Minnesota reached a special point in the battle against COVID-19 on Monday. For the first time since last April 13 last year, the state recorded no new deaths due to the virus. There’s still a long, long way to go before the battle against COVID-19 is over, but this is an encouraging sign ...
One year and one week ago, Minnesota confirmed its first case of COVID-19, spinning the state and the world into chaos. The pandemic proved both frightening and disruptive, as is expected of any historic crisis, but also unexpectedly and oddly monotonous. The first year of COVID-19 was a ...
OK, we know that the COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, China. We know that it spread from there around the world, causing this terrible pandemic we are battling. But the idea that people of Chinese or Asian descent, some of whom have lived in this country for generations, are responsible for ...
The major task of the 2021 session of the Minnesota Legislature is to pass a budget for the next two years. With Democrats in control of the House and the governor’s office, and the Republicans in control of the Senate, this is a dance reminiscent of the “West Side Story” rumble between ...
Last Friday, Minneapolis city leaders approved a mammoth $27 million settlement in a civil suit brought by the family of George Floyd. It is the largest pre-trial settlement of its kind anywhere in the nation. It’s a huge amount of money, far surpassing the $20 million settlement the city ...
On Friday, when Gov. Tim Walz announced the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, he was enthusiastic and optimistic. “I’m here to tell you that we’re winning. We’re winning, and this thing is coming to an end,” Walz said at his livestreamed announcement. He’s right. The number ...
Minnesota has weathered the devastating pandemic better than any other state in the Upper Midwest. Credit goes to Gov. Tim Walz and his health experts, as well as the people of Minnesota who did everything that was asked of them to slow the spread of the virus. Health care providers and ...
The Biden administration is planning on hitting the road to sell the idea of the $1.9 trillion virus relief bill that passed Congress on Wednesday, giving President Joe Biden his first major legislative win. It shouldn’t be hard to sell a bill that gives $1,400 checks to most Americans, ...
This past week the CDC issued relaxed guidelines for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These are people for whom two weeks have passed after having both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson. Their vaccine should be in full ...
The death of George Floyd last May under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked an eruption of anger and frustration from the Black community that continues to this day. The crowds that have demonstrated and protested and sometimes rioted across the nation want one thing — justice ...
With a $1.9 trillion price tag, the COVID-19 aid bill passed by Congress this week has some lofty goals. It is providing huge amounts for COVID vaccines and testing, shoving money to cities and schools to help them recover from virus-related losses, extending the $300 weekly unemployment ...
It’s not every year Minnesota legislators consider a new bonding bill. Traditionally, in fact, it’s every two years. But in keeping with the oddities of the 2020s so far, another bonding bill is in front of state legislators just a few months after the passing a $1.87 billion bonding ...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did Wednesday what many people would like other governors to do. He threw the state wide open by repealing most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. He said “100% of businesses are open “100 %,” and dropped the requirement for wearing masks. Did he do it on the ...
In states across the country, conservative groups and legislators are pushing legislation they say will make elections more secure. They worry that potential voters don’t trust the process, a worry that should be put to rest by the record-setting voter turnout in the last election. Voters ...
President Joe Biden’s first big legislative goal is to get a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill through Congress. But even though Democrats have control (barely) of House and Senate, they are proving that their majority is not enough to ram a Democrat agenda through. One issue of contention in ...
With the approval of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the nation now has a third bullet in the battle against this disease, which has killed over 500,000 Americans. Johnson & Johnson were shipping out the entire stock Sunday night to the states, and injections should ...
We know common ground in the state government is hard to come by, but let us suggest something that really shouldn’t be difficult. We’d like to see the Legislature find ways to boost renewable energy in Wisconsin. There are sound reasons for such an effort that should satisfy both ...
School District 88 in New Ulm, like other school districts in southwest Minnesota, has been working hard in the last few years to expand its program for students to prepare them for work in the vocational trades. We think this is highly commendable and we think the district should take ...
The enormity of the figure is hard to comprehend. In the past year, over 500,000 people have died from COVID-19. News reports have been full of comparisons — it’s as many as the number of Americans who were killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. That’s around 1,370 deaths per day, on ...
Virginia state legislators on Monday approved legislation to end the death penalty in that state, making it the 23rd state in the U.S. to do away with the practice. It is notable, because Virginia, over the years, has executed more people than any other state. Virginia has come to the ...