20 years after Paul Wellstone’s death, his legacy may be stronger than ever
The senator’s death in a plane crash, just two weeks before the election, inspired a generation of progressives. Now they’re in power themselves.
Tim Gihring
Lounging with the lords of lorem ipsum: What I learned spending 72 hours in Minneapolis with 600 ‘content strategists’
Trying to divine the meaning of a job that didn’t exist before the Obama presidency.
Minnesota’s identity crisis: Is ‘The North’ already going south?
The debate over ‘The North’ may be the most authentic thing about it. We’re both self-conscious and conscientious; in the spotlight we wonder how we look — if we deserve the spotlight at all.
‘If it were easy it would have been done by now’: Why high-speed internet remains elusive for many in rural Minnesota
Broadband is critical to the fate of Greater Minnesota. But the people who can make a difference, from providers to politicians, don’t even agree on the problem, much less the solution.
Why Al Franken couldn’t outrun his past
In 2008, we were asked to believe that Franken knew the difference between comedy and politics. In retrospect, we may have focused too much on his grasp of politics and too little on his grasp of comedy.
MinnPost 10 at 10: Tim Gihring explains the rise and fall of the Gopher protocol
MinnPost is marking its 10th anniversary with a series called 10 at 10, a look back at the stories that have stuck with us.
How a Minnesota ‘country boy’ turned Pulitzer-winning historian is redefining American icons
Since 2002, T.J. Stiles has published three major historical biographies that have earned him two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award — a near-perfect literary batting average.
Sex, lies, and Hulk Hogan: How a South High grad is riding the storm of Trump-era journalism
Over the years, former Gawker Editor-in-Chief Alex Pareene has called Donald Trump a “fictional television clown tycoon,” “a living freak show,” and “a weird attention-hungry idiot.”
The enduring mystery of America’s last ‘faithless elector’
In 2004, one of Minnesota’s 10 electors didn’t vote for the presidential candidate who had actually won the state. The ballots weren’t signed, and nobody ever stepped forward. So who did it?
Why the Halloween Blizzard still matters, 25 years later
The blizzard revealed an anvil hanging over our heads, a perpetual threat of paralysis. And it threw Minnesota into an identity crisis from which we have yet to recover.
A ‘Minnesota temperament’ in DC: The St. Paul Academy grad hoping to shape post-Trump politics
When Jesse Ventura won the Minnesota governorship, Alex Conant thought he was done with politics. That didn’t quite pan out.
Does it matter whether Archbishop John Nienstedt is gay?
In all but one notorious case, the archbishop’s actions on behalf of accused priests were less about personal favor and more about institutional preservation.
The rise and fall of the Gopher protocol
Twenty-five years ago, a small band of programmers from the University of Minnesota ruled the internet. And then they didn’t.
‘Why you wanna treat me so bad?’ Prince and the Minnesota media
Prince loved Minnesota, but we didn’t make it easy.
Fast and curious: meet the NASCAR-driving, anti-carbon crusading vegetarian from Rochester
Leilani Münter has faced blowback for her environmental activism. From environmentalists.
‘We just go to Jake’: How a Southwest High grad became Hillary Clinton’s go-to guy
Hillary Clinton calls Jake Sullivan discreet, earnest and brilliant. And if she wins the White House, he will likely land in the West Wing.
How two Blake grads, Soraya Darabi and Maxine Bédat, created Zady, the ‘Whole Foods of fashion’
Zady’s values, as much as its co-founders, can be traced back to Minnesota. Darabi and Bédat were friends at The Blake School, where they soaked up “this feeling that you have a responsibility to the world.”
The personalities of Twin Cities theater companies — and what they’re up to this fall
This arts season, as several theaters settle into new leadership, we’ve put the companies on the couch and analyzed their essential differences.
Fall from grace: Why Nienstedt had so little support among Twin Cities Catholics
As archbishop, Nienstedt almost seemed to relish the bad-cop role. But as the Vatican opened in recent years, he closed down.
How Minneapolis got itself in a public-art pickle
Following the money reveals a tug-of-war over art that threatens to pull apart Minneapolis’ ambitious bid for creative city-hood.
