Aaron Brown
Editorial Columnist
Iron RangeAaron Brown is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board. He’s based on the Iron Range but focuses on the affairs of the entire state. He was raised in a trailer house on a local junkyard and is the first in five generations of his family to never work in an iron mine. He lives down a dirt road on the western Mesabi. His past writing can be found at MinnesotaBrown.com.
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Latest from Aaron Brown
Brown: Trump’s child care funding freeze harms working people. Is anyone surprised?
Mistakes that allowed fraud merit correction, not destruction.
January 12, 2026
Brown: High costs? Budget cuts? Even more reason to protect public libraries.
If they’re allowed to fail, don’t expect the private sector to step up.
January 5, 2026
Brown: Tragic death highlights security challenges at Minnesota hospitals
The Christmas Day incident reminds of the importance of security officers — and the risks they take to protect patients and medical staff.
December 30, 2025
Brown: Despite arguments and heartbreak, a bipartisan friendship shows the way
After 40 years, what they had left was not disagreement but devotion.
December 24, 2025
Brown: We need more communication about mining and the environment, not less
The point of negotiation is not to crown a winner but to find shared opportunity.
December 20, 2025
Brown: It’s Christmastime, which means it’s time to count birds
The Audubon Society’s annual wildlife survey is a big deal, and everyone’s welcome.
December 18, 2025
Brown: Resurgent film industry can elevate Minnesota to the A-list
To promote the state’s movie locations, it may be time to get a bit more “braggy and loud.”
December 15, 2025
Brown: Self-driving cars in Minneapolis? A small Minnesota town did it first.
Autonomous transit came to Grand Rapids in 2022 — years ahead of the Twin Cities.
December 2, 2025
Brown: Bitterness dies, but gratitude lasts generations
Remembering a grandfather whose gruffness couldn’t erase his moments of kindness.
November 25, 2025
Brown: With money flowing and change afoot, Minnesota’s iron industry must modernize or die
It’s tempting to argue that boom times are coming, but trade and economic uncertainty cloud the crystal ball.
November 24, 2025
Brown: From South Beach to Superior shore, bringing resilience back home to Duluth
If climate solutions don’t help people, they aren’t solutions after all.
November 23, 2025
Brown: As Minnesota braces for winter, federal cuts leave energy assistance in limbo
Backlogs threaten the timely distribution of assistance that can make a huge difference, even if relied upon just once.
November 17, 2025
