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Cheers to Keith Ellison
The state attorney general led and ultimately won a multistate lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai that will reap public safety benefits. The auto manufacturers will now equip millions of vehicles with anti-theft hardware, a crime-fighting and consumer-protection victory. Ellison also has state lawsuits pending against Fleet Farm and Glock for, respectively, their sale and manufacture of guns. Also in the courts and up for a federal trial is a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Koch Industries and others for years of allegedly covering up suspected causes and costs of climate change. Back during the 2022 re-election campaign, Ellison’s Republican challenger derided the ExxonMobil lawsuit as a “frivolous” use of the attorney general’s powers. But Ellison’s success with the Kia-Hyundai lawsuit shows how an attorney general’s consumer protection choices can counter corporate power and compel action. Ellison’s seeking a third term in 2026, and his success on behalf of consumers will undoubtedly factor.
Jeers to buck fever
That may have been a contributing factor for the Duluth hunter who mistook and is charged with killing a bull moose in St. Louis County on the deer-hunting opener. A bull moose is double the height and generally weighs at least 1,000 pounds more than a buck. Outdoors columnist Dennis Anderson described buck fever as the “adrenaline rush that courses through a hunter’s veins when a target animal is sighted, and missteps are possible, if not likely.” Anderson reminds us that a trigger pulled cannot be unpulled and the consequences are forever. He quoted a widow who lost her husband, the father of her young children, to a hunting accident decades ago. Her advice: “Think before you shoot.” That could apply to many aspects of life, but especially when deadly weapons are involved.
Cheers to Nick Benson
The pro-democracy activist piles on the layers, grabs his camera and climbs through ice and snow to document otherwise secret private charter flights used for immigration enforcement at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Benson spoke up about his commitment to the cause despite concerns about personal safety and the impact on his regular work, tracking and alerting Minnesota plane enthusiasts to the arrival of unique aircraft. Benson’s doing this in his spare time, standing on a frozen hill to document the stealth flights for history. “It’s important that people know that it’s happening and that there’s evidence that it happens,” Benson said. As Minnesotans fret about wanton immigration enforcement, the actions of Benson and fellow activists are a testament to the power of peaceful resistance.
Jeers to roiling turmoil at the U
Chaos at the University of Minnesota has been a signature of President Rebecca Cunningham’s tenure. Cunningham was brought aboard in part because of the challenges the U faced with its hospital system, and her background as a physician was considered an asset. But under her leadership, the situation with the school’s hospital and administration has become less, not more, stable. Now comes word the respected dean of the U’s Medical School since 2017, Dr. Jakub Tolar, is looking for a job elsewhere because Cunningham wants to install someone of her choosing. Big money donors aren’t happy about the prospect of Tolar’s departure. Many are starting to wonder how long Cunningham can survive the ongoing upheaval.
Cheers to Sue Ek
The candidate for a St. Cloud legislative seat joined the tiny ranks of Republicans with the guts to denounce President Donald Trump for denigrating Somalis as he did again Wednesday in a national address. Ek said she supports immigration enforcement but not Trump’s language. “His quote calling people from Somalia garbage was a huge mistake, and it doesn’t represent anybody but himself,” she said. “I would never say that.” See, it was not hard to speak up to Trump’s targeting. Ek voiced her support for legal immigration while urging a different tack. “It’s just not productive,” she said of his language. “It’s certainly not productive for those of us in the trenches.”
Jeers to Joni Ernst
The U.S. senator, a Republican from Iowa, doesn’t receive nearly enough derision. She came into office in 2015, after winning on a pledge to “Make ’em Squeal” in D.C., a reference to cutting pork. Her latest dubious contribution to our national debate is the proposed “McScuse Me Act,” that would bar SNAP recipients from using benefits at fast-food restaurants. According to Ernst, nutrient-rich foods should be the only option, as if time-crunched working parents don’t on occasion need a drive-thru for convenience. Remember, Ernst is the same senator who dismissed concerns about cuts to Medicaid at a Parkersburg town hall by saying, “We are all going to die.” On the bright side, at least Ernst had the courage to hold a town hall and won’t seek re-election in 2026.
