History says any attempt to override Gov. Pawlenty’s veto of the tax bill will fail, says Eric Ostermeier at the blog, Smart Politics. Why? Because they almost always do. Great statistic: 63.7% of all vetoes in Minnesota since 1939 have occurred during the last three administrations. And, no, Pawlenty is not at the top of the list. The most overriden governor was Jesse Ventura. Only the voters liked him.
The space shuttle lifts off around 1 this afternoon for a repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Like any good telescope, it has its own Web site. You’ve probably seen the pretty pictures its taken over the years but what does it mean? What exactly do we know now that we didn’t know before and what good is it to us? There’s a page on this site dedicated to telling us that, but it hasn’t been updated since 2000. Yep. It’s almost like, you know, looking back in time. A separate page, though, tells us that Hubble is gaining on the mystery of dark energy.
Speaking of science, does the world seem like it’s spinning faster to you? Wasn’t it just Friday at 5 o’clock a few minutes ago? And here it is Monday. Meanwhile, the world of snails is getting slower.
War games. No bombs and bullets, just bytes, says the Times.
A Fargo woman has made good on her plan to be credit-card-debt free by her 25th birthday, the Fargo Forum reports. The personal savings rate has risen to the highest level since 1995. Is it because people are stashing more away for emergencies, or paying off debt? How about you?
Midmorning – First hour: How to prepare for the end of the life. Say, there’s a snappy pick-me-up for a Monday. Second hour: The science of emotional survival.
Midday – First hour: P. M. Forni, speaking at the Washington County Library about his book “Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct.” Second hour: Former Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and Minority Leader Duane Benson will be in the studio to discuss how to resolve tax, policy and funding disagreements in the final week of the legislative session. Salient point: Moe was in charge when the Legislature was setting records for overriding a governor.
Talk of the Nation – Ted Koppel talks torture, and in the second hour, NPR bloggers and regulars.
All Things Considered — Minnesota is no longer making any headway against drunk driving. The stats haven’t improved since the ’90s. Why not? Dan Olson reports. Brandt Williams will have the story of a settlement hearing in the Fong Lee case. From Washington there’ll be two — two — segments on what happens to your online profile after you die (what is this: death day?). I answered that question while filling in on Future Tense weeks ago.
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.
Bob Collins