R.T. Rybak makes the case for Barack Obama
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Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak addresses Democratic Party faithful. Minnesotans at the DNC discuss same sex marriage. There could be a breakthrough on West Nile virus in Minnesota. And the first day of school goes awry in St. Paul thanks to bus drivers who don't know their routes.
R.T. Rybak makes the case for Barack Obama
On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, the Minneapolis mayor and other Democrats focused less on President Barack Obama's promises four years ago to change the country and more on his contrast to his 2012 Republican rival, Mitt Romney.
First lady: Obama's "just like you"
Michelle Obama reminisced about the man who now occupies the Oval Office pulling his favorite coffee table out of the trash, wearing dress shoes that were a size too small, making sure he's at the dinner table with his daughters and strategizing about middle-school friendships.
Platform supports same-sex marriage
Members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community are hailing the plank and suggest it could affect the Minnesota debate over a proposed constitutional amendment that would effectively ban same-sex marriage.
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Video: On the ground at the DNC
Daily Circuit host Kerri Miller discusses security challenges, North Carolina swing voters and takes us behind the scenes at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.
Is organic healthier?
No item got the News Cut mailbag filled more quickly yesterday than the story about a Stanford study that questioned the value of organic food. The Stanford doctors concluded there's little evidence that going organic is much healthier.
Minnesota geese in West Nile research
There have been nearly 1,600 cases of West Nile virus reported in the U.S. so far this year. Forty-four cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been here in Minnesota. Now, researchers working with geese in Grand Forks could lead to a breakthrough in treatment of the disease.
Sweating the hottest job
Minnesota Sounds and Voices reporter Dan Olson wondered: Who has the hottest job in the hot weather this summer? He found one possibility in an artist's workshop in south Minneapolis, with blacksmith Jef VanSyoc, owner of Vanmadrone.
Speaking of hot weather ...
Earth's atmosphere is warming and Arctic sea ice is melting faster. That's a big deal for Minnesota, because a warmer Arctic Ocean means air masses coming south into the USA and across the Northern Hemisphere are not as cold as in years past. That in turn means hotter summers.
Are Millenials the "screwed generation"?
Recent college graduates "are growing up in a terrible economy that's generating very few jobs. So, they're stepping in it, if you will, economically," writer Joel Kotkin says. "They're going to inherit an enormous debt."
Best Buy's new boss gets some floor training
If you shop at a local Best Buy this week, the retail chain's new president and CEO, Hubert Joly, might be the staffer who helps you buy a TV or refrigerator, or diagnose your computer problems.
Veterans helping veterans
A new domestic violence therapy program launching next week in Minneapolis will be the first in the state to focus on military veterans. Social Worker Hector Matascastillo says the group was formed because veterans often do better working with other veterans.
Rent struggles
A report by the Minnesota Housing Partnership found that about half of the state's renters paid a larger share of their income than they could afford for housing in 2010, according to Housing and Urban Development guidelines.
Refugee health service challenges
The majority of new refugees in Minnesota continue to come from Somalia and Myanmar, also known as Burma. Last year, Minnesota ranked 12th in the nation for the number of refugees it received. The health department is in its first year of assigning a medical social worker to help manage these cases.
A really good excuse for tardiness
On the first day of class, some St. Paul students didn't get a ride to school after a bus contractor unfamiliar with the city encountered problems. District officials aren't sure how many students were affected, but say about 10 routes lacked service.
