January 2010 Archives

The report of a student shot outside of Centennial Hall on Monday by the Minnesota Daily got straight to the point with the its lead.

The article properly addressed the three most crucial W's in breaking news: what happened, who was affected, and where did it take place.

The entire lead was mostly generalized, not naming the student and providing a vague time, though it did address where the crime took place in slightly more detail, saying that it happened outside Centennial Hall.

Overall, it appears that the lead was written in a hard-news fashion addressing the most pressing questions while leaving the rest to the rest of the story.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's political action committee, raised $1.3 million during a three month stretch last year, even as Pawlenty has yet to announce whether or not he'll run.

According to the Star Tribune, Pawlenty's political action committee, Freedom First PAC plans to report that it raised the amount to the Federal Election Commission.

Although Pawlenty is one of the least well-known of political candidates, Politico reported, his fundraising ranks favorably among previous, more well-known politicians such as Mitt Romney in similar years.

PACs are often used as launching points for a person to launch a presidential campaign. Gov. Pawlenty announced last year he would not be seeking reelection and is considered among the Republican Party hopefuls.

A man was struck in downtown Minneapolis by the light rail train around 11:20 a.m. on Friday.

The train was approaching the Warehouse District Station heading south from Target Field Station when the man stepped off the platform and onto the track, the Star Tribune reported.

The man was brought to Hennepin County Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.

According to WCCO, the train was shut down for a short period of time but was running by early afternoon.

A University of Minnesota student was shot outside Centennial Hall on Monday night in a string of crimes that occurred on and around the campus.

The Minnesota Daily reported that as the student was walking just outside Centennial Hall, two men from behind him made a comment and as he turned to them, he was shot in the abdomen.

The victim walked into Centennial Hall where he received help from students and staff until emergency personnel could arrive and take him to Hennepin County Medical Center.

The two men fled the scene south through the superblock before turning back east towards Huron Boulevard.

The shooting was the last of several crimes that took place on and around campus as reported by the Star Tribune.

The first crime appear around 10:50 p.m., when a female student of the university was robbed near on the 500 block of Huron Boulevard.

At around 11:07 p.m., two female students were approached by two men who demanded them to hand over their backpacks and valuables.

It was moments later that the shooting occurred. All crimes are thought to be linked back to the original suspects, who police are still looking for.

Charlie Simpson, a 7-year-old boy from London, has raised over $240,000 for the victim's of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.

Charlie's pledged to bike 5 miles around a local park for donations in return. He originally aimed to raise around $800 but as his story spread, the donations grew, BBC News reported.

According to CNN, the fundraiser has been recognized even by officials such as the U.K.'s Prime minister, Gordon Brown who said on his Downing Street Twitter page, "Amazed by response to the great fundraising efforts of 7 yr old Charlie Simpson for the people of Haiti."

The money Charlie raised will be donated to UNICEF and provide the people of Haiti with water, sanitation, and education.

Four men were charged Tuesday with a plot to tamper with the phone lines in the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

The New York Times reported that two of the men entered the office of Sen. Landrieu wearing blue pants and shirts, fluorescent green vests, tool belts, and hard hats, claiming to be repairmen doing work on the telephone system.

Among those charged was James O'Keefe, the 24-year-old famous for secretly filming members of ACORN giving advice on how to set up brothels that led to popular upset last fall.

The Associated Press said that it is currently unknown at this time what the men were attempting to accomplish, but that it might tie in with conservative resentment for Sen. Landrieu, a Democrat, securing extra funds for Louisiana's Medicaid program.