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Sports

Howie: The Sunday morning NFL traveling circus

Respect the game? That would mean staying home, keeping the shield where it belongs, and remembering that football is supposed to be a sport, not a traveling carnival. But the owners can’t hear you. They’re too busy counting the money.

2-minute read
Howie

Howie: Write the Minnesota media industry obituary

And the only voices that still carry weight are the hyper-locals, the independents, the ones who refuse to let their towns go silent. That’s where the future is. That’s where the trust is. That’s where the eyeballs and ears are. And no rebrand, paywall, or quarterly reorg will ever change that.

5-minute read
Howie

Howie: Vikings, Jefferson marriage already in trouble

Minnesota is being snuffed out for deception. The “quarterback lab” is nothing more than cheap business theater. The Wilfs chose accountants over ambition. Jefferson deserves better, and deep down, he knows it. We all know it.

4-minute read
Duluth Elections

Howie: Duluth election forecast cloudy with a chance of change

Incumbents might sneak by if the weather is lousy. If it’s bright and clear, expect a few surprise names on the winner’s list. Either way, don’t expect voters to rediscover patience suddenly. Because in Duluth, sunshine doesn’t just melt the snow — it melts incumbents too.

3-minute read
Minnesota News

Howie: Minnesota math still doesn’t add up for Republicans

A governor nobody loves but nobody can topple, against a Republican bench that looks like the Twins’ middle relief corps. Jensen is the blown save, Qualls is the preseason hype, Robbins is the protected rookie, and Stauber is the guy smart enough to stay in the dugout.

4-minute read
Duluth Tourism

Howie: Finally, tourism marketing is returning home

Duluth doesn’t need outsiders to tell its story. It never did. The lake tells it. The bridge tells it. The sports teams tell it. The old bars tell it. People tell it every time they complain about the snow in April and brag about the sunset in July.

6-minute read
Howie

Howie: Boldly, Reinert holds the line while others play catch-up

But here’s the bet: Duluthians are sick of the excuses. They’re sick of levy hikes passed off as inevitabilities. They’re sick of being told to feel guilty if they say no. And they’re ready to support someone who actually treats their money with respect.

4-minute read
Downtown Duluth

Howie: Consultant’s plan aims to redefine Duluth’s downtown

On Superior Street, the contrast remains: laughter spilling from one door, papered windows a few steps away. The Imagine Downtown plan will not erase that reality overnight. But it offers a vision, backed by community and guided by outside expertise, that says decline is not destiny.

5-minute read
Howie

Howie: Readers don’t want content. They want columnists.

Minnesota publishers aren't listening to readers when they cut print or redesign their websites for the hundredth time. The future isn’t in the layout. It’s in the personality. It’s in having columnists embedded in every neighborhood, every small town, every city council chamber, every rink and gym.

5-minute read