Government & Politics
Here’s the rent control question St. Paul will vote on this fall
The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved the rent control ballot language that will be put to voters this November. If passed, the measure would institute one of the country’s most rigorous rent stabilization policies and the state’s first. The ballot language — drafted by city staff to reflect a citizen-led petition — would limit […]
Spotty transit access keeps the carless out of vaunted state park system
For the three years Lee Oglesby lived in Minnesota, she went to Minnesota State Parks twice. Oglesby, who got to know the outdoors as a Girl Scout in Florida before relocating to Minnesota to work in publishing, didn’t have a car and hesitated to rely on others to get outdoors. “I don’t wanna impose on […]
Biden mandates vaccines in nursing homes, admonishes GOP governors on school masks
WASHINGTON — Nursing homes will be required to ensure their staffers are vaccinated against COVID-19, or risk losing federal Medicare and Medicaid dollars, the Biden administration announced Wednesday in a major move on vaccinations as the Delta variant sweeps many states. President Joe Biden at a press conference also criticized Republican governors who have prohibited […]
COVID-19 booster shots to roll out starting next month
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. health officials announced a plan Wednesday to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to Americans starting Sept. 20, with the scheduling of the additional shot to be based on when a person was fully vaccinated. The new round of jabs will be extended to those who received the two-dose vaccine from either […]
4 former MN GOP executive directors call on party chair to resign
Four former Republican Party of Minnesota executive directors are calling on party Chair Jennifer Carnahan to resign. The four executive directors are Christine Snell, Kevin Poindexter, Becky Alery and Andy Aplikowski. “As the four most recent MN GOP executive directors under Carnahan, we have a unique perspective into the toxic environment, inappropriate behavior and manipulation […]
MN GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan remains defiant amid calls to resign
Minnesota Republican Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan took to the airwaves Tuesday to address the whirlwind since her friend and major Republican donor was charged with sex trafficking last week. She remained defiant, even as a growing number of GOP officials and candidates have called on her to resign in the wake of Anton Lazzaro’s arrest. […]
Afghan evacuees to arrive in the U.S. through Wisconsin, Virginia military bases
WASHINGTON — The first U.S. stop for the nearly 2,000 Afghan interpreters and other refugees evacuated so far amid the collapse of the Afghan government has been central Virginia’s Fort Lee military base. Tapped for its East Coast location and its ability to quickly ramp up to serve as a temporary host installation, the Army […]
Cities say police PTSD disability claims are fiscally unsustainable
The wave of Minnesota police officers leaving the profession in the wake of George Floyd’s murder combined with a new state law making it easier to get state disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder is creating what the League of Minnesota Cities calls an unsustainable fiscal situation. But law enforcement advocates say the League, which […]
MNGOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan resigns from board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
Embattled Minnesota Republican Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan on Saturday resigned from the board of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities organization, a spokeswoman said. “Jennifer Carnahan reached out to us and resigned from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities board of directors on Saturday amidst the recent media attention. Her resignation is effective immediately,” […]
MNGOP chair Jennifer Carnahan used non-disclosure agreements to stifle criticism, sources say
If Minnesota Republicans want to find out what the party knew about disgraced donor and operative Anton Lazzaro, they’ll have a hard time finding out. That’s because many in the party’s orbit — including staffers and at least one volunteer member of the party executive committee — were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements by Minnesota […]
U.S. House moderates won’t back Dem budget without passage of infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON — Nine moderate U.S. House Democrats including Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia and Jared Golden of Maine are threatening to oppose a budget resolution needed to pass a major social policy package unless a bipartisan infrastructure bill is first signed into law, according to multiple media reports. Opposition from the […]
How Congress will attempt the biggest expansion of U.S. social programs since FDR
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate this week passed a massive bipartisan infrastructure bill and an even larger budget blueprint that would pave the way for historic changes in U.S. health, education, climate and tax policies. The two measures are roped to each other, reflecting Democrats’ strategy to pass what could be bipartisan with Republicans—and to go it […]