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Top Columns

  1. Scott Sandelin remains the foundation of Bulldog hockey
  2. Howie: Duluth Schools’ referendum will rise or fall on trust
  3. City of Duluth labor deals collide with 1% growth, squeezing the 2027 budget
  4. My latest book: Minnesota 2050
  5. Duluth searches for budget ‘bloat,’ but labor costs dominate projected shortfall
  6. Howie: The Monsters have unfinished business
  7. The newspaper that started it all
  8. The AI detector economy is chasing the wrong story
  9. Howie: Downtown Duluth's next chapter will be built with trust.
  10. Don Ness and the reinvention of Duluth
  11. Duluth's civic theatre at 6 and 10 p.m.
  12. Howie: Duluth needs summer more than ever
  13. Howie: Bayfront still may be Duluth’s best idea
  14. Howie: Jim Oberstar understood Washington better than anyone

Politics

Howie: Minnesota’s primary map points to Klobuchar, but gives Demuth a path
AI illustration / HowieHanson.com.

Howie: Minnesota’s primary map points to Klobuchar, but gives Demuth a path

"All signs, including the huge turnout in Tuesday's DFL primary, point to a strong year for Democrats in Minnesota. If that proves to be the case, then Senator Klobuchar should have a smooth path to the governor's office." -- Former Duluth city councilor Joel Sipress

Members Public
5 MIN READ

Howie: While others talked revival, Gary Doty did the work

Survival, for many old industrial American cities during the late twentieth century, became the central challenge itself. Doty helped Duluth survive long enough to rediscover confidence in itself again. That is not a minor civic legacy.

Members Public
5 MIN READ
Howie: Minnesota’s political civil war weekend

Howie: Minnesota’s political civil war weekend

The emotional political truth in Minnesota: The DFL fears permanently losing working-class and regional voters. Republicans fear nominating candidates who thrill activists but collapse in the suburbs. Both fears are real.

Members Public
3 MIN READ

Howie: Ramsey running for re-election; Our five-year plan

If re-elected, Ramsay says his priorities won’t drift. He lists them plainly: reduce the impact of illegal drugs, maintain a healthy and effective workforce and deliver professional, responsive service across the county.

Members Public
5 MIN READ
Howie: The moment Amy Klobuchar has prepared for
Amy Klobuchar. AmyKlobuchar.com screenshot

Howie: The moment Amy Klobuchar has prepared for

The campaign will now test whether voters see her as the experienced hand who can “fix what’s wrong” — or as part of the same governing class they are increasingly skeptical of. It is a seasoned politician reading the room and deciding the room needs her.

Members Public
5 MIN READ
Howie: Is this Amy Klobuchar’s moment?
Amy Klobuchar. AmyKlobuchar.com screenshot

Howie: Is this Amy Klobuchar’s moment?

This may be the moment Klobuchar has been preparing for since she first entered public life — not to campaign, not to negotiate from the sidelines, but to run the place she has spent a lifetime studying.

Members Public
4 MIN READ

Howie: If Hubert Humphrey were Minnesota’s governor today

At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, when many in his party wanted to avoid alienating Southern segregationists, Humphrey, 37, strode to the podium and declared it was time to get out of the shadow of states’ rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.

Members Public
4 MIN READ
Howie: Minnesota math still doesn’t add up for Republicans
Howie / HowieHanson.com

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.

Members Public
4 MIN READ
Wittenberg announces candidacy for ISD 709 Duluth School Board – District 1
Wittenberg. Submitted

Wittenberg announces candidacy for ISD 709 Duluth School Board – District 1

Frances Wittenberg has officially announced her candidacy for the ISD 709 Duluth School Board, representing District 1, which includes Duluth City Precincts 1–5 and 7, the City of Rice Lake, and the Townships of Gnesen, Lakewood, Normanna, and North Star. After launching a write-in campaign in 2023, Wittenberg

Members Public
2 MIN READ
Derek Medved announces candidacy for Duluth City Council At-Large
Medved. YouTube screenshot.

Derek Medved announces candidacy for Duluth City Council At-Large

“Serving on the council was one of the greatest honors of my life. Even though time has passed, my passion for public service and my love for this city remain as strong as ever. I want to be someone who gets things done and does it the right way.” -- Medved

Members Public
1 MIN READ
GOP state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with a 16-year-old girl
State Sen. Justin Eichorn was arrested Monday in Bloomington. He’s a Grand Rapids Republican. Official Senate photo.

GOP state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with a 16-year-old girl

By Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer State Sen. Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, was arrested in Bloomington on suspicion of soliciting a minor for sex.  Bloomington Police led Eichorn, 40, to believe he was talking to a 16-year-old girl and then met the senator and arrested him Monday near

Members Public
2 MIN READ
Duluth City Councilor to run for reelection
Tara Swenson. Submitted

Duluth City Councilor to run for reelection

“By supporting our first responders, prioritizing economic development, and creating a welcoming environment for both residents and businesses, we can ensure Duluth thrives as a vibrant, inclusive, and safe community.” -- Tara Swenson

Members Public
1 MIN READ

Quote Me, Howie: On Harris picking Walz as her VP running mate

"I love the idea that a high school teacher could become vice president of the United States. He's a good man with plenty of experience who can talk to anyone. This race is getting pretty exciting." -- Jana Peterson, Pine Knot News editor

Members Public
5 MIN READ