Savoring the rare, fleeting instances of small talk and informal public life in a pandemic
For most people who work at home, COVID-19 has all but obliterated social serendipity, probably the thing I love most about living in the city.
Opinion
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For America to live up to its true ideals, all schools must teach students about equity and justice
Embracing equity and justice and the richness of our differences will manifest in diverse groups of people being their best selves.
‘A Thousand Cuts’ powerfully profiles Filipina journalist Maria Ressa
Ressa stands up constantly against the Philippines’ leader, Rodrigo Duterte.
A New Year’s resolution for science
When problems are complex, expert judgment is appealing. But it can also lead to a sense of exclusion that undermines trust in science by the public.
Remaining on alert till Trump leaves the White House
By the way, I really don’t give a hoot whether Trump participates in the Biden Inauguration ceremonies.
Capitol storming vs. Women’s March: A tale of two very different protests
I can’t get out of my head the juxtaposition of the awful storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday and the gathering of hundreds of thousands in the Women’s March of Jan. 21, 2017.
Minnesota’s ever-evolving P-12 school system is no dinosaur
There has been perpetual innovation, invention and change in public education since its outset.
Choose this over sulfide mining: renewables, jobs and metals recycling
Recycling copper and other metals can help address the climate crisis, increase jobs, and provide the materials needed to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.
What we learned getting white people to talk to each other about race and how to be more anti-racist
We have a lot of participants admit, many for the first time in their lives, to biases or prejudices they know are wrong, but have never fully uprooted.
Minnesota can do more to address tuberculosis among foreign-born residents
Language barriers frequently lead to a late diagnosis.
Former defense secretaries state: There’s no military role in election disputes
“Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory,” they write.
What do Minnesotans want from the 2021 Legislature?
They want to end anonymous contributions, unlimited contributions, dominance by special interests, and gerrymandering.
The Minnesota Legislature needs to keep working to support those most in need
During our most recent session, Senate Republicans stopped the Legislature from providing critical support to the very people our faiths implore us to protect: the poor, the elderly, and the homeless.
Agriculture must change, with different skills and a new attitude required
It must give up its centuries-old fascination with annual crops like wheat and corn, and begin the study of how perennial plants fit food production.
Minnesota legislators need to better fund child care
Thanks to the governor’s leadership in providing state funding, many centers have stayed afloat. But this will end on Dec. 31, and without this vital support I don’t know how we will continue.
In 2020, facades and monuments keep falling
This month I lost a monument of my own – my mentor and teacher, Joseph Epstein – who declined to wait for the rope and took down his own statue in an op-ed about Dr. Jill Biden.
The impact of the opioid crisis on babies: Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome spikes in Minnesota
One step Minnesota can take is to pass HF 1892, which modifies prenatal substance use reporting requirements.
As temps go down, St. Paul and Ramsey County are increasing options for the homeless
The county has spent $7.2 million of CARES money on emergency shelter, on top of existing county dollars. In addition, the state earmarked almost $3 million for shelter.
Will the Legislature permit local boards to change schooling?
The gaps in achievement are real and will not be addressed by tinkering. We’ve been doing that forever.
Line 3: The time for delays and obstruction is over
Line 3 is important to our state because the project will put 4,200 people to work in construction jobs, and promises to deliver Minnesota safe and reliable petroleum infrastructure for the long term.
