As big cities become more congested and polluted, the concept of car sharing has shifted into gear.

When a TV show deals with the risks of nuclear storage, it can tip an already unstable political balance.

No one could accuse Mee Moua of lacking political courage. This spring, just weeks after the Democrat won a special election to the Minnesota Senate, she jumped feet-first into an emotional debate over whether the state ought to mandate reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

Once upon a time in this country, architects did everything they could to sound like romantic poets. Generations of history students have faithfully copied down Daniel Burnham's pompous but powerful admonition to "make no little plans--they have no magic to stir men's blood."

Like most married couples, Andy Dawkins and Ellen Anderson disagree about lots of things. What makes their domestic squabbles unusual is that they are as likely to revolve around the state of Minnesota's affairs as those of their own household.