Bob Collins
Robert Poli, the leader of PATCO, the air traffic controllers union, never thought Ronald Reagan would fire them all. But he did, crippling the American union movement. 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.
Barb Goodwin tried to blow the whistle on Community Action of Minneapolis. Other politicians ignored her, for 17 years. Read more →
The Pew Research Center says today that the number of Americans who have never married is at an all-time high.
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As he jumped off Marine One in New York yesterday, Obama saluted his military escort. But he had a coffee cup in his hand at the time.
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A study shows that people will mostly take their purchases somewhere else online, but will spend more money locally. Read more →
It was odd staging when President Obama announced a new war for the United States today. He did so on the lawn of the White House rather than behind a desk in the Oval Office. Read more →
The family of a Minnesota Marine is alleging the local Veterans Administration clinic falsified its records to cover up delays in providing treatment. Read more →
Here’s your daily dose of sweetness. Read more →
A second fence around the White House has been installed after an Iraq war veteran stormed the White House over the weekend. Read more →
So long, summer. Don’t stay away too long Read more →
State officials announced changes to the child abuse system to prevent a repeat of the tragedy of a 4-year-old boy. Here are a few others. Read more →
Woodbury’s a pretty good place. But if you squint your eyes, it also could be Anywhere, USA, which doesn’t do much to explain how it made Money Magazine’s Top Places to Live List. Read more →
Minneapolis bike riders too lax on safety? Is that the reason bike fatalities are rising?
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Friends help take the sting out of a hurtful high school “joke.”
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Thanks to the eye of Jason DeRusha, we’re alerted to the ‘resignation’ of reporter Charlo Greene of KTVA in Alaska. The ethically-challenged Greene reported on the Alaska Cannabis Club, and never revealed that she owns the marijuana-legalization group. Read more →