For parents, the first day of school is like the feeling when you stop hitting yourself in the head with a hammer (trust me, or try it to find out on your own). Read more →
MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
This or That

One can hardly blame the airline for decision, reported by the Star Tribune today, to follow the path of the cheap airlines that advertise low fares and then add fees for every ‘frill’ the customer wants. Frills like overhead bin space, and the option to carry on luggage. And leg room. The airline is planning to put more seats in its planes. Read more →

In the aftermath of the racial violence of Charlottesville, the Twitter account, Yes You’re Racist, has invited its audience to dox the families of white supremacists by publishing names. It’s all very wink-wink. It doesn’t instruct people to make life miserable for family members. It doesn’t have to.
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A good love story can take many forms and, not surprisingly, Boyd Huppert of KARE 11 found a good one for his weekly series last evening. Read more →
An all-staff meeting at Google in the wake of a fired-employee’s memo on women and diversity had to be canceled because of online harassment of employees. Read more →

It was a good decision nearly two weeks ago when Bob Brott, 55, of Eden Prairie, and his cousin, Gary Soucie, 58, of Fairfield, Neb., realized their boat was taking on water on Lake of the Woods and the bilge pump was blocked.
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It’s safe to say that at least in Mankato, quarries make lousy neighbors. The Mankato Free Press reports a blast from a quarry yesterday sent bowling-ball-size rocks into the neighborhood, smashing siding on at least one home.
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Fifteen million dollars is the price of St. Paul’s self-esteem problem.
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Gary Bipes is living a charmed life. Or maybe it’s an unlucky life. It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.
Bipes, whom I met for the first time five years ago,when I was doing a radio talk show during the gigantic Oshkosh airplane show, survived a plane crash yesterday afternoon in Hector, the West Central Tribune reports today. Read more →

There were many reasons why Target Center in Minneapolis was one of the biggest dumps in the NBA.
The troughs in men’s bathrooms was one. Read more →

We are still a species that will drop what we’re doing and spend whatever money it takes on a skunk, if it needs our help. As long as it doesn’t bite us. Read more →
The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon that there are people walking among us who don’t know that a person can get TV “over the air.” Read more →
The people of Crow Wing County are bummed, realizing that a once-local corporation isn’t quite as ‘local’ anymore, now that it’s been bought by a conglomerate.
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Thanks to my long-time MPR colleague, Euan Kerr, I’ve come to realize there’s nothing ballet can’t do. Read more →