MN-04: Rep. McCollum keeps trying, on Palestinian rights, vs. a cowardly Congress

April 20, 2021

While I very much enjoy and admire how Rep. Ilhan Omar tells it like it is and pisses people off, in my estimation Rep. Betty McCollum is the best of Minnesota’s current delegation to the U.S. Congress (including the senators). I could certainly nitpick with her record and agenda here and there, but that’s far […]

by Dan Burns

Yes, lift the sanctions. All of them.

April 12, 2021

From last week. Mr. Malley called the Iranian position that Trump’s financial and economic blockade is illegal and must be lifted before Iran would begin taking compliance steps “not serious.” He said, “it’s not going to work that way.” Araghchi fired back, “Mr. Malley’s remarks show the lack of seriousness on the part of the […]

by Dan Burns

I found a cool website about social media and politics

April 2, 2021

Lazy you-know-what that I am, I’m generally at least a few months behind in reading Scientific American. Earlier this week I finished the December 2020 issue, which included an article (Maybe paywalled? I was able to access it online, perhaps as a “free view.” I’m a print subscriber) co-authored by a principal of the Indiana […]

by Dan Burns

Enbridge truly is a bunch of despicable greedheads

March 26, 2021

This is pending appeal, so it isn’t a done deal, yet. But it seems to be headed that way. Minnesota counties that host Enbridge’s oil pipelines say they are again looking at a budget-busting debacle after two recent tax court rulings in favor of the Canadian company. Enbridge’s appeals of its state tax valuations have […]

by Dan Burns

Same song, thousandth verse

March 19, 2021

A sulfide mining fan sings an old song

by Steve Timmer

Read the latest Spotty ™ winner

March 17, 2021

No to corruption and pollution

by Steve Timmer

Trump voters

March 15, 2021

My take.

by Dan Burns

High-stakes standardized testing, this year? WTF?!!

March 3, 2021

This is quoted from an article dated a couple of weeks ago. I looked around this morning, and the administration has not pulled back. The Biden administration chose a pro-testing advocate, Ian Rosenblum of Education Trust New York, to announce the decision that states must administer the federally mandated tests this spring… Joe Biden said […]

by Dan Burns

Regarding the Equal Rights Amendment in Minnesota

February 22, 2021

Thinking back, I suppose that it was in late 1976 that I had public speaking class, sophomore year in high school. I liked that one about as much as the majority of kids do – I’m pretty sure that speaking in front of groups remains the #1 human phobia – but I wanted A’s in […]

by Dan Burns

A win for the environment in a Minnesota court, for a change

February 17, 2021

After recent decisions regarding Enbridge Line 3 in particular, this was good to see. Wins for the environment equal wins for the people, even if some of the people never have come around to understanding that. The Minnesota Supreme Court (Feb. 10) issued a ruling overturning a prior Minnesota Court of Appeals decision that held […]

by Dan Burns

Minnesota has another Crazy Michelle in Congress

February 8, 2021

It’s not quite the same. Former Rep. Michele Bachmann has just one “l” in her first name, while Rep. Michelle Fischbach’s parents went with the far more common spelling. That said, there was this: Two Republicans of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Jim Hagedorn, joined the six members of the Senate and […]

by Dan Burns

The newspaper landed with an extra-heavy thud on Sunday

February 7, 2021

Katherine Kersten gives even ordinary bigots a bad name

by Steve Timmer