Bob Collins
Oh, nothing, just Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers surprising three girls at the Milwaukee Art Museum, to highlight the work of an organization that tried to help kids in tough situations. 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.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld a judgment against a payday lender that charged Minnesotans exorbitant interest rates as high as s 1,369 percent. Read more →
There’s something comforting about watching kids at a chess tournament. Read more →
Snow? Rain? Who cares? It’s opening day in the baseball season. It doesn’t matter — yet — that the local nine have no chance at a World Series. There’s green grass, warm temps, and ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’s to sing instead of shoveling snow, wind chill calculations, and school closings to talk about. Endlessly. Read more →
That distributors are beating a path to Glass’ door underscores the reality that there are nowhere near enough popular national shows from a new generation to excite the public radio audience. Read more →
Baseball broadcaster Jerry Remy defends providing legal support for his son, who is charged with murder, and says doing so shouldn’t cost him his job. Read more →
This is today’s viral video that’s racing through the pneumatic InterTubes today and it’s perfect for a Friday. Read more →
There’s a disagreement over the inclusion of beer at an event celebrating ‘wellness’ in Hibbing. It’s not that beer is included, it’s that it’s not local beer. Read more →
When you read stories, like the one about the father in Maplewood who allegedly shot and killed his son because he didn’t want to pay for cable TV, it’s pretty easy to give up on people. What hope is there for a civilized society with the mounting evidence of its degradation?
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A tailgating pickup driver gets what he deserves. Read more →
The brouhaha over the Humphrey School’s invitation to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak at the University of Minnesota has two elements: One is her $150,000 speaking fee. The other is whether people who disagree with what she has to say should prevent you from hearing what she has to say. Read more →
Granted, it’s not the big glitzy display of its bigger sibling to the west, but the Saint Paul skyline is generally a nice unassuming piece of work.
Does it need something like this? Read more →
Give the University of Minnesota basketball players who had staff members write their papers for them years ago a little credit: At least they knew they’d flunk if they turned in the kind of academic work they were actually capable of. Sure, it was academic fraud but at least they put some effort into covering it up.
How will the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill explain this third-grade level essay, turned in by one of its football players? Read more →
Ford answers Cadillac in an ad that destroys the notion of what makes Americans different. Read more →
The third-richest man in Minnesota may be buying the Star Tribune newspaper, a report today says.
Glen Taylor, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, former legislator, and owner of companies in the wedding invitation printing business, is nearing a final agreement with the paper, according to the business newsletter, Business Take. Read more →