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Cheers to the O’Brien-Burnett family
Bloomington’s Tom Burnett Jr., who died in the terrorist attacks on 9/11 on United Flight 93, rushed the cockpit with his fellow passengers that day. Burnett’s nephew Devin O’Brien was in college in 2001 when his uncle was killed. In August, he was in Minneapolis when a sanctuary full of schoolchildren came under a gunman’s attack at Annunciation Catholic Church. As his uncle had done, O’Brien placed himself in peril to shield others. It’s a story of resilience and strength that is impossibly awful and staggeringly beautiful. The O’Brien-Burnett family is an enduring example of how character and faith matter and resonate for ages.
Jeers to Pete Hegseth
The defense secretary and President Donald Trump have authorized close to two dozen recent strikes and counting on boats from Central and South America. The strikes have resulted in more than 80 deaths — extrajudicial killings of alleged drug smugglers. Forest Lake native Hegseth repeatedly flaunts his lack of a moral compass or basic leadership skills with his sophomoric reactions to video of the killings. From his lofty perch, the former Fox & Friends weekend anchor has also been purging high-ranking military leaders at an alarming clip while repositioning the federal agency into a “wartime footing.” Also betraying Hegseth’s lack of sophistication are the not-safe-for-work names he’s given to military operations, such as Operation Midnight Hammer and Rough Rider. Doesn’t he have someone who can direct him to an online urban dictionary? His reign of incompetence would be parody if its consequences weren’t so deadly.
Cheers to Minnesota’s DVS
Within the past year, yours truly had to show up in person at Driver and Vehicle Services sites twice for a new license. (Lost one and then needed a renewal months later.) I went to two busy St. Paul locations. They were crowded, but the staff was polite and exceedingly efficient. My wait time was so short I was unable to finish my daily word games on my phone. In both instances, my replacement license arrived in my mailbox within two weeks. Not on my watch will anyone be allowed to speak ill of driver services. A sincere thank you to these hardworking state employees who do their part to keep our identities secure and our roads safe.
Jeers to U administrators
The University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents and President Dr. Rebecca Cunningham seem intent on torching the U’s medical school over a deal the administrators should have made. Cunningham and the regents are trying to tank a $1 billion, 10-year deal between the U physicians’ group and Fairview Health Services. The deal came about through coaxing by Attorney General Keith Ellison after months of failed negotiations between U administrators and Fairview. Now Cunningham is out to tear it down because it was made “without any consultation or input from faculty or staff.” Cunningham has since ousted a highly experienced physician from his U post. She and other administrators need to take a beat, look in the mirror and realize they’re failing all Minnesotans by not making a deal with Fairview.
Cheers to a panoply, a plethora, a profusion of Prince
There’s the Broadway-bound musical, the “Dancing with the Stars” theme night, the purple-tinged theme nights with his funky beats at Target Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves games. The late musician’s presence remains strong even as we approach the 10-year mark of his passing. For those of us who came of age during his reign, the grooves reside in our bones, each song tied to memories and a time of life. Our spiritual brother is still our soundtrack, still bringing us to church and showing that some parties were meant to last after all.
Jeers to Kristi Noem
The Homeland Security secretary used the government shutdown to create a $200 million television ad campaign featuring her in front of Mount Rushmore while sitting on a horse, wearing chaps and a cowboy hat, according to a report from ProPublica. She was delivering a message for immigrants that she says is central to border control: “Break our laws, we’ll punish you.” Remuneration for the shoot went to the Strategy Group, a Republican consulting firm, and bypassed the federal government’s standard competitive bidding process. The Strategy Group has tight ties to Noem and was central to her 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. Noem’s top Homeland Security adviser, Corey Lewandowski, has worked extensively with the firm. What’s more DHS kept the Strategy Group’s name off public documents about the commercial. One expert calls it corrupt, another says it’s worthy of an investigation. Wouldn’t it be great if Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a fellow South Dakota Republican, called for an inquiry?
