Bob Collins
I don’t write fan mail. Today, I make an exception. It was announced today that Tom Weber is leaving Minnesota Public Radio.
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Arts & Culture
What, you’ve never seen a woman at a country music festival with her head stuck up the tailpipe of a pickup truck? Read more →
The intersection of arts, culture, and mass murder is nearly impossible to comprehend, but we’re getting there, sadly. Read more →
Marilyn Hagerty, the columnist for the Grand Forks Herald, got roasted by those who thought they know restaurant reviews better because she wrote a restaurant review of an Olive Garden some years ago. Then Anthony Bourdain stepped in and defended her with a single tweet. Read more →
At last check, they’re still jamming in Fargo where they’re trying to break the record for the world’s longest jam session. Read more →
Ahmed Burhan’s victory caps a recent pattern of Americans doing better in the competition in recent years, according to Gulf News, which says this is the first time someone from the United States has won the prize, worth about $68,000. Read more →
Generally speaking, settling scores in an obituary rarely makes anyone look good. But, according to this obituary in the Redwood Falls Gazette on Monday, maybe Gina and Jay have been waiting a long time to exact their revenge. Read more →
The self-storage industry is red hot in the United States, a curiously American business because no matter how big our houses get, we still buy more stuff than they can hold.
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Because the nation’s courts remain locked in the quill-pen era, there are still jobs for courtroom artists and plenty of mocking of Jane Rosenberg for the foreseeable future. Read more →
So many former students showed up at Brian Johnson’s last concert in Austin, Minn., that there was hardly anyone left in the audience by the time they took the stage. Read more →
Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar has made clear who gets to say the ‘N word’ at his concerts. Read more →
If you pay close attention to NPR’s Morning Edition, you’ve probably noticed a shift in the journalism. Gone — mostly — are deep dives from reporters. In are interviews with ‘newsmakers’, and it’s causing waves with NPR listeners, as NPR’s ombudsman, Elizabeth Jensen, wrote last month when she said listeners are finding it unsatisfying.
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In the era of #MeToo, muting artists who are accused of violence against women is understandable. Who will make the decision on what art is acceptable and what isn’t? Read more →
After several weeks of trying, Gina Smith, has an answer from Nino Niederreiter of the Minnesota Wild, whom she asked to go to a #TwitterProm to raise money for Children’s Hospitals & Clinics tomorrow. Read more →
‘Remember: Jesus loves you, but Virginia was his favorite.’ Read more →