The Minnesota Sun

January 28, 2022

Restaurant Database Says Seated Dining in Minneapolis Down 76 Percent Since 2019

According to a restaurant database called Open Table, seated dining in Minneapolis is down 76% since 2019. As of Monday, January 23, the database said dining rates were only down 67%, but it dropped another 9% on Tuesday.

January 28, 2022

Breyer’s Retirement Gives President Biden Chance to Name New Justice Before Democrats Lose Senate

The second most senior Supreme Court associate justice decided to retire from the high court bench at the end of the court’s session in June, according to multiple media reports. There was no official statement from the Supreme Court, but...

January 28, 2022

Commentary: Many Reasons Exist Why Putin Has Not Been Deterred

Americans want an autonomous Ukraine to survive. They hope the West can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strangulation of both Ukraine and NATO. Yet Americans do not want their troops to venture across the world to Europe’s backyard to fight nuclear Russia...

January 28, 2022

Democrats’ ‘America Competes’ Act Allocates Millions for ‘Diversity’ Programs

Legislation designed to make the U.S. more competitive with China includes millions in appropriations for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The America COMPETES Act, introduced by House Democrats late Tuesday, is a companion to a bipartisan bill that passed the Senate in June 2021,...

January 28, 2022

Commentary: The Russiagate Evidence Builds

As indictments and new court filings indicate that Special Counsel John Durham is investigating Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for feeding false reports to the FBI to incriminate Donald Trump and his advisers as Kremlin agents, Clinton’s role in the burgeoning...

January 28, 2022

U.S. Economy Grew Faster Than Expected at the End of 2021

The U.S. economy grew at a faster rate than was anticipated pace in the fourth quarter of 2021, benefiting from solid consumer demand before the slowdown caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant and supply chain disruptions. U.S. Gross Domestic Product...

January 28, 2022

Missouri Attorney General Asks Mayorkas to End Policy Allowing Migrants to Use Arrest Warrants as ID

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end certain immigration policies he believes have left the country less safe, suggesting the department should also consider a name change. Schmitt urged Mayorkas to address the use...

January 28, 2022

Dan Bongino Permanently Banned from YouTube

Conservative talk show host Dan Bongino had both of his YouTube accounts permanently banned Wednesday, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Bongino’s second channel, the Dan Bongino Show Clips, was initially suspended and demonetized for seven days after...

January 28, 2022

Evacuation Flight Departs Afghanistan for the First Time Since November

On Wednesday, after a nearly two-month pause, another evacuation flight departed the country of Afghanistan en route for the United States. According to CNN, the flight was a Qatar Airways flight that departed from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, paid for...

January 28, 2022

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to Distribute 2 Million KN95 Masks to Schools, Local Health Organizations

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will distribute approximately 2 million KN95 masks to residents of the state through schools and local health organizations. The move follows an announcement from President Joe Biden that his administration will disperse 400 million masks across...

January 27, 2022

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Says Minnesota Gov. Walz Trying to ‘Buy Election’ with ‘Walz Checks’

A Minnesota gubernatorial candidate released a statement saying Governor Tim Walz (D) is trying to buy the election with Walz checks. Kendall Qualls said, “Governor Walz is trying to buy the election with ‘Walz checks’ without providing any actual economic...

January 27, 2022

Commentary: Biden’s ‘More Inflation’ Economy Could Prove Fatal for Democrats

“No, it’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch.” That was President Joe Biden’s hot mic description of Fox News’ Peter Doocy on Jan. 24 after he asked “Will you take questions on inflation then? Do you...

January 27, 2022

Republican Lawmakers Demand Answers from Mayorkas Regarding DHS Documents TSA Allows Migrants to Use as Identification

Republican lawmakers have demanded the Biden administration answer questions regarding alternate forms of identification the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it accepts from migrants traveling throughout the country. Republican Texas Rep. Lance Gooden, along with 21 other Republican lawmakers, sent...

January 27, 2022

International Monetary Fund Projects Weaker Than Expected 2022 Economic Growth for U.S. and China

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its global economic growth forecast for 2022 on Tuesday, citing growing COVID-19 cases, supply chain bottlenecks and soaring inflation. The IMF now projects global gross domestic (GDP) product to grow 4.4% in 2022, down...

January 27, 2022

Federal Reserve Indicates Interest Rate Hike Arriving in March

With both volatile markets and significant inflation in the mix, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday indicated that it may soon raise interest rates for the first time in more than three years. "With inflation well above 2 percent and a...

January 27, 2022

If Feds End Soybean Tax, Missouri Bill Would Hike Tax by Same Amount

If the federal government’s .25% assessment on each bushel of soybeans is halted, a bill in the Missouri legislature would capture that amount and add it to the state’s current collection of .25%, giving additional millions to the Missouri Soybean...

January 27, 2022

Iowa Governor Requests DHS Staff Salary Increases, ‘Status Quo’ on Medicaid Funding

For the first time in at least 15 years, an Iowa governor has not recommended funding changes for Medicaid. The announcement was made by Legislative Service Agency Analyst Jess Benson as he presented Gov. Kim Reynolds’ fiscal year 2023 Department...

January 27, 2022

Commentary: Sen. Hawley Pushes Stepped-Up Human Trafficking Reforms

In a press conference last week that lasted nearly two hours, President Biden expressed frustration with efforts by the opposition party to thwart the more ambitious aspects of his policy agenda. “Think about this: What are Republicans for?” Biden said...

January 27, 2022

Teacher Shortages Nationwide Causing Public Education Crisis

Schools throughout the country are experiencing teacher shortages due to several factors. In some states, legislatures have responded by lowering substitute teaching standards. In others, schools are calling on parents to fill the gap or are simply closing schools because...

January 27, 2022

Department of Energy to Release Millions of Barrels of Oil From Reserve to Combat Surging Gas Prices

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Tuesday the release of millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat soaring gas prices. The DOE approved the release of 13.4 million barrels from its SPR, marking the...

January 27, 2022

Biden’s FCC Pick Gigi Sohn Cut Sweetheart Deal with Broadcasters One Day After Nomination

President Joe Biden’s nominee to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Gigi Sohn, cut a favorable deal with broadcasters shortly after she was nominated to the regulatory agency. Sohn previously worked as a director of Locast, a streaming service that transmitted...

January 27, 2022

Minnesota Principal Directs Teachers to Suspend Maskless Students

The principal of Edina High School has directed teachers to remove maskless students from the classroom and suspend those who accumulate multiple “violations” in the same day. Principal Andy Beaton warned parents in a Monday email that staff will be “ramping up”...

January 26, 2022

Justice Breyer to Retire From Supreme Court: Report

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will step down from his post at the end of the court's current term, according to a report from NBC News. Breyer is one of the three remaining Democrat-appointed justices on the high court. Should...

January 26, 2022

Border Agents Encountered More Than 2 Million Migrants in 2021

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ended 2021 with more than 2 million migrant encounters. December 2021 numbers released Monday showed that border patrol encountered 178,840 migrants at the southern border, a 2% increase from the previous month. The number...

January 26, 2022

Commentary: Biden’s Ukraine Scramble

As usual, the media coverage on the Ukraine crisis is largely inadequate. Perversely, most of the aggressive left-wing media want to escalate the feud with Russian President Vladimir Putin to the point of driving Russia into the arms of China....

January 26, 2022

Commentary: America’s Phony Debts Problem

The email from “Norton Protection” said I owed $999.99, which was “charged successfully and it will appear on your bank statement in 24 to 48 hours.” Although I have an account with a leading cybersecurity company, I’ve never paid that...

January 26, 2022

Capitol Police Is Surveilling Americans’ Social Media Feeds: Report

The U.S. Capitol Police is running background checks and examining the social media histories of people meeting with lawmakers, Politico reported Monday. Following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the Capitol Police adopted a new policy to dig into the social...

January 26, 2022

Lawyer Thomas Renz: Miscarriages and Cancers Up 300 Percent, Neurological Problems Up 1000 Percent in Past Year

During a panel discussion in the United States Senate Monday, attorney Thomas Renz, a member of America’s Frontline Doctors’ legal team, revealed several alarming vaccine safety signals that the U.S. government has ignored. The information was provided by three military doctors...

January 26, 2022

Politically Incorrect Professor Faces Firing After Lawmakers Show Up on Law School’s Doorstep

University of Toronto psychologist Jordan Peterson, who famously opposed Canadian gender pronoun mandates, disclosed Wednesday that he had resigned as a tenured professor years earlier than planned. In a lengthy and impassioned account of his decision for the National Post,...

January 26, 2022

FDA Pulls Authorization for Antibody Treatment, Refuses to Answer Questions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Monday unexpectedly pulled its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19, dealing a blow to states like Florida which have been using the treatment effectively for months. “Without a shred...

January 26, 2022

The Online SAT Will Be Shorter and Easier

A common college admissions test, the SAT, will roll out its online version in the U.S. starting in March 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported. The new test is reportedly expected to be easier, shorter and simpler. The test will...

January 26, 2022

Majority of Democrats Say the Unvaccinated Should Be Confined to Home: Poll

One-third of Americans say they haven’t gotten the COVID-19 shots, majority of Democrats say they should be confined at all times, and or fined. A majority of Democrats say they’d support the unvaxxed being confined to their homes at all...

January 26, 2022

Missouri Attorney General Sues Nine More School Districts over Mask Requirements

Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Monday filed lawsuits against nine public school districts with mask requirements. Schmitt, a candidate for the seat of retiring U.S. Republican Senator Roy Blunt, filed suit against 36 school districts on Friday. Today’s districts...

January 26, 2022

Iowa Senators Consider Increasing Governor’s Role on District Court Judge Selection

Iowa senators advanced a bill Monday that would change the makeup and leadership of district judicial nominating commissions. Iowa’s 14 judicial election subdistricts each has a nominating commission that screens applicants and selects two nominees for district court judicial vacancies. The...

January 26, 2022

Governor Ron DeSantis Shreds Biden over Decision to Revoke Emergency Use Authorization for Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shredded President Joe Biden's administration over the decision to revoke the emergency use authorization for Regeneron and Eli Lilly monoclonal antibody treatments. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the treatments are not effective against the...

January 26, 2022

Minneapolis Suburb of Lexington City Becomes First ‘Health Freedom Sanctuary City’

As many cities across the state return to mandatory masking and impose vaccine requirements on their residents, the city of Lexington, Minnesota, has unanimously declared itself a “Health Freedom Sanctuary City.” “The Lexington City Council opposes any government mandated requirements...

January 25, 2022

Minnesota to Release Findings on Clean Fuel Standard Discussions in February

Minnesota state officials are preparing to release a new environmental initiative. Officials will release a white paper in February announcing the state's new clean fuel standard. The paper will highlight common themes of the responses the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and...

January 25, 2022

First Liberty Institute Amends Lawsuit, Sues for Religious Protections for All Members of the Navy

The First Liberty Institute (FLI) on Monday amended their lawsuit against the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to sue for religious protections for all members of the U.S. Navy. The suit, which originally only included U.S. Navy...

January 25, 2022

Commentary: Critical Race Promoters Are More Odious than Marxists

Of late, Fox News has been hosting a series called “The MisEducation of America” featuring gatherings of critical race theory’s critics—such as Carol Swain of Vanderbilt University—focusing on the danger of teaching racially divisive versions of American history. According to Swain,...

January 25, 2022

Seven Restaurants Join Lawsuit Against Minneapolis’ COVID Restrictions

Seven restaurants in Minneapolis have joined a lawsuit against Mayor Jacob Frey (D) over COVID-19 restrictions that they say are hurting their businesses. The plaintiffs include Smack Shack, Sneaky Pete’s, Jimmy John’s, Bunkers Music Bar & Grill, The Gay 90’s,...

January 25, 2022

16 Republican AGs Seek Federal Pressure on China, Mexico over Fentanyl Crisis

Sixteen Republican state attorneys general are calling on Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to take action against China and Mexico for their role in creating a fentanyl crisis in the U.S. “China’s complete unwillingness to police the production and...

January 25, 2022

University Bets on Bitcoin as Nationwide Enrollment Dips

San Diego State University is now accepting donations in the form of Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. An anonymous donor has sent the school approximately $25,000 worth of Bitcoin, according to the SDSU NewsCenter. “The SDSU auxiliary will keep almost...

January 25, 2022

Crypto Market Sees $130 Billion Sell-off over Last 24 Hours

The cryptocurrency market lost nearly $130 billion in value over the last 24 hours as major digital coins continue their extended sell-off, multiple sources reported. Bitcoin dropped 4.81% to $33,693.63 over the last 24 hours while Ethereum slid 9.41% to $2,206.22, according to...

January 25, 2022

Admissions Counselor Admits to Anti-Republican Bias When ‘Reviewing College Applications’

A Clemson University admissions counselor recently took to Snapchat to express her frustration with Republican students applying to the college. Monica Rozman, a Clemson University undergraduate admissions counselor, posted an announcement to her personal Snapchat stating, “no one cares if...

January 25, 2022

After Defund the Police Changes Local Sex Offender Policies, Students Feel ‘Compromised’

With cops in Austin, Texas, not supervising "hundreds of sex offender cases" due to Defund the Police budget cuts, Campus Reform spoke with students at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) about their safety. "The situation in the city of Austin has...