Every week, Alliance for a Better Minnesota will highlight the important work being done in the progressive community. Focusing on issues that impact Minnesotans’ lives, this important work helps Minnesota continue moving forward.

MN Doing Better Than WI, Actually: An analysis of data by MinnPost last week found that, contrary to some politicians’ arguments, Minnesota is doing well in the region for job growth. Depending on the data politicians consult, statistics can be skewed in favor of a certain political ideology. However, MinnPost’s analysis looks at the three sources for job growth data, and found that Minnesota, regardless of how you spin it, is currently doing better than surrounding states in terms of job growth.

Ten MN Startups Vie For AOL Funding: Steve Case, one of the cofounders of AOL, will select one from a group of ten business startups founded in Minneapolis on Oct. 7 to receive a $100,000 investment in the name of entrepreneurship. The selected startup will then travel to Dallas to compete for additional funding. Some of the Minneapolis startups include an independent retirement platform, an app that seeks to monetize food waste, and an online diagnosis and treatment service for common medical conditions.

MNsure Rates Still Lowest: Recent reports released show that Minnesotans will continue to have the lowest rates in the nation when it comes to healthcare. “I can tell you that we achieved the lowest rates in the nation even though last year’s lowest-cost company decided to sit out this year,” Department of Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman said.