In March 2020, President Donald Trump’s administration sealed U.S. borders in what was billed as a measure to fight the spread of COVID-19. The estimated number of people illegally crossing the southern border plummeted, and most of those who did cross were immediately returned to Mexico. Soon after, the U.S. erupted in a surge of violence. ...Read more

In a surprising twist to America’s ongoing opioid crisis, the Supreme Court has thrown out a legal settlement that would have paid billions of dollars to victims of over-prescription as well as all 50 state governments. Along the way, the court made it much harder than it has ever been before to settle large, complex mass tort cases with a ...Read more

On grounds that the states bringing the case lacked standing, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed the claim that the Biden administration bullied social media companies into removing content that government considered dangerous. It was a sensible ruling — but the court could’ve and should’ve gone further and rejected the complaint on the merits....Read more

As a dean of a public university law school, do I violate my students’ free speech rights when I encourage them to speak respectfully to one another, to demonstrate civility and to refrain from hateful expression? There are countless instances in which government officials speak out — does that chill freedom of expression among those who ...Read more

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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South Dakota's senior senator, John Thune, is one of the most powerful elected leaders at the U.S. Capitol. The tall, plain-spoken Republican is now in his fourth term in office and has held a ...Read more

Hydrogen is causing a buzz on Capitol Hill and rightly so. This emerging energy technology has the potential to unlock an abundance of clean energy solutions and reduce energy-related emissions — think American heavy industry — by 10% to 25%.

Hydrogen provides the United States an opportunity to strengthen America’s long-term ...Read more

Whatever else it may be about, the debate over immigration is first and foremost about perceptions. The question is not just how many foreigners are in your country, but how many you notice.

In the U.S., immigration tends to be popular in urban areas with a lot of immigrants. Partly that’s because the economic benefits of immigrants are easy ...Read more

Suppose your city awards a lucrative contract for the purchase of new garbage trucks. Afterward, the company that won the bidding offers your mayor a gift of $13,000. The mayor never asked for a penny; but he’s offered the money and he takes it. Has the mayor committed a crime?

You might think the answer is obvious, but evidently it isn’t �...Read more

Here's a terrible thought I could not shake as I watched Thursday's debate: President Joe Biden looked like a corpse.

Sure, anyone might look pale while standing next to the floridly orange former President Donald Trump, but Biden's pallor was alarming.

When he was not speaking, Biden's eyes had a faraway look, and, more distressingly, his ...Read more

There is no sugarcoating the fact that President Joe Biden seemed tired, listless and occasionally confused in his televised debate with former President Donald Trump on Thursday. In other words, he showed his age.

Trump, who at 78 is only a few years younger than the 81-year-old Biden, was initially more restrained and focused than usual. He ...Read more

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Democrats must directly confront the implications of President Joe Biden's extraordinarily poor performance at Thursday's debate. Many are panicked by the thought that former President Donald...Read more

Joe,

The memory of when I was first really concerned about your debate night performance remains loud and clear. It was when I heard those helicopters roaring over my house.

It was midmorning on Thursday – Debate Day. I knew from that air-beating roar it had to be your Marine One and its security escorts, taking you from Camp David to the ...Read more

The conservative majority of the Supreme Court has held that a law that bars obstructing or impeding a federal proceeding doesn’t apply to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — despite the rioters’ effort to obstruct the counting of the 2020 electoral votes. The decision is an outrageous betrayal of the conservatives’ own supposed principle...Read more

The U.S. Supreme Court has overruled the Chevron decision, a basic building block of administrative law, thereby striking a blow against the power and authority of all federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency. The ruling, in the cases of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce, marks ...Read more

Do not look away, America.

This is our own doing.

For four years, poll after poll suggested we did not want to see the matchup that we saw on the presidential debate stage Thursday night. And yet here we are, and now we cannot unsee it: Once again, our country's choices for the presidency are Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and they were as bad as...Read more

The two gnarly old men had been asked about the ballooning cost of child care, a nightmare for many young parents. In response, they bragged about their amateur golf games.

It was all awful, But if there was any moment that crystallized Thursday night’s presidential debate — showed that this has all gone too far and gave succor to this ...Read more