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The COVID-19 toll

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 average. At its worst this past year, more people were dying each day than died in the 9-11 terror attacks. Against that stark statistic, there is reason for hope, however. The number of new cases has been slowing nationwide. The number of U.S. deaths continues to fluctuate, according to the ...

Doing away with capital punishment

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 realization that the death penalty disproportionately punishes minorities, the mentally ill and the indigent. There is also that nagging issue that many people sitting on death row across the country have been exonerated, proven innocent by new DNA evidence. Far too many have been railroaded by ...

High cost of low regulation

Government regulation is the bugbear of conservatives and businesses who complain it adds to their cost of doing business. But sometimes a little government regulation is a good thing. Just ask some people in Texas who are being hammered with thousands of dollars in extra power costs as a result of the recent winter storm and cold snap. Texas is one of the states that allows people to select the company from which they purchase their electric power. In most places, you buy from the utility that serves your area. But in Texas, you can choose a different company from your neighbor and ...

Suicide call centers’ opening is timely

First and foremost, you should know that feeling somewhat gloomy right now is perfectly understandable. The continuing pandemic, daily struggles and a long stretch of bitter cold weather can add up to a bit of mental health meltdown. But also know that if the weight is getting too heavy and seems more like mayhem than minor meltdown, help is available. Luckily, that assistance is now faster and more focused on Minnesotans’ specific needs with the opening of four new suicide prevention call centers in the state. The centers are part of a network belonging to the National Suicide ...

Immigration overhaul due for rocky debate

President Joe Biden said, after being sworn in, that one of his priorities would be immigration reform that would offer a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally. On Thursday, Biden and congressional Democrats proposed a plan to do that. The plan gives green cards to farm workers, immigrants with temporary protected status and the “Dreamers,” young people brought illegally into the country as children. It would give them a five-year plan to reach temporary legal status, then pursue citizenship after three years if they pass ...

Minneapolis needs to be ready; Minnesota needs to help

Minneapolis is getting ready for what might transpire when the trial of Derek Chauvin starts in a couple of weeks. Chauvin is the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd on May 25. Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 8 minutes while Floyd, a Black man, handcuffed and lying on the ground, protested he couldn’t breathe. Minneapolis and St. Paul erupted in days and nights of rage and rioting, culminating in the looting and burning of businesses in both cities, and the torching of the Minneapolis Third Precinct police station, while ...