The Morning Report - 3/17/08 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Top Stories: AP reports that MnDOT has hired a PR firm to improve its image, CNet calls Minneapolis the poster child for urban Wi-Fi, Pawlenty will name a new chief justice today, Less mortgage fraud in MN.

Agriculture:

• Ethanol argument gets more complex, Dolan Media Newswires

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• Michele Bachmann: Be afraid, be very afraid!, mnpACT!
• Is Al Franken inevitable?, MN Blue
• If the public only knew, Wright County Republican
• It’s all Madia, MN Publius
  
• Tinklenberg’s taconite: Rumor or not?, Blue man in a Red district
• Dolan Media buys out Politics in Minnesota, Lambert to the Slaughter
  
• What’s the definition of insanity?, True North
• Transit subsidies, MN Free Market Institute
• Legislators propose increased accountability. Minnesota yawns., Growth and Justice Blog
• This won’t hurt a bit, trust us, Wright County Republican
• Madia, presumptive?, Centrisity
• Reaching an understanding, Ladies Logic
  

Business/Economy:

• Empty houses: Whose job is it to take care of them?, Star Tribune
• Minnesota falls in mortgage fraud rank, MSP Business Journal
• High-tech gamble pays off at Proctor steel plant, Duluth News Tribune
• Recession or slump, area businesses feel it, Mankato Free Press
• Leaving behind the trucker hat, New York Times. ‘It has only been the last five years where the payment from working your fingers to the bone and supplying urban markets with high-quality produce has been enough where you could imagine making a living,’ says Ken Meter, analyst for MN-based Crossroads Resource Center, a nonprofit advocacy group for local food initiatives.
• Supreme Court Inc., New York Times. Fascinating but long read about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s efforts and successes in lobbying for a more biz-friendly U.S. Supreme Court; biz law firms hire favored former law clerks to Justices to write briefs; review of last month’s big win for Medtronic on a products liability case and the upcoming Exxon Valdez case in which Faegre & Benson hopes to get paid after decades of legal work.
• As the economy falters, so do state budgets, New York Times. Half of the states now have budget deficits; ND doing well and has budget surplus; no specific mention of MN.
• Sesquicentennial celebration could get more state money, MPR

Campaigns:

• Prof who ousted Ciresi eyes Franken, Star Tribune
• Franken falters after Ciresi drops out, KSTP
• Franken takes two-thirds of Beltrami DFL delegates, Bemidji Pioneer
• For Democrats, increased fears of a long fight, New York Times. Uncommitted superdelegate Klobuchar, ‘Barack’s impressive showing in our state is attractive to me.’
• Republicans see storm clouds gathering, Washington Post. One of the clouds is Mike Ciresi leaving the Senate race.

Congress-House:

• Bachmann says she will forgo earmarks, St. Cloud Times

Congress-Senate:

• Klobuchar introduces bill to restore funding for COPS program, MPR
• Coleman: Economy is in recession, AP
  

Education:

• Hmong students go west, Star Tribune
• Lawmakers mull new rating system for MN schools, AP
  

Environment:

• Wisconsin to purchase wind power from Minnesota, MSP Business Journal

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• 35W construction company files paperwork to preserve its right to sue, MPR
• Comparing bridge compensation vs. the 9/11 fund, MinnPost
  

Judicial:

• Pawlenty plans to name a new chief justice, Star Tribune
• Court officials worry about budget, Red Wing Republican Eagle
  

Labor:

• Security officers to vote on final offer; union recommends rejection, Workday MN

Legislature:

• Senator remains tireless in push for energy policy, Pioneer Press
• Profiling the Minnesota Legislature: Sen. James Metzen, Dolan Media Newswires

Media:

• Dolan Media buys Politics in Minnesota, MinnPost
• Local business briefs, Star Tribune. Second item.
• The adventures of Tom Lyden, Star Tribune
• Sound bite that has some teeth, New York Times. Spontaneous YouTube video in support of Obama draws more than 850,000 views.
• UW-L student newspaper accused of censoring, LaCrosse Tribune. Three WI college newspapers not running ads against emergency contraception from Pro-Life WI.

Opinion-Commentary:

• Lori Sturdevant: Judiciary could soon be dripping with politics, Star Tribune
• Mark S. Stoltz: GOP delegates naive? No, they’re just fed up, Star Tribune
• Lawrence R. Jacobs: Whatever happened to starting small?, Star Tribune
• Michele Bachmann: Democratic leaders stand in the way of Americans’ safety, Star Tribune
  

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: A bad review for bars’ ‘theater’ nights, Star Tribune
• Editorial: It’s time to let sun shine in on public information, St. Cloud Times
  

Pawlenty:

• Pawlenty: Conservative movement needs fresh legs, MPR Polinaut
• DFLers criticize Pawlenty’s travel; Pawlenty criticizes the story, MPR
  

Public Health/Safety:

• Putting the brakes on spring break recklessness, Star Tribune
• Babbitt bar owner plans to fight fine for ‘theater night’ smoking, AP
• New study limits TV time to prevent weight gain, MPR
• Committee approves study of miners’ lung disease, MPR
• Report: Minnesota ranks high for food poisoning, MSP Business Journal
• Meth use down nationwide, but it’s still a problem in Northland, Duluth News Tribune
  

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• New business models for citywide Wi-Fi, CNet News. Minneapolis is quickly becoming the new poster child for the municipal Wi-Fi movement.
• Groups oppose Holman tax break, Pioneer Press
• Group backs route near St. Paul to link Minneapolis parkways, Star Tribune
  

Transportation:

• State paying PR firm to publicize bridge, restore MnDOT’s image, AP
• Group gives name to proposed Minneapolis-Duluth rail line, AP
  

Z-File: Irresistible stories beyond the purview of PIM

• A crash course in online gossip, New York Times. JuicyCampus.com cultivates and distributes gossip from 59 college campuses; no MN schools on list.