Bob CollinsThere are a lot more than six things I should have know before entering journalism. 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.
John Boehner says he’s not interested in being president if he has to give up cigarettes. Read more →
Economic mobility and hope for the future, the medallion hunt, the end of Israeli-Palestinian scorekeeping at NPR, 30 stadiums in 30 days, and lessons from the first grade. Read more →
The Seahawks’ Richard Sherman is getting the attention before the Super Bowl. Maybe Derrick Coleman should get some. Read more →
Reaction was swift — and somewhat predictable — to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to give 50,000 special visas over the next five years to lure highly skilled immigrants to live and work in Detroit. Snyder was joined by the mayor of Detroit and representatives of several companies headquartered in the bankrupt city. Unemployment in the city Read more →
Though they’ve been a generally disappointing team this year, and are on a pace to miss the playoffs again, the Minnesota Timberwolves today announced fairly steep increases for the cheaper seats at the soon-to-be-remodeled Target Center for next season. Read more →
U.S. Olympic outfits by Ralph Lauren are certainly “interesting,” in a Minnesota way. Read more →
There’ll be no Winter Frolic queen in Hibbing this year, dispatches from the land formerly known as winter tough, why schools will one day close when it gets to the 30s, was too much information released about the Target data break-in, and the science of poverty with Bill Nye. Read more →
Gov. Mark Dayton and other politicians have their careers tied to MNsure. They’ve been in denial. Is anyone listening? Read more →
Maybe we should call it the Minnesota diet. Researchers say cold weather can make you thinner, Time.com is reporting today. Read more →
Now that we’ve got an orchestra back in Minneapolis, it’s time to renew the debate that preceded its year-long labor strife: Is classical music dead? Read more →
What we don’t know about cars, can you call Richard Sherman a jerk without being called a racist, the caves of Lake Superior, why Dunkin’ might not be such a sweet deal for Minnesota, and Ricky Rubio is still adorable. Read more →
When Janna Holm’s grandmother, Dorothy (shown above), died from cancer in Shakopee 18 years ago, she left behind a small stack of index cards covered in coded letters. Janna, who has since moved from the state to live the good winter life in the mid-Atlantic region, tried to decode them as a kid, but she Read more →
In the aftermath of the theft of credit card data of millions of its customers, Target is offering free credit monitoring via Experian’s ProtectMyID to those concerned they’ll be exposed to phony charges. Target sent emails last week with instructions on how to get the free monitoring. Once they sign up, customers will get a Read more →
If you’ve been dispirited by the constant cuts in music education in recent years, perhaps you can find some hope in today’s awarding of a Grammy to an upstate New York teacher for excellence in music teaching. Read more →