Steve Hallstrom targets a massive post-holiday Wednesday, May 27th edition, mapping the structural and ideological changes reshaping the region’s politics, education, and economy. Steve breaks down a historic 19-year spike in treasury yields, explaining why the bond market has issued a brutal report card on inflation. Closer to home, the show audits a sudden $4.5 million administrative freeze in Fargo Public Schools and chronicles a massive primary shift that ended a 23-year congressional career in Texas. Plus, Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Tafoya joins the phone line to break down her historic $2.2 million fundraising haul and her strategy to navigate social conservative delegates at this weekend’s Dululth convention.
Key Moments
-
The 19-Year Bond Yield Collapse: Steve translates complex financial metrics to explain why the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield hit its highest peak in nearly two decades. Driven by fears of sticky inflation and $110 Brent crude, global institutional investors are rapidly dumping fixed bonds. Steve warns that because standard fixed mortgage rates directly trigger off these yields, borrowing costs for everyday consumers are rising right during prime spring home-buying season.
-
Texas Runoff Whipping Ends a 23-Year Career: Steve explores the continuous dominance of the “Trump factor” within the GOP following last night’s Texas primary results. Incumbent Senator John Cornyn, a 23-year congressional veteran, was soundly defeated in a two-to-one whipping by Trump-endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton. Steve notes the race now moves to a high-stakes general election against Democrat James Tallarico, who has already raised a staggering $27 million in three months.
-
Michelle Tafoya Secures the Hall of Fame Backing: Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Tafoya joins the program to share a major campaign milestone. Tafoya breaks down her close relationship with NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, who released a highly unusual and deeply impactful video endorsement of her candidacy. She notes her campaign is carrying momentum into this weekend’s Duluth convention after securing 52% support in internal polling and raising over $2.2 million across all 82 Minnesota counties.
-
Navigating the Delegate Pro-Choice Divide: Steve and candidate Tafoya engage in a candid discussion regarding her pro-choice, libertarian stance heading into a convention dominated by strict pro-life delegates. Tafoya emphasizes that abortion policy has been returned to the states, pledging instead to focus on her federal purview by stopping taxpayer-funded abortion and confirming strict constructionist judges. Steve defends her electability, arguing that capturing a crucial Senate seat from far-left Democrats requires looking at the total conservative playbook.
-
The 12-to-1 Fargo Administrative Bloat: Steve hits the local ground to unpack a glaring structural issue raised during WDAY’s live school board candidate forum. Budget metrics reveal that Fargo Public Schools’ administrative costs have grown 12 times faster than student enrollment, spending $2,224 per student compared to West Fargo’s $1,800. Incumbent Greg Clark acknowledged the top-heavy system, noting that scaling back down to a normal regional average would immediately strip over $5 million in administrative overhead off the taxpayers’ books.
-
The UN Retires the Catastrophic Climate Model: In an incredible turning point for climate skeptics, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has officially retired its most extreme warming scenario, known as RCP 8.5, declaring it implausible. Steve celebrates the announcement, pointing out that this worst-case model was the structural foundation for a decade of catastrophic media headlines and tens of billions of dollars in aggressive climate lawsuit claims.
-
Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara Resigns: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the formal resignation of Police Chief Brian O’Hara following a damning internal investigation. The review found that O’Hara actively interfered with an investigation into his own conduct and attempted to cover up evidence regarding sexual relationships with city employees. Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell—a controversial figure from The Fall of Minneapolis documentary—has been named acting chief.
-
The 78% Male Deficit: Men Reject the Left: Steve covers a striking national political poll released by Quinnipiac University targeting gender dynamics in American politics. In a definitive survey where only 6% of respondents lacked an opinion, an overwhelming 78% of American men stated they actively disapprove of the current platform, marking a staggering 62% disapproval deficit.
-
Data Center Moratorium & Public Service: Public Service Commission candidate Chris Olson joins the studio to outline his “jack-of-all-trades” background in the lignite coal industry. Olson shares his motivations for entering public service after a massive carbon pipeline route cut directly across his property. He defends recent county moratorium structures, arguing that the state must implement rigid zoning, grid stability protections, and explicit public notice guidelines before massive data utilities can hook into the local grid.