The Morning Report 2/1/08 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Top Stories: Pig brains are focus of Austin pork plant investigation, Cleaner power plant yields higher costs, more emissions, MPR Poll: Franken popular with DFLers, but many undecided ,
Six months after collapse, 35W bridge rebuild is ahead of schedule, Wait times shorten on jobless claims, $300 million expansion planned for Keetac taconite operation, Judge rejects city’s motions as officers’ bias case opens.

Agriculture:

• Farmers wonder if boom in grain prices is a bubble, Wall Street Journal

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• “Kinky” column borrows from Minnesota Daily, but misses the mark, MN Monitor
• Ciresi self-finances to a tune of $516 thousand, MPR Polinaut
• Crossing Minnesota’s border gets complicated, Twin Cities Daily Planet
• “Clean” coal gets support from candidates amid new concern from residents, MN Monitor
  
  
• A little insight into the state recession story, SCSU Scholars
• Hennepin County needs commissioner with conservative compass, True North
  
• When in doubt, make stuff up!, MN Publius
  
• TPaw VP?, Mary’s Page - TPT
  
• Looking for light-rail justice, Twin Cities Daily Planet
• Norm Coleman still pushes coal gasification, MN Blue
  
• Lies and the lying liars who tell them: MN Publius and Team Franken edition, MN Democrats Exposed
• What the DFL has done with OUR tax dollars, SCSU Scholars
• A movement in search of a message?, True North
• Bonoff, Madia trade barbs on taxes at labor forum, MN Monitor
  

Business/Economy:

• Cleaner power plant yields higher costs, more emissions, Star Tribune
• What areas of our economy are hurting?, MPR
  
• Alliant profit increases 14% on space, ammunition sales, Star Tribune
• Regulators approve Midwest Air sale; Northwest has stake, AP
• $300 million expansion planned for Keetac taconite operation, Duluth News Tribune
  
• Minnesota’s obesity could cost an extra $3.7 billion by 2020, MSP Business Journal
• ‘Tremendous potential’ for non-ferrous, Mesabi Daily News
• Good news for makers of stents, Bloomberg News / Star Tribune
• Salt barge shortage makes suburbs nervous, Chicago Tribune. Chicago stockpiled after MN shortage.
  
• Rochester Coalition raises ethanol as growing railroad concern, Rochester Post-Bulletin
• Mayo Clinic claims ‘disconnect’ between CPR, unit, Toronto Globe and Mail

Campaigns:

• Ciresi reports raising $1.9 million last year, Pioneer Press
• Mondale talks Clinton, foreign policy, Duluth News Tribune
• Ron Paul to visit Minnesota next week, Pioneer Press
• Cummings takes centrist view in run for seventh House term, Washington Post. MD Congressman “draws inspiration for his place in the middle” from Paul Wellstone.
• Poll: Franken popular with DFLers, but many undecided, MPR

Crime/Police:

• St. Cloud priest faces 20 counts of child porn, Star Tribune

Education:

• School districts finding a new way to save money: Outsource finances, Star Tribune

Elections:

• Bellwether state fervently seeks choice who can win in the fall, New York Times
• Younger voters look for a new kind of politics, MPR
  

Environment:

• Prior Lake environmental center endangered, Star Tribune
• Panel discusses public policy on climate change, Bemidji Pioneer
  

Health Care:

• Mandatory HPV vaccine ‘premature,’ state says, Pioneer Press
• Future of health care in Colorado now in the hands of legislators, Dolan Media Newswires

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• I-35W collapse forces new look at bridge weight limits, Pioneer Press
• Six months after collapse, 35W bridge rebuild is ahead of schedule, MPR
• Six months of digging but few answers, MPR
  

Judicial:

• Advocacy group to support change in how judges are selected, retained, Pioneer Press
• Group pushes new way to choose judges, Star Tribune

Labor:

• Wait times shorten on jobless claims, Pioneer Press

Media:

• High Noonan, National Journal. There’s no place quite like “Peggy’s world.”

Opinion-Commentary:

• Dane Smith: Recession or not, fixing an underperforming economy requires investment, Workday MN
• David Strom: A boondoggle at any price, Pioneer Press
• Vin Weber: A call to conservative action, Wall Street Journal. The case for Mitt Romney.

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: A neighbor’s advice on a smoking ban, Star Tribune
• Editorial: More mines for Minnesota, Minnesota Daily
  

Pawlenty:

• Pawlenty wishes GOP caucuses carried more weight, MPR
• Pawlenty names new judge for Ramsey County, MPR
  

Public Health/Safety:

• Pig brains are focus of Austin pork plant investigation, Star Tribune
• Investigators closer to understanding mystery slaughterhouse illnesses, give it a name, AP
  
• St. Paul, Roseville will get Met Council cleanup funds, Star Tribune
• About 7.2% of Minnesotans uninsured, same as in 2004, Star Tribune
• USDA discards 11 tons of meat served at St. Paul schools, MPR
  
• Twin Cities schools rearrange menus after federal probe into meat supplier, Pioneer Press
• For our families, communities and public safety, give ex-offenders a Second Chance, MN Spokesman-Recorder

Republican National Convention:

• Travel firm with GOP ties to book convention, Star Tribune

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• IRS challenges low-income artist lofts, MPR
• Judge rejects city’s motions as officers’ bias case opens, Star Tribune
• Nonprofit launched to help blind get web access, MSP Business Journal
• St. Thomas’ plans for parking ramp get neighbors’ blessing, Pioneer Press

Transportation:

• U takes stance on light-rail project, Minnesota Daily

Z-File: Irresistible stories beyond the purview of PIM

• Every snowflake tells own story, Chicago Tribune. Everything we know — and how little we know — about “confoundingly complex” snowflakes.