Bob CollinsSometimes, it’s hard for mere mortals to grasp the genius of Einstein.
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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.
Here’s another reason why soccer is better than most mainstream sports: Its fans don’t take ticket-price increases lying down.
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Whether it’s on a Willmar, Minn., street or the San Francisco Bay Bridge, It’s amazing how the extraordinary act of saving lives is just another day on the job for cops. Read more →
It was five years ago today that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker ‘dropped the bomb,’ in his words, introducing legislation to strip public employee unions of their right to collective bargaining. It was a move that split Wisconsin and led to weeks of protests. How has it worked out?
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Regular readers know we really don’t need any more proof that Americans are really poor at history and civics, but let’s throw some out there anyway. Read more →
Luke McAvoy, an offensive lineman for the University of Minnesota Gophers football team from 2011-2014, was in a difficult spot during the same-sex marriage debate in Minnesota at the time.
While his teammates all had opinions of the issue, McAvoy kept quiet. He hadn’t yet told the team that he’s gay. Read more →
What do scientists do underground on the Mesabi range? No big deal. They’re just looking for the secret of the universe. Or at least they were. Read more →
A 93-year-old veteran from Virginia has reunited today with the 88-year old Australian woman with whom he shared a wartime love. Read more →
Since late January, a man in Superior, Wis., has been protesting the local school’s “de-escalation room”, a room where some of the school’s special needs students can go when things get tense for them. Read more →
Ever wonder where some political reporters get their analysis? Judging by emails pried from the Department of State, they buy it from the politicians they cover by selling their integrity. Read more →
Your daily dose of bittersweetness today comes from the blizzard-weary land of Willmar, Minn., where the police department reports on its Facebook page that police officers shoveled a driveway after trying to save the life of an elderly man who had a heart attack while shoveling.
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When Vince Lombardi said, ‘show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser,’ it ended up in management text books. Lombardi had a luxury that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton didn’t have when he sulked after losing the Super Bowl the other night, and stormed out of his postgame news conference. Read more →
Charlie Smith was the sort of politician that could make people feel that anybody could grow up to be elected to office and make a difference, armed only with decency, honesty and authenticity.
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That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: Bidding starts at the appraised value.
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The St. Paul schools superintendent says she’s received racist letters — and worse — on the decision of a district school to eliminate “celebration” of Valentine’s Day and several other holidays. Read more →