Breaking News

Editorials

Russia throwing weight behind Ukraine threat

Russia is coming closer and closer to pushing into the Ukraine. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking on different Sunday news programs, said Russia could be days away from invading, a prospect that could result at an “enormous human cost.” Russia remains one of the few national powers willing to use military might to achieve its ends. Russian President Vladimir Putin knows there are few forces with the power and the will to stop him. NATO is unlikely to take action, since the Ukraine is not in the alliance. The U.S., after two decades of war in the ...

This issue we can all agree on

On Thursday, Republicans in the Minnesota Senate laid out a proposal addressing the shortage of police officers in the state. It is no surprise that the ranks of police officers have been shrinking since the murder of George Floyd, the resulting riots and the calls for defunding the police. Officers in Minneapolis have been leaving the force, some claiming PTSD, some simply having served their time and seeing no reason to stay on. In the meantime, the supply of new recruits to the police academy has dwindled as well. The Senate Republicans are proposing to encourage more young ...

What state could be spending surplus on

The Minnesota Legislature is in session now, in a short session that usually focuses on bonding, but which this year is energized by the $7 billion surplus forecast for the state budget. While we don’t want the state to go on a wild spending spree, there are things that the state could and should fund while it has the money. Education is always a good investment. While Democrats and Republicans may wrangle on how and where to spend money on education, there’s really no bad spending on education. Given the rate of inflation we are all dealing with, the 2% increase in per pupil ...

Set election law straight

Former President Donald Trump has been stumping a lot recently, holding rallies in front of his faithful, making promises and pounding the idea that former Vice President Mike Pence could have and should have acted to stop Joe Biden’s election. On Saturday, Trump held out the idea that if he regains the White House, he will pardon the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters who are being put in jail for their insurrection. “If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6th fairly,” Trump said Saturday night during a rally in Conroe, Texas. “And if it requires pardons, we will ...

North Korea’s way of asking for a favor

On Sunday North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile, capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam. It is the seventh launch North Korea has made in January alone. This follows a long North Korean history of ignoring weapons agreements in its drive to develop its nuclear weaponry. It is also a typical step in the North Korean form of diplomacy. North Korea has a habit of rattling its sabers, either by missile launches, or provocative military exercises. It then uses those provocations as bargaining chips when it seeks some kind of concession from the West. It ...

North Korea’s way of asking for a favor

On Sunday North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile, capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam. It is the seventh launch North Korea has made in January alone. This follows a long North Korean history of ignoring weapons agreements in its drive to develop its nuclear weaponry. It is also a typical step in the North Korean form of diplomacy. North Korea has a habit of rattling its sabers, either by missile launches, or provocative military exercises. It then uses those provocations as bargaining chips when it seeks some kind of concession from the West. It ...