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.

Melody’s Olympics – Living in Beijing

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 6:25 PM Aug 21, 2008

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Many people have shared with MPR News their stories of feeling left behind, of the middle class no longer being financially stable.

Free wireless during the RNC? Maybe.

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 6:18 PM Aug 21, 2008

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Minneapolis will announce free wireless service, but only on one day.

Unity will need to be more than a word in Denver

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 5:03 PM Aug 21, 2008

Officials and delegates are saying they’ll have unity between Obama and Clinton forces, but it’ll take more than that.

Surveys and trivia

Campus sustainability

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 2:49 PM Aug 21, 2008

An environmental survey gives high marks to some Minnesota colleges.

Surveys and trivia

The world by scooter

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 12:32 PM Aug 21, 2008

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Two guys are going to spend time riding a scooter from Minnesota to New York City– and back again.

Live-blogging Midmorning: Time to lower the drinking age?

Bob Collins August 21, 2008, 4:36 AM Aug 21, 2008

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I’ll be live blogging this morning’s first hour of Midmorning (9 a.m.), which will discuss the suggestion by a group of college presidents to lower the drinking age.

The first transit tax test

Bob Collins August 20, 2008, 5:01 PM Aug 20, 2008

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At least one county ended up with nothing, when it came time to decide how to spend the increase in sales tax.

Who’s watching you?

Bob Collins August 20, 2008, 3:34 PM Aug 20, 2008

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I don’t know who’s at the other end of the camera that just went up in downtown St. Paul at the corner of Seventh and Cedar… But I wonder if they got nervous when someone walked up to it and took its picture, and I wonder why they’d be nervous — or at least concerned Read more →

Live-blogging Midday: The RNC and you

Bob Collins August 20, 2008, 11:14 AM Aug 20, 2008

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How will the Republican National Convention affect you? The mayors the Twin Cities have the answers.

Melody’s Olympics: The lard birthday cake and other tales from Beijing

Bob Collins August 20, 2008, 10:48 AM Aug 20, 2008

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Minnesota Public Radio’s Melody Ng is in China on vacation, providing News Cut readers with a street-level view of life in Beijing during the Olympics.

The end of summer

Bob Collins August 20, 2008, 7:46 AM Aug 20, 2008

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How is it that summer can pass so quickly, but a presidential campaign plays out in half speed?

Delegate profile: Bethany Dorobiala

Bob Collins August 19, 2008, 10:25 PM Aug 19, 2008

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The head of the College Republicans is the youngest member of the Minnesota delegation to the Republican convention.

Melody’s Olympics: What might have been

Bob Collins August 19, 2008, 1:03 PM Aug 19, 2008

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MPR’s Melody Ng wonders what might her life be like if her grandfather hadn’t left China for the U.S.

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?

Bob Collins August 19, 2008, 7:53 AM Aug 19, 2008

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Some college presidents say a lower drinking age would cut binge drinking on campus.

Melody’s Olympics: Melody exposed to beach volleyball

Bob Collins August 18, 2008, 10:05 PM Aug 18, 2008

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MPR’s Melody Ng doesn’t follow sports much, so beach volleyball in Beijing was a surprise for her on so many levels.