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U.S. cutting aid to Africa leads to changes

Editorials

The Trump administration’s sharp reduction in aid to Africa last year seemed likely to cause a continent-wide crisis of apocalyptic proportions. While there has been pain, particularly in health care, many African nations displayed remarkable resilience. U.S. aid fell to $7.86 billion in 2025 from $12.1 billion in the last year of the Biden administration. That’s a decade-long low for America, and rich European countries like Germany and France also scaled back donations. Total overseas development assistance was projected to fall by $42 billion in 2025, according to Donor ...

A community update from Marshall Public Schools

Community Voices

With the end of the school year in sight, I want to take a moment to share an update with our community to share updates on our schools and address topics that are important to our families as we think about finishing the school year strong. First, I want to acknowledge that there has been some confusion and concern surrounding the recent cut to the gymnastics program. We understand how meaningful this program has been to students and families, and we recognize that its reduction was disappointing to those directly impacted. I want to be very clear: Marshall Public Schools remains ...

Erica Schwartz delivering in the Legislature

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: In one of the most remarkable moments of this session, Rep. Schwartz secured unanimous passage of her bill, House File 2169, on a 134-0 vote. In a closely divided House, that kind of bipartisan support is almost unheard of-especially for a freshman legislator. But the reason is quite simple: the bill does exactly what good policy should do, it protects people. House File 2169 closes a dangerous loophole in Minnesota law by ensuring that individuals who commit unintentional murder while under a protective order are held fully accountable, no matter where that order was ...

Living with our choices

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Today I think positively of what will be. Some say the system is wrong. Some blame the government for their ills. One word comes to mind: responsibility. Responsibility, in itself has little to do with systems or governments. You guessed it. It has to do with the person. People make choices. Whatever our choices one thing is certain: we must live with our choices. Out of all this comes experience. Out of that comes knowledge. Knowing something out there is greater than you is the first step to wisdom. What will be is greater than what is. In the end its not what you ...

Let your sun shine

Local Columns

For the first time in many days, the sun is shining! What a welcome sight! I'm sure all the budding plants are feeling great, and the returning birds are so happy they are singing like crazy. It seems everything and everyone likes sunshine. Growing up on the prairie of southwest Minnesota, we were honored to see the sun as it first peeked over the horizon on a clear day. There was the promise of another day to accomplish something good. As the sun set each evening, it was as if that ball of light was telling us that we did good today — now rest as I take a rest. But don't worry, ...

A spring slant

Local Columns

By the time afternoon rolled around on Sunday much of the eight inches of snow we received on Friday and Saturday — as part of some cruel April Fool’s joke mother nature likes to play now and again on our region — had melted. While it made the extra effort I had put in to clear the ...