Quick Hits: Volume CCCXCVIII

- The Public Safety Committee presented two gun control bills on Tuesday. And of course, Gov. Tim Walz, DFL legislators and other gun grabbers all attempted to stack the deck with emotional appeals since basic facts are not on their side. 

Undeterred, Amy Swearer brought the cold, hard (and indisputable) facts. 

And while gun grabbers have anointed themselves a compassionate and caring lot while labeling law-abiding gun owners as ghouls who care more about firearms than children, there was one anti-gun individual in particular who put forth a shameful display. 

Not exactly a great ambassador for Catholicism, eh? 

In the end, both bills failed to advance in committee, but the fight is not over. The speculation is Dems will wait until there is a public safety bill on the House floor and then attempt to amend the two gun control bills into that legislation. 

Definitely follow the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus to stay up on all the happenings. 

- Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse is a national treasure. Having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late last year, he's not long for this world. However, he has tremendous peace in where he'll spend eternity. 

This past Sunday was his 54th birthday. And since you attract what you are, Sasse likely has some jovial, fun-loving friends. And that was evidenced by the inscription on his birthday cake. 

(I have the best friends….) pic.twitter.com/usr0GFnbBZ

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 22, 2026

Last birthday on Earth? Quite likely. But leaving behind a legacy of unabashed faith, good cheer and humor? Most definitely.  

- Because the USA men's hockey team graciously accepted President Donald Trump's invitation to the White House as well as Tuesday's State of the Union address, they've been pilloried by prog sports media. 

Perhaps the most egregious offender is former Washington Post sports gal Sally Jenkins. 

epic meltdown by The Atlantic staff writer over USA Men’s Hockey pic.twitter.com/4wiZghrrSx

— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) February 24, 2026

As we've witnessed regularly, progs dealing in emotion over facts rarely ends well for them.  

Sally, do the profit/loss statement for the leagues next please. Then add the context of comparing local ratings to national ratings. Then add attendance comparisons. Then add which league is fully subsidized by a parent organization. You know, journalism stuff https://t.co/DrEhIEekPa

— John Kincade (@JohnKincade) February 24, 2026

Personally, this is where I stand. 

If you can look at these two photos and only celebrate one of them, politics has broken your brain. pic.twitter.com/PokFjWujEc

— Josh Wood (@J_K_Wood) February 23, 2026

I am extremely proud of any American athlete who represents the U.S.A. well, regardless if they align with my worldview. Sorry progs, but you ain't stealing my joy.  

-----------------------------------------------

The NARN Closer's playlist - 2/22/2026

---------------------------------------------

So let's go there, let's make our escape............

A lot to get to in today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll weigh in on the good, bad and ugly of the first week of the 2026 Minnesota Legislative session. 

At 2:00, National Taxpayers Union Executive VP Joe Bishop-Henchman will join us via phone to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court decision to end tariffs imposed unilaterally by President Donald Trump. 

And finally, TV talk show host Stephen Colbert tries desperately to stay relevant over the final few months of CBS's The Late Show. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Redeem the time

I'm going to be 57 years old in May. If my lineage is any indication, I'm in the middle to late third quarter of my life. 

Former Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse will be 54 years old on Sunday. It's likely to be his final birthday on Earth given he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. However, I'm drawing inspiration from him when he discusses his determination to live life to the fullest in the short amount of time he has remaining. 

This 2-1/2 minute excerpt of Sasse's hour long interview with Peter Robinson is incredibly uplifting. 

“Redeem the time”

This whole @BenSasse interview is well worth the time, but this 2 minutes about taking stock of what matters most is powerful. https://t.co/MkFOt0KUZO pic.twitter.com/SkJPuFUECk

— Nathan Brand (@nathanbrand) February 19, 2026

Only someone redeemed by the blood of Jesus can convey that level of peace and tranquility in the face of such a grim diagnosis. 

I look forward to listening to the entire discussion. 

--------------------------------------------

Quick Hits: Volume CCCXCVII

 - Stephen Colbert's Hollywood career has come full circle. From somewhat entertaining satirist to late night network TV talk show host to now a despicable (and lying) political hack. 

Colbert saw last fall how the Federal Communications Commission's indirect actions against fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel turned out to be a ratings boon upon Kimmel's return to the airwaves. As such, Steve-O attempted to play up such an angle in an attempt to gin up interest in his program over the short time he has remaining. 

Colbert is a fundraiser for Democrat candidates.

Colbert's sister is a Democrat politician.

Colbert is plugged in with the highest levels of the Democrat party.

What's likely going on here is that Dem bosses needed something to get Talarico past Crockett in the primary and… pic.twitter.com/5Tj1DTmwvh

— 🐺 (@LeighWolf) February 17, 2026

Colbert contended that the FCC cracked down on his hosting U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX). The rationale being that the Trump administration was scared that a "Christian" Democrat could actually turn Texas blue, thus they employed their authoritarian tactics to prevent his guest appearance from airing on broadcast TV. 

The truth? 

"THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options."

But hey, if we're going to employ leftist tactics, we should come out and say that Colbert is a misogynist and racist for attempting to elevate Talarico over Ms. Crockett anyways. Their rules. 

- Now that Amy Klobuchar is the presumed Democrat nominee for Minnesota governor, arguably the nation's leading polling analysts put forth a hard truth. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s campaign for Minnesota governor puts an already longshot race out of play for Republicans. This race moves from Likely D to Solid D. #MNgov

Read more from @MattKleinOnline:https://t.co/wfXvPzUJWZ

— Cook Political Report (@CookPolitical) February 17, 2026

This also severely hampers Minnesota Republicans' ability to seize control of the House (currently split at 67-67) and Senate (Dems have a 34-33 advantage), given Klobuchar's presence at the top of the ticket will be a huge advantage for DFL legislative candidates. 

At this point, with the gubernatorial race seemingly out of reach, I would be perfectly OK for the GOP to shift its sole focus on trying to take control of at least one if not both chambers of the Legislature. With how badly a DFL trifecta crippled this state with the legislation signed into law in 2023 and 2024, the same makeup of state government in 2027 and 2028 would effectively turn us into a cold California. 

- Speaking of the Legislature, Tuesday marked the first day of the 2026 session. And for one day, partisanship could be put aside for this undeniably inspirational moment. 

Fear not, we still have about 3 solid months to indulge in the obligatory sniping and grandstanding that occurs regularly in today's political climate. But regardless of your party affiliation, it's hard not to root for Sen. Hoffman and his family after enduring all they have over the past eight months. 

------------------------------------------

The NARN Closer's playlist - 2/15/2026

----------------------------------------

I've had enough of the world and its people's mindless games......

After a week off, I will be back in the Patriot bunker today for the latest edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll discuss the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge now that the Trump administration begins to scale back activities. Also, it's clear that Gov. Tim Walz wants to continue to milk this issue in an effort to distract from the state's rampant welfare fraud. 

Then in the 2:00 hour, I will talk about some national news, including what President Trump's next move may be now that there have been multiple reports of chaos and incompetence within the Dept of Homeland Security. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a good thing

When Second Amendment advocates proclaim that gun rights are for everybody, they mean everybody.

In the aftermath of Alex Pretti being killed by Federal law enforcement while legally carrying a firearm, many progressives expected 2A activists to parrot members of the Trump administration (including the President himself) when they suggested he shouldn't have possessed a gun in such an environment. However, the shooters are some of the more passionate, well-informed and intellectually consistent collectives out there. And we stood our ground in defending Pretti's right to carry in that situation. 

So could it be that awful incident has caused some on the left to rethink their vehement anti-gun stance? Well, if data compiled within the first month of 2026 is any indication, the tide may indeed be turning. 

Twin Cities gun sales have seen their largest year-over-year leap since the pandemic, with some cities experiencing double or even triple the demand compared to the same time last year, a Minnesota Star Tribune analysis of city and county data found.

The data, as well as interviews with gun store owners and gun safety instructors, indicate the increase is largely being driven by first-time buyers.

The spike in gun sales came during the height of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota, which culminated last month with the fatal shootings of two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.

Whenever gun-grabbing politicians question why Americans even need "assault weapons," gunnies basically retort with "Because you tell me I don't need one." And then sales of such caliber of firearms increase dramatically. Could it be that fervent anti-Trumpers are reacting in the same vain when Trump expressed that Pretti should not have had a gun in that situation? 

Of course, surges like this have been seen before in the not too recent past. But is it different this time? 

Gun sales surged during the conflicts that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Permit applications in Hennepin County jumped again following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. capitol and remained high through the summer crime wave that same year. More recently, sales went up following the assassination of DFL Rep. Melissa Hortman and the Annunciation Church mass shooting last year.

Last month’s increase appears to stand out, however, said Rob Doar, president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center, a gun rights advocacy group.

“At least anecdotally, the demographics are shifting a lot, where we see people who are more liberally aligned, or on the left, expressing interest in gun ownership,” Doar said. “From what I’m hearing from permit to carry instructors, their classes have been younger and not necessarily your typical conservative.”

We've been reliably informed for years by anti-gunners that the quickest way for the right to embrace gun control is when black people and other non-traditional demographics start to purchase firearms. But as we saw in the aftermath of the summer of unrest in 2020 as well as this past month, 2A activists are more emboldened (and encouraged) than ever with people wanting to exercise their inalienable right to keep and bear arms. As expected. 

-----------------------------------------------