reason for vetoing…
What do these incidents have in common? Trump Derangement Syndrome, or people on the left who feel entitled to act in an uncivilized, unhinged manner because they hate Donald Trump.…
The pension bill, which Gov. Mark Dayton supports, is expected to become law though some lawmakers are stunned at the growing expense. Pensions are supposed to be covered by employer…
[Photo Source: CCPD] The reality of violence directed against K-12 educators by students is highly concerning. For too many teachers, violence while on the job is prevalent, ranging from threats…
Gov. Dayton's veto of the tax bill means no tax conformity for Minnesota. This will lead to chaos next tax season as ordinary Minnesotans fill out more forms to pay…
Indiana utility wants to raise electricity bills as the company accommodates more solar, wind, and natural gas.
Our friend Fritz Corrigan wrote this op-ed in today’s Star Tribune about Mosaic Co.–the company Fritz formerly headed as CEO–departing Minnesota for Florida: I am a 40-year veteran of Cargill…