The Notorious RBG, as some admirers referred to her, is gone. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday, at 87, of cancer. She was an icon to Americans with certain political positions — a scourge to others. Already, the battle over a successor has become heated, with ideology ...

The coronavirus pandemic overshadows many other issues, including climate change. The catastrophic wildfires raging across the west provide a sobering clarity about the price the country and globe will pay because climate change hasn’t been taken seriously enough. Oregon, California and ...

Stealing signs not cool THUMBS DOWN: Day by day we see one example after another of ugly politics as General Election day approaches. Right here in southwest Minnesota, theft and vandalism of signs continues. Lyon County Democrats and Republicans held a round table discussion last month to ...

Remember just a few months ago when some disease analysts who had been predicting COVID-19 would kill 200,000 Americans were being ridiculed by some people? For a time, it appeared the pandemic would claim fewer than 100,000 lives in our country. But on Sunday, the tally had topped 194,000. ...

Members of Congress and the White House had no realistic option but to approve about $3 trillion in emergency spending to battle COVID-19’s devastating impact on the economy. Even more federal money may have to be appropriated for the purpose. But last week, we were reminded of another ...

Concern over use of mail-in ballots for the November general election is building. Critics of the process fall into two categories: those who worry about vote fraud and those who insist many Americans may be “disenfranchised” by the system. Indeed, fraud is something of a concern — but ...

Two weeks ago, we said Congressman Jim Hagedorn owes his 1st District constituents more details on the print-and-mail scandal that has embroiled his staff. We knew at the time that the first-term Republican had racked up the highest spending on taxpayer-paid printing and mailing in Congress ...

Peterson, Smith not seen in Lyon Co. THUMBS DOWN: Candidate Jason Lewis told Lyon County Republicans Tuesday it’s “game on” in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Tina Smith. During the Lyon County Republicans banquet Tuesday, he pointed out that several polls show the U.S. Senate race is now ...

Partisan politics continues to delay enactment of a new coronavirus relief measure in Congress. Regardless of your political leanings, that is hurting millions of Americans. Even emergency action taken by the White House has been affected. After negotiators in Congress deadlocked over a new ...

At this point in the economy’s recovery from COVID-19, the concern needs to be stagnation, not inflation. Good for Federal Reserve officials for recognizing that. Central banks are looked to for help in situations such as that facing the economy today. By holding down interest rates, they ...

Opposing sides in the controversy over building the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota seem more concerned with how the issue will play out politically rather than any reasoned concern for jobs and the environment. Senate Republicans recently grilled Commerce Commissioner ...

Too many of our family members, friends, neighbors and in some cases, former co-workers are in trouble this Labor Day for the holiday to be a time of carefree celebration. Plenty of room remains for pride in what working men and women accomplish, however. Reflecting upon it gives us reason for ...

College students putting bars at risk THUMBS DOWN: Some of our college students are putting some of our bars and restaurants in a tough spot by not practicing public safety rules. One bar owner had to shut his doors early last weekend because students wouldn’t stop crowding together. Bar ...

We know people get tired of the coronavirus restrictions. People want to see their families and friends. They are tired of wearing masks all the time. They are tired of keeping a six-foot distance from others. They are sick of waving to grandkids or grandparents through a Zoom window. But we ...

Sadly, Minnesotans this past month saw just how petty some of their legislators can be when they don’t get their way. The Republican-led Senate, while convened in the August special session, made a stunning 34-32 vote to reject the confirmation of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry ...

Sadly, Minnesotans this past week saw just how petty some of their legislators can be when they don’t get their way. The Republican-led Senate, while convened Wednesday in special session, made a stunning 34-32 vote to reject the confirmation of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry ...

Supporting dairy farmers THUMBS UP: U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, led a bipartisan group of 23 senators in calling for the enforcement of United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement dairy provisions. A Smith press release said a letter was sent to U.S. ...

Among the brightest bits of news linked to the COVID-19 epidemic was the report last week that home sales are booming in the United States. The pace of home purchases jumped by a record-high 24.7% last month, according to the National Association of Realtors. Analysts credited low mortgage ...

It seems every year we write reminding readers of the importance of being aware and driving carefully as school starts up again. Though there is nothing normal about this year’s return to school, one thing remains the same: It is, as ever, important to remember there are kids headed back to ...

For many years, local public health agencies were viewed by many Americans as centers for anti-smoking campaigns, immunizations for children in low-income families, enforcers of restaurant cleanliness rules and similar activities. Suddenly last winter, all that changed. Now and probably for ...