Morning Report 7/13/2009

Top Story: DFLers targeting Michelle Bachmann’s 6th District seat.

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• 6th District: Blood in the water, Politics in Minnesota
• By popular demand: The first Obama v. Pawlenty poll, Politics in Minnesota
• Campaign finance spotlight: Top 5 donor lists for 2008 DFL and Republican House caucuses, Politics in Minnesota
• Anyone but Entenza, Blog of the Moderate Left
• What will be the ‘Obama Effect’ on the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial race?, Smart Politics
• Susan Gaertner: Great potential — Save one issue, mnpACT!
• An open letter to 6th Districts DFLers, Liberal in the Land of Conservative
• I’ll take the tenth, Shot in the Dark
• When is it economic slavery?, MN Progressive Project
• Minnesota city spending below national average, MN 2020
• Charter schools: Comparing apples and apples, True North
• Susan Gaertner: The interview, Minnesota Brown
• T-Paw must be hoping voters don’t look at his record, MN Publius
• The gut feeling, Mr. Dilettante
• Victim culture, Shot in the Dark
• Morning Fix: Five senators to watch on Sotomayor, The Fix – Washington Post. Franken on the list.

Business/Economy:

• Twin Cities real estate: Median price up $20,550 in two months, Finance and Commerce
• HUD secretary tours federal stimulus at work in Minneapolis, MPR
• Apartment rents nearly steady, Star Tribune
• Twin Cities homes sales in June rose 33%, Star Tribune
• St. Cloud area sees 115% jump in jobless claims, St. Cloud Times
• Across the metro, even million-dollar homes are having trouble selling, Pioneer Press
• Twin Cities housing market showing small signs of improvement, MPR
• Running diesel up the flagpole, Star Tribune
• Delta’s uniforms have union seeing red, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota’s tax revenue smaller than expected, AP
• New Boston Scientific CEO has high hopes for company, MPR
• States seek less costly substitutes for Prison, Washington Post

Campaigns:

• Dems targeting Bachmann, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Minnesota’s biggest political contributions of 2008, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Political donors: Who are these people?, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• When it comes to contributions, size matters, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Margaret Anderson Kelliher has hired a campaign manager for her undeclared gubernatorial bid, MinnPost
• Unallotment victim, Star Tribune

Congress-House:

• Bachmann seeks to make Census questions optional, MPR

Congress-Senate:

• Sen. Franken finally gets his victory party, AP
• Franken preps with legal scholars for Sotomayor hearings, MPR

Crime/Police:

• Temporary gang unit gets to work Monday, KSTP

Education:

• Layoffs put new teachers in a tougher spot this year, Star Tribune
• State program improves college access, AP

Elections:

• Lawmakers plan to mull election reforms in 2010, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• DFL lawmaker seeks bipartisan election reform in response to 2008 U.S. Senate recount, Pioneer Press
• State officials look ahead to election law changes, Bemidji Pioneer
• Nation’s secretaries of state gather in Minnesota, AP
• Courage Center asks voters who have disabilities to complete survey on barriers to voting, MinnPost

Environment:

• More consumers explore using home-based wind turbines, MPR
• Great Lakes scientists seek ways to kill invasives, AP
• Biofuels are a long-term renewable solution, Politico

Government-Local:

• City’s fiscal challenge: Rising cost and decline in revenue, West Central Tribune

Health Care:

• Health care leaders say reforms could hurt, and help, state’s system, Pioneer Press
• Depression program a success, but costly for clinics, MPR
• Moderate Democrats shaping health reform, Politico. McCollum argues MN penalized.
• Minnesota medical program may survive one more month, AP
• Regions Hospital to open new emergency department, AP
• HCMC entices Hmong mothers with rooftop garden, AP
• Rally to focus on health care for children, AP

Media:

• KARE, Douglas launch 24/7 weather station, MSP Business Journal

Opinion-Commentary:

• Lori Sturdevant: Who’ll be the faces of 2010 campaign?, Star Tribune
• Joe Soucheray: It’s not a crisis; it’s summer, Pioneer Press

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: Look for savings in care for state’s poor, Star Tribune
• Editorial: St. Cloud district must rein in spending, St. Cloud Times
• Editorial: Find better ways to keep kids out of jail, Star Tribune
• Editorial: Civic Center expansion moves forward, Rochester Post-Bulletin
• Editorial: Failure rates on MCAs should fuel big concerns, St. Cloud Times
• Editorial: Hats off to U’s new TCF Bank Stadium, Star Tribune
• Editorial: Affordable housing, not rental ban, Bemidji Pioneer

Other States:

• Activists push ballot initiative to end state benefits for illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children, Los Angeles Times

Pawlenty:

• Republicans’ missteps may benefit Pawlenty presidential bid, Pioneer Press
• Pawlenty garners attention with budget move, Wall Street Journal
• Presidential poll finds Obama defeating Pawlenty in Minnesota, Pioneer Press
• Pawlenty says talks have begun for tax reciprocity deal, MPR
• Pawlenty sees narrowing window for new park near Lake Vermillion, AP

People:

• For Franken, fire in her belly laugh, Washington Post. Profile of Stephanie Schriock, campaign adviser to Sen. Franken.

Public Health/Safety:

• Public input sought at national disability meeting, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Food shelf demand climbs during first quarter, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Disease-carrying mosquitoes turn up in Twin Cities, AP
• Mix of politics, faith motivating some Minneapolis Somalis to heed call of jihad, New York Times
• Lawsuit alleges abuse at state-run mental health facility, MPR
• Accepting life’s uncertainties, OCD conference will be in Minneapolis, Pioneer Press

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• Cedars Apartments upgrade may be first of many projects, Finance and Commerce
• St. Paul seeks money to rehabilitate vacant homes, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report
• Minneapolis agencies team up to attract ad talent, New York Times
• Green shoots sprout on one Minneapolis block, Star Tribune
• Graywolf Press leaps to Mpls. from St. Paul, MSP Business Journal
• Changing charter still a struggle in Minneapolis, MinnPost

Technology:

• Study measures the chatter of the news cycle, New York Times

Transportation:

• Drivers’ program receives federal grant, St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report

Z-File: Irresistible Stories Beyond the Purview of PIM

• Craigslist ad leads to book deal for outdoors writer Jake Kulju, MinnPost
• Visiting baseball teams fear ‘haunted’ Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, AP