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Making it harder to vote will hurt more than help, and that’s the point
In today’s column (gift link), I warn against new federal voter laws using a local example of why we should be wary. I rewatched “Goodfellas” the other day and mused over Henry Hill philosophy about life as a gangster. He points out that the only records of his life were his birth certificate and his…
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High demand turns abandoned public buildings into new housing
The very moment a school stops being a school, with students running through its halls and janitors mopping the floors and oiling the furnace, it become a bologna sandwich rotting in the sun. So many small rituals go into keeping our human artifices intact. We only notice them when they’re gone and reality comes calling.…
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Welcome to our big wet water funding crisis
Today’s column (gift link) is about water infrastructure. One of civilization’s greatest secrets is that we, as individuals, are much more necessary to its continuation than we might think. Have you ever seen the show “Life After People” on the History Channel? It uses digital effects to imagine what would happen to cities and other…
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Talking immigration and literature for WGN ‘On Books’ podcast
Listen to my “On Books” interview with Steve Bertrand from WGN Chicago. *** The most enjoyable book I’ve read this month is one I probably should have read a long time ago. “Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill” is part of the “Betsy-Tacy” series by Minnesota author Maud Hart Lovelace. Written in the…
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The Supreme Court strikes back
On Friday, Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s signature trade policy. Justice’s found Trump’s blanket executive branch tariffs on most foreign goods to be unconstitutional. I wrote a quick column (gift link) in response that fell back on some of the issues caused by tariffs in Minnesota and specifically on…
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Handling the sheer scope of coming change
My latest column uses an antique car to explain the human impact of today’s changing technology. You should check it out (gift link). And, if you’re interested, let me explain the sobering reasons why I wrote it. I knew a forester who saw climate change in the trees before most in northern Minnesota would acknowledge…
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Minnesota’s immigration story never ended, we just lost the plot
Today’s column (gift link) tells a story of a beloved children’s author from Minnesota, but not the one that most people know about. Of course, like many, I grew up hearing the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her semi-autobiographical “Little House on the Prairie” series. It was practically required reading. My mom read a…
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A bad bet for our future
Like some of you, I yearn for relief from the stressful condition of our world today. Quite often, this comes from sports. Because of my job, I am constantly engaged with the news, but when I feel the familiar pangs of anxiety, I switch to sports. Sports, sports broadcasting and sports talk are gleefully, unapologetically…
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The language of a culture renewing itself
I grew up on the historic land of the Anishinaabe, though that certainly wasn’t something discussed. After a few generations, the past becomes a story told to the teller’s liking. My family lived an immigrant story. My grandfather bought the 40 acres of swamp that would become our junkyard, and that was all we needed…
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And now we’re arresting journalists
Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were arrested this week after documenting a protest that took place in a St. Paul church on Jan. 18. The indictments of the protesters and journalists implied that there was some real threat to the church-goers there. This is a dubious claim, but regardless, the arrest of journalists covering…
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What ‘the battle for Minnesota’ means to the world
I took the job at the Minnesota Star Tribune in part because these are historic times. I thought that being a columnist for a large media organization would allow me to make a difference. Not even a year in and I’ve had enough history to last me a while. But even with last summer’s political…
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Fear and loathing at your local Walmart
For reasons explained in today’s column (gift link), I spent about six full days of my life at the Hibbing Walmart last year — roughly 150 hours. We try to mix up our family shopping. We’re fortunate to be able to pay more for better products at other grocery stores, and shop at specialty stores…
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Time unites a divided reality
This moment in history will define our times. Federal agents scooping people up, clashing with protestors in the streets of my home state. Not just in Minneapolis, but across the state, including communities up north. Perhaps some legitimate criminals were arrested, but many innocent people were terrorized. And yet, I found myself frozen for a…
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Are we going to fix problems, or make them worse?
Today’s column (gift link) provides an example of the challenge facing opinion writers like me. To persuade, one’s argument must be clear. You also have to reach people who don’t agree with you. Today, we’re facing an unprecedented use of federal force to patrol a peaceful American state, my state. This action already caused needless…
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Protecting our last great institution
Today’s column (gift link) makes a simple argument for public libraries. And yet, it emerges from a mind boiling with frustration. I want to shake people. I want to tell them, “I know things are bad. We don’t have to make it worse.” As all the money in our substantial economy rushes upward like oil…