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A purple candidate in an increasingly red district
OWATONNA — On paper at least, the Democrats ought to be able to pick up a win in the 1st Congressional District. Their candidate, longtime Austin resident Jeff Ettinger, has an impressive resume. He rose through the ranks of Hormel Foods before becoming CEO, while keeping his Everyman demeanor serving on local nonprofit boards. He’s […]
Election deniers are a threat to Minnesota’s democracy
Election deniers and right-wing activists are threatening democracy in Minnesota ahead of the November election, according to a new report from the Defend Democracy Project. The report, which relies on interviews with Minnesota grassroots activists, legal analysts and academics, singles out the local spread of disinformation as a primary threat to democracy in Minnesota. “Some […]
Minnesota legislators create secular caucus to counter Christian nationalism
A group of Democratic state legislators announced on Wednesday the creation of the Secular Government Caucus to counter the rise in Christian nationalism and politicians imposing their personal religious beliefs on others. The caucus opposes religious discrimination and wants to uphold the constitutional separation of church and state. Christian nationalism asserts that the U.S. is […]
Mercado Central issues letter requesting removal of images in Jensen campaign ad
Mercado Central, a Minneapolis Latino market and cultural mall, sent a letter Wednesday to the campaign of GOP candidate for governor Scott Jensen requesting the removal of images of Mercado Central in his recent campaign ad. They’ve also warned him not to use images of Mercado in future ads. The ad, which was released in […]
Schultz condemns AG in Feeding Our Future scandal, unveils plan to prevent fraud
Republican candidates for attorney general and state auditor held a news conference Monday, seizing on recent federal indictments of people charged with bilking millions from funds intended to go to hungry children. GOP attorney general candidate Jim Schultz attacked Attorney General Keith Ellison for mishandling the investigation into Feeding Our Future and alleged accomplices, and […]
Here’s where Minn. congressional candidates stand on national abortion ban
For decades, Republicans promised voters they’d ban abortions if only the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. Sure enough, abortion was swiftly banned in Republican-controlled states around the country in the wake of the court’s June decision striking down Roe. But a public backlash — evident in polls, a Kansas ballot question and several […]
24 states have considered harsher penalties for pipeline protesters since DAPL standoff
Lawmakers in two dozen states — including Minnesota — have taken up bills that ratchet up penalties for pipeline protesters since the 2016 standoff over the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock reservation. The bills were drafted with the help of the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council and succeeded in passing in 17 states […]
15,000 nurses launch historic 3-day strike at hospitals across Twin Cities, Duluth
Thousands of union nurses walked off the job at 15 hospitals across the Twin Cities and Duluth area on Monday morning, launching the largest private-sector nurses strike in U.S. history. The picket line in front of Allina’s United Hospital and Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul stretched for two blocks, with nurses holding signs reading “Patients […]