To its surprise, a PBS NewsHour crew asked for — and received — permission to attend the funeral of Vonzell Banks, because someone’s got to tell the story, and someone else has to care what’s happening. Read more →
MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Posting might be a little light today. I’m flying over to Oshkosh for the big air show, which started yesterday, and will be filing a few items from there.
Monday’s highlight was the appearance of the Airbus A350, which will start flying for Delta in 2017. It’s been on a tour of major airports. Read more →

When Lucas Hobbs, 12, of Eagan was at Children’s Hospital being treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he had trouble eating. He was in the hospital for 40 days. Then he decided what wish he’s ask Make a Wish for.
Read more →
We suppose it’s fitting that on this anniversary of the first landing on the moon by a human, we have the first picture of earth from the deep space observatory. Read more →

A man in Massachusetts might face felony charges because he did what the town dragged its feet on — repainting crosswalks. Read more →

Chris Ring, swimming the length of the Mississippi River to call attention to Gold Star families, is reaching his first major city on the swim. He’ll put into Minneapolis today. Read more →

The Grand Forks Herald is taking a stand for consideration of ‘Roughriders’ as a new nickname for the University of North Dakota. Read more →
There’s something particularly delightful about a dirt road, an old Lutheran church on the prairie and a few dozen tractors.
Read more →
The ongoing feud between drivers and bicyclists (which exists almost as if one is never the other) often ends up as little more than the ceremonial hurling of allegations that the “other” is pretty bad at their mode of transportation.
Are drivers worse than bicyclists or are bicyclists worse than drivers when it comes to obeying the laws of the road?
Neither. Read more →
Minneapolis is getting big points from Vox for its decision to end the requirement that off-street parking spaces be built for each unit in an apartment building.
Read more →
The Internet should do that thing it does so well and help David and Jessica Daughtery get a job. Read more →
The photographer in Fargo who was banned from the city’s swimming pools for taking pictures of people without their knowledge says the publicity has ruined his life. Kirk Ludwig also says he’s “pretty sure” he’s going to lose his job. Read more →

The huge AirVenture aviation fly-in in Oshkosh doesn’t officially start until Monday but thousands of airplanes have already started arriving.
About every type of airplane ever flown has landed at the Wisconsin airport, which becomes the busiest airport in the world for a week every summer.
The gigantic B-52 Stratocruiser has never been one of them.
Read more →
Well, now, that was a week, eh?
What didn’t we talk about — either here or on the radio — that we should have?
Read more →
Times have changed and people no longer are as restricted about the information they’re able to receive.
The minister is questioning whether the BBC still needs to be a global service. Read more →