Aaron Brown
Editorial Columnist
Iron RangeAaron Brown is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board. He’s based on the Iron Range but focuses on the affairs of the entire state. He was raised in a trailer house on a local junkyard and is the first in five generations of his family to never work in an iron mine. He lives down a dirt road on the western Mesabi. His past writing can be found at MinnesotaBrown.com.
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Latest from Aaron Brown
Brown: Lessons on courage from the plucky mama duck in the DNR's EagleCam nest
Mama Mallard has no fear.
April 28, 2025
Brown: To heal generational pain, we must recognize and ease Minnesota’s mental health crisis
Progress has been made in mental wellness, but the path forward is long.
April 26, 2025
Brown: Capital for companies, unintended consequences for us
Customers fear higher bills if BlackRock-led group buys Minnesota Power.
April 20, 2025
Brown: Why have regulations when you can have safety shanties?
Given that a box of angry raccoons might soon oversee federal worksite safety, it could be time to revive the 19th century shanty tradition.
April 16, 2025
Brown: No place for myth in future of Minnesota forest industries
Better management makes safer industry, healthier forests, but markets and tech are changing
April 13, 2025
Brown: Green shoots of hope
Despite harsh political winds, renewable energy can help communities weather the storm.
April 7, 2025
Brown: Iron Range layoffs show human cost, long-term implications of arbitrary tariffs
‘Crony chaos’ destroys jobs to enrich the few.
March 29, 2025
Brown: Elder millennials, brace for your colonoscopies
With March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, now is a good time for a public reminder.
March 26, 2025
Brown: Entrepreneur aims to help Iron Range add value at home
Breaking tradition to grow manufacturing in rural Minnesota.
March 22, 2025
Brown: Iron Rangers drop gloves over U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, but region needs a win, not just a fight
Places like Eveleth need to win, not just skate for the status quo.
March 18, 2025
Brown: An Iron Range writer, new to the Editorial Board, reflects on how Minnesota connects
As dissimilar as country and city might seem, I see their paths as joined.
March 13, 2025
Brown: Child care is expensive, but no one is getting rich from it
There are no easy answers for how to ease the financial burden on families. But government and employers can be part of the solution.
March 1, 2025
