Bob Collins
Not answering questions can be a long-term land mine for a political candidate, but only if she’s not answering good questions. Read more →
MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Politics
St. Louis Park is about to do something no other city in Minnesota has done. It’s considering banning plastic bags.
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Journalist Seymour Hersch is leveling charges that the American story of the killing of Osama bin Laden is full of lies. Read more →
Nothing says ‘America’ like a trash truck in the morning. Read more →
There was quite a display of the night-and-day difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota up north today. Read more →
British elections illuminated a big problem with polls in the first place: People vote based on them. Read more →
NPR has latched onto the biggest Minnesota controversy of the legislative session so far — eye contact.
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South Dakota has had some weird marketing campaigns lately, but maybe they should just turn things over to Rebecca of sunny Vermillion. The way the White House described it today, she’s behind his decision to finally visit the one state in the country he’s never visited. Because who can pass up a state known for Read more →
A New York Times story today reveals the extent to which one’s lot in life is luck — the randomness of where someone is born and raised. Read more →
There’s really no good reason to require bicyclists to stop at stop signs. It’s possible to see and hear intersecting traffic earlier on a bike than it is in a car, which is the primary reason cars are required to stop — to give the driver a proper amount of time to assess the traffic situation.
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We can live without Jon Stewart’s comedy when he gives up his gig on The Daily Show later this year. But his astounding grilling of New York Times reporter Judith Miller last night was a reminder that we’ll be hard-pressed to replace his journalistic chops when it comes to interviewing, or — more accurately — his refusal to be a megaphone for newsmakers peddling garbage. Read more →
There are only a few weeks left in the Minnesota legislative session, and this would be a good time to ask a question: Is eliminating health care for working Minnesotans worth shutting down state government? Read more →
A Little Canada DFL senator wants 40 percent of transit sales-tax revenue to be spent “where 40 percent of the people reside,” on the east metro. West metro folks aren’t thrilled. Read more →
In retaliation for a vote against including gays in anti-discrimination legislation, a Fargo politician has been outed by a man who says he recognized Rep. Randy Boehning from a gay dating smartphone app, the Fargo Forum reports today. Read more →
The White House Correspondents Dinner is the traditional venue for a president to try out his comedic chops, sometimes to limited results.
Today, however, President Obama is getting decent reviews for his performance. Which is a switch. Read more →