The latest on the Obama/Iron Range front. I’ll be in Duluth for a prior commitment but anyone interested should check this out. Barack Obama’s Iron Range Leadership Committee Roll OutPress ConferenceSaturday, February 2NOONIronworld in ChisholmThe Rudy Perpich Room Featuring: Co-ChairsRep. Tony SertichRep. Tom Anzelc Related posts: No related posts.

Business North is reporting the item about Friday’s U.S. Steel announcement in Keewatin. Here’s what they say: It’s the worst-kept secret on the Iron Range: All indications point to a major expansion pending at Keewatin Taconite. Owner U.S. Steel wasn’t commenting publicly, but told Range legislators to expect a Feb. 1 announcement that is “positive.”…

It was brought to my attention, correctly, that I’ve been sneaking far too many Obama posts into the mix here at MinnesotaBrown.com. It’s time to talk about something else. How about this? Death from above! The Register and other publications are writing about a U.S. spy satellite’s slow drop out of orbit. It now seems…

We are one week out of Super Tuesday and I’m betting it will seem like a month. John Edwards is planning some kind of special poverty speech today that might be part of an exit strategy for him. Barack Obama is courting his endorsement, which would make life very interesting in the 22 states voting…

We Twins fans knew this would probably happen, but I can’t help but feel a little sad to see Johan Santana be traded to the Mets. I am glad, however, that he was traded to an N.L. team. This way he can’t kick our asses every other week in the American League and also we…

The Range’s best and most experienced mining/Range reporter is stepping down for an inside job. Lee Bloomquist, who I’ve known for years and respect greatly, is leaving the Duluth News-Tribune for a position with the Iron Range Resources agency as an information officer. He’s going to be a big help for the agency and the…

Excelsior Energy continues to get news coverage for their plan to add $20 million in environmental upgrades to their vast $2.3 billion proposed Iron Range coal-gas plant while paying for $500,000 worth of improvements to Taconite, Bovey and Coleraine’s wastewater plants. This unproven new company, using taxpayer grants and loans, is buying the support of…

Al Franken has received two big endorsements for his U.S. Senate campaign in advance of the Feb. 5 precinct caucuses, Education Minnesota (almost all of Minnesota’s K-12 and college teachers, including my local) and Operating Engineers, Local 49. It had seemed that labor was splitting between Franken and Ciresi. This changes the equation quite a…

Old news, but I’ve never seen the bogus run-up to the Iraq War quantified so specifically as in this AP report. I know Iraq policy is a touchy subject, but we’re starting to see how badly the situation was handled at the start. Study: Bush, other officials issued hundreds of false statements before Iraq invasionBy…

The attitude expressed in this Mesabi Daily News editorial shows much of what’s wrong with the political climate in my beloved Iron Range. Iron Range residents who realize we are in a battle for the very economic survival of the region don’t need to hear from elected officials that they need more details on several…