Bob CollinsThe Monday Morning Rouser:
http://vimeo.com/31275044
Ten years ago, Alex Scott thought she could raise enough money selling lemonade to make cancer go away. But cancer killed her. Her parents kept the idea of the lemonade stand solution alive and because of her, 300 cancer studies have been paid for, and some kids didn’t die.
Related: Cancer claims a mom, but spirit lives in toy library (MPR)
2) THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T GIVE UP
It’s hard to know what the future will hold for Trinity Fletcher. She’s got plenty of challenges. She’s battled mental health issues most of her life, and it’s hard to say whether any kid can get over being told “it’s been when you’re gone” by family members. But the Star Tribune’s marvelous story of how Fletcher, homeless just a short time ago, got her high school diploma is a testament to some teachers and faculty members in the Anoka Hennpin District who don’t know how to give up on kids.
Her mother and stepfather, meanwhile, did not bother to attend last week’s graduation ceremony.
The world has come a long away in the last few decades, but apparently a mixed-race couple and their child is too much for some people. YouTube had to shut down the comments on the ad because of the racism.
Camille Gibson, vice president of marketing for Cheerios at Golden Valley-based General Mills played it professionally when she said in a statement, “Consumers have responded positively to our new Cheerios ad. At Cheerios, we know there are many kinds of families and we celebrate them all.”
But it wouldn’t have bothered us at all if General Mills had just said, “if you don’t like the ad, we don’t need you as a customer.”
If Mary Richards can have a statue in her honor in Minnesota, why can’t Bob Dylan?
A group of Dylan fans has launched a Kickstarter project to raise the cash for a bronze statue of Dylan in Duluth.
Monona, Wisconsin appears to be the first community in the country to hold parents accountable for the bullies they spawn. The Wisconsin State Journal says parents can be fined if their kids repeatedly are found to bully other people.
“Sometimes you’ll knock on someone’s door and they won’t want to talk to you — their kids are perfect, they could never do anything wrong,” police chief Wally Ostrenga said. “This is for those times when we get the door slammed in our faces.”
TODAY’S QUESTION
Should scientists attempt to clone a wooly mammoth?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: Economic impact of immigration reform. Plus: Rochester high-speed rail.
Second hour: The Mall of America received nearly $250 million in tax breaks to help fund a planned expansion. We’ll look at what shape that expansion may take.
Third hour: The importance of transforming science stories from confusing, jargon-filled ciphers to powerful, accessible narratives. How can the public benefit from a greater understanding of scientific discovery? How can journalists, curators and scientists contribute to this effort?
MPR News Presents (12-1 pm): Live National Press Club broadcast featuring David Gergen and GOP Congressman Fred Upton. They’ll discuss the press and the presidency.
Talk of the Nation (1-2 p.m.) – How’s the U.S. economy doing these days? It depends on whom you ask. Home prices, consumer confidence, and the stock market are all way up. But nearly 12 million Americans are still out of work. And if you have a job, chances are your paychecks barely growing fast enough to keep up with inflation. What’s your economic indicator?
All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – Food stamps will likely be center stage when the House takes up the Farm Bill this month. The version of the bill before the House cuts food stamps by $20 billion over the next 10 years, largely by tightening eligibility requirements. In Minnesota, state officials estimate that would make 32,000 current food stamp recipients ineligible. The cuts would disproportionately affect seniors, because the House proposal would force Minnesota to reinstate as asset cap for food stamp recipients. State officials say some seniors have savings that would then make them ineligible for the program. MPR’s Julie Siple will have the story.
