By J. Patrick Coolican | Editor-in-chief
Good morning, Reformers,
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced her candidacy for governor nearly three months ago and then … nothing. No rallies, no major policy speeches, no special interviews.
Republicans hoping her heart isn’t in it or she’s coasting are wishcasting or don’t understand her and her work ethic.
Still, we’ve seen little coverage thus far, so I set out to ask what kind of governor she’ll be.
Her campaign recommended I talk to a few folks, and my conversation with state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed was particularly striking. First, the very fact that a Somali American south Minneapolis progressive is a key surrogate for Klobuchar is quite interesting. And then Mohamed told me she was recently at an Iftar dinner with Klobuchar, and then they had an hour long phone conversation. Mohamed told me off-handedly that Klobuchar called every Democrat in the Legislature. Her campaign confirmed it. That’s 101 legislators.
Anyway, I had fun writing a piece that manages to dredge up all my gripes with Klobuchar while also reconsidering whether some of these attributes might be what we need now.
To the rest of the Reformer:
Hennepin Healthcare’s Hennepin County Medical Center, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Michelle Griffith
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have yet to strike a deal on how to assist the ailing Hennepin County Medical Center, but they are in agreement that they need to act.
The state’s largest safety net hospital is on the verge of collapse, which would affect hospitals and patients across Minnesota. HCMC treats about 115,000 patients each year, and offers a range of services unavailable at most other hospitals in the state. HCMC has the state’s busiest emergency department and trauma center and a vital burn unit. It’s also a major teaching hospital.
The hospital is an important source of both charity care and services for people on Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the indigent and people with disabilities. In 2024, HCMC provided $104 million in uncompensated care, and the county is projecting a $1.7 billion reduction in Medicaid revenue largely driven by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
Clock ticking. Adjournment: May 19.
By Becky Rom
Becky Rom, national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, argues in today’s guest commentary that the proposed mine at the edge of the Boundary Waters is a distinctly anti-American project. Twin Metals, the company seeking to develop the copper mine, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta, a Chilean mining company with a dangerous track record. Numerous press reports reveal Antofagasta’s deep ties with the Chinese government and its minerals processing operations.
Most recently, Antofagasta secured record-breaking, zero-cost (meaning free) processing agreements with the Chinese copper smelters, all of which are state-owned in whole or part. These agreements mean that state-owned Chinese companies would be covering the entire cost of processing copper for Antofagasta. This perverse arrangement — and Antofagasta’s long commitment to promoting China’s economic development — tell us who benefits from a Twin Metals mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters.
Rom, a longtime defender of the Boundary Waters, is calling on the Legislature to act, as well a more permanent solution: A constitutional amendment.
(My take: This would be an interesting ballot measure in 2028.)
IN OTHER NEWS
Newly released police records show delay after Hortman shooting, early ID of Boelter as suspect | Star Tribune
Here comes the food inflation | Bloomberg gift link
Trump in talks to send Afghans who helped America to the Congo | infuriating New York Times gift link
OH BY THE WAY
I have a text thread with a couple friends who shared a university major with me, pretentiously called “Program of Liberal Studies,” and I send them items that reference the works that were on our syllabus.
The great Greek historians have come up recently. First was President Trump’s promise to wipe out Iranian civilization, which evoked Herodotus’ story about King Croesus, who was told by the Delphic Oracle that if he invaded Persia, he would destroy a great empire. It turned out to be his own.
(Related: Read a former Tory MP in the conservative Washington Examiner on Trump having absolutely lost it lately.)
Then there’s a whole essay in the Times (gift link) about the Trumpers misreading Thucydides.
“The Trump administration’s relentless bullying ignores a central lesson from classical antiquity: Athens’s shift from benevolent hegemony to malevolent empire paved its road to ruin.”
The value of a liberal education goes well beyond recognizing these ancient texts in the news, and I’ve been heartened to see glimmers of newfound support for the humanities in the AI age. A savvy business person I know tells me he’s looking for well-rounded folks with people skills. The guarantee of a job from a computer science or finance degree might be gone.
The AI age is also compelling us to answer a question at the heart of liberal education: What does it mean to be human? Why are we here and where do we find meaning out of a seemingly pitiless universe?
The problem is that we’re saddling young people who want to pursue these questions with massive amounts of untenable college debt. Such a shame.
Song of the day for summer temperatures, The Hold Steady, with Minnesota ties, “Constructive Summer.”
Correspond: [email protected]
Have a great day all! JPC
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