Thank you. Simple words not said enough. We gather this week for Thanksgiving. But not like usual. We gather in our homes, mindful of events outside our control. Not all of us can travel for the holiday this year. Instead, we approach the day with trepidation as the COVID-19 pandemic rages out of control across… Read More →
FARGO, Season 4: “East/West”
November 21, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown reviews each episode of “Fargo” with an eye for unique details from the place where the show is set. The ratings range from INTERESTING (bad), to COULD BE WORSE (not so good) to PRETTY GOOD (not so bad), and OH, YA! (real good then). Beware the spoilers. Episode 9,… Read More →
Bakk, Tomassoni bolt DFL caucus in MN State Senate
November 18, 2020 by 6 Comments
Two longtime Iron Range state senators will leave the DFL caucus and form an independent caucus for the 2021 legislative session. State Sen. David Tomassoni (I-Chisholm) and former DFL majority leader Sen. Tom Bakk (I-Cook) made the announcement Wednesday. The Republicans held a 34-33 majority in the State Senate. Now they’ll hold a 34-31-2 advantage…. Read More →
On whitetails, nimrods and a northern Minnesota tradition
November 15, 2020 by 1 Comment
If you walk into a deer shack and call the biggest guy there a “nimrod,” you might be in trouble. But that’s just because you’re in the wrong century. In another time you’d be paying him a compliment. How “nimrod” became an insult is an elaborate story worthy of any late night deer camp conversation…. Read More →
The tenuous situation facing northern Minnesota DFLers, and a way forward
November 12, 2020 by 4 Comments
My latest for the Minnesota Reformer is live today: “Cleaving Minnesota: Good news and bad for northern Democrats.” It’s got election analysis, messaging advice, political strategy and even a few jokes. Read for yourself. Related posts: No related posts.
Complex scenario could put Iron Ranger in Lt. Gov. chair
November 12, 2020 by 1 Comment
It’s difficult to analyze hypothetical situations. After all, there is no guarantee that the circumstances assumed will actually occur. But there’s a particular hypothetical floating around today that’s so complex it almost feels like a game of tridimensional chess that Captain Picard used to play on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” First premise, President-elect Joe… Read More →
Scenic Range NewsForum to cease publication
November 11, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Another local newspaper bites the dust, this one on the western Mesabi Iron Range. On Tuesday, the Scenic Range NewsForum announced that the weekly newspaper will cease publication at the end of 2020. The newspaper published for decades at the Scenic Range News out of Bovey, Minnesota. The name refers to the local belief that… Read More →
FARGO, Season 4: “The Nadir”
November 11, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown reviews each episode of “Fargo” with an eye for unique details from the place where the show is set. The ratings range from INTERESTING (bad), to COULD BE WORSE (not so good) to PRETTY GOOD (not so bad), and OH, YA! (real good then). Beware the spoilers. Episode 8:… Read More →
FARGO, Season 4: “Lay Away”
November 11, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown reviews each episode of “Fargo” with an eye for unique details from the place where the show is set. The ratings range from INTERESTING (bad), to COULD BE WORSE (not so good) to PRETTY GOOD (not so bad), and OH, YA! (real good then). Beware the spoilers. Episode 7:… Read More →
All politics is national
November 8, 2020 by 5 Comments
We now understand that 2016 was no fluke. Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range, a post-WWII bastion of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, now leans toward the Republican Party. And the DFL shows no sign of regaining lost ground anytime soon. The old days are truly gone. The numbers from Tuesday’s election weren’t overwhelming. President Trump won most… Read More →
