Shadi Bushra

Can Minnesota cannabis dispensaries compete with black market weed? Minnesota's 15% tax on cannabis products solved a budget problem, but some worry it will drive buyers away from regulated, legal dispensaries.

Wanted to thank the experts at @umnsph.bsky.social and @taxfoundation.bsky.social for weighing in on the health and economic concerns around Minnesota's increased cannabis tax for this article www.minnpost.com/state-govern....

Minnesota economists, researchers fear politicization of jobs data - MinnPost Other data exists from other federal, state and private sources, but would be hard to replicate the breadth of what BLS provides.

www.minnpost.com/economy/2025...

Latest on the politicization of data -- data we all somehow, somewhere use to understand the world around us.

Demystifying Vance Boelter’s unremarkable tenure on state board Those who served with him have little recollection of suspected murderer’s time on the nonpartisan Governor's Workforce Development Board.

www.minnpost.com/state-govern...

“Man, I wish I could remember him” — my colleague and I dive into the advisory board that was the crux of misinformation that the suspected Minnesota assassin was an “employee” of the governor

Expanded Anoka mental health hospital could reduce use of jails For years local jails have swollen with mentally ill Minnesotans, because of limited capacity at secure state hospitals.

www.minnpost.com/mental-healt... Here’s hoping this expanded wing of Anoka treatment center is built soon and that those suffering in jail and hospitals get the help they need

To reiterate, it took 4 hours of a special session that leaders hope will last less than 24 hours to pass this one bill, with 13 more to go.

The MN Senate, which will now move on to the MinnesotaCare bill, got through five bills in the same time period.

MN House passes, after 4 hours of debate, the measure that will take away access to MinnesotaCare from undocumented adults. The 68 "ayes" were all 67 of the chamber's Republicans, plus DFL Speaker Melissa Hortman, who struck the budget deal that led to this measure. Rep. Fischer (DFL) abstained.

Final tally for Rep. Sencer-Mura's aforementioned amendment, which failed: All 67 Republicans voted red, 64 DFL voted green, and three DFLers did not vote (Speaker
Melissas Hortman, Rep. Peter Fischer, and Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley).
pbs.twimg.com/media/GtA6Da...

Re: Bill ending access to MinnesotaCare to undocumented adults, Rep. Sencer-Mura introduced amendment that allows continued access for 1) underage who will age out, 2) those over 59 y.o., 3) those with "critical health conditions". Amendment failed 64-67.

Brings to my mind why the Univ of MN Twin Cities - under investigation by the feds - has stayed mum about what, if anything, they may do to push back, even as other Big Ten schools try to band together.

As the Soviet Union Fell, Did the K.G.B. Leave a Gift in Brazil for Today’s Spies?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/w... remarkable foresight (if true) on the part of Soviet operatives

Republican tax bill has some surprising winners and losers The overall trend is the highest earners will see a bigger boost for income after taxes.

Looks like House GOP members are making it an even tougher sell that their party represents the working class, a key but fickle Trump constituency, pushing back against the president’s suggested tax increases on the ultrarich and private equity in their draft tax bill www.axios.com/2025/05/15/t...

Minnesota's 3 major wildfires and how they compare historically The three major wildfires are among more than 1,000 fires so far this year, which is on track to exceed state averages.

Have not been great at posting my articles in a timely fashion, but that ends now! Here’s the latest on the wildfires up north and how this intense fire season fits into Minnesota’s history: www.minnpost.com/environment/...