BY ED FELIEN In order to understand the full implications of Trump appointing Bob Kroll as U.S. Marshall, we need to review Hitler’s relationship with Ernst Rohm. Trump’s first wife, Ivana, said “The Donald” had a copy of Hitler’s speeches on his bedside table. He once asked his Chief of…
BY CAM GORDON This month, the city council, mayor and two large utility companies are poised to sign agreements that will give CenterPoint and Xcel exclusive rights to be the city’s natural gas and electricity providers for 10 more years, with options to extend it another 10. When the gas…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Art, theater, circus, puppets, music Adventures in Cardboard (AIC) leads off our camp offerings in the arts category, although it could go in games or adventure as well. AIC was founded in 2012 in Powderhorn Park and has gathered a fanatic following, as evidenced by its…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Why are pet products booming? It’s partly generational, partly the pandemic aftereffects, and partly just vibes. Which means, in this case, when things go viral, it’s the thing to do, so it goes even more viral. In the U.S., about 66 percent of households include…
BY ED FELIEN Park Board arrogance on Lake Hiawatha plan The Park Board had a public hearing in January to ask for public comments on their plan for Lake Hiawatha. On their project page they said: “Groundwater Pumping Permit “Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a Water Appropriations Permit…
BY STEPHANIE FOX If you hadn’t noticed, grocery prices have risen lately. Since 2021, costs have risen 25 percent, a little more or less depending on the type of food product. Estimates are that in the U.S., 30 to 40 percent of food is wasted. Part of the problem is…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings The Cabana Club has opened in St. Anthony Main as of Jan. 3; this was covered by Racket’s Em Cassel on Jan. 9. Catzen Coffee, a cat cafe and coffee lab, has opened on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. In early January, Travail…
BY ED FELIEN “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness,” Trump, on election night. And Mike Johnson thinks he’s Moses: “Only God saw the path through the roiling sea.” And…
BY CAM GORDON Another city election year is here. Campaigning has already started, and at least two independent political committees are already raising money to influence the results. Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 – which enabled unlimited expenditures by special interest groups – wealthy donors have been…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Neighborhoods of Minneapolis What makes a home? What makes it feel right for you? In the real estate industry, the cliche is “Location, location, location.” In an urban setting, this can be shortened to “Neighborhood.” Neighborhoods have identities, and they may or may not fit with…
BY ED FELIEN From the Manifesto of Luigi Mangione: “A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has…
BY STEPHANIE FOX The number of people around the country, and in Minnesota, who find the need to seek out foods shelves has grown every year. In 2023, more than seven million Minnesotans visited local food shelves, up two million the year before. Last year, the numbers were up again.…
BY ED FELIEN It’s beginning to look like an interesting race for mayor this year. First, Frey vetoed the Council’s Budget. He objected to the cuts in downtown personnel in favor of funding “pet projects” in the Council members’ wards. The Council voted to override the mayor’s veto, and Emily Koski,…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings of note In late November, openings included a second location of Francis Burger Joint, a popular NE vegan food outlet. This is on East Lake Street, in the former Peppers & Fries. Two others were new ventures: at 656 Grand Avenue in St.…
BY ED FELIEN What happened? Why did the Democrats do so badly? Was it that white male privilege was threatened by a Black, South Asian woman becoming President? Or was it the Democrat’s refusal to condemn the Israeli genocide of Palestinians? Or was it a general mood of “Throw the…
