The Morning Report 12/10/07 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Top Stories: Minn. senators take active role in farm bill, Iron Range is preparing for a boom, Klobuchar speaks out on lead hazards, Minnesota poised to become third largest producer of wind energy capacity, New details in Iron Range cancer [Duluth NewsTrib, Pioneer Press], Pawlenty helps form wind power coalition [Strib, Pioneer Press].

Agriculture:

• Minn. senators take active role in farm bill, AP
• Farm women take growing interest in global business, AP
  

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• The Farm Bill affects all of us, TC Daily Planet
• Edina’s “McMansions” at issue, MN Monitor
• Teacher recruiting and retention is becoming a growing Minnesota crisis, MinnPost
  
• Rachel Paulose by the numbers, Power Line Blog
• Gender-separate school proposal sparks controversy in St. Paul, TC Daily Planet
  
• Unlikely as it might seem, St. Paul’s top security cop is gaining the trust of some GOP convention protesters, MinnPost
  
• Regarding ‘ending poverty’, True North
• Now I got it, MN Publius. Conversation with Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.
  
• Free market health care: The response we have all been waiting for, Wright County Repulican
• The state of healthcare for Minnesota’s Latinos: year two. Where do we go from here?, TC Daily Planet
  

Business/Economy:

• Iron Range is preparing for a boom, Duluth News Tribune
• Japanese drugmaker agrees to pay $3.9B for MN-based MGI Pharma, AP
• State sees 70 percent drop in mortgage originators, Pioneer Press
• AG Lori Swanson explains mortgage lawsuits, WCCO [includes video]
• UnitedHealth billing flaws persisted as company grew, Star Tribune
• Flooded mobile home parks put to different uses, AP
• Alliant Techsystems will help boost space shuttle, Star Tribune
• Standing on oil, Pioneer Press
  

Campaigns:

• Minnesota campaigns organize away from Iowa spotlight, MPR
  
• Legislators: Ritchie campaign literature sent to state e-mail a conflict of interest, Star Tribune

Congress-House:

• Kline says no dice to pork-barrel spending, Star Tribune

Congress-Senate:

• Klobuchar speaks out on lead hazards, Fargo Forum

Crime/Police:

• For Dolan, it’s lonely at the top, Star Tribune

Education:

• A school where autistic kids aren’t alone, Star Tribune
• Students can get free legal help at U, Minnesota Daily
  
• School district to make contract offer public, Red Wing Republican Eagle
• Contract negotiations underway for Minneapolis teachers, TC Daily Planet. [Includes audio]
• Robbinsdale voters feel the squeeze of a failed levy, KSTP

Environment:

• Minnesota poised to become third largest producer of wind energy capacity, MPR
• Power line plan invites discussion, Star Tribune

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• Neighbors of bridge collapse detour want to cut traffic noise, Star Tribune
• Willmar construction worker still healing after bridge collapse, KSTP
  

Labor:

• Workers speak out about problems at Hannon Security, Workday MN

Media:

• Ridder resigns from Star Tribune; Pioneer Press lawsuit settled, Star Tribune
• Ridder out at Star Tribune after legal settlement, Editor and Publisher
  

Opinion-Commentary:

• R.T. Rybak and Barbara Johnson: Police force reflects community, Star Tribune
  
• Lori Sturdevant: Budgeting by ballot? I’m still not persuaded, Star Tribune
• John S. Adams: Planning a budget? Remember to maintain, Star Tribune
  

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: A merger that would benefit Minnesotans, Star Tribune. Citizens League and Civic Caucus.
• Editorial: Outdated statute is bad for cities, St. Cloud Times. Administrators don’t need to live in the town that employs them.
• Editorial: Communities face double tax trouble, Rochester Post-Bulletin
• Editorial: Wallop Frankenstein with a 33-0 vote, Wisconsin State Journal
  

Pawlenty:

• Pawlenty helps form national wind-power coalition, Star Tribune
• Pawlenty, Richardson team up on wind power, Pioneer Press
  

Public Health/Safety:

• Quality Pork’s brain-removal process is under review by state, AP
• Mesothelioma study provides many results, fewer answers for miners, Duluth News Tribune
• Iron Range cancer: new details, but few clues, Pioneer Press
• Mayo Clinic doctors examine sick pork handlers, MPR
  
• Health report gives details on cancer of Iron Range miners, MPR
  
• Appealing disability claims brings long, painful wait, New York Times
• Curbing bad behavior, St. Cloud Times
• Prior Lake considers social host ordinance, KSTP
• ‘Wills for Heroes’ program provides free basic estate planning to local emergency responders, West Central Tribune
• Stolen laptop contained blood donor data, PC World
  . Private data of thousands stolen, perpetrators unknown.

Republican National Convention:

• Twin Cities homeowners hope to cash in by renting their digs to Republicans in September, Pioneer Press

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• Haulers will fight Minneapolis plan to take trash bids, Star Tribune
• Muslim girls embrace scouting, New York Times
• Minneapolis establishes fund to reimburse Stop on Red cases, MPR
• Seward Co-op breaks ground on Riverside Market site, The Bridge
  

Stadiums:

• Stadium set to ‘go vertical’ by January, Minnesota Daily

Z-File:

• Garrison Keillor: Away in an awesome manger, Salon.com
• Homemade YouTube video lands singer in a web ad, New York Times. Features U of M grad student.