A small town in Minnesota is trying to make a big change. The people of Bemidji, Minnesota are building bridges between the white and the Native communities by making the signs in public buildings and many businesses both in Ojibwe and English. 

On Tuesday, Colorado and Minnesota will hold their Republican caucuses, either confirming or casting doubt onto Mitt Romney's lead. But why some states hold caucuses instead of primaries — or in the case of Missouri, use both — in order to determine how many delegates they'll send to a party's national convention is largely a matter of taste.

Minnesota's state government is poised to re-open after an almost three-week shutdown.  Lawmakers agreed late in the night on a budget. It could mean some 22,000 state workers will return to work as soon as Thursday, and ends a political impasse between Democrat Governor Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders. So what's in the deal, and how will it affect taxpayers? 

It's day twelve of the Minnesota government shutdown, now the longest state government shutdown in U.S. history. On the first of July, after Minnesota's Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders failed to enact a new budget, the state sent home 22,000 state workers and closed 66 state parks. All but the most essential services were put on pause. Even the websites are closed.

State Legislators in Minnesota failed to agree on a budget last week causing massive disruption to services and the closure of many parks, public spaces and July 4th events organized over the holiday weekend. This includes the Minnesota Racing Commission, which governs race tracks in the state – forcing them to close for one of their busiest weekends of the year.

 

New York has balanced its budget, and California finally shed its reputation as a fiscal laggard, reaching its budget on time for the first time in years. But other states are not on similar paths. In Minnesota, if the Democratic governor and Republican-led legislature cannot agree on a budget by midnight tonight, all nonessential services will shut down, including state parks—dire news, ahead of the July 4 weekend. So why is it taking so long? And what can we learn from states that have already settled their books? 

Republicans in Minnesota are buzzing this week, after speculation that Tea Party star and Republican congresswoman from Minnesota, Michele Bachmann may be planning an exploratory committee for a potential 2012 presidential run. This comes just days after former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced his own committee. Minnesota’s Republican Party chairman Tony Sutton is calling the potential pool of top tier GOP candidates from in his state, “an embarrassment of the riches.” How might the two candidates fare in a national bid? 

After 35 years representing Minnesota constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Jim Oberstar will empty his office on Capitol Hill at the end of this month. Oberstar currently serves as the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, a position he has held since 2007. He is one of dozens of incumbents voted out of office earlier this year during midterm elections. What are his thoughts on the eve of his departure?

The arrest of 19-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud, in connection with a failed plot to detonate a car bomb in Portland, Oregon, has brought attention to the nation’s growing Somali community. Even before Mohamud's arrest, young Somalis have often become the focus of negative media attention — often linked to gang violence, stories of radicalization and drug or sex trafficking.

This week, descendants of the Dakota people are walking 150 miles through southern Minnesota to remember the 1,700 people who, in 1862, were forced to march to concentration camps as punishment for uprising against the whites. Many people died of starvation and disease along the way, and the survivors were scattered to other parts of the Midwest. 

This week, more state fairs kick off than at any other time of the year. Fairs will open in Nebraska, New York, Maryland, Texas, and Minnesota, which attracts more fairgoers in its twelve days than any other state fair in the country (last year nearly two million visitors passed through the Minnesota fair's gates).

A local Minneapolis magazine is getting backlash from readers for its decision to run a story about an anti-gay pastor who attended a support group for men grappling with same-sex attraction. Lavender Magazine reported that Rev. Tom Brock, of the Hope Lutheran Church, who publicly criticized the Evangelical Lutheran Church for liberalizing its gay clergy policies, attended Faith in Action, the Minnesota affiliate of the Catholic Church's Courage program. The program, according to its website, claims people can "move beyond the confines of the homosexual identity" by developing an interior life of chastity.

Our State of the Union series continues with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty has been a fierce critic of health care reform and President Obama's economic policies. The governor is reportedly considering a run for the presidency in 2012.

Many products we buy now come with labels that read “Made in China” or Japan or India, rather than the U.S.A. Minnesota tried to change that by implementing a law requiring state agencies to buy uniforms and safety equipment made in this country.

 

Minnesotans have a lot to lose this year if they don’t fill out the 2010 Census: They could lose a congressional seat. The Takeaway talks with a Tom Scheck of Minnesota Public Radio about why the Census matters in Minnesota.

The Federal investigation into a Minnesota-based terrorism operation widened this week when authorities released criminal charges against eight men connected to the operation, which allegedly recruited young men to fight alongside terrorists in Somalia. We look at how the case is impacting the Somali community in Minnesota, and speak with Tim Nelson, a reporter with Minnesota Public Radio. We also speak with Mohamed Hassan, vice chair of Somali Cause.

The Minnesota Vikings welcomed a new star quarterback yesterday... but their new quarterback is an old enemy. 39-year-old Brett Favre just came out of retirement (again) and signed a $12 million contract to play for the Vikings this season. This is the second time in two seasons that the famed quarterback has retired and then...unretired. Many Vikings fans have lived with nothing but disdain for Favre in the fifteen years he played for their rivals, the Green Bay Packers.  Are they ready to root for him, now?

Joining us to talk about Favre's latest career move is The Takeaway’s sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, and two Favre fans: Rick Stratton, a Green Bay Packers fan who runs the Packer Backer blog, and Mike Rice, a Minnesota Vikings fan who is the general manager for Gabe’s Roadhouse, which is, ironically, a Green Bay Packers Bar.

Here's Favre at the press conference announcing his return to football:

Tom Davis met Al Franken when they were both in high school, undoubtedly vying for title of class clown. They became friends, writing and performing comedy routines, and eventually becoming writers for Saturday Night Live. Tom Davis joins The Takeaway to share his memories of his partner in comedy. Tom Davis is the author of 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There

After an initial loss, several recounts, and months of challenges, Al Franken, the humorist turned talk show host turned politician, finally won Minnesota’s Senate race. Republican challenger Norm Coleman conceded the race after Minnesota’s Supreme Court ruled that the recounts were over. The Takeaway talks to Tom Scheck, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio and Polinaut blogger who has seen us all the way through this long race to the U.S. Senate. Also joining the conversation is Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine, who will explain the effect on Washington. Can you say "filibuster-proof"?
Watch Franken's victory speech below.

Al Franken and Norm Coleman face off today in Minnesota Supreme Court as oral arguments start for the selection of junior senator in the land of ten thousand lakes. Norm Coleman's team declared that not all the votes have been counted and that Al Franken did not legally obtain the most votes. But, even if the court rules that no more ballots should be counted, Franken may still not gain the victory. Is he good enough, smart enough and dog-gone-it, do enough people like him to elect him Senator?

To figure out what's at stake for Al Franken and Norm Coleman, The Takeaway talks to Tom Scheck from Minnesota Public Radio.