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Trump, Pence plan Minnesota ‘fly-in’ rallies
Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump will speak today at 2 p.m. at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Monday, his running mate Mike Pence will speak at 9:30 a.m. at the Duluth International Airport. This Minnesota blitz represents a remarkable amount of attention for the Republican ticket to pay to a state that reliably votes Democratic in…
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In America today, who speaks for the many?
Human history traces one simple question, “Who speaks for the many?” Centuries show examples of brute leaders, disjointed committees and fragile democracies. Populist gadflies become heroes or villains. Hungry people rise to greatness, then fade into the mist. On the Mesabi Iron Range, the smart and powerful bought the land, but the workers paid the…
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Hunting for the heart of Northern MN
The firearms deer hunting season in Minnesota opens Saturday morning, kicking off a venerated November tradition in Northern Minnesota. This year’s season runs Nov. 5-20. How firmly entrenched is Minnesota’s deer hunting tradition? Behold this e-mail sent out to parents in my son’s 6th Grade class this morning: Attention Deer Hunters! If you are so fortunate to bag a deer…
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U.S. election trudge even longer this year
It’s a simple rule. The United States of America holds elections the first Tuesday of November of an even-numbered year. Unless, of course, the first Tuesday is the first of the month. In that case, the election will be the next Tuesday, Nov. 8. Every seven years, American elections last even longer than usual. By happenstance,…
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Baseball’s Halloween fright: end of the world is nigh
This time of year brings many attempts to frighten the innocents. And no, I’m not talking about the election. I’m not even talking about creepy clowns (to the degree there is a difference). No, it’s Halloween — All Hallow’s Eve, a holiday dedicated to the ghoulish exorcism of October, the month mystics have long tied…
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Turnout key in closing days of Nolan-Mills race
You can tell when Northern Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District race heats up. My phone rings a lot. People want to know what the Iron Range’s only independent news blogger sees happening on the ground. To that, I can only say that it’s hard to see what’s on the ground. It’s covered with discarded political mailers and…
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Trampled by Turtles retreat into shell
When you think about the Northern Minnesota music scene, one band stands out like a banjo at a rock ‘n’ roll show. They go by the name Trampled by Turtles. The Duluth- and Minneapolis-based Americana band brings a hard-charging bluegrass sound. TBT basically put the Duluth scene on the map. They were working local musicians who remade…
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Joe Biden to campaign in Duluth this Friday
Vice President Joe Biden will campaign for the Democratic ticket in Duluth this Friday, Oct. 28. Biden appears in Duluth to support former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who leads Donald Trump for president in Minnesota but trails Trump here in the Northeast. Biden also will drum up support for U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8), locked in a tight…
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Dancing horses for Nolan-Mills in MN-8
The race between U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) and Republican challenger Stewart Mills is already among the nation’s most expensive and closely watched Congressional races of 2016. Yet, most of the coverage has been tied to the speculation that the race was close two years ago and will probably be close again. Today, I argue…
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Footprints of the giant Mesabi
Once, a few years ago, I was overcome with the urge to climb a roadside berm at an Iron Range taconite mine. I drove by this spot all the time, but couldn’t picture what was on the other side. So I did it. (Don’t try this at home kids). I scrambled up the side to…
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The quarterlife crisis of the Information Age
Like most “kids these days” I keep my cell phone with me at all times. I post etherial tidbits to social media and turn to Google to find the lyrics to a song or the location of a restaurant. I’m writing this column in the “cloud.” Nevertheless, I’m conscious of the fact that I taught…
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Minnesota’s Haley Bonar does NPR ‘Tiny Desk’ concert
Minnesota’s own Haley Bonar performed an NPR “Tiny Desk” concert this month, which was shared this week on NPR’s website. The popular series features up-and-coming musicians playing 2-3 songs on or near the music desk at NPR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. NPR’s Stephen Thompson previews Bonar’s induction into the pantheon of Tiny Desk participants: The first time…
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Candidates debate in northern MN
With only a month to go before the Nov. 8 general election, folks are finally tuning into their local elections after 18 months of hardcore bloviation about the U.S. presidential race. Here in Northern Minnesota, legislative, city council and school board forums will take place over the next few weeks. These are often the best way to learn about…
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Sunny outlook for Northern Minnesota … too sunny
Who doesn’t love the sun? The sun lights the world, warms the atmosphere, and keeps Earth from hurtling into the cold vacuum of space. It’s neither the biggest star in the universe, nor the most interesting. The sun is just a working class star that keeps the gas burning 24/7. Sure, the sun can cause…
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Newsweek: Trump favored foreign steel in his projects
In this week’s edition, Kurt Eichenwald writes about a Newsweek investigation of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s construction projects. The magazine found that Trump favored cheaper Chinese steel and aluminum in two of his three major recent projects. Trump, the candidate, has attracted support from many former Democratic strongholds across the Rust Belt, including here on…