Publication archives

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate defeated dueling proposals Monday to raise the $5.15-an-hour minimum wage - one backed by organized labor, the other salted with pro-business provisions - in a day of skirmishing that reflected Republican gains in last fall's elections.

From The International Falls Daily Journal, by Amanda Ricker Borderland's three Congressional representatives listened to ways the federal government can better serve the area's economic needs during a Saturday summit at Rainy River Community College.

From Reuters via Alternet, By Alister Doyle OSLO - Effective control of forest fires may prove crucial in the fight against global warming since blazes from Alaska to Indonesia spew out vast amounts of heat-trapping gases, Canadian foresters said on Thursday.

From the Duluth News Tribune, by John Meyers What happens when a timber company's land becomes too valuable for timber? It's a question that vexed Potlatch officials in recent years, especially with some valuable land in the Brainerd Lakes area.

SOME PROPOSED spending cuts in the administration's budget plan would inflict unjustifiable damage on important programs. But President Bush's proposal to cut farm subsidies represents good policy and plausible political calculation. The nation's egregious farm programs waste taxpayers' money -- as much as $20 billion of it in some years.