Bob CollinsAsked by Jimmy Fallon if he’s watched election coverage, President Barack Obama said he’s been watching his new favorite show, ‘Orange Is Not the New Black.’
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Politics
Mikhael Teryohin, an engineer at a software company in Fargo, is worried about people across the border and the threat they represent to the hard-working people in his area. They could, for example, steal their jobs. Read more →
It was surprising that a journalistically conservative news organization like the Associated Press would make the announcement it made Monday night, but it counted the noses, had the data, and reported what it knew. The superdelegates in the Clinton camp aren’t bound — as normal delegates are — but the reality is at this stage of the game, they weren’t going to change their minds. Nonetheless, it felt like it was at least on the edges of ‘hey, close enough’ journalism. Read more →
here’s quite a brouhaha in North Dakota because the interim president of a university made a political endorsement, igniting a debate over whether the heads of academic institutions should be involved in partisan politics. Read more →
People can obviously disagree on the answer. But we can’t have that discussion if nobody is pressing politicians to explain what is it specifically about an issue or policy that makes racism an acceptable alternative. Read more →
The Pioneer Press reports that Sgt. Bobby Lambert goes before the City Council tonight after the city’s police chief recommend he be fired for mistakes he made while investigating a drug-overdose death. What mistakes? Nobody will say, of course.
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Donald Trump today called on America to honor the fallen heroes of D-Day by posting a picture that wasn’t from D-Day. Read more →
He warmed up the crowd with the usual actor-turned-commencement-speaker stuff, and then took a flamethrower to the political and financial class. Read more →
Carol Mahr, 81, gave some money to a presidential candidate. She’s been paying for it ever since. Read more →
The thing about sectarian violence — and that’s what we must call political violence these days — is those who commit it will usually defend it in the most noble of terms.
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In its editorial today, the St. Cloud Times says special sessions are becoming a way for politicians to cover up the fact they’re not doing their jobs. Read more →
In a state that is head-over-heels in love with beer and considers it a key ingredient of economic development, Crow Wing County is standing out for its willingness to oppose a beer garden at its county fair. Read more →
Two Syrian refugees refused to shake the hand of their teacher. That’s when authorities made a federal case out of it. Read more →
Can a white guy lead the Minneapolis school system?
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NPR again pushed back today against an Associated Press story last week that strongly suggested a pro-peace, anti-nuke group in favor of the Iran nuclear treaty gained influence in NPR reporting through a grant to the news organization.
The Ploughshares Fund gave NPR $100,000 last year to fund its coverage of the treaty negotiations and subsequent deal. Read more →