Barack Obama came under fire when his campaign refused to allow two Muslim women wearing head scarves to sit behind him at a Detroit rally two weeks ago. Now another incident has surfaced and it involves U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. Read more...

By G.R. Anderson Jr.

A federal judge Wednesday denied a motion by the city of Minneapolis for a summary judgement in the case of Minneapolis Police Sgt. Giovanni Veliz, who has filed suit against the city and its police department claiming he was blocked for  retaliatory and discriminatory reasons from a position he sought on the Minnesota Gang Strike Force. Read more...

By Doug Grow

They tried using the Twin Cities mayors — R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman — but now it's time for the big guns. Birk and Kennedy are the marquee names the Republican National Convention folks will use to drum up volunteers for the Sept. 1-4 event in St. Paul. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

A Washington-based organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, today asked that the Senate Ethics Committee review Sen. Norm Coleman's rental arrangement for his $600-a month housing near the Capitol. Read more...

By Doug Grow

You can never start too early in planning for Christmas; just ask the department stores. And now the city of St. Paul is getting an early start, too. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman had gushed about the proposed Penfield project — the 30-story condo/commercial tower planned for the former police station site in downtown St. Paul. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

Minneapolis has what is known as a "weak mayor system,'' but R.T. Rybak is suddenly positioned as one of the country's strongest mayors. Read more...

By Doug Grow

Another new Obama for Pres ad begins airing in 18 states (but not Minnesota). This is a small blur of biography (he passed up the big bucks on Wall Street to work as a community organizer), things he has supported legislatively and things he wants to do as president. Read more...

By Eric Black

The Taste of Minnesota festival — which runs Thursday through Sunday at Harriet Island across from downtown St. Paul — hopes to persuade some of its music and food lovers to become informed voters. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

Norm Coleman's Senate campaign has rolled out another new ad. It's a continuation of his first ad: same tone, same shirt, same background music and same theme — that you have to work together to get things done, in this case, on energy prices and a couple of other things. Read more...

By Eric Black

Minnesota's most powerful Democratic congressman aren't much interested in a Barack Obama administration role.

By David Brauer

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura's animus toward the Minnesota press corps is so well known by now, nobody in town much bothers to try to talk to The Body these days. Read more...

By G.R. Anderson Jr.

Unhappiness about the proposed Central Corridor light-rail route through downtown St. Paul is emerging from several quarters: two churches on Cedar Avenue are complaining that the clattering trains could disrupt weddings and funerals, even cause architectural problems. And Minnesota Public Radio, just down the block, thinks the rail rumblings could affect its transmissions. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

News reports today that the Ford Ranger plant in St. Paul might stay open for another two years brought a statement of relief from Mayor Chris Coleman today. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

Veteran political spokesman and former local television reporter Tom Steward will be the communications director for Sen. John McCain in Minnesota. Read more...

By Joe Kimball

Never heard of Monocle, that British magazine that covers global politics, current affairs and fashion? That doesn't matter. Monocle has heard of us. Read more...

By Doug Grow

A media release from MAPlight.org takes to task several congressional Democrats who changed their votes on the Foreign Intelligence Survelliance Act of 1978, commonly known as FISA. Read more...

By G.R. Anderson Jr.

The House Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee heard testimony from Geoff Bartsh, president of the Minnesota Governmental Relations Council. Bartsh, who considers himself an experienced lobbyist, has reached one conclusion about how things run at the Capitol: They're screwed up. Read more...

 By G.R. Anderson Jr.

Just announced: The communications director for the Barack Obama campaign in Minnesota is Nick Kimball. Good choice. He's my nephew. Read more....

By Joe Kimball

Though it likely will bring out less self-congratulatory rhetoric than when U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters came to Bloomington earlier this month to re-announce plans for $133 million in fed money to refurbish the I-35W corridor, state lawmakers are gearing up for a little dog-and-pony event at the bridge site Tuesday morning. Read more...

By G.R. Anderson Jr.