By Paul Schmelzer 7/13/09
As Campbell Mithun picks up a coveted Silver Pencil at New York’s One Show, a group of 27 ad agencies are collaborating to rebrand Minneapolis as a the “City of Advertising.” Plus, the local angle on the Times’ story on missing Somali youth.
By Mary Kane 7/13/09
The time may be ripe for a shift in strategy as the foreclosure machine grinds on, and new foreclosure notices reach a troubling 10,000 per day. Lawmakers have a choice: let the foreclosures go on for perhaps years, at the expense of millions of homeowners, or take the crisis head on.
By Andy Birkey 7/10/09
This week Minnesota’s members of Congress went back to work after the July 4 break, except for Sen. Al Franken who was showing up — finally — for the first time. Rep. Keith Ellison put forward a credit reform bill, Rep. Betty McCollum announced her plan to expand the Peace Corps, and Republicans criticized the Democrats’ energy and stimulus policies. Here’s how the week shook down…
By Chris Steller 7/10/09
The U.S. Senate took an hour Thursday to honor former Sen. Norm Coleman. Here are clips of the complete tributes to Coleman from 10 senators (seven Republicans and three Democrats, including Amy Klobuchar), as well as transcribed highlights of their remarks — with particular attention to what they had to say about Coleman’s future.
By Aaron Wiener 7/9/09
As the U.S. Senate takes up debate on climate legislation, environmental groups are slamming a biofuels provision.
By Paul Demko 7/9/09
Tarryl Clark has been rumored to be eyeing either the governor’s race or a challenge to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in the Sixth Congressional District, but she has remained cagey about her ambitions. The local DFL chair says Clark “is actively considering getting into the Sixth Congressional District race.”
By Mike Lillis 7/9/09
WASHINGTON — As Senate lawmakers launch new efforts to curb the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, some key members have joined local transportation officials and environmentalists to ask a seemingly relevant question: Where’s the commitment to public transit?
By Paul Demko 7/8/09
Minnesota has the highest level of participation by small political donors in the country, according to a new study by the Campaign Finance Institute. But that status is threatened by Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s elimination of the state’s Political Contribution Refund program, which the report calls “a big success” and “a much healthier system” that the rest of the country can learn from.
By Paul Demko 7/7/09
Norm Coleman conceded the U.S. Senate contest last week, but immediately prompted speculation that he’ll run for governor in 2010. Does the Republican have the political clout — and the personal finances — to be a viable candidate?
By Chris Steller 7/6/09
The announcements by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty came 3,100 miles and 31 days apart. But observers in Alaska and Minnesota see close ties between the two Republican governors’ intentions to leave office.
By Andy Birkey 7/6/09
Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will gather in Minneapolis this August for a vote on whether to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Lutherans. Their decision could pave the way for gay and lesbian pastors, bring same-sex commitment ceremonies to local congregations and impact policy in a state with a large number of Lutheran elected officials.
By Chris Steller 7/2/09
What was that all about? We shook two 24-hour news cycles’ worth of media mumbo-jumbo on the Coleman-Franken fracas, and this is what fell out.
By Mike Lillis 7/2/09
The senators who voted last fall to approve the federal bailout of Wall Street hold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock in the very banks that Washington has rescued in the nine months since.
By Paul Demko 7/2/09
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum’s failure to support legislation that would establish a universal, single-payer health-care system has drawn criticism from some liberal activists. But on Thursday, members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota showed up at McCollum’s St. Paul office to praise her efforts on the health-care front.
By Andy Birkey 7/2/09
Communities around the state are struggling to deal with the budget cuts imposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s unallotment authority. Pawlenty signed into law $2.7 billion in cuts to local government aid, human services grants, higher education and medical assistance for the poor. Many parts of the state are bracing for the impact.