Family & Education

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Sandy Pappas

How Federal Funding Impacts Minnesotans

Until this January, I’d wager many Minnesotans didn’t spend much time thinking about the way our federal government moves money around. That’s what’s great about a government that works the way it’s meant to: only the people who are paid to think about it, have to think about it. But as we’ve seen since January 20, when the system starts to break down — or rather, is being actively destroyed — it becomes everyone’s problem. Problems like: Will I be able to feed my family this week if our WIC benefits are cancelled? Will I still be able to see my doctor if Medicaid funding is slashed? Will I have to quit my job to take care of my kids if Head Start shuts down? 

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Neighborhood NewsArts & CultureFamily & Education
Beatrice Cosgrove

Setting My 2025 Reading Goals

As 2024 draws to a close, I am reflecting on unrealistic expectations and my attempts to address them. For as long as I can remember I have set my sights on goals that weren’t always achievable and almost never led to growth. It has been difficult to learn that starting small is the way to go, but slowly I have begun to discover that I am disappointed less and often find opportunities to achieve those bigger goals that were simply too much. I would like to share some of the things I have learned in this past year in the context of setting reading goals in 2025. 

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