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Today's Question Blog

Should Walmart pay its workers more?

Should Walmart pay its workers more?

Note: Eligibility for food stamps varies according to income, number of dependents and other factors. This estimate of Walmart’s potential cost from raising wages is based on wages for a Walmart employee with one dependent working 30 hours a week, a typical retail worker based on federal data. “One in seven Americans is on food…
by Michael Olson

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Was building Target Field a mistake?

Was building Target Field a mistake?

When the concept of Target Field was being sold to Minnesota taxpayers it was touted as a way to build a competitive team. The thrust of the argument was that the new beautiful park would draw more fans and let the team pay for higher priced players. The fans came at first, but the competitive…
by Michael Olson

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Have you made a money-saving choice that you regret?

Have you made a money-saving choice that you regret?

TLC’s reality show ,”Extreme Cheapskates,” showcases people who go to, well, extremes to save money. There’s the woman who refuses to spend money doing laundry, so she uses a free sample of detergent and her time in the shower to give her clothes a cleaning of sorts. And then, there’s the couple who, as self-described…
by Michael Olson

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Can you work from home on days when the weather is bad?

A crash and a stuck semi are blocking EB94 after the split to WB394. pic.twitter.com/OO61FyL1M1 — Mpls/St Paul Traffic (@MSP_Traffic) April 4, 2014 An unscientific online poll in the MPR News live blog covering the latest snowstorm is evenly split between people who can work from home on days when bad weather strikes during a…
by Michael Olson

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Should Sen. Franken get another term?

Should Sen. Franken get another term?

Several Minnesota Republicans vying to run against U.S. Sen. Al Franken this fall criticized the Democrat during a candidate forum in St. Louis Park this week. “The candidates spent much of their time talking about national defense issues at the Republican Jewish Coalition-sponsored forum. All said they opposed Obama administration proposals to pare back the…
by Michael Olson

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Do you support the decision to lift the cap on campaign contributions?

“Congress enacted the limits in the wake of Watergate-era abuses to discourage big contributors from trying to buy votes with their donations and to restore public confidence in the campaign finance system,” writes Mark Sherman for the AP. “But in a series of rulings in recent years, the Roberts court has struck down provisions of…
by Michael Olson

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Should Minnesota try to attract more water-intensive companies?

Should Minnesota try to attract more water-intensive companies?

“Charles Fishman thinks Minnesota should sell its water. No, not the way that you might be thinking, in a pipeline from Lake Superior to someplace in the desert like Las Vegas. But as an asset, to water-intensive industries like microchip makers, and on one big condition – that they give the water back in the…
by Michael Olson

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Should kids opt out of standardized tests?

Should kids opt out of standardized tests?

“A group with the seemingly paradoxical name of United Opt Out National is holding a convention in Denver this weekend, encouraging parents to keep their children from taking standardized tests in school,” writes NPR reporter Alan Greenblatt. “So far, their numbers are small. But educators and policymakers who rely on the tests are starting to…
by Meg Martin

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Should lifeguards be required at public pools?

Should lifeguards be required at public pools?

Minnesota law doesn’t require lifeguards at most public pools, including those in schools. But data from the Minnesota Department of Health suggest that the presence of lifeguards could make a difference in preventing school drownings,” writes MPR News reporter Laura Yuen. The health department tracks every time emergency medical responders are called to a public…
by Michael Olson

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Would you comply with a police officer’s request for your smartphone password?

Would you comply with a police officer’s request for your smartphone password?

“Suspects’ smartphones contain a wealth of information: calls, photos, GPS data. With so much info, it’s often all police need to make a case,” writes NPR’s Martin Kaste. Under the Fifth Amendment’s protection against self-incrimination, you might have the right to refuse a request for your smartphone password. But Jeffrey Fisher, a Stanford Law School…
by Michael Olson

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