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With wall-to-wall crowds, climbing poll numbers, and a wave of critical new endorsements, less than one week before the primary contests officially commence, Bernie Sanders is riding high.

The editors of The Contributor recently threw gas on the flames of America’s racial unrest with yet another irresponsible headline: “Jamar Clark: 5 Fast Facts you need to know.” Problem is, only two of their statements are facts (that have nothing to do with guilt or innocence) and the rest are allegations and/or speculation.

Editor’s Note: This begins an on-going series featuring the proactive work Educators for Excellence (E4E) is doing in several regions throughout the country, enabling and empowering educators as they seek to impact substantial legislative progress in the service of a better education sector.

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TheContributor.com wants to bring poetry into what has to date been a prose and photo journal focused on solution-driven thinking, open data, transparent democracy. Our large network of political bloggers, journalists, and activists are playing important functions bringing information and resources to other progressives around the world, but we'd like to add the voices of poets who seek social and environmental justice. Won't you please Contribute?

Rep. Ron Erhardt (DFL-Edina) appears on the Minnesota House floor wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope and starts insinuating that he may have caught the flu from eating turkey this weekend, and that it is possible it could have come from the bird flu epidemic that has hit Minnesota turkey farms. He is met with bi-partisan push back.

"The problem is poverty. The problem is racism," said Rev. Victoria Safford of the White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church. "The problem is deep, deep, old oppression."

Others booed, but Rep. Rena Moran (DFL-St. Paul) thought for several hours before responding to a remark Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) had made about North Minneapolis. During a debate on funding for the North Star rail line Newberger said “Boy, wouldn’t that be convenient, to have that rail line going from the prison to North Minneapolis." After hearing some grumbling he quickly added, “or to any section of our state.” Boos were heard in the House chamber.

Advocates for citizens fed up with police harassment and mistreatment of workers are successfully getting the attention of Minneapolis city leaders. This week, Neighborhoods Organizing For Change Field (NOC) Organizer Mike Griffin led a "people's state of the union" presentation at Minneapolis City Hall that outlined systemic labor issues for low-wage workers and how certain city laws are being abused by police to harass minorities. The presentation got the support and participation of several city council members.

The upward spike in candy-floss demand presents a unique opportunity for ISIS to expand into the highly competitive confectionery market, providing yet another smooth stream of revenue.

11 defendants were arraigned in Hennepin County Court on March 10, 2015 on misdemeanor criminal charges arising out a peaceful protest at the Mall of America on December 20, 2014. Hundreds stood outside the court in solidarity with the defendants.

When he took office in January of 2011, Minnesota governor Mark Dayton inherited a $6.2 billion budget deficit and a 7 percent unemployment rate from his predecessor, Tim Pawlenty, the soon-forgotten Republican candidate for the presidency who called himself Minnesota's first true fiscally-conservative governor in modern history.

Voter ID Maintains The Power Of The Few

ISAIAH assembled 40+ clergy leaders to call for just policies that promote racial and economic equity.

Rev. Paul Slack, pastor at New Creation Church, Mi