Day: May 2, 2022

Minnesota House and Senate Pass $25 Million Broadband Expansion Bill

The Center Square

It will cost Minnesota taxpayers $25 million in fiscal year 2023 to expand high-speed broadband access across the state if the governor signs a bill both legislative houses passed this week.

HF 4366, an omnibus agriculture and housing bill, includes increasing availability of grant funding for broadband from 50% to 75% of the total cost of a project, or up to $10 million, rather than a $5 million limit. Under the bill, the Office of Broadband Development must report to broadband policy and finance committees’ leaders by the end of 2022 how the bill changes the number and amounts of grants awarded.

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Commentary: Biden’s Scary and Unconstitutional Ministry of Truth

Minnesota Sun Staff

Earlier this week Biden announced that the Department of Homeland Security would be launching a “Disinformation Governance Board,” which will be headed by executive director Nina Jankowicz.

Katelyn Caralle, of the UK’s Daily Mail, describes Jankowicz as a woke so-called expert who’s against free speech and tried to pour cold water on the Hunter laptop scandal.

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Commentary: The Political Necessity of Trump’s Challenge of Climate Hysteria

Minnesota Sun Staff

Sin, punishment, redemption: as an ideology, environmentalism shares many features with organized religion. Falling after Easter this year, Earth Day, which was celebrated April 22, focuses on the sin-and-punishment parts of the trilogy. Redemption comes later, toward the end of each year, at the annual U.N. climate conferences that will save the planet.

On Earth Day this year, however, a loud dissenting voice was heard. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation event in Florida, Donald Trump attacked climate-change catastrophizing.

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The 12 Pivotal Primary Races of 2022

Minnesota Sun Staff

As the midterm elections approach, a number of important party primary races have yet to determine a nominee.

Many of the races still don’t have a clear frontrunner, despite fast-approaching election dates and millions of dollars spent, increasing the importance of every decision made until voting begins.

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The Communist Party Rebrands Itself at the University of Florida as the ‘Future of Leftism and Communalism’

Minnesota Sun Staff

The Communist Party at the University of Florida (UF) has officially “come back” after disbanding following the Student Government spring elections.

The party announced the “renewal” of the group in an Apr. 10 Instagram post labeled “Letter on the Return of the UF Communist Party.”

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‘The Supply Chain Does Not Exist’: Green Energy Industry Is in for a Rude Awakening

Minnesota Sun Staff

Renewable energy prices have skyrocketed while new wind and solar installations have plummeted over the last year, even as governments continue to forge ahead with ambitious climate plans.

While the U.S., European Union, other Western nations and international organizations have all pursued aggressive climate agendas that involve expanding renewable energy technology and infrastructure, prices have surged and profits have declined, according to industry reports and corporate earnings reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation. President Joe Biden has made a series of climate pledges, including a commitment to decarbonize the grid by 2035 and achieve net-zero economy-wide emissions by 2050, while pushing a long list of anti-fossil fuel policies.

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China Buddies Up to Major American Foe with New Military Agreement

Minnesota Sun Staff

China and Iran agreed to strengthen military ties during talks in Tehran on Wednesday, according to Chinese state-run media.

China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran for high-level talks, where the parties pledged to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation ostensibly to further security and stability in the Middle East, Xinhua News reported Thursday. Wei guaranteed China would support Iran’s national sovereignty and dignity and expressed his nation’s intention to further develop their nation’s military relationship, according to the Chinese state-run media report.

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Commentary: Establishment Pundits Wildly Underestimate How Much COVID Policies Hurt Democrats

Minnesota Sun Staff

Voters appear poised to clobber the party that brought us COVID lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates, and inflation. Indeed, rising inflation has largely resulted from COVID-related disincentives to work, disrupted supply chains, and blowout spending, along with federal restrictions on oil and gas production. It’s perhaps surprising, therefore, that the Cook Political Report foresees Republican gains in the House of Representatives as being only “in the 15-25 seat range,” while its projections suggest that Democrats have at least a coin flip’s chance of holding the Senate.

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Study: Whiteboards Are Racist Because ‘They Collaborate with White Organizational Culture’

Minnesota Sun Staff

“Observing Whiteness in Introductory Physics: A Case Study” was published last month in Physical Review Physics Education Research. The study observed three students as they worked to solve a physics problem and analyzed how “whiteness” is present in academia.

The study found that whiteboards can have racist undertones and perpetuate whiteness.

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Six Governors Hit Taxpayers with $90,000 Bill for U.N. Climate Conference Travel

The Center Square

Gov. Jay Inslee brought his wife to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, sticking Washington taxpayers with the bill, which included more than $12,510.08 for business class airfare for the couple, something no other governor did at taxpayer expense.

Inslee led a delegation of subnational governments to the conference. The total travel tab for Washington taxpayers cost $25,955.32, more than any other U.S. state examined by The Center Square. The higher cost was due in part to the governor’s decision to fly with his wife in business class while other governors who attended at taxpayer expense flew in less expensive seats.

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