The third-graders lay flat on the floor, looking up at the dome, 160 feet above. What did they see, the tour guide asked? “Stars” the children said as they examined the inner dome of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. The star-filled dome represents the vastness of the universe, encouraging us all to “reach for our stars,” the guide suggested
Primary endangers voter privacy, participation
With the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa caucuses finally counted, the 2020 presidential primary season is in full swing. The Democratic front-runners look to be Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Following closely behind is our state’s own Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden trail farther behind. Donald Trump, with no major
An inaccurate census could put Minnesota’s representation at risk
Every 10 years, we get a chance to count how many people live in the United States. In addition to the basic count, we learn where people live and basic demographic information such as age, gender, race and ethnicity. Governments use that data to fund and plan a variety of social, educational and public safety expenses. Most importantly, the count
Get technology out of baseball
And then it was over, with a bang. The fall sports season ended with the last blasts of confetti canons after the Super Bowl. Fall, the most exciting sports season, features pro and college football and the World Series. When the NBA and NHL launch in the fall, every team has a chance to be champion. But now it’s February
Senators deliver crown: All hail, King Donald!
Like fawning courtiers, U.S. Senators just handed over a crown: All hail, King Donald! That impeachment nontrial was a very dark day for America. The jaw-dropping moment of the farce came when Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz flailed his arms like a wind-up toy in his pretzel logic, which goes like this: In the Ukraine scheme, Trump was merely trying
An open letter to chief justice, senators
Leona Wieland, Sartell The statement needed for decorum in the Senate Chambers was noted. How about holding responsible those who tell lies? Repeating the lie about WMD got us into war with Iraq in 2003. The costs in money and lives are reprehensible: $1.1 trillion, 4,000 American and 200,000 civilian lives. Do not allow lies to continue today. Specifically, I
Stearns board should vote yes on refugee resettlement
The Stearns County Commission perhaps thinks it avoided making a politically charged decision about resettling refugees when it tabled the issue at a Jan. 7 meeting. The commissioners plan to take up the issue again on Jan. 28. In September, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order that local governments had to agree in writing to allow refugees to be placed within
Canadians know how to get a grip on winter
After enjoying the snowiest, coldest 10 days of the winter, Minnesotans once again proved we know how to handle weather. We can mock those less-hardy citizens in other parts of the country where a few inches of snow or temperatures below freezing mean catastrophe. But our friends to the north have an even better grip on winter. Between Christmas and