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.

Sotomayor’s rulings

Bob Collins July 9, 2009, 3:43 PM Jul 9, 2009

The National Archives has released thousands of pages of documents about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

How to get weatherization help

Bob Collins July 9, 2009, 12:33 PM Jul 9, 2009

Following up on a Morning Edition interview on tapping into economic stimulus money to improve the energy efficiency in your home.

Stimulus roundup

Bob Collins July 9, 2009, 11:02 AM Jul 9, 2009

5

Months later, we still can’t agree on what the economic stimulus program is supposed to do.

Five at 8 – 7/9/09

Bob Collins July 9, 2009, 7:40 AM Jul 9, 2009

7

Defending the Defense of Marriage Act, the biggest ethical question we face, the hatred among us, blogging Iran, and environmental myths.

Logic missing from Twin Cities airport signs

Bob Collins July 8, 2009, 4:53 PM Jul 8, 2009

39

Critics of improved signs at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport must never have needed directions.

How a Minnesota man blew the whistle on the New York Times

Bob Collins July 8, 2009, 11:58 AM Jul 8, 2009

37

Adam Gurno discovered that a photo in a story about the recession’s impact on construction was faked.

Brod suspends gubernatorial aspirations

Bob Collins July 8, 2009, 10:39 AM Jul 8, 2009

1

Undisclosed health concerns cited.

Five at 8 – 7/8/09

Bob Collins July 8, 2009, 7:51 AM Jul 8, 2009

2

Terrorists with a paint brush, ethnic clashes in China, a cancer patient decides to live through his art, is marijuana the answer to state economic woes, and camping horror stories.

The shrinking hub

Bob Collins July 7, 2009, 4:01 PM Jul 7, 2009

2

Minneapolis remains a Delta-Northwest hub, but one hub that officials said would stay open is shrinking fast.

Dispatches from the economic front lines

Bob Collins July 7, 2009, 2:19 PM Jul 7, 2009

1

Searching for a safe harbor.

A look at congressional office expenses

Bob Collins July 7, 2009, 12:07 PM Jul 7, 2009

2

How do members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation stack up?

On the attack against Franken

Bob Collins July 7, 2009, 10:33 AM Jul 7, 2009

3

An old Franken video resurfaces in a new Republican attack ad.

Five at 8 – 7/7/09

Bob Collins July 7, 2009, 7:25 AM Jul 7, 2009

The editorial battles, skateboarding to glory, hard times stories from hard times past, Prairie Home Companion in Avon, and researchers find it’s easy to guess your Social Security number.

The bridge reconsidered

Bob Collins July 6, 2009, 5:32 PM Jul 6, 2009

2

Now that the I-35W bridge has been open for almost a year, do we love it yet?

Uniquely Minnesota: Twin Cities 360

Bob Collins July 6, 2009, 3:51 PM Jul 6, 2009

5

An aerial view of Minnesota’s diverse geography.