minnesota

• The Minnesota Canvasing Board is prepared to award the final bundle of recounted votes, with Democrat Al Franken clinging to a narrow lead. But there's still no telling when the Senate race will actually be finished. — AP
• In the West African country of Guinea, a previously unknown military group said they seized power and suspended the constitution in the hours following the death of authoritarian President Lansana Conté. — New York Times



• Hillary Clinton formally took the $13.2 million loan she made to her presidential campaign off the books, helping ease her campaign debt and pave the way for her Senate confirmation as secretary of state. — Bloomberg
• The state of California could be broke in two months, unless a budget deal is met. — AP

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• Stocks Rally on Bailout Plan:
  European stocks rebounded sharply after US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced yesterday evening plans to introduce new laws to buy hundreds of billions of bad debt from struggling banks. Options include establishing a government agency to buy bad loans, a plan that could, "ultimately undermine the dollar, push up inflation" according to one expert.



• I-35 Bridge Has First Day:
  The rebuilt I-35 W Bridge in Minneapolis had its first full day of service yesterday, three months ahead of schedule. Hundreds of vehicles lined up on both sides of the span to inch across shortly before 5 a.m. The 10-lane, $234 million span replaced the bridge that collapsed on August 1, 2007, killing 13 and injuring 145.




• South Korea Withdraws Troops:
  South Korea is set to completely withdraw its remaining troops in Iraq by the end of the year. The country has had troops stationed in Iraq for a reconstruction mission at the request of the US. From a high of 3,600 troops, now only 520 remain. The Defense Minister said, "There is no more need for us to stay there."
• More Than 20 Die in Prison Riots:
  Over 20 inmates in an overcrowded Tijuana prison died in riots this week according to police. The violence broke out after a prisoner died, apparently after abuse from a guard. The prison was built to hold 3,000 and now houses 8,000.

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Three seniors in Bloomington, MN, missed walking in their graduation last night as punishment for displaying the Confederate flag on their trucks. For displaying the flag, the three were suspended from all school activities including their own graduation ceremony.

"The Confederate flag is a symbol of, in some cases, hatred, bigotry and it has the potential to create a very disruptive environment," said a spokesperson for the Bloomington School District, on the decision to punish the three. Officials say the Student Code of Conduct prohibits behavior that may provoke or offend other students.

The Confederate flag controversy isn't new, but this part caught my attention — to see how the students defend the actions and the flag, read more

Storms brought huge hail, heavy rain and tornadoes to Iowa and Minnesota this weekend, killing at least seven people in Iowa and one 2-year-old in Minnesota.

The raging storms left parts of towns reduced to rubble and heavy rain and lightning continued with wind gusts of 70 mph. The National Weather Service pegs the storms to a massive warm system that had been centered over the southern and western great Plains several days ago. Moving north into Minnesota and Canada, the cold high that followed sparked severe storms.

Nearly 100 people have died in tornadoes so far this year — the biggest death toll in a decade — and the danger has not passed yet. Tornado season typically peaks in the spring and early summer.

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Al Franken, former SNL funny man turned face of Air America is the Senate candidate running for election in Minnesota, interested in discussing problems that concern his constituents. You know the good issues like jobs, health care, and the environment. Enter the blogosphere. Oops. Unfortunately for the Franken campaign, what he's now being forced to discuss is his failure to pay his income taxes on time. To the tune of $70,000 in 17 different states.

Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb started the blog MinnesotaDemocratsExposed and scooped the mainstream media to out Franken's suspicious bookkeeping and calls Franken “mean spirited and un-Minnesotan” candidate behind a “desperate and ridiculous” campaign. Franken says of the blog, "when people talk about the right wing noise machine, that's what it is." Brodkorb says, "I do think it has some influence right now, but that's never what I sat down to do. This was always about a political junkie looking for an outlet."

Franken is taking on Republican incumbent Senator Norm Coleman.

But, Al — if it's true, how is it noise?

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