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NewsCut

MPR News Reflections and observations on the news

This or That

This or That

The flight to Alderaan has been cancelled

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 4, 2018, 9:33 AM May 4, 2018
21

It’s Star Wars Day — May the 4th — get it?

Everyone can stop trying to one-up everyone else on witty Star Wars references now, though.

Heathrow Airport wins.
Read more →

This or That

On the miracle of the Honeycrisp apple

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 3, 2018, 2:26 PM May 3, 2018
11

A Planet Money story is a nice tale, indeed, with the appropriate recognition of the state that lies just west of Wisconsin, but we remain troubled by the 2013 warning from Mother Jones that the very ‘miracle’ that the Honeycrisp and SweeTango provided, threatens the biodiversity and future of apples varieties. Read more →

This or That

Zipper merge didn’t work? Try ‘rock, paper, scissors’

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 1, 2018, 9:03 AM May 1, 2018
1

The difference between drivers in Houston and those in the Twin Cities appears to be the fingers that are used. Marco Sanchez, a Texan, was faced with a driver who wanted to merge into his lane. “He was on the side on the right and I saw him way in the back. No one wanted Read more →

This or That

Facebook mistake lands a free vacation for accidental tourist

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 1, 2018, 7:11 AM May 1, 2018
10

Joe Hill, 26, of Plymouth, Mass., isn’t exactly sure why he joined a Facebook group about New Jersey, but it’s paid off even if it ended up not being about New Jersey. It was dedicated to Jersey, a British island just off the coast of France. Read more →

This or That

Muslim speaks about his faith and nothing bad seems to have happened

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 30, 2018, 3:06 PM Apr 30, 2018
5

It says something about the times we live in that a man of faith being treated courteously is front page news, but it is in Alexandria, Minn., because Rashed Ferdous got a warmer reception than the last time he was in town. Read more →

This or That

How a 10th grader in Alexandria, Minn., changed history

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 30, 2018, 12:28 PM Apr 30, 2018
17

Cinco de Mayo is coming up on Saturday, a day we honor the poor research abilities of America’s school children and some of the country’s businesses.

Can you spot the problem here? Read more →

This or That

And now, this moment of decency

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 27, 2018, 1:46 PM Apr 27, 2018
0

Sometimes we have to look a little harder than we should have to in order to find the humanity in the intersection of politicians and the media. Read more →

This or That

A country short on heroes could be paying more attention to James Shaw

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 27, 2018, 12:26 PM Apr 27, 2018
20

For a country that loves heroes, James Shaw is getting stiffed.

He’s the guy who disarmed the gunman at a Waffle House in Nashville, during which six people were shot, four of them fatally. Read more →

This or That

Can billboards save Pequot Lakes?

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 27, 2018, 9:20 AM Apr 27, 2018
9

In Pequot Lakes, beauty is going to take a back seat to business and, somewhere, Lady Bird Johnson is rolling over in her grave. Read more →

This or That

A worthless White Bear Lake home is a lesson for the future

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 26, 2018, 8:36 AM Apr 26, 2018
19

What’s particularly upsetting about the current assault on the environment by people who are charged with protecting it is we’re smart enough to know better. Read more →

This or That

No eaglets on DNR webcam this year

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 25, 2018, 8:28 AM Apr 25, 2018
10

There’s nothing to see here but broken eagle dreams. Read more →

This or That

Assessing the breaking bond between journalist and reader

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 24, 2018, 9:19 AM Apr 24, 2018
6

Every morning, we get an email from the digital bosses at the World Headquarters of NewsCut. It’s the daily page view and “engagement time” for everything that appears on the MPR News website. I don’t pretend to know what most of it means other than it feels better to be at the top of the list from Chartbeat than not on it at all. Read more →

This or That

A newspaperman calls it a career

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 23, 2018, 7:15 AM Apr 23, 2018
3

We may be in the final days of seeing anyone spend 40 years in the newspaper business at one paper, or any paper at all.
Read more →

This or That

No freedom when it comes to beer in Canada

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 19, 2018, 1:26 PM Apr 19, 2018
16

Canada has been pretty much on a roll the last few years. Why, the great white north has looked positively appealing when viewed from the American lens.

But an ugly reality of life in Canada was illuminated today when the Supreme Court there upheld a ban on transporting any more than 12 pints of beer from one province. Twelve pints? Oh, Canada! Read more →

This or That

Going to the game? Keep your shirt on

Bob CollinsBob Collins April 19, 2018, 10:28 AM Apr 19, 2018
66

There’s always at least one guy at baseball games who assumes other people want to look at this sort of thing Read more →

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