The Morning Report 1/15/08 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Top Stories: Design flaw blamed in 35W collapse, Pawlenty’s plan borrows big for bridges, roads, Pawlenty bonding proposal includes $225 million for bridges, Ag demand drives Cargill profits up 44 percent, Klobuchar airs concern over merger talk, FCC grills Comcast over independent video distribution jamming.





Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• NTSB to hold Tuesday briefing on bridge collapse, MPR Polinaut
• Franken ads rile Team Coleman, recall Kennedy, MN Campaign Report
• Ozment retires; wide open race to follow, MNPact
• Bridging the transportation funding gap?, MinnPost
• General Motors, Northwest Airlines sponsor RNC, MN Monitor
• Franken ads: “Mrs. Molin” ; “I’m Running” [YouTube video]
• Coleman campaign releases statement on Franken ads, MN Democrats Exposed
• On going native…, True North
• My Minnesota: Governor’s plans to “attract” investment making Minnesota ugly, MN 2020
  

Business/Economy:

• Ag demand drives Cargill profits up 44 percent, AP
• How would a Northwest/Delta merger affect Minnesota’s economy, MPR
• Grand Rapids-based ASV to be sold, Duluth News Tribune
  

Campaigns:

• Franken runs ads to introduce himself to voters, Star Tribune
• Feb. 5 primaries to pose a super test of strategy, Washington Post. MN one of six states targeted by Obama.

Congress-House:

• Trip to Norway inspires Ellison to seek a Peace Department, Star Tribune. [Trip to Sweden inspires support for Lutefisk Department? --PIM Staff]

Congress-Senate:

• Klobuchar airs concern over merger talk, Star Tribune
• Coleman party unity ranking dropped to lowest ever last year, AP
  

Education:

• Voting ends for Minneapolis teachers, Star Tribune
• Minneapolis teachers ratify contract, Star Tribune
  

Environment:

• Conservation Congress: Should we hunt wolves?, Chicago Tribune

Health Care:

• Insurers stop paying for care linked to errors, Wall Street Journal. MN hospitals report 154 errors out of nine million admissions.

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• Design flaw blamed in 35W collapse, Pioneer Press
• Design flaw said to have caused MN bridge collapse, Washington Post
• Faulty design led to bridge collapse, inquiry finds, New York Times
  

Labor:

• Legislators grill Pawlenty administration about long waits for jobless benefits, Workday MN
• Unemployment aid gets stuck, Pioneer Press

Media:

• FCC questions Comcast about interference with file-sharing traffic, AP

Opinion-Commentary:

• Nick Coleman: Skip the Twin Cities branding; isn’t Minnesota Nice enough?, Star Tribune
• Neal St. Anthony: From pond scum to your tank, Star Tribune
• Katherine Kersten: The fantasy in Minnesota’s new health care reform, Star Tribune
  

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: Impasse is skewing bonding priorities, Star Tribune
• Editorial: Molnau should not be focus of this session, St. Cloud Times
• Editorial: Schools’ budget deficit is no reason to panic, Rochester Post Bulletin
• Editorial: What a relief, we have a deal, Red Wing Republican Eagle
  

Pawlenty:

• DFLers blast Pawlenty administration for frustrating delays in jobless checks, Star Tribune
• Pawlenty bonding proposal includes $225 million for bridges, MPR
• Pawlenty’s bonding plan omits 2 local projects, St. Cloud Times
• Pawlenty includes $6.2 million in G.O. bonds for Minnesota Steel, Mesabi Daily News
  
• Pawlenty’s plan borrows big for bridges, roads, Star Tribune
• Pawlenty includes DECC expansion in his spending plan, Duluth News Tribune
  

Public Health/Safety:

• Nearby blast puts nuclear plant on temporary high alert, AP

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• To make Minneapolis youth initiatives succeed, we need to learn from past failure, MinnPost
  

Transportation:

• Light-rail feud must end, governor says, Pioneer Press
• Hastings bridge needs immediate repairs, report warns, Star Tribune