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Howie: Why LSC is winning the local college enrollment battle
For years, America subtly treated trade education as a secondary path for students who supposedly could not “make it” academically. That narrative now looks outdated and borderline absurd. Many technical programs are competitive, mathematically rigorous and tied to industries starving for talent.
Howie: The Northland’s media ecosystem is messy
No single institution controls the public conversation anymore. The region now operates inside a decentralized information economy where television owns immediacy, newspapers own documentation, Facebook owns emotional momentum and independent publishers increasingly own personality-driven loyalty.
Howie: The real budget story begins now as Minnesota’s hidden deals start emerging
The broad framework is never the full story at the Capitol. The spreadsheets are the story. The line items are the story. The last-minute amendments are the story.
Howie: Monsters' Aeden Johnson named AF1's best kicker at midpoint of season
Johnson drilled a 29-yard field goal in his team's first possession in overtime Saturday night, lifting the Minnesota Monsters to a dramatic 30-27 victory over Michigan in an Arena Football One game that felt exactly like the kind of chaos arena football was built to manufacture.
Howie: Trump’s China strategy is not diplomacy. It’s negotiation.
America still holds enormous leverage over China precisely because the American consumer economy remains the most important marketplace on Earth. That is why this board concept could matter.
Howie: The Star Tribune’s statewide gamble paid off
The Pulitzer validated more than excellent reporting. It validated the strategic vision behind what the Minnesota Star Tribune has been becoming. Not simply a city newspaper with statewide aspirations. But a statewide institution capable of helping Minnesota understand itself in real time.
Howie: Trump’s China strategy is not diplomacy. It’s negotiation.
America still holds enormous leverage over China precisely because the American consumer economy remains the most important marketplace on Earth. That is why this board concept could matter.
Howie: Why independent voices are winning local media
Readers today follow trusted voices first and institutions second. That is the modern reality of local media whether legacy newsrooms fully enjoy admitting it or not. The old ecosystem was built around control of distribution. The new ecosystem revolves around control of attention.
Howie: FOX 21 delivers a masterpiece inside Maurices
The feature arrived at an important moment for Downtown Duluth. Public discussion surrounding the downtown district in recent years has often centered on vacancy concerns, economic anxiety and uncertainty about the future of the urban core.
Howie: Reinert has failed Downtown Duluth
The library debate generated plenty of noise and no resolution. Skywalk conversations took up oxygen without producing a clear direction. The broader Imagine Downtown Duluth effort exists, but still feels like a $300,000 plan waiting for a moment when it becomes real in ways people can’t miss.