MPR News Reflections and observations on the news

By Bob Collins

bcollins@mpr.org • @newscut

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.

Following Egypt

Bob Collins January 28, 2011, 10:41 AM Jan 28, 2011

1

The complexity of protests explored.

On Henry Oertelt (5×8 – 1/28/11)

Bob Collins January 28, 2011, 7:06 AM Jan 28, 2011

3

Myths of Challenger, the most important question: Why, is it time to get out of the recreation business, are small airports a threat, and crows eating.

Live-blogging: The budget cutting bill

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 5:47 PM Jan 27, 2011

16

A bill to make cuts permanent to mental health, higher education and state government, and freeze state worker pay has advanced.

Embracing winter: The ice sculptures

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 2:31 PM Jan 27, 2011

The heat is on a group of artist’s in St. Paul’s Rice Park. They’ve got until 9 Saturday morning to turn the blocks of ice into works of ice art.

Coincidence? Or a tragic example of the power of the press?

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 12:18 PM Jan 27, 2011

3

You may recall the controversy last fall when a newspaper in Uganda printed pictures of homosexuals in the country with ‘hang them’ on the front page. One of them is dead.

Health care pushback

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 11:38 AM Jan 27, 2011

Today, the White House is distributing the story of Kayla Holmstrom of Brookings, South Dakota, who was hurt in a motorcycle accident.

Surveys and trivia

What every cabin owner needs

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 11:27 AM Jan 27, 2011

4

A water-powered jetpack is now on the market.

The 99-week syndrome (5×8 – 1/27/11)

Bob Collins January 27, 2011, 7:09 AM Jan 27, 2011

11

Why don’t long-term unemployed have a job, Tim Pawlenty: the sequel, heroes and zeroes, and the joy of human hibernation explored.

The gulf of St. Paul

Bob Collins January 26, 2011, 3:43 PM Jan 26, 2011

3

Three weeks into the legislative session, there isn’t a whiff of bipartisanship in the air.

Supreme Court hands dairy farmers a win over stray voltage

Bob Collins January 26, 2011, 1:22 PM Jan 26, 2011

15

The court ruling sparks a new debate over how much stray electricity threatens Minnesota dairy farmers.

Africa have your say

Bob Collins January 26, 2011, 11:30 AM Jan 26, 2011

1

From Minneapolis to London to Mogadishu, a discussion about the future of Somalia

Bad sports or good business? (5×8 – 1/26/11)

Bob Collins January 26, 2011, 7:11 AM Jan 26, 2011

10

Should a Packers tie get you fired, the Chipotle firings, happy Swap Day, running in place at work, and the Iron Range weasel’s workout.

Air continues to leak out of housing market

Bob Collins January 25, 2011, 4:18 PM Jan 25, 2011

1

The recovery in the resale price of homes in the Twin Cities last year apparently was a mirage.

Is there any hope for Somalia?

Bob Collins January 25, 2011, 3:01 PM Jan 25, 2011

1

Somalis in London, Mogadishu, and St. Paul will examine the future.

The limits of free speech

Bob Collins January 25, 2011, 1:21 PM Jan 25, 2011

7

A jury awarded $400,000 to a man because of things someone said about him on the Internet. Now he wants to make it a crime.