Bob CollinsUnder the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, you have the right to face your accuser. But what if your accuser is your own car? Read more →
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.
A monument to Apple founder Steve Jobs outside Russia’s IT University has been taken down, apparently because its creators were afraid it violates the recent Russian law against “gay propaganda.” Read more →
SUVs are back!
The October auto sales report, released this morning, shows the continuation of a trend in the United States: Big cars and trucks are back. Read more →
Whatever happened to those skydivers whose planes collided over Superior one year ago Sunday? Read more →
As we’ve written in these spaces before, we have infinite respect for those who push the boundaries and take the time to chase their explorer side. Two such people are in the news today. First, Jared McCallum… McCallum, a Marine vet, spent the early part of the year walking the entire length of the Appalachian Read more →
Did anyone outside of the Upper Midwest notice the big demonstration yesterday against the Washington Redskins’ name? Yes. Read more →
It doesn’t really matter that the opposing team wasn’t that interested in tight defense; the game wasn’t really the point at that point anyway.
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Admittedly, this would have been a better picture had I not been running away from the portal to another universe that opened up in the sky of South St. Paul on Saturday afternoon.
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You might not recognize the names, but if you’re a NewsCut regular, you’ve seen Melanie Bailey and Danielle Lenoue in action. Read more →
Maine Chief District Court Judge Charles LaVerdiere had a night to sleep on it and decided today that a full quarantine for nurse Kaci Hickox isn’t such a good idea after all. Read more →
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports a bookmaker in New York has pleaded guilty to trying to launder a check for $230,000 that paid off gambling debts. The check was a New York Islanders paycheck and the paper is suggesting it might have been Thomas Vanek’s. He now plays for the Minnesota Wild.
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It’s unlikely anyone without ink stains is going to shed tears over the Washington Post story today that journalists are being charged $60,000 each to ride on the press plane that will tail President Obama on his upcoming Asia trip.
But buried deep in the story is the reason that should be somewhat concerning: The price is so high because so few news organizations are covering the trip.
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It may be a pain for residents of Pine Island but the words ‘good riddance’ were invented precisely for the closing of the disaster-waiting-to-happen intersection of Highway 52 in the city. Read more →
Neighbors in Newport, Minn., find a special way to honor a Vietnam War vet’s service. Read more →
Reddit and the website SB Nation had a lot of fun with this photo of a Timberwolves ticket taped to a pole. There’s probably more to the story than a person who didn’t want to go to the game. Read more →