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Conservative suburbanites launch Minneapolis voter ID petition

By Andy Birkey | 03.31.10 | 12:02 pm

Two groups — Citizens for a Better Minneapolis and the Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA) — are attempting to make voting in Minneapolis a bit more restrictive: They’ve started a petition in hopes of making photo identifications a requirement for voting in the city. But as critics — dubbed “fruitcakes” by MVA’s head — point out, most of the activists behind the drive don’t live in Minneapolis, and one of the groups didn’t exist until a week ago.

Hobnobbing with Bachmann, Palin? $10,000 please

By Andy Birkey | 03.17.10 | 8:19 am

An upcoming fundraiser with Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin will cost up to $10,000, according to the event invitation (PDF) obtained by the Minnesota Independent. The April 7 fundraiser will be held in downtown Minneapolis at

Parent of radio’s The Patriot buys Hot Air

By Paul Schmelzer | 02.17.10 | 11:35 am

HotAirSalemOK, maybe it’s not quite the vast rightwing conspiracy, but the expansive conservative multimedia entity Salem Communications — which runs local radio stations including AM 1280 The Patriot and the national TownHall.com, home to Michele Bachmann’s blog…

State requires new environmental review for Hennepin trash burner

By Chris Steller | 01.14.10 | 6:15 pm

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is requiring a new environmental review of Hennepin County’s plans to burn more garbage at its downtown Minneapolis incinerator.

Deal would tap Met Council funds to buy member’s family business site

By Chris Steller | 01.13.10 | 8:36 am

The Minneapolis park board is planning to use $1.7 million in Metropolitan Council funds to buy a piece of Mississippi riverfront property from the family business of a Met Council member.

Tale of Depression-era bank robbery carries echoes of today’s news

By Chris Steller | 01.08.10 | 11:45 am

The winter issue of Hennepin History magazine recounts a notorious Great Depression-era bank robbery in Minneapolis, with story lines seemingly ripped from today’s newspapers: A murderous attack on a street-corner business in a city so broke it

Family Council president defends Brit Hume’s Tiger Woods comments

By Andy Birkey | 01.07.10 | 2:02 pm

mfcThe Minnesota Family Council on Thursday defended controversial statements by Fox News commentator Brit Hume, in which he suggested that Tiger Woods should embrace Christianity. The Center for the American Experiment announced a day earlier that Hume would…

Amid flurry of security-related activity, Schneier action figure launches

By Paul Schmelzer | 01.07.10 | 1:50 pm

-Picture-_5122The Bruce Schneier Action Figure (pictured) we wrote about in November is finally out, just as the noted Twin Cities–based security consultant is seeing a flurry of action following the attempted Christmas day attack on…

AM.MN: Triple murder tempers talk of drop in Minneapolis crime rate

By Chris Steller | 01.07.10 | 8:00 am

am.mn logoThe murders of three men Wednesday in an apparent robbery attempt at a Somali-owned South Minneapolis corner store are sure to temper discussion of declining rates of homicide and other violent crimes — particularly at a…

Fresh off ‘Tiger needs Jesus’ comment, Fox’s Hume headed to Minneapolis

By Andy Birkey | 01.06.10 | 3:03 pm

brithumeBrit Hume, who has faced some backlash over his statements about Tiger Woods in recent days, will be headlining a dinner for the Center for the American Experiment, a conservative think tank, according to an email from the group.…