Islamic State terrorists are a greater threat than al-Qaida ever was. That is because they possess several advantages al-Qaida never enjoyed.First is that the Islamic State has conquered a vast swath of territory in Iraq and Syria.Second is that the Islamic State seems to have an excellent ...
Riverblast 2014THUMBS UP: Riverblast is kind of an inspired idea. If you want to teach people and get them thinking about the importance of the Minnesota River, a good way to do that is to get them to have fun by the river. Riverblast has been doing that for several years now, inviting people ...
It will come as no surprise to those who watch the government closely that the Department of Veterans Affairs has concluded it was not responsible for the deaths of veterans kept waiting for care at the Phoenix VA hospital. But members of Congress should ask whether that answers another ...
A news item out of Arizona is an example that even a constitutional right carries a lot of responsibility.What was supposed to be a fun family day at the shooting range on Monday turned to tragedy when a nine-year-old girl, with her parents standing by videotaping her, accidentally shot and ...
As parents send their children to school, they are no doubt careful to warn their children about crossing streets safely. They would be horrified if school buses were in poor repair. They would be appalled if the school lunches were crawling with salmonella or botulism.Yet some parents are ...
After American journalist James Foley was murdered by Islamic State terrorists several days ago, there was concern about another U.S. reporter taken hostage about two years ago. His name is Peter Theo Curtis.But on Sunday, Curtis was released by his captors, who turned out not to be Islamic ...
Minnesota's constitution states that judges are to be elected, just like any other political officer. But in practice, judges in Minnesota usually attain the bench by appointment and rarely face much opposition in succeeding elections. Most are re-elected until they reach retirement age in ...
Americans have gone abroad on their own to fight for many causes during our nation's history.Daring American airmen joined the Lafayette Escadrille to fight Germans before the United States entered World War I. Long before Pearl Harbor, others battled the Japanese as members of the "Flying ...
Moving in at MLCTHUMBS UP: The organized chaos of moving in to dorms is taking place at Martin Luther College this weekend. Freshmen moved in Thursday and Friday, and upperclassmen are arriving this weekend.Any parent who has gone through the experience knows what mixed emotions are all about. ...
Negotiators from Israel and the Hamas terrorist group that controls Gaza met under Egyptian sponsorship this week, in an attempt to end fighting between the two. Israel had agreed to a cease-fire to facilitate the talks.But on Tuesday night, Hamas broke the cease-fire by sending three rockets - ...
There has been a lot of pressure over the years for athletic teams to give up racially-charged nicknames. The University of North Dakota gave up the name "Fighting Sioux" in 2012 over the objections of many of its loyal alumni. The NFL's Washington franchise is adamantly resisting pressure to ...
New Ulm Medical Center and Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm project celebrated a prestigious honor Tuesday, recognizing the reception of a 2014 NOVA Award from the American Hospital Association.The award is one of only five given across the country every year to hospitals and health ...
Another reminder of the seriousness of the national debt came earlier this summer, when foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities topped $6 trillion for the first time in history.Any debt carries with it serious challenges. But when the United States owes money to foreign governments, there ...
"War is hell," Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman famously told a graduating class at the Michigan Military Academy. Yet even Sherman had some scruples and standards when it came to warfare. At least he had the conscience to recognize the evils and losses of war as "folly, madness, a crime against ...
To Americans of a certain age, the news out of Washington may sound disturbingly similar to reports from more than a half-century ago.On Tuesday, an official at the Pentagon said consideration is being given to sending more U.S. military advisers to Iraq. The intent would be to assist that ...
No 90s OK?with usIt was pointed out to us by National Service Weather watcher Victor Roepke that by his records, we have not had a 90 degree day yet this summer.Come to think of it, it has been pleasant this summer, with little need to keep the air conditioners running full blast.No 90 degree ...
To Americans of a certain age, the news out of Washington may sound disturbingly similar to reports from more than a half-century ago.On Tuesday, an official at the Pentagon said consideration is being given to sending more U.S. military advisers to Iraq. The intent would be to assist that ...
Supporters of the District 88 school building referendum are no doubt breathing a little easier today, after holding their breaths Tuesday night as the referendum votes were counted.As the precincts were counted one by one and their votes added to the total, there was never a clear indication ...
Islamic State terrorists poised to conquer Iraq will suffer from U.S. airstrikes - but that will not be enough to defeat them. Only attacks on the ground can do that.After President Barack Obama approved airstrikes against Islamic State forces late last week, some observers breathed sighs of ...
Last week the state's minimum wage increase went into effect, and in one of the most affected industries, the restaurant business, at least one owner decided to let customers know how it was impacting them.The owners of the Oasis Cafe in Stillwater have started adding a 35 cent "minimum wage ...