Dayton Medicaid order turns into Minn. town hall

Posted on

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton shared the podium with tea party protesters on Wednesday as he completed his first official act — deepening Minnesota’s participation in the federal health care overhaul by expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor.

The Democratic governor turned his first news conference into an impromptu town hall meeting, but laid down ground rules before giving equal time to opponents of the Medicaid expansion who jammed into the Capitol reception room.

Travelers brace for snow, ice in Midwest

Posted on

Holiday travelers in the Midwest braced for snow and ice from a storm Friday that was expected to deliver a rare white Christmas to Nashville before rolling into the Northeast. A day after the most densely populated parts of the county got a break from the weather, several inches of snow were expected across parts of the heartland. Up to 8 inches could fall in Iowa and 6 inches in Illinois and Minnesota, with forecasters warning drivers about snow-covered roads and limited visibility.

Christmas Eve work shutdown to spell mobbed malls

Posted on
Holiday procrastinators are preparing to zoom through picked-over stores, grabbing discounted sweaters and can’t-go-wrong gift cards. If they can get a parking spot, that is. But you won’t hear retailers complaining.

Holiday procrastinators are preparing to zoom through picked-over stores, grabbing discounted sweaters and can’t-go-wrong gift cards. If they can get a parking spot, that is. But you won’t hear retailers complaining.

Handy nuns rehabilitate Katrina-damaged homes

Posted on

Sister Paula Gonzalez, 78, of Cincinnati, is one of 86 nuns from various Roman Catholic orders around the United States and Canada who took part in the latest edition of Nuns Build. The program, begun in 2009, brings nuns to New Orleans twice a year to help rebuild houses flooded by Katrina in 2005, but are structurally sound and can be renovated.

Census: Minnesota to keep 8 seats in U.S. House

Posted on

Minnesota’s population grew just enough in the past decade for the state to retain its eight seats in the U.S. House for the next 10 years, according to the first data released from the 2010 Census. The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that Minnesota’s population grew 7.8 percent — to 5.31 million — from 2000 to 2010. The nation as a whole grew faster, however, at 9.7 percent to 308.7 million.