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.

The News Cut Quiz

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 7:21 PM May 30, 2008

11

There was only one story that truly captured the heart of your News Cut host this week.

A ‘cradle to prison’ pipeline in Minnesota?

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 3:08 PM May 30, 2008

20

What are the odds your kid will end up in prison at some point in his/her life?

Mailbag: The Amazon tribe

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 2:54 PM May 30, 2008

2

What happens when an airplane discovers a tribe in the Amazon?

Surveys and trivia

Boring architecture (cont’d)

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 12:28 PM May 30, 2008

9

There’s still time to submit your nominee for the most unimaginative architecture in the Twin Cities.

Death toll climbs in Hugo

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 11:02 AM May 30, 2008

A second person has died as the result of Sunday’s tornado in Hugo.

Teaching sex ed

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 9:42 AM May 30, 2008

4

If there’s a lab rat for the issue of sex education for young people, perhaps Worthington and Nobles County is it.

Panties for peace

Bob Collins May 30, 2008, 8:01 AM May 30, 2008

6

When Sen. Amy Klobuchar met with members of the Minnesota Burmese community this week, it’s doubtful this idea came up. In Canada human rights groups are calling on women to take part in a unique protest against Burma’s military junta. The Quebec Women’s Federation and the activist group Rights and Democracy are coordinating the Canadian Read more →

And a robot shall lead them

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 9:31 PM May 29, 2008

2

Some things are cool, just because.

Gasoline price trivia

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 7:42 PM May 29, 2008

5

When was the last time a gallon of gasoline cost more than a pack of cigarettes?

Where do the arts fit in?

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 4:32 PM May 29, 2008

2

The arts gets the ‘crazy aunt in the attic’ treatment from those trying to get a sales tax increase passed.

Wars and memorials

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 2:49 PM May 29, 2008

When does a war rise to the level of memorial?

Disposing of the flag

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 1:12 PM May 29, 2008

8

A story in a local paper on thefts from cemeteries appeared to categorize the American flag as garbage.

A pause in Hugo

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 11:37 AM May 29, 2008

1

MPR’s Tom Weber has paused in his coverage of the tornado in Hugo to tell you what it’s like to cover a tornado.

Back to the ‘big woods’

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 10:28 AM May 29, 2008

1

Melissa Gilbert to play the Guthrie.

Regarding Lafayette

Bob Collins May 29, 2008, 9:30 AM May 29, 2008

1

MnDOT provides some details on plans to replace one of the busiest bridges in the Twin Cities.