Paul TostoWe’ve written before about how the self-employed in Minnesota took a hit during the Great Recession. Nationally, though, there’s evidence of a rebound — and maybe a larger trend going forward. Data crunched by the Idaho-based economic analysis group EMSI show the percentage of self-employed Americans has bounced back the past couple years. While still Read more →
MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
By Paul Tosto
Paul Tosto is an editor for MPR News.
I wrote about a lot of students and their work in my years as an education reporter. The kids that stand out, though, are the ones that used their brilliance to find simple solutions to basic problems in developing countries. I remember Patrick Delaney, a University of Minnesota electrical engineering student, who helped design low-cost, Read more →
By funny, I mean “Ha, Ha” funny. College athletics are very tense these days. But it’s OK to laugh at a new video from Notre Dame athletics that is pleading with fans to stop recruiting players online. Apparently, some Irish fans feel so much a part of the team that they also feel one with Read more →
It’s hard to remember but the economic recovery began officially three years ago. While it’s a positive that the most recent data show Minnesota adding jobs, those numbers mask at least one seriously troubling trend: The number of Minnesotans out of work for more than a year has skyrocketed during the “recovery.” According to the Read more →
I’ve been a little bear-fixated since last year when I happened to be in Yellowstone National Park the same week a hiker was killed by a grizzly So I’m fascinated this morning watching a new web cam at the Brooks River in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. Running on wind and solar power, the cam came Read more →
Minnesota best place to live — in 20 years
I’m kind of enjoying the new Minnesota Department of Public Safety ads about the creative excuses people use for speeding. I’m learning a valuable lesson, too, of course.
It’s quite a day. The market’s tanking because it’s expensive for Spain to borrow. The New York Times is launching a new project digging into middle class decline. It’s only a short stroll, then, to some grim, newly published data showing many of the folks near retirement have little savings beyond Social Security. The Schwartz Read more →
The deal Congress approved today to freeze the interest rates on “Stafford” subsidized federal student loans is getting a lot of ink today. But there are other changes coming this fall to the student loan game that could be a similar big deal. The Student Loan Network blog today writes: Starting July 1, there are Read more →
It’s been a rough couple weeks for reporting. An award-winning reporter in Connecticut was fired making up stuff in his story — not just fake quotes but fake people. Today, there’s a story about a Michigan reporter in his 50s who felt the need to write about the unethical things he did as a reporter Read more →
I wince as I write the words “new normal.” But when it comes to weather, it’s hard to ignore the data. Three charts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration bear out the changes we’re seeing and feeling. Here’s a look at how much of the country is warmer this year compared to most of Read more →
College costs are rising faster than incomes and student loan debt is through the roof. That’s led to all kinds of hand wringing about whether college is worth it. But every time we’re ready to ditch that part of the American Dream, it seems that new data surface to tell us to hold on. Newly Read more →