October 2011 Archives

A suicide bomber attacked an armored bus on Saturday in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least 12 Americans, reported the New York Times.

According to NATO officials, five troops and eight civilian contractors were killed in the attack, reported the L.A. Times.

The L.A. Times notes it is the "single deadliest attack on U.S. citizens in the Afghan capital since the war began a decade ago."

A Canadian soldier and four Afghans were also killed, reported the New York Times.

American officials view the attack as "the Taliban's attempt to shake confidence in the Afghan government," according to the New York Times.

Herman Cain's surge in the polls has still not dimmed, as evidenced by a new Des Moines Register poll released Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Although his tax plan has much opposition, Cain remains in high standing in the race for the Republican presidential nominee.

"I'm the unconventional candidate," Cain told the New York Times. "I have the unconventional message: Bold, solutions-oriented."

Cain led the poll with 23 percent of the vote, ahead of Mitt Romney by 1 percent, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Michele Bachmann has dropped to fourth, capturing just 8 percent of the vote.

A man with a shotgun is suspected of four robberies this month, according to the Star Tribune.

The suspect most recently robbed a Jimmy John's in Dinkytown on Oct. 23, according to the Minnesota Daily.

The crime was his second of the weekend, after he robbed a Stop-N-Go on Oct. 22, according to the Star Tribune.

The Minneapolis Police Department is turning to anyone with information to identify a suspect, according to the Minnesota Daily.

State Sen. Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, is stepping down to serve as director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, after he was appointed Friday, according to the Minnesota Daily.

Gov. Mark Dayton made the appointment, emphasizing Pogemiller's opportunity to reshape higher-education policy in Minnesota, reported the Star Tribune.

"I loved the Senate," Pogemiller said, noting he isn't leaving because he is in the minority party, reported the Star Tribune.

"[Pogemiller] is the perfect choice for the Office of Higher Education at this critical juncture for higher education in Minnesota," Dayton said, according to the Minnesota Daily.

A special election to replace Pogemiller will take place Jan. 10, according to the Star Tribune.

Renting a DVD from Redbox will $1.20 per night, up from $1.00, starting Oct. 31, according to the Washington Post.

The company said the 20 cent increase is the only planned pricing increase, and month-long promotion will be offered, reported the Washington Post.

"The change is primarily due to the increase in operating expenses, including the recent increase in debit card interchange fees as a result of the Durbin Amendment," said Coinstar, the company that owns Redbox, reported TechCrunch.

The move came after Netflix raised its prices, and consequently lost 800,000 subscribers, according to TechCrunch.

The article "Pasadena plans to build 2 new parks," by the L.A. Times, was a recap of a meeting.

The announcement was likely the most newsworthy portion of a meeting by the Pasadena City Council.

The article incorporates information from a 2007 city report, which may have been referenced during the meeting.

Massive flooding in Thailand is crunching a massive portion of the hard drive industry, according to CRN.

Both of the world's leading suppliers of hard drives are affected, according to All Things D.

Analyst firm IHS iSuppli estimated that 25 percent of the world's hard drives are manufactured in Thailand, reported CRN.

Western Digital, a leading hard drive manufacturing company, has suspended operations in Thailand, along with several other technology companies, according to All Things D.

Western Digital COO Timothy Leyden said the flooding has also affected the company's test and slider facilities, according to CRN.

Libya's new rulers called their nation free from Muammar Gaddafi's reign but failed to outline steps toward a more democratic government, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Tens of thousands attended a celebration of Gaddafi's death, where Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, spoke of honor, patriotism and steadfastness, said the Wall Street Journal.

"All the martyrs, the civilians and the army had waited for this moment," Abdul-Jalil said, reported Reuters.

Gaddafi's body remained unburied and on display in Misrata, Libya, according to Reuters.

Republicans are not happy with the Citizens' Redistricting Commission's map-drawing, according to MinnPost.

According to the Pioneer Press, 42 Minnesota legislators would lose their seats or be forced to move if the proposed boundaries are enacted.

Commission chair Candi Walz said the group did not set out to intentionally defeat - or protect - any incumbents, reported the Pioneer Press.

Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, told MinnPost that the proposal was filled with liberal activists.

"It should be cause for great concern that Draw the Line is bringing politics into a process which should be about people," said Anderson.

Sports fans traveled to Minneapolis this weekend to support the Packers, the Cornhuskers, and the local economy.

Minnesota hotels and bars were packed this weekend for the sports events, according to the Minnesota Daily.

Chuck McGuire, rooms manager at a local hotel, told the Star Tribune that they were booked solid Saturday night.

Joe Senser's, a sports bar in Bloomington, was filled with 200 to 300 Nebraska fans Saturday, according to the Minnesota Daily.

One Huskers fan noted the proportion of fans for each team.

"It was probably 70 percent Huskers," she told the Minnesota Daily.

Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign has brought in support from 70,000 donors and 97,000 contributions, according to MinnPost.

275 donors have given to Bachmann at least five times this year, reported the Star Tribune.

Cindy Boyd has donated to Bachmann 21 times this year, with each donation less than $50, according to the Star Tribune.

Bachmann relies on repeat donors because she "lacks the big-money donors," who have supported Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, said the Star Tribune.

The average donation Bachmann received was $42 dollars, according to MinnPost.

According to federal election records, Bachmann spent $6 million while only raising $4.1 million during the past three months, reported the Star Tribune.

The Chicago Tribune goes above and beyond the norm of multimedia coverage.

Their news apps team has a section of the website dubbed "Maps and Apps," where they feature news applications they have built.

Some of the applications are stand-alone, but many accompany articles. This is in addition to the usual photo, slideshow and video coverage.

The Minnesota Daily is working to incorporate more multimedia into their reporting.

The Minnesota Daily features slideshows and videos above the fold of their front page, like many other news organizations.

The recent slideshow "A day through Luka's eyes" could stand alone as a story because of the descriptive cutlines, but it was published with a traditional article.

Apple sold 1 million iPhone 4S's on the first day of pre-orders, almost doubling their previous record of 600,000 first-day sales, according to Forbes.

All three carriers for the new iPhone sold out of units, reported Forbes.

An unofficial Reuters poll showed that one in four purchasers came from different mobile devices.

"I am tired of the Blackberry issues, like stuff going down every six months," said fashion publicist Adam at the Times Square store, reported Reuters.

Apple says purchasers of the iPhone 4S today will receive theirs in one to two weeks, but that wait may become longer due to high demand, according to Forbes.

Iran warned Sunday that it would react strongly to any "inappropriate measures" taken by the West, according to the Independent.

"Any inappropriate measure against Iran, whether political or security-related, will be strongly confronted by the Iranian nation," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Reuters.

U.S. officials announced the plot last Tuesday, in which a U.S. agent was paid to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir while undercover as a Mexican drug cartel hit man, according to Reuters.

The head of the FBI said the plot sounded like a Hollywood script, reported Reuters.

A federal appeals court in Alabama partially blocked a controversial immigration law on Friday, according to the New York Times.

The court issued an injunction against the section that requires school districts to check the immigration status of their students, reported the L.A. Times.

The court upheld other provisions of the law, including one that makes it a felony for illegal immigrants to enter "business transactions," including applying for a driver's license, according to the L.A. Times.

Attendance at schools have wavered in the past two weeks, with Hispanic absences climbing over 4,000 above the normal value, reported the New York Times.

Police confiscated tents erected by OccupyMN protesters early Sunday, warning they pose a public safety risk, reported the Pioneer Press.

Protesters were warned by police not to put up tents, tarps or other structures. Because most of the tents were transparent, protesters said the public safety risk was eliminated, according to the Pioneer Press.

Police confiscated 28 tents a little after 1 a.m., and no one was arrested, reported the Star Tribune.

As the temperature declines, protesters worry about their safety.

"It's absolutely necessary that we have something, or people will get sick," said Andy Showalter, 21, reported the Star Tribune.

OccupyMN leaders and police have been meeting daily since Oct. 5, according to the Pioneer Press.

Two construction workers were struck and killed Thursday when a driver lost control on I-35W in Burnsville, according to the Pioneer Press.

The deaths are a reminder of the dangers of working in construction, said the Star Tribune.

"Sometimes there's just cones between you and the traffic," Trent Mechels, Minnesota Department of Transportation inspector told the Star Tribune.

Thursday marks the first construction death in the metro area since 2008, reported the Star Tribune.

Over 80 state highway projects are underway this year, according to the Star Tribune.

MinnPost's coverage of the Occupy Minnesota protests progressed throughout the day.

The day began with a small paragraph, where MinnPost asked protestors to send in pictures and information.

As multimedia and Tweets came in, MinnPost curated them and turned them into a story that lengthened with the hour.

The day-after story, by the Star Tribune, took a different tone. It was less about crowdsourcing and more about reporting. This is likely because they had time to get people to the scene.

MinnPost turned its story into a social media trail of tweets, a much different take than the Star Tribune.

Apple's new iOS software undercuts carriers by offering messaging that bypasses text plans, saving consumers money, according to PC Magazine.

The plan is modeled after Blackberry's similar feature, but the amount of iPhone users could create a larger problem for carriers.

Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, who covers the telecommunications industry, said, "There's a huge amount at stake here," according to the New York Times.

Over 2 trillion text messages are sent in the U.S. each year, according to the New York Times. This amounts to a $20 billion revenue stream for carriers.

Blackberry's messaging is a feature that keeps customers loyal, and Apple plans to jump on board this stickiness train with iMessage, reported the New York Times.

The TSA is getting more lenient for some fliers, as some U.S. airports are testing a new program to allow trusted fliers more freedom in getting through security, according to the Australian Business Traveler.

A part of the move, children under the age of 12 will not be required to remove their shoes, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Four U.S. airports are testing the new "TSA PreCheck" program, which allows passengers to volunteer information to be categorized as high or low risk, according to the Australian Business Traveler.

"If the pilot proves successful, we will explore expanding the program to additional travelers, airports and airlines" TSA Chief John Pistole told the Australian Business Traveler.

PreCheck passengers are still subject to random searches by the TSA, officials told the Chicago Tribune.

At least 24 are dead after a clash between protesting Christians and police on Sunday in Egypt, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The protests were over the military's failed protection of churches and the now lengthened time of rule, reported the New York Times.

At least four people were run over by military vehicles, and over 150 people were injured, according to the New York Times.

The Egyptian cabinet called for an emergency meeting Monday to ensure the upcoming elections would not be derailed by violence, reported the Chicago Tribune.

"This is a dark day in the military's history. This is betrayal, a conspiracy, murder," said Magdy el-Serafy via Twitter, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Minnesotans are taking action against corporations, following protests to "Occupy Wall Street."

The protests, dubbed "Occupy Minnesota," have one goal in common: People over profits, reported MinnPost.

The protests began Friday morning, and will continue through the coming work week, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Hennepin County Government Center Plaza has become like a home to participant April Lukes-Streich, reported Minnesota Public Radio.

According to organizer LaDonna Redmond, the protests are loosely modeled off the Cairo government overthrow, reported MinnPost.

After the losses pile on Minnesota sports fans, the Lynx provided a reason to brag after winning the WNBA championship Friday night in Atlanta.

The Lynx finished with the worst record in the WNBA last year, according to the Minnesota Daily.

Minnesota fans crowded MSP airport awaiting the team's arrival Saturday afternoon, reported Minnesota Public Radio.

"Minnesota fans are great and come to support us and have been supporting us all season," said Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen, reported Minnesota Public Radio.

Whalen is an alumna of Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Daily.

The championship was Minnesota's first since the Twins won the world series in 1991, according to the Minnesota Daily.

The reporter for the Star Tribune article Bayport man is latest Minnesota crash victim structured the story in the inverted pyramid style.

The story covered two recent crashes, and it could be split into two separate stories if needed.

The lead was a hard news lead, answering the who, what, where and when.

The story eventually explained more details, and linked the latest incident to another similar crash over the weekend.

This structure makes the facts known quickly what most people would want to know. It could have been done in a more narrative way, but the hard news style works here, too.

The Chicago Blackhawks lost their last exhibition game to the Washington Capitals on Sunday 1-4 at the Verizon Center, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Two late Chicago penalties stretched a close game into an insurmountable lead for the Capitals.

Peter LeBlanc was charged with a match penalty for a hit to the head, and will likely be suspended by new NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan, reported the Associated Press.

Washington's Mike Green scored the dagger with just three minutes to play and a 5-3 advantage, thanks to a slashing call on Marian Hossa.

"It was a tough loss but we did lots of good things against a really good team," Hossa said, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Israel announced Sunday it backs the Middle East Quartet's call for direct talks with Palestinian leaders to resume this month, according to CNN.

But Israeli officials fear that Palestine will be less willing to negotiate issues after the borders are redrawn, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formally requested the United Nations recognize Palestinian statehood because Palestinians are tired of waiting for the Israeli negotiations to complete, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Leon Panetta, U.S. secretary of defense, left for Israel Sunday to voice the U.S.'s objections.

U.S. and European leaders have disagreed with both sides's moves as obstacles to peace, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hundreds of people marched Saturday for more awareness about sexual abuse in Minneapolis's first annual SlutWalk, according to the Minnesota Daily.

People dressed in fishnet stockings, short skirts and dresses holding signs stating things such as "Consent is sexy," reported the Star Tribune.

The event was inspired by a similar march in Toronto when a police officer said women could avoid being victims of sexual assault by not dressing like "sluts," according to the Minnesota Daily.

But using the word "slut" caused some distress by participants, and deterred others from marching.

Maren Daniels, a junior at Augsburg College, said it was about showing support for victims of sexual asault, reported the Star Tribune.

"It's about love, compassion and awareness," she said.

Sammy Malakwen won the Twin Cities Marathon Sunday after falling short at the Grandma's Marathon a few month ago, according to the Star Tribune.

Malakwen, like many runners, suffered from cramps in his thighs around mile 13, reported the Pioneer Press.

Malakwen and Yeshimebet Bifa, the women's winnner, both took home $15,000 for their wins.

Malakwen, who lives in Two Harbors, finished the 26.2 mile race in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 11 seconds, according to the Star Tribune.

The first three runners in the men's marathon were Keynan.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is running out to time to decide whether to run for president, according to the Washington Post.

The New York Times reported that Christie's internal strategists are considering the challenges of making a run this close to primary elections.

Voting will likely begin in less than 100 days, which will make it difficult for Christie if he does run.

Leading Republicans believe Christie would immediately become a top-tier candidate, according to the Washington Post.

Christie was planning on making a run for the 2016 elections, but those close to him said he feels this election may be his best opportunity, reported the New York Times.