MunzenriderWriting

By Mike Munzenrider

This story from i Watch News, with help from the Center for Public Integrity, details how White House visitor logs don't reflect actual visits and visitors to the White House.

The investigation went through more than 1,000,000 records of visitors and compared the records to who actually showed up and who they met with. Over 200,000 of the records do not detail what took place during the visits, and there are over 200,000 records of visits that never happened.

Beyond on the ground reporting, the reporters must have set up databases and spreadsheets to analyze all the data. This could potentially involve HTML coding skills and would require skills with spreadsheets and a little math.

By Mike Munzenrider

A 29-year-old Burnsville man was arrested Thursday in connection to the April 15 hit and run accident in Dinky Town that injured two and killed one.

The man came off probation in March and has DWI and reckless driving convictions on his record reports The Minnesota Daily.

Police found the man based on tips and witness reporting, and arrested him at his work without incident reports the Star Tribune.

The man is being held without bail and police and charges of murder are expected to be filed against him reports the Star Tribune.

By Mike Munzenrider

Minnesota 6th district Rep. Michele Bachmann joined an exclusive list Thursday when she made it onto Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Bachmann made the list because of the level of interest she has raised within Republican circles regarding the 2012 presidential race, Time's Washington bureau chief Michael Duffy told NPR.

While Time cites her popularity among voters for her inclusion, The New York Time's FiveThirtyEight blog reports Bachmann received far less media attention over the past six months than other Republican presidential nomination seekers such as Sarah Palin, New Gingrich, and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Rush Limbaugh wrote about Bachmann for Time, saying the left can "underestimate her at their own risk."

By Mike Munzenrider

Weathering the fallout of a 2009 admission of an extra-marital affair, Sen. John Ensign announced Thursday that he would resign his Senate seat effective May 3.

The Republican Senator from Nevada had previously said that he would not seek reelection in 2012, though looming prosecution by the Senate Ethics Committee forced him to step aside reports the Los Angeles Times.

Ensign admitted to an affair with a campaign staffer after the staffer's husband threatened to go public about the affair. Ensign's parent's later paid the man a $96,000 gift, and Ensign apparently helped him get lobbying work, as noted by NPR.

Ensign's open seat will most likely go to Nevada Rep. Dean Heller, a Republican, though newly elected Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, also a Republican, has said that a decision has not been made reports the Los Angeles Times.

By Mike Munzenrider

Two photojournalists were killed and two others were injured in the Libyan city of Misurata by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Wednesday.

Tim Hetherington, award winning war photographer and director of the Oscar nominated documentary "Restrepo," a film about the Afghan war, and Chris Hondros, a well traveled war photographer, were killed when they came under fire in Misurata reports The New York Times.

The men arrived in the besieged city by sea and arrived in the area in which they were killed early Wednesday. They were killed either by a rocket propelled grenade or a mortar witnesses told The New York Times.

Hetherington died shortly after being brought to hospital, while Hondros died a couple of hours after his arrival at the hospital according to Rueters.

By Mike Munzenrider

A bicyclist was killed when she was struck by a large truck near the University of Minnesota campus Thursday morning.

The accident occurred at the intersection of 15th Avenue Southeast and 4th Street when the truck hit the bicyclist as it turned right onto 4th Street reports The Minnesota Daily.

The bicyclist has been identified as Kimberly Yeong Sil Hull, 25, a university student who was set to graduate in two weeks reports The Minnesota Daily.

According to the Star Tribune, Minneapolis police have vowed to step up traffic law enforcement on cars, bicyclists and pedestrians alike.

By Mike Munzenrider

Storms killed 17 people in Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma state officials said.

In Alabama, a total of seven people were killed, all of whom were in their homes at the time reports The New York Times. A mother and her children were killed when their double-wide mobile home was thrown 100 yards.

Straight line winds, not tornadoes, were responsible for much of the damage reports the BBC.

The storm moved into South Carolina, North Carolina and West Virginia on Saturday reports The New York Times.

By Mike Munzenrider

Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 on Wednesday after television cameras caught him using an anti-gay slur after receiving a technical foul.

The incident occurred Tuesday night while Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers were playing the San Antonio Spurs reports The Los Angeles Times.

Bryant received both a personal and technical foul proceeded to hit a chair and yell "faggot" at a referee reports The Los Angeles Times.

"What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period, " Bryant said, as reported by Yahoo Sports. "The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone."

By Mike Munzenrider

Tony Sutton cruised to re-election as party chair of the Minnesota GOP.

Sutton took over the chair in 2009 and lead the party to controlling both the Minnesota House and Senate for the first time in 38 years after the 2010 elections reports the Associated Press.

He must now start organizing support for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann who are both seeking the Republican presidential nomination reports the Star Tribune.

Sutton will also begin searching for a candidate to oppose Sen. Amy Klobuchar reports the Star Tribune.

By Mike Munzenrider

An Italian activist was killed in Gaza on Thursday, and his body was found by Hamas on Friday.

The activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, was taken hostage by a group in order to be used to free prisoners held by Hamas reports Al Jazeera.

Arrigoni worked for International Solidarity Movement, which defends Palestinian's rights reports Al Jazeera.

The New York Times reports that Arrigoni was killed by strangulation, most likely a few hours after he was kidnapped.