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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Just when the Minnesota Legislature really needs practitioners of bipartisan cooperation and mutual respect — not to mention a good Bob Dylan impression — Frank Hornstein is retiring. This is not my customary farewell to an able and long-serving legislator, though Hornstein surely fills that bill. That’s what I might have offered, had not Minnesota voters (abetted by some long-ago judges, whom I’ll blast shortly) opted to send 67 DFLers and 67 Republicans to the 2025 Minnesota House. Come January — unless one pending court challenge in a Shakopee district results in an outcome reversal — the House will be tied, as it has not been since 1979. Suddenly the relationship-building skills that DFLer Hornstein from southwest Minneapolis exhibited through 22 years in office aren’t just pleasantries. They are vital governing tools. The ability of the 2025 Legislature to perform its minimal duty — that is, to balance the state budget in 2026-27 and beyond — may depend on the prevalence of those qualities among rank-and-file legislators. Hornstein gets that. He is a 65-year-old former community organizer, husband of a rabbi and son of two Holocaust survivors. All four of his grandparents died at the hands of the Nazis. His family’s story can be seen as a cautionary tale about what can happen when governments abandon tolerance in favor of ideological purity, scapegoating and violence. He came to the Legislature in 2003 as more than a nice guy with a knack for funny impersonations. He wanted to make government work, and he knew that required collaboration, compromise and patience. He worked for at least 15 years on the major transportation funding bill he shepherded into law in 2023, all the while making friends throughout the chamber. That’s why I asked Hornstein recently to do more than reminisce. I wanted to hear his tips for working effectively across the partisan aisle while simultaneously upholding his own policy priorities — in his case, on transportation, climate and the environment. “It’s really important to make the extra effort to connect with people on a human basis,” Hornstein told me. “A lot of legislators engage now and then with the other side of the aisle. But doing that on an ongoing basis is the critical thing. It’s really important to not just start a relationship, but keep the relationship going.” Get to know not just each other’s names, but the names of spouses and children, Hornstein advises. Acquire private phone numbers. (Hornstein memorizes them.) Visit each other’s districts. Don’t blindside the opposition with “gotcha” surprises. Go to funerals. That’s what Hornstein did when Republican Rep. John Petersburg of Waseca lost his wife in 2022. Though Hornstein does not drive, he arranged a ride to attend the funeral. “I’ll always remember,” Petersburg told Governing magazine . Petersburg also retired this year. He was one of two House Republicans who showed up at Hornstein’s Nov. 10 retirement party in Linden Hills. Hornstein’s advice would have sounded self-evident to legislators a few decades ago. The fact that his friendship regimen made him stand out among his 133 fellow House members in recent years attests to how much the partisanship of the last several decades has damaged the institution’s social norms. It’s likely no coincidence that as civility eroded, so did legislative productivity when government is divided. And the Legislature can’t get more divided than it will be in 2025: 67-67 in the House, and 34 DFLers to 33 Republicans in the Senate. Who would design a legislative branch of government that allowed for such a nasty split, you might ask? That would be a panel of federal appellate judges with Minnesota pedigrees in 1972 — all of whom I admired for their work on cases other than this one. Gerald Heaney of Duluth, Earl Larson of Minneapolis and Edward Devitt of St. Paul handled Minnesota’s decennial redistricting lawsuit that year. They first tried to shrink the Senate to 35 members and the House to 105 — an arithmetically elegant but politically toxic idea that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Then they decreed that Minnesota must end its practice of allowing one state Senate district to be served by three House members rather than the customary two. That took the House from 135 members to 134, creating the potential for an evenly divided body. The judges said they considered an even split highly unlikely. Just six years later, it happened. Now it has happened again. A systemic fix is possible. Minnesota could look again at what the three jurists tried, creating a 3:1 ratio of House to Senate members. The consequent political pain could be eased by enlarging the Legislature. That’s been done before. The Minnesota Legislature had 147 members in 1880, 183 in 1910, and 198 for a 40-year span in the mid-20th century . I expect ideas like those to simmer until 2031, when redistricting will again be on the Legislature’s front burner. For now, House members need to find a way to function with neither side clearly in charge. To do that, they’re going to need to shed some of the hyperpartisan bad habits of the last few decades. Hornstein’s advice: “People need to understand that they were elected to govern together. They can’t do their jobs alone.” Instead of working hard to make the other side look bad, they should aim together to make Minnesota look good. Lori Sturdevant is a retired Star Tribune editorial writer. She is at lsturdevant@startribune.com .Schwinn Fitness 430 Elliptical, Now 50% OffSeafood industry awaits Trumpcasino online philippines
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Skidding No. 10 Kansas hopes to get right vs. NC StateA huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in hit film Crocodile Dundee has died. Burt died over the weekend, the Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, said. He was at least 90 years old. “Known for his independent nature, Burt was a confirmed bachelor – an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” Crocosaurus Cove wrote in social media posts. The aquarium added: “He wasn’t just a crocodile, he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures. While his personality could be challenging, it was also what made him so memorable and beloved by those who worked with him and the thousands who visited him over the years.” A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 16 feet long. He was captured in the 1980s in the Reynolds River and became one of the most well-known crocodiles in the world, according to Crocosaurus Cove. The 1986 film stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile before being saved by Dundee. Burt is briefly shown lunging out of the water. But the creature shown in more detail as Dundee saves the day is apparently something else. The Internet Movie Database says the film made a mistake by depicting an American alligator, which has a blunter snout. The Australian aquarium where Burt had lived since 2008 features a Cage of Death which it says is the nation’s only crocodile dive. It said it planned to honour Burt’s legacy with a commemorative sign “celebrating his extraordinary life and the stories and interactions he shared throughout his time at the park”. We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Becoming a creator to make money on the webMatt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuations from communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the storm keeps dumping heavy snow in the region's mountains where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8.
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Beatrice Annan, a prominent member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has urged party supporters to remain calm, assuring them that the NDC has a clear plan in place in response to the recent Electoral Commission declaration. Annan’s comments came during a panel discussion on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana following the EC’s announcement of 7 out of 9 parliamentary seats being allocated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after a coalition. Annan addressed concerns raised by NDC supporters, many of whom reached out for clarification amid growing uncertainty. “I have received numerous calls, messages, and even threats from NDC supporters seeking clarity on the situation. To our supporters and all Ghanaians who voted for us, I want to assure you that the NDC knows exactly what we are doing,” she stated, reinforcing the party’s resolve. She also alluded to comments made by various NPP figures, including Lord Commey, Bryan Acheampong, and President Nana Addo, who had previously hinted at a reluctance to hand over power to the NDC. Annan noted that these individuals, who once boasted of an unwavering hold on power, have now “lowered their shoulders,” signaling a shift in the political atmosphere. Concluding her remarks, Annan emphasized that the NDC’s leadership is prepared with a well-structured plan and urged the party’s supporters to trust in their strategy moving forward.2024-25 Whitehall wrestling preview: Head of the EPC (middle) class?
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