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.

Victims or accomplices?

Bob Collins March 13, 2009, 6:43 PM Mar 13, 2009

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Last month, in the now-famous Chicago Tea Party diatribe, CNBC’s Rick Santelli said the people who would be in line for some government help with their mortgages are “losers.” Yesterday,an anchor at the same network suggested Bernie Madoff should be “waterboarded” and pointed out that his victims “did nothing wrong.” Is there a parallel? Yes, Read more →

Where’s the radio?

Bob Collins March 13, 2009, 4:30 PM Mar 13, 2009

Xcel Energy is doing work up around the Shoreview towers early Saturday morning. In the Twin Cities, that’ll knock KNOW 91.1 off the air some time between 1 and 5 a.m. Other stations are also on the giant Shoreview towers and they’ll be off the air, too.

The new DFL

Bob Collins March 13, 2009, 10:51 AM Mar 13, 2009

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DFLers proposing cuts to education and Republicans proposing spending more on it is a paradigm shift that’s going to take Minnesotans more than one legislative session to grasp.

Five at 8 – 3/13/09

Bob Collins March 13, 2009, 8:00 AM Mar 13, 2009

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Five links, none of which are unlucky.

Program update: The graduating seniors

Bob Collins March 13, 2009, 7:28 AM Mar 13, 2009

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Following up on this post I wrote Wednesday night after a roundtable with some area college seniors: MPR’s Midday will broadcast the roundtable today at noon. Update 4:39 p.m. — Find it here.

Selling the things you love

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 4:59 PM Mar 12, 2009

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What are you willing to part with to make ends meet?

The Obama Industrial Average?

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 4:48 PM Mar 12, 2009

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Can you measure the performance of a president based on the stock market?

Tracking the stimulus: Transportation projects

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 4:31 PM Mar 12, 2009

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation has decided how to spend the economic stimulus money heading this way.

Datagate

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 1:51 PM Mar 12, 2009

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Day 2 of the Coleman unsecured data controversy.

Seeing the future

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 1:07 PM Mar 12, 2009

No matter how it’s done, however lawmakers plug the budget deficit is going to come back to haunt them at election time.

Surveys and trivia

What you talking about?

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 12:24 PM Mar 12, 2009

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We’ll take American skyscrapers for 200, Alex.

Madoff gives it up

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 9:48 AM Mar 12, 2009

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But victims are worried he’ll take his secrets to prison.

Five at 8 – 3/12/09

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 8:00 AM Mar 12, 2009

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Five suggestions for things to read while you’re dreading that midmorning meeting.

State employee data released

Bob Collins March 12, 2009, 7:03 AM Mar 12, 2009

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State officials have sent a letter to every state employee in Minnesota, telling them some personal data was inadvertently released.

Optimism, pessimism, and the college graduate

Bob Collins March 11, 2009, 10:13 PM Mar 11, 2009

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Scenes from a roundtable.