The Morning Report 8/1/08 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Top Story: Remembering I-35W bridge collapse; looking forward to future of MN transportation. (How to remember: will NTSB & Gray Plant Mooty reports match?)

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• Republican Convention Bloggers: Qwest has a big surprise for you, True North
• The economics of civility, Growth and Justice Blog
  
• Walz introduces legislation to up vets mileage rate, Bluestem Prairie
• Convention Media Party, circa 1892, The Political Animal
• The Pitts, Mary’s Page - TPT
  
• Dirty sexy money, MNPublius
• Fewer long faces, SCSU Scholars
  
• Minnesota low on presidential ad spending, The Political Animal
• Newspaper stories we tell ourselves, Content Bridges
  
• Why John McCain might pick Tim Pawlenty, Esme’s Blog - WCCO
• Non-essential spending facts, Wright County Republican
  
• Alliant Techsystems, Cargill top Minnesota recipients of federal grant dollars, Minnesota Independent
• FiberNet pulls plug on the Range; now what?, Minnesota Brown
• The nation’s roads and bridges: forget the talk - let’s act, mnpACT!
  

Business/Economy:

• School sales downturn worries retail analysts, Finance and Commerce
• Minnesota sends more goods out of country on weak dollar, Star Tribune
• Driving less means less gas tax revenue for Minnesota, AP
  
• Megabus: Cheap seats to Chicago, Star Tribune
• Officials intervene in Xcel billing snafu, AP
• MAC Commissioner: Delta should provide more merger info, MSP Business Journal
  
• Best Buy to step up electronic waste recycling; Is Target getting a Geek Squad of its own?, MinnPost
• Hennepin Co. paints bleak foreclosure picture, KSTP
• NWA tacks on $80 charge to tickets, MSP Business Journal
• Pioneer in ‘clean tech’ coming back to his Minnesota roots, Star Tribune
• How much booze will $8,204 buy? The Chamber finds out the hard way, Politico

Campaigns-Senate:

• What went wrong for Al Franken?, MinnPost
• Franken makes appearance on college talk show, Mankato Free Press
  

Campaigns:

• The problem of political sameness, Midmorning - MPR

Crime/Police:

• Medals for errant raid send wrong message, Rybak says, Star Tribune
• Cop union pickets Xcel Center, Pioneer Press

Education:

• Lawmakers aim to boost trust land revenue for MN schools, Finance and Commerce

Environment:

• House committee approves toxic cleanup for Duluth Harbor, Duluth News Tribune
• U gets greenness rating of 91, Minnesota Daily
  

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• Year since Minn. bridge collapse challenges survivors, engineers, investigators, politicians, AP
• One year ago: ‘Did a bridge fall down?,’ MinnPost
  
• I-35W engineer answers concerns about the new bridge, MPR
• MnDOT’s new leader looks forward after collapse, KSTP
• Political chaos stems from bridge collapse, KSTP
  

Judicial:

• Sen. Craig’s next court hearing: Sept. 10, AP

Labor:

• Wal-Mart warns of Democratic win, Wall Street Journal

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: The 35W Memorial Bridge, Star Tribune
• Editorial: Pawlenty as VP choice, Mankato Free Press
• Editorial: Education as a Civil Rights Issue, New York Times. Walz cosponsors bill to exempt states from NCLB.

Pawlenty:

• Schwarzenegger on Pawlenty’s show, Polinaut - MPR
• Gearing up to meet clean-air mandates, lawmakers hope governor walks the talk, MinnPost
  

People:

• Disgraced former MnDOT official is fired from new federal job, Pioneer Press
• Fired MnDOT official fired from Homeland Security, AP

Public Health/Safety:

• Small jet crashes in Minnesota; 8 killed, AP
• Cass Lake abolishes police force, seeks enforcement deal with county, MPR
  
• Officer: Franco was in drivers’ seat after crash, MPR
  
• The way we Sha Na Now, News Cut - MPR
• School food survey gives Minneapolis an F, Star Tribune
  

Republican National Convention:

• Jesse Ventura to speak at Ron Paul rally, AP
• Gymnastics stars coming to Xcel for show, Star Tribune
• Policing the convention, Midmorning - MPR
• Freddie Mac: no longer a GOP Convention party-giver, MinnPost
  

St. Paul/Minneapolis:

• St. Paul funeral home enlists help from Hmong shaman, MPR
• Bid for Taste of Minnesota fails; asking price too high, Star Tribune
  

Z-File: Irresistible Stories Beyond the Purview of PIM

• How do local wineries battle Minnesota winters?, KSTP
• Crop circles attract crowds to Fosston, MN, Minnesota News Network