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Spelling Bee opens with 'glasnost'
The National Spelling Bee opened with "glasnost" and was soon followed by "perestroika" - a fascinating choice of words for a group of youngsters born long after the heyday of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.May 29, 2013
Mothers now top earners in 4 in 10 US households
A record number of American women are now the sole or primary breadwinners in their families, a sign of the rising influence of working mothers, a new study finds. Mothers now keep finances afloat in 40 percent of households with children, up from just 11 percent in 1960.May 29, 2013
AP Exclusive: Rise of al-Qaida Sahara terrorist
After years of trying to discipline him, the leaders of al-Qaida's North African branch sent one final letter to their most difficult employee. In page after scathing page, they described how he didn't answer his phone when they called, failed to turn in his expense reports, ignored meetings and refused time and again to carry out orders.May 28, 2013
Mark Lee advocates for asylum seekers: Minnesota Sounds and Voices
Hundreds of people who live in Minnesota are here because they fear persecution, even death, in their home countries, says Mark Lee, a lawyer who helps refugees win asylum in the United States. "They're beaten and abused in ways that is hard to imagine."May 28, 2013
VA struggles under weight of claims backlog
Veterans have been waiting years, in some cases, for their disability claims to be processed. What's the holdup?The Daily Circuit, May 28, 2013
Duluth grapples with real damage from synthetic drugs
Cities across the country are trying to find ways to stop the sale and use of dangerous synthetic drugs. But as laws are enacted to ban compounds, producers change formulas to keep products on the market.The Daily Circuit, May 28, 2013
How does Minnesota student debt compare to other states? Not well
Here's an updated report that the Office of Higher Education presented to legislators this session. As noted, the average debt accumulated by each Minnesota student was $29,800 -- almost $5,000 more than the national average.May 28, 2013
Court stays out of Planned Parenthood funding case
The Supreme Court will not disturb a lower court ruling that blocks Indiana's effort to strip Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood because the organization performs abortions among its medical services.May 28, 2013
Vet seeks photos of Minn. peers killed in Vietnam
An Army veteran from St. Cloud is on a mission to track down the photographs of more than 500 Minnesota service members killed in Vietnam.May 27, 2013
All-day kindergarten a cost saver for Minn. parents
New funding will allow Minnesota school districts to offer free all day kindergarten Minnesota starting in 2014.May 27, 2013
On Memorial Day, decorated veteran delivers message of citizenship
Hundreds gathered at Fort Snelling National Cemetery Monday heard messages about duty and service and the meaning of citizenship in a speech from a soldier who is currently confronting his own death: Lt. Col. Mark Weber.May 27, 2013
Will justices take note of new same-sex marriage laws?
Three U.S. states, including Minnesota, and three countries have approved same-sex unions just in the two months since the Supreme Court heard arguments over same-sex marriage.May 27, 2013
Native American vets push for recognition
Before World War II and in the decades since, tens of thousands of American Indians have enlisted in the Armed Forces to serve their country at a rate much greater than any other ethnicity. Yet, among all the monuments and statutes along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., not one stands in recognition. A grass-roots effort is brewing among tribes across the country to change that.May 26, 2013
Girl's suicide after alleged attack troubles town
The federal government last year released data showing a rise in cyberbullying and youth suicide, including cases such as the 2012 death of Audrie Pott and the 2010 death of Phoebe Prince, both teenagers who hanged themselves after being humiliated by classmates.May 26, 2013
High-tech industry gains advantages in immigration bill
More than any other group, the high-tech industry got big wins in an immigration bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, thanks to a concerted lobbying effort, an ideally positioned Senate ally and relatively weak opposition.May 26, 2013