Bob Collins
Charlie Smith was the sort of politician that could make people feel that anybody could grow up to be elected to office and make a difference, armed only with decency, honesty and authenticity.
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Politics
Bernie Sanders’ appearance on Saturday Night Live was the sort of “instant classic” that puts it into SNL history along with Bass O Matic. Read more →
We’re always in the market for a good Wisconsin v. Minnesota argument but where the economy is concerned, we’re running into a reality: it’s no contest between the two states. Read more →
It’s easy to hate on Martin Shkreli, the smug kid who got rich quick by pricing pharmaceuticals at a ridiculously high price because he bought the rights to them.
Politicians in Washington got a crack at him today. Nobody is going to think ill of politicians trying to beat up a drug thug like Shkreli.
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NPR is getting some criticism for getting a story right.
Welcome to the world of campaign coverage. Read more →
Give Iowans credit; they don’t much like bullies. Oh, sure, they liked Donald Trump enough to give him a second-place finish but the story out of the caucuses last night isn’t who won so much as who didn’t.
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Bloomington is the latest community to go with a single-hauler, amid promises it’ll save the average homeowner about $100 a year. The response was predictable.
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The country is full of people who don’t stand for anything. Concepcion Picciotto, is not one of them.
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Can Wisconsin employers be a little more supportive of employees who are willing to give a little piece of themselves to save someone else’s life?
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Take note, people who demonstrate and disrupt government meetings. You don’t have a free speech right to do so, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled today.
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We’re only two years away from hosting a Super Bowl in Minnesota so it’s worth paying attention this year to how things are going in Santa Clara, Calif., which hosts this year’s edition. Read more →
If it’s history told in song it’s some fine Minnesota history. Read more →
Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan used some of his State of the State address this week to apologize for the disaster that has befallen the people of Flint, Michigan thanks in large measure to the incompetence of their elected officials. Residents get a helping of lead when they turn on the tap and run their water. In some cases, the lead content is so higher, the water is classified as ‘toxic waste.’ Read more →
The news that the United States isn’t the best country in the world should startle Americans who’ve never watched The Newsroom. Read more →
Maybe it’s time to add history and civics to the list of standardized testing if that’s what it takes to jam home some pretty basic knowledge about the country. Read more →