Bob CollinsA divided Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a Minneapolis firefighter can sue for discrimination under the state’s Human Rights Act because the department refused to allow him to wear tennis shoes because of an injury.
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
By Bob Collins
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.
There’s a lot to learn from the case of Greg Bowe, 54, of Williston, N.D., but it all boils down basically to this: don’t threaten to kill the jury before they decide whether you’re guilty. Read more →
For some reason, we keep expecting Americans to become more engaged in their responsibility as citizens. We scratch our heads and try to figure out why they don’t vote and why elections end up as more theater than a sobering discussion of issues. Read more →
These are tough times in the dairy business, particularly for small operations. But the fact a livelihood is destroyed so quickly by a month of snow reveals the precipice on which many farmers stand. Read more →
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More than a half million people sent photos of their babies in this year’s bid to be the Gerber baby.
Only one made it. Read more →
Can your summer do this?
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Winter is our meteorological purification. So I squint as I look in the backyard. I can almost see July. And it is good. Read more →
We have reached the point in our winter when we have to make an important calculation: is the risk of my roof collapsing under the weight of the snow greater than the risk of me being permanently disabled by falling off it?
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The NFL, which has a habit of looking the other way on serious matters, is finally going to crack down — again — on those who discredit the good name of football: touchdown celebrations.
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The Minnesota Wild today continued blowing up its underachieving franchise, sending former future-of-the-team Mikael Granlund to the Nashville Predators for winger Kevin Fiala. Come in off the ledge, fans. Read more →
The Supreme Court, like many states, put a provision in its rules that guarantees we often won’t see coverage; it gave attorneys for both sides the right to object. If one side objects, the cameras are banned. End of story.
That’s what happened Monday. Read more →
This update from Lake Minnetonka: the ice on Carson’s Bay is safe for whatever you’ve got in mind. Read more →
If weatherpeople gave us a three-day warning about a blizzard (they did), and authorities told drivers in southern Minnesota to stay off the road (they did), why were so many people stranded and had to be rescued by first responders who had to assume the risk of doing so?
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