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NewsCut

MPR News Reflections and observations on the news

By Bob Collins

Bob Collins
bcollins@mpr.org • @newscut

Bob Collins retired from Minnesota Public Radio in 2019 after 12 years of writing NewsCut and pointing out to complainants that posts weren’t news stories. A son of Massachusetts, he was a news editor 1992-1998, created the MPR News regional website in 1999, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day lamented that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

Politics · Sports

Facebook post kills a ND horseracing career

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 6, 2019, 8:48 AM Mar 6, 2019

Facebook kills careers. So does being a little too invested in a political issue. Ask the manager of a North Dakota horse track who, on his personal page, weighed into a bill in the North Dakota Legislature that would provide some assistance to the North Dakota Horse Park in paying special assessments to the City of Fargo. Read more →

Economy · Health

While deputy helps the homeless seek shelter, she searches for her brother

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 6, 2019, 7:05 AM Mar 6, 2019

Teri Kinne signs up for the shifts because she’s been looking for her brother, whom she hadn’t seen in 10 years until she spotted him at an overflow shelter at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center not long ago, the Pioneer Press says. Read more →

What’s on MPR News – 3/6/19

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 6, 2019, 5:45 AM Mar 6, 2019

Here are the stories, topics, and guests you’ll hear today on MPR News. Read more →

Economy

Minnesota’s billionaires are doing just fine, thank you

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 3:40 PM Mar 5, 2019

Forbes is out with its annual list of the richest people in the world and, perhaps not surprisingly, the people who were the richest last year are the richest this year. That’s pretty much how it works when you’re rich. Once you’re a billionaire, it’s pretty hard not to be a billionaire. Read more →

Sports

Ila Borders walks with baseball’s greats

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 2:37 PM Mar 5, 2019
0

The Society for American Baseball Research has nominated a former Saint Paul Saint for a new award honoring women in baseball.
Read more →

Arts & Culture

Jana Shortal’s Great Big Story

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 1:05 PM Mar 5, 2019
7

Jana Shortal, of KARE 11, is already a legend in these parts but she got a big boost on a national level today when the YouTube channel, Great Big Story, called attention to her style.
Read more →

Politics

Politicians wear pearls in gun hearing. But why?

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 12:56 PM Mar 5, 2019
27

When the New Hampshire General Court held a public hearing at the statehouse on gun legislation opponents wore pearls. Read more →

Weather

Of snow boogers, fenderbergs, carnicles, and chunkers

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 8:36 AM Mar 5, 2019
14

On Twitter yesterday, I asked for people’s names for what the people in my house call “snow boogers”, the clumps of ice and snow that we love to kick off when the temperature is just right. And, thanks to Steve Swan, I was made aware of this poetic segment that Moore did on the subject. It’s brilliant. Read more →

Politics

Ailing elderly trying to hang on until the Mueller report

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 7:00 AM Mar 5, 2019
48

Add ‘I just wanted to hang on to read the Mueller investigation’ to ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office’ among phrases that shouldn’t be our last words. Read more →

What’s on MPR News – 3/5/19

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 5, 2019, 6:00 AM Mar 5, 2019
2

Here are the stories, topics, and guests you’ll hear today on MPR News. Read more →

Education

Student needed to take notes, so professor taught while rocking a baby

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 4, 2019, 1:54 PM Mar 4, 2019
9

Wayne Hayer, a student at Morehouse College, couldn’t find child care for his daughter last week and he’s prepping for finals this week. So he apologized when he showed up for Nathan Alexander’s algebra class.

Alexander noticed Hayer having difficulty taking notes and watching his daughter, so he stepped in. Read more →

Economy · Politics

Divided Court of Appeals upholds Minneapolis minimum wage law

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 4, 2019, 10:35 AM Mar 4, 2019
28

In upholding a district court ruling, the Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the state law doesn’t prevent a city from requiring a higher minimum wage. It only prohibits paying less. The case will almost certainly have to be settled by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Read more →

Weather

‘It is winter!’

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 4, 2019, 10:03 AM Mar 4, 2019
14

How is it possible that someone in Minnesota hasn’t started a crowdfunding campaign to bring Diane to Minnesota?

Read more →

Weather

Giving up on shoveling out cars

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 4, 2019, 9:37 AM Mar 4, 2019
4

We have reached the point of winter where some people just give up. Like, perhaps, this person in Minneapolis who has parked his/her car and has gone the full camouflage route. Read more →

This or That

Contemplations on a lifeless body

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 4, 2019, 8:42 AM Mar 4, 2019
52

Some customs of our civilization have been around so long they seem perfectly normal. And when it comes to death, who wants to talk about what we do to a corpse? Sallie Tisdale does. Read more →

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