At Issue: Dec. 3 — MN Supreme Court chief justice sworn in, Henry Kissinger passes away

On this week’s edition of At Issue, Tom Hauser covers the construction on the state office building across from the State Capitol, the new Supreme Court chief justice being sworn in and more.

Construction will begin this week on a renovation and expansion of the state office building across the street from the State Capitol. The project’s cost is double what it took to renovate the entire State Capitol building several years ago. A last-ditch effort by Republicans to halt the project failed last week and now there’s little doubt it will become a campaign issue.

Minnesota’s new Supreme Court chief justice was sworn in this week. Natalie Hudson is the first person of color to hold the position, as she takes over for Chief Justice Lorie Gildea who retired in October.

Mayo Clinic is preparing a major expansion in Rochester to the tune of $5 billion. Over the next several years, Mayo plans to add millions of square feet of high-tech space to their flagship campus.

The State Board of Investments has nearly $129 billion in assets they are managing, including public pension funds. A small fraction of that amount is invested in Israeli banks and bonds or defense contractors, with pro-Palestinian groups wanting the state to end those investments.

Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford, died at the age of 100 this week. Kissinger’s influence over global affairs has earned him both praise and criticism.

In addition, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, died Friday morning at the age of 93. Historians consider O’Connor one of the most consequential women in American history, breaking a two-century precedent where only men served on the court.

Later on, Tim Peterson, a candidate in the 5th Congressional District race, joins the show to talk about his reason for running and the competition he faces. On political analysis, Andy Brehm and Mike Erlandson discuss the expulsion of former Congressman George Santos, Don Samuels’ remarks about Ilhan Omar and more.