Business

Ballast water — the water that large ships take on to stabilize themselves when they’re running without cargo aboard — is a hot topic in Minnesota and in Washington, D.C., these days. Ballast water containing organisms taken on in one distant location and discharged in local waters is credited for bringing at least 30 aquatic invasive species to Lake Superior. MORE »

If you want to surprise your mom with a very sweet gift on her day, St. Paul offers locally-made chocolate and candies. Here are three shops that I explored this week, each of them delightful in their own way. MORE »

U.S. economic growth estimates released for the first quarter of 2008 show that all parts of our economy experienced slower growth compared to the previous quarter, even exports, which is especially troubling given the overall weak performance of all other sectors. MORE »

Minnesota agriculture is riding high — perhaps too high to be sustainable. Clearly, price bubbles are forming around farmland and commodities that threaten the long-term health of Minnesota’s huge food and agriculture economy. MORE »