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.
The labor dispute in Massachusetts that seemed so unusual a week ago — the employees walked out in support of a grocery chain CEO who treated them decently — now seems headed down a familiar road to many workers. The Market Basket grocery chain gave the employees until the end of the day today to Read more →
No doubt there’ll be many tributes — and from some, brickbats — on the occasion of the death of the former Reagan press secretary, James Brady, who took a bullet to his brain intended for his boss. This is my most memorable moment. It was Chicago, 1996, the second national convention of the year, following Read more →
You think being a farmer is easy? It’s not. First, you have to learn to play the trombone.
In a POW camp, baseball was the one constant, said a WWII POW who this evening will throw out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game in town. Read more →
It’s probably not much of a secret that Kevin Love has played his last game in a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform. Today, there’s another indication that he’s about to start playing them in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. According to the website, BC Cleveland, the NBA online store has discontinued selling the Andrew Wiggins Cavalier jersey, even Read more →
Poverty, quite obviously, is still a bigger problem in the city than the suburbs, but a new report from Brookings says the rate of poverty is increasing in suburbs more than cities. The number of “distressed” neighborhoods has grown by 78 percent in the 2000’s, with much of that increase coming in the suburbs. Of Read more →
Gov. Mark Dayton suggested to Jessica Hauser that if she wanted to help her 2-year-old son, Wyatt, with his 200 epileptic seizures a day, she just buy marijuana illegally. She found a real answer in Oregon.
Whatever happened to Jessica and her son? Read more →
When a police officer is killed in the line of duty, there’s not a lot individuals can do. We’re powerless in that fact. So, as in other times of tragedy, we light a candle, write a note, or leave some flowers. Reminding us and others that we’re connected in this world of anonymity is about Read more →
Who could be opposed to the idea of keeping the rural character of a soon-to-be-suburb? Neighbors who have a problem with barn weddings. Read more →
Duluth never puts on a bad face. (h/t: Brandon Stahl)
A B-25 flying over to Oshkosh for the big aviation convention over the weekend went a little out of its way, picking up Dayton, Ohio, native Dick Cole, 98, who is one of four remaining “Doolittle Raiders.” Read more →
Starting today I am on vacation. And by “on vacation,” I mean today I’m co-hosting The Current’s morning show with Mary Lucia, which is a pretty easy way to spend the last work day of the week. So there’s no posting by me today. Next week I’m off to Oshkosh for the annual air show. Read more →
Here's Knoblauch's mug shot from when he was arrested yesterday after allegedly beating his wife in front of family. pic.twitter.com/XQL5zXcQ06 — Jace Larson KPRC (@jacelarson) July 24, 2014 The Minnesota Twins have decided to cancel their hall of fame induction of former secondbaseman Chuck Knoblauch. The only question is why they intended to honor him Read more →
The world responds to a Facebook posting about a little boy who may have little time left. Read more →
Stay away from collapsing icebergs. That’s the obvious lesson from this video posted this morning by a couple in Newfoundland. Read more →
Bob Collins