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Shuster Rink wins historic men’s curling gold for U.S.
Redemption makes the best stories. The hardest thing in life is to be knocked down and come back better than before. It doesn’t matter if it’s navigating relationships, recovering from injury, overcoming failure, or sliding a 40-pound stone across the ice. The U.S. Men’s Curling team, led by Chisholm native John Shuster, won the gold…
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NY Times lauds Minnesota Olympic triumph
Oh, boy. The New York Times doesn’t know what it’s done. On Friday, America’s vaunted newspaper of record gave Minnesotans something they’ve long craved: big city validation. In a story titled “Team USA? More like Team Minnesota” Pat Borzi argues that the U.S. Olympics team’s biggest successes came because of Minnesota athletes. From key members…
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Digging deeper into environmental policy
This month, the “Dig Deep” podcast explores environmental policy, a ferociously hot topic here in Northern Minnesota. “Dig Deep” is a production of Northern Community Radio, and appears both on the radio and as a podcast. My friend Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns represents a more conservative approach to issues while I present a more…
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Curling team with Northern MN ties vies for Olympic medal
Bad luck? A curse? Whatever you want to call it, U.S. men’s curling team skip John Shuster struggled in his last two Olympics. As part of America’s first medal-winning curling team — a bronze in 2006 — Shuster led the last two teams to ignoble collapses in 2010 and 2014. Until now. After a poor…
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Minnesota legislature launches into the unknown
This week the Minnesota legislature opened the 2018 session, a three-month sprint toward a May 21 deadline to do the people’s business. So, what is the people’s business? Good question. Right out the gate, we’re hearing about whether new Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach should be allowed to serve in her State Senate seat simultaneously. Fischbach,…
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The steel war is nigh
Things are moving quickly when it comes to substantial new American tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. As I reported last week, President Trump signaled new tariffs in meetings. Two days later, his commerce department issued plans to raise steel tariffs by 53 percent. That’s a huge hike. Though the president has yet to make…
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Littlewolf leaves Virginia council for foundation post
Virginia city councilor Nevada Littlewolf is leaving office for a prestigious new job as CEO of a Native American foundation. Last week, the Minneapolis-based Tiwahe Foundation named Littlewolf as its new leader. The foundation grants funds to Native American communities to promote independence and stronger leadership. “I understand firsthand the importance of indigenous voices in…
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Notes from my interview with Rick Nolan
This week I interviewed Minnesota Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan for today’s newspaper column. We spoke for almost an hour, so much of it couldn’t fit in an already overstuffed 900-word column. Here are a few more thoughts from the Feb. 15 Rick Nolan interview after he announced his retirement from Congress. Of course, you…
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Nolan to retire, but ‘political journey’ goes on
“Politics is not a destination, it’s a journey,” Congressman Rick Nolan told me this week. “It’s an American journey, and a beautiful one.” On Feb. 9, Nolan announced that his leg of that journey will end with his current term representing Minnesota’s Eighth District, creating a wide-open race in Northern Minnesota’s tumultuous political climate. I…
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Michelle Lee seeks DFL nomination in MN-8
On Feb. 15, former Duluth TV news anchor Michelle Lee joined a growing list of candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth District. Lee, who retired from KBJR-TV last year, represents a familiar face with an increasingly political voice in a wide open race to succeed Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan. Democracy is a messy, frustrating and…
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Joe Radinovich enters DFL race for Congress
Former State Rep. Joe Radinovich of Crosby announced today he would seek the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. Northeastern Minnesota is who I am, where I’m from, and what I’ll always fight for. I’ve spent my life fighting for working families, whether it be organizing for workers’ rights, promoting economic investment in northeastern…
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Trump signals steel tariffs but unclear strategy
On Tuesday, President Trump met with senators to discuss strict new proposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. Part of the meeting was open to reporters. Like any event involving the president, this convening quickly became theatrical in nature. Senators of both parties expressed a wide array of views on trade while Trump called back in…
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The prodigal Turtles have returned
When the Minnesota contemporary bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles went on hiatus last year their departing shells cast a pall over these North Woods. How long would they be hibernating? Would we have to “Wait So Long?” Or could this truly be the end? Lead singer Dave Simonett’s side project “Dead Man Winter” was…
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North Branch Mayor Kirsten Kennedy enters MN-8 race
Today, North Branch Mayor Kirsten Hagen Kennedy announced she will seek the DFL nomination for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. Kennedy made news most recently as the guest of Congressman Rick Nolan at President Trump’s State of the Union Address. At that time, Nolan was a candidate for re-election. Since then, he announced he’s…
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North and South: St. Louis County debates split, again
The Associated Press reports that the St. Louis County Board is expected to oppose a proposal to divide into northern and southern counties. According to the story, board chair Keith Nelson won’t support the measure, saying it’s not keeping with the board’s mission. He is one of three Iron Range area board members. Four county board…