Trust, but verify THUMBS UP: Wednesday’s trade deal signing by the U.S. and China is a trust but verify situation for farmers. The announcement was indeed good news for the U.S. agriculture sector. However, a spokeswoman for Farmers for Free Trade, Michelle Erickson-Jones, was skeptical ...

We’re not sure who thought this was a good idea, but MInnesota law now allows political parties to pull back the voting booth curtain and peek over your shoulder in the new Minnesota presidential primary. The presidential primary will allow MInnesotans to have a say in who is nominated to ...

Among the good reasons for getting a flu shot is to keep yourself healthy enough to be there for the folks who need you this time of year. That is true in a larger sense when it comes to those in need of donated blood — and there are many more than we may think. According to blood banks, ...

The nanny crowd ­— folks who insist only government is capable of protecting us against anhy hazard — wasted no time in criticizing proposed new federal guidelines for autonomous vehicle makers. “This is a science experiment playing out in real time on our roadways without any safeguards ...

Downtown survey THUMBS UP: The results of a Rethos Rural Programs survey of local attitudes toward downtown New Ulm was presented this week, and it contains a lot of useful information. Some of the results confirm what people have been feeling and saying for a long time. People have been ...

Gamesmanship appears to be the order of the day in Washington, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spar over ground rules for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, millions of Americans just want the fiasco to end. Majority ...

Iran’s leaders accomplished what they needed to do this week, with a major rocket attack on two areas in Iraq where U.S. troops were housed. They were able to tell their own people they would not allow the “great Satan” — the United States — to push them around. Scores of U.S. ...

2020 is here, and by April 1, every home in America should receive an invitation to participate. When you get your census forms, it is important that you participate and be counted. There are a lot of things riding on it. A lot of big decisions will be made using the information collected in ...

Hundreds of clergy accused of sexually abusing children, including some convicted of crimes, were left off lists released by the Roman Catholic Church in reaction to a worldwide scandal, The Associated Press has found. In terms of rebuilding trust with those of the faith, the church seems to ...

New Year’s Day 2020 is in the books and, hopefully, a fond memory for you. You may have enjoyed a day off work, perhaps a celebration the night before, and maybe some college football on the big day itself. Forget to do anything? Hint: Checked your smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors ...

Smoke from the feds THUMBS DOWN: At the same time the federal government is raising the smoking age to 21, U.S. health officials will ban most flavored e-cigarettes popular with underage teenagers. However, their plan includes major exceptions that benefit vaping manufacturers, retailers and ...

As we Americans celebrate the beginning of a new decade, we continue to allow a serious challenge to escalate to crisis proportions. It is the national debt — $23.2 trillion as 2020 began. Thoughtful Americans understand the perils of a big national debt. It can increase inflation. It ...

We have entered a brand new year. It can be a fresh start for all of us ... but there is a lot on the horizon. Choices to be made in 2020 will be monumental — not just for individuals who might be hoping to lose a few pounds or save a little money, but for our nation as a whole. Resolve to ...

Members of the House of Representatives — Democrats, anyway — have set the stage for only the third impeachment trial of a president in U.S. history. Maybe. If they ever send their articles of impeachment to the Senate. As of right now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is playing ...

We hope you and yours enjoyed a happy holiday season. Now, of course, comes the period of getting our household budgets back in order after a few weeks of spending more than we had planned. Many charitable organizations serving area residents will find themselves in the same predicament. The ...

Ring in 2020 safely THUMBS UP: As we head towards the New Year, people are making plans for how they will celebrate the arrival of 2020. We hope everyone will make plans for getting to and from their destinations safely. Pick out your designated driver. Plan to take a taxi home if needed. ...

Four thousand more U.S. troops will be pulled out of Afghanistan, reducing the force there to about 8,600, it was reported last week. That number is inadequate to do more than protect key U.S. positions and personnel. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw more forces from ...

A great deal of the consumer protection advice we receive during the holidays amounts to common sense. How could a reasonably intelligent adult fall for some of the schemes, after all? But some consumer protection watchdogs are offering an important reminder: Adults may have nothing to do ...

A common question around this time of year is, “Are you ready for Christmas?” It can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Sometimes, the query is whether we have all the gifts purchased, decorations both inside and out finished, donations to worthy causes made, and Christmas dinner food ...

All too often, bad ideas never really go away in Washington. Congress merely reduces taxpayer funding for them, without insisting they be abandoned. That may be the fate of President Donald Trump’s “Space Force.” Trump envisions the force as an entirely separate, new branch of the ...