Category: State Issues

Want a stronger economy? Give immigrants a warm welcome.

The following article by Kevin Shih was posted on the Conversation website February 23, 2017:

Immigrant Elon Musk isn’t taking anyone’s job: he’s created thousands at Tesla and SpaceX. Stephen Lam/Reuters

Immigrants have long been a scapegoat when economies are sputtering, jobs are being lost or security is a concern.

President Donald Trump’s planned wall along the Mexican border, for example, is premised on the notion that immigrants are pouring across the border (they’re not), taking Americans’ jobs (they haven’t) and committing a disproportionate share of crimes (they don’t).

The presumed threats of immigration were also front and center in Trump’s recently announced plan to deport millions of people who were in the U.S. illegally. Continue reading “Want a stronger economy? Give immigrants a warm welcome.”

Like the Cold War’: Minnesota Russian community worried

The following article by Jean Hopfensperger was posted on the Star Tribune website February 20, 2017:

Mark Stipakov, second from right, second row, a real estate agent in Plymouth, went to grade school with Russian President Vladimir Putin, third from right, front row.

Mark Stipakov went to grade school with Russian President Vladimir Putin and consulted with him in the 1990s when Putin worked in the St. Petersburg’s mayor’s office. Watching the barrage of news about his old classmate’s possible influence on the Trump administration, Stipakov worries.

Yes, Putin is a former top spy, he said, but he’s also not a guy who would jeopardize relations with a superpower. Continue reading “Like the Cold War’: Minnesota Russian community worried”

Diversity is on the rise in urban and rural communities, and it’s here to stay

The following article by Jennifer Van Hook and Barrett Lee was posted on the Conversation website February 20, 2017:

Racial and ethnic diversity is no longer confined to big cities and the east and west coasts of the United States.

In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, racially and ethnically diverse metropolitan areas were more likely to vote for Hillary Clinton. Whiter metro and rural areas supported Donald Trump. This pattern reinforced the stereotype of “white rural” versus “minority urban” areas.

However, our research shows that the populations of communities throughout the nation are being transformed. The share of racial and ethnic minorities is increasing rapidly and irreversibly. These changes will have major impacts on the economy, social cohesion, education and other important parts of American life. Continue reading “Diversity is on the rise in urban and rural communities, and it’s here to stay”

Women’s March organizers announce date for general strike

The following article by Sophie Tatum was posted on the CNN website February 16, 2017:

The organizers of the Women’s March on Washington have set the date for their general strike, dubbed “A Day Without A Woman,” for March 8, which is International Women’s Day.

The group previously announced their plan for a general strike but didn’t give the date until Tuesday.

Continue reading “Women’s March organizers announce date for general strike”

Beyond Despair: Finding the Will to Fight Donald Trump

The following article by Ezekiel Kweku was posted on the MTV website February 13, 2017:

Anti-Trump protesters march along Van Nuys Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Sipa USA via AP Photo

The left’s opposition to the Trump agenda suffered its first serious post-election losses this week, with Betsy DeVos and Jeff Sessions both confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet. While these weren’t the first nominees confirmed over the opposition, they were the first whom Democrats had fully united against. The Democratic base flooded the phone lines of their representatives, showed up en masse at town halls and senatorial offices, tweeted and organized and marched. Democratic congresspeople listened and delivered tough questions in confirmation hearings and (with one exception) held the line. They even flipped two Republican congressmen, convincing them that voting against DeVos was either wise or politically expedient. Continue reading “Beyond Despair: Finding the Will to Fight Donald Trump”

Free speech targeted in bills nationwide, critics say

In North Dakota, motorists who run down demonstrators on public streets could be exempt from prosecution, even if someone is injured or killed, as long as the motorist did not purposely hit the victim.

In Minnesota, demonstrators who break the law could be billed for the cost of law enforcement.

And in Iowa, blocking traffic on a highway could be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Continue reading “Free speech targeted in bills nationwide, critics say”

Minnesota suing Trump administration over refugee order

In a statement, Attorney General Lori Swanson called the executive order banning refugees and travelers from a list of predominantly Muslim nations “unconstitutional.”

The following article by Karen Zamora and Mary Lynn Smith was posted on the Star Tribune website February 2, 2017:

The state of Minnesota is suing the Trump administration over the president’s executive order that temporarily bans refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson on Wednesday night joined the attorneys general of Washington state, New York, Virginia and Massachusetts in taking legal action against the ban.

“The executive order that imposes blanket entry restrictions to the United States for people from certain countries is unconstitutional,” Swanson said in a statement. Continue reading “Minnesota suing Trump administration over refugee order”

Trump interested in national restrictions on unions

The following article by Mary Spicuzza and Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was posted on the USA Today website February 1, 2017:

President Donald Trump’s administration is interested in going national with Wisconsin’s restrictions on unions, Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday.

Walker said he spoke with Vice President Mike Pence during his Friday visit to the White House about his 2011 move to sharply limit collective bargaining for most public workers in Wisconsin, known as Act 10.

The governor said he and Pence talked about “what we’ve done here in Wisconsin, how they may take bits and pieces of what we did with Act 10 and with civil service reform, and how they could apply that at the national level” for federal workers. Continue reading “Trump interested in national restrictions on unions”

What Have Democrats Worked to Give Americans?

There’ve been so much nastiness spouted by those calling themselves Republicans, we thought a look at what’s gone on in this country for years might help clarify which party really cares about making the future better for the people of this country.

Have your or your family used any of these or appreciated a world because of these: