Thanksgiving travelers irresponsible THUMBS DOWN: Lexi Cusano was traveling form Miami, Florida, to Hartford, Connecticut, for the Thanksgiving holiday. “People were just hanging out without their masks on,” said Cusano, who recently took a job in Miami. “I saw them walking back and ...

Federal CARES Act assistance has been invaluable for many American families and businesses. Without it, what appears to be a record-setting recovery from the financial crisis caused by COVID-19 would not be occurring. Millions of families with laid-off breadwinners would be in desperate ...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials and scientists are in a race against death. It is one they must undertake in a cautious sprint. Two COVID-19 vaccines appear nearly ready to go. Before doses already on the production line can be distributed, the FDA has to approve ...

In the thick of the worst stretch so far of the COVID-19 pandemic, rays of hope shoot through the thick gloom. A vaccine being tested appears to be 90% effective at preventing the disease. Although final steps in the process and distribution are still months or more away, the progress is a ...

Time for Congress to act THUMBS DOWN: The U.S. Labor Department reported that the number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose for the first time in five weeks to 742,000. The fear is that the resurgent viral outbreak is likely slowing the economy and forcing more companies to cut ...

With the coronavirus coming back strong, a number of governors have already ordered new — or rather, renewed — steps to combat the disease. Many are reluctant to mandate widespread business closings, however. There are very good reasons for that. Our economy may not be able to withstand ...

American presidents need to hit the ground running, especially when it comes to national security. We have too many enemies in the world to let our guard down for even a few hours. President Donald Trump continues to challenge results of the Nov. 3 election through court challenges. That is ...

For yet another month, Gov. Tim Walz is calling a special session of the Minnesota Legislature to extend his peacetime emergency powers to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Walz imposed new limits on bars, restaurants, gatherings Minnesota is struggling with a record surge of ...

President Donald Trump promised his legal team will be taking their election fraud case to the courts. “Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an ...

The year was 2008. Sen. John McCain had just suffered his most agonizing political defeat in his second, and what he knew would be final attempt at the presidency. As he spoke to supporters and the nation during his concession speech, he was first quick to recognize the historic ...

Record election turnout a big win THUMBS UP: No matter who is victorious in the U.S. presidential race, there is another big winner — U.S. democracy. The record turnout in Lyon County, southwest Minnesota, the state and across the nation is a positive development. That record amount of ...

Census Bureau officials’ claim the agency was able to collect information from 99.9% of the households in America strains credibility. It would during normal times, not to mention the middle of a deadly epidemic. If officials in several states, cities and organizations are right, the bureau ...

“I just can’t wait until the whole thing is over.” The quote reported by the Associated Press in Monday’s article on “anxious voters” was made by a 58-year-old woman from Warren, Michigan, who just voted. But the quote could have been made just about anywhere in the ...

Ten days before an election is when you’d expect to find a biting analysis of the latest presidential debate, or another blast about soft money fueling out-of-control campaign advertising in this space. Not now. We’re not even going to spend a lot of words urging civility in the runup to ...

Leaders of both major political parties agree on one thing: The presidential election scheduled for Tuesday is among the most important in American history. Its outcome will shape our government, economy, even our society for many years to come. Your life and that of your children and ...

Voter interest is always high in Lyon County, where turnout percentages traditionally rank high in the state, especially during presidential years. This year, voters are not about to be deterred by COVID-19 fears. Voters are turning in their absentee ballots at a record pace. According to the ...

If last week’s announcement that Russian and Iranian operatives are using technology once again to influence U.S. politics came as a surprise, you clearly have not been paying attention. That makes you preferred prey, by the way. We were warned in advance of the 2016 election of how the ...

If you think white supremacy movements are just a problem in the South or in pockets of Michigan, Idaho and Oregon, think again. The community of Murdock in west-central Minnesota is grappling with a decision about whether to grant a permit to a group that in 2018 made the Southern Poverty ...

After the first presidential debate took on the aspect of a tag team wrestling match where the referee gets knocked out, the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates has discovered the mute button for this week’s second and final debate. To prevent some of the verbal clashes of the ...

We Americans, collectively, were not ready for the coronavirus epidemic. We ought to be ready for the recovery. It will begin when a vaccine against COVID-19 becomes available. Though a timeline for that is uncertain, it appears safe, effective vaccines will be available early next year. ...