Franken won, and not one of Coleman’s claims was legit In a 68-page opinion (PDF), the three-judge recount court knocked down every single one of Coleman’s claims, said Franken should be seated as Senator, and gave a resounding vote of confidence to the Minnesota election system. Continue reading
Author Archives: Mary Turck
News Day: Court: Franken won, and not one of Coleman’s claims was legit / Cops and fairy tales / Mpls Somali news / more
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News Day: Too much testing / “People will die” / Home sales rise, prices plunge / more
Too much testing MN students face high-stakes GRAD tests and MCA II tests this week. For the first time, high school graduation hinges on the 11th grade math GRAD test, and that means failure to graduate for many, unless the law is changed. Legislators are talking about changing the math GRAD law, but not eliminating the burden of test after mandated test that eats up teaching time without delivering benefits to schools or students.
Critics around the world question the value and frequency of testing. MN 2020 describes our school testing requirements as “labyrinthian and byzantine.” Teachers in Britain threaten a boycott of mandated tests, according to BBC.
The Brits claim it’s child abuse to subject students to batteries of “educationally barren” tests. Teachers say the tests disrupt the education process by making them teach to the test, pit school against school, and actually do harm to children. The Department of Children, Schools and Families says standardized tests are required in order to raise achievement levels, and that the threatened boycott would be illegal.
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News Day: Unemployment up, crime down / Tea bagging / Wild and wacky Wisconsin / more
It’s Friday, almost 10 a.m., and I’m still plowing through news items. Though there is really serious news, including tax policy analysis, today’s crop includes massive silliness — tea baggers, more Michelle, and silliness from Wisconsin. Enjoy!
When unemployment rises, crime … falls? That’s what Minneapolis numbers show, according to the U of M’s Smart Politics blog. Continue reading
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News Day: Movers and shakers / Fong Lee update / Building in Shadow Falls / Animal news / more
Movers and shakers on the move Lois Quam is leaving Piper Jaffray & Co. after less than two years to start a , reports the Strib. Quam plans to start a business incubator for start-ups in health care and green technology, building on connections with Norway and its clean-energy technology. Before heading up alternative investments at Piper Jaffray, Quam was a senior UnitedHealth Group exec.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s Lake Harriet area home is up for sale, reports the Minnesota Independent, with an asking price of $750,000. According to Rybak’s communications director Jeremy Hanson, it’s a case of “empty-nest downsizing.” Continue reading
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News Day: Budget as moral document / Pork on the hill / Tax analysis / Take two aspirin / more
Budget as moral document “We’re in this together,” Rev. Peter Rogness, bishop of the St. Paul Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
reminds us, writing about Minnesota’s budget in MinnPost. Bishop Rogness talks about the budget as decisions made by all of us — “a family gathered around the table to talk things over or a small village where everyone meets in the town hall to discuss common concerns. There’s no them, only us.” Continue reading
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News Day: T-Paw: No new senator /From snow to fire /When is a Republican not a Republican? /Michelle again, more
No new Senator T-Paw told MSNBC that the Senate race will take “a few more months” until “we get a proper result.” Minnesota Independent reports that Pawlenty said he won’t sign an election certificate until the appellate process is over. The PiPress reports that only 387 ballots remain to be counted Tuesday. Judges originally ordered 400 ballots counted, but it turns out that 13 of those listed have already been counted.
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News Day: T-Paw: No new senator /From snow to fire /When is a Republican not a Republican? /Michelle again, more http://tinyurl.com/cnka9v
No new Senator T-Paw told MSNBC that the Senate race will take “a few more months” until “we get a proper result.” Minnesota Independent reports that Pawlenty said he won’t sign an election certificate until the appellate process is over. The PiPress reports that only 387 ballots remain to be counted Tuesday. Judges originally ordered 400 ballots counted, but it turns out that 13 of those listed have already been counted.
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News Day: Hot dog breakfast! / The American Sheikh / Art, medicine, religion / Deadly weekend / more
Franken, Coleman, Court Brace yourselves: tomorrow the ballot-counting resumes, with envelopes containing almost 400 absentee ballots to be opened and counted. Let’s get it over with so that the Coleman can start his appeals: the beginning of the beginning of the end.
Twins tonight and hot dogs for breakfast Knothole blogger Jean Gabler reports that on opening day (today!) the Twins are once again serving up hot-dog breakfasts between 6 and 9 a.m. Continue reading
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News Day: Seriously bad unemployment figures / Not-so-serious news: Michelle and the Queen, T-Paw goes hunting, Toilets in space / more serious news
Seriously bad news National unemployment rose to 8.5 percent in March, up from 8.1 percent in February, by the most conservative measure used by the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers cut 663,000 jobs in March. A second, more comprehensive, measure of unemployment puts the number of unemployed higher, at 15.6 percent. Full article here.
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Unemployment up – 8.5% or 15.6%
National unemployment rose to 8.5 percent in March, up from 8.1 percent in February, by the most conservative measure used by the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers cut 663,000 jobs in March. The total number of jobs lost since the official beginning of the recession in December 2007 is 5.1 million, with 3.3 million of those job losses during the past five months.
A second, more comprehensive, measure of unemployment puts the number of unemployed higher, at 15.6 percent. Continue reading
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Mary Turck