April 2007

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U of M to acquire eggs from cage-free poultry

Filed under: Animal Rights

Suffer the chickens that reside in cages. That's the philosophy now adopted by the dining services at the U of M. Last month they passed a resolution stating that the 2,800 pounds of liquid eggs the dining services purchase each week will now be from cage-free poultry. The change comes with the ringing endorsement of animal rights group the Compassionate Action of Animals who have campaigned for the cause for over a year.

"Compassionate Action for Animals is delighted that the University of Minnesota has taken the important step of withdrawing support for one of factory farming's worst cruelties—highly restrictive caging of hens," says Gil Schwartz, campaign coordinator for CAA. "This move, from one of the United States' largest universities, is sending a clear message to the egg industry: that battery eggs are simply too cruel for any socially responsible school to support."

Chickens farmed in battery cages typically spend a lifetime in a space smaller than a sheet of paper, which greatly prohibits movement. Though several local schools have already adopted cage-free policy, and many fast food chains (McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King) have adopted fowl-friendlier policies, the U will be the largest Minnesota school to go cage-free.

Though many agree that cage-free is more human, this doesn't mean that these chickens will be free-range. Though birds may never see actual sunlight, cage-free does guarantee that birds will reside on solid ground, have 3 times the amount of space as well as room to spread their wings.

Though cage-free eggs tend to be more costly (around 4 to 6 cents more per egg) students and faculty won't see a rise in meal prices—the U is "excited" about the change and plans to absorb the cost.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at April 30, 2007 4:11 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tim Pawlenty would be a dentist today...

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

...if he only managed to get better grades in his chemistry class at the University of Minnesota. He also shops at Wal-Mart and says--apparently with a straight face--that John McCain shares a "lineage" with great Republicans such as Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln. All this comes in a wet kiss profile in the current issue of The Weekly Standard.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at April 30, 2007 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

 

Black and blue

Filed under: Crime

In a shocking display of openess in the first full year of the Tim Dolan era, the MPD actually sent its Internal Affairs annual report to the media last week. But depending on your skin color, that may be where the good news ends.

According to the report, "The Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) is to function as a mechanism to receive, investigate and resolve complaints of employee misconduct." Citizens and cops alike can file complaints.

According to Chief Dolan, the document is "an excellent report, the best report we've ever done," and adds that these reports are a new development under his stint. "It's about transparency and it's about being accountable to the community," says Dolan.

Still, there are some things that the chief would no doubt prefer not be made public. Some notable stats: In 2006, 172 cases were filed with IAU, compared to 102 the year before. Of those, 93 were dismissed with "no basis for complaint," while 16 actually were investigated and closed. In those cases, 10 suspensions were meted out, along with two "Letters of Reprimand," three "Oral Reprimands," and five instances where "coaching" was recommended.

The report also notes that there was "a 2.5 percent increase in calls for service and 16.3 percent increase in arrests for the same time period."

Of 371,466 calls to police last year, 53,220 ended with someone going to the pokey. When broken down by race, 8 percent of those arrested were American Indian, 19 percent were white, and 64 percent were described as "black." Additionally, blacks made up 53 percent of "suspects by race." (The MPD does not track contacts with Latinos.)

Use of force incidents, which can include officer-involved shootings, "incidents that result in injury to a subject," or hospitalization of cops or suspects, also went up, from 723 in 2005 to 876 last year. In those cases, the "subject" was indentifed as black 64 percent of the time.

Dolan notes that more cops are using Tasers, and that while that number is up, every other "use of force" category is down. "As far as use of force and where it's being used, who it's being used on," he concludes, "it's close to reflecting the problems we're having with violent crime and who's committing those violent crimes."

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at April 30, 2007 9:34 AM | Comments (0)

 

4/30 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Chuck Terhark reviews Andy Friedman's Saturday night show at the 331 Club at Culture To Go.

Steve Monaco has your Monday Movie Quiz at Couch Pundit.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Apraxia, Fort Wilson Riot, Valet, Telephone!, Mach Fox, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Giving marijuana to mice with cancer shrank their lung tumors by half and slowed the spread of the disease, findings that may one day expand legal use of the drug as a treatment. [via Undernews]

Philadelphia city inspectors shut down more than a dozen psychics, astrologers, and tarot-card readers after learning about a decades-old state law that bans fortune telling for profit.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Bad Cat! blogs about battling depression, disturbing sex toys, and what happens when your family discovers your blog at Crazy Days of Me.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

From Clippy the paper clip to Apple's printing dog: Wired mocks the Lamest Technology Mascots Ever

The Star Wars theme played on bagpipes

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I give it all to the movies, and it's like I'm climbing Mount Everest every time. When I get off the mountain then I want to be able to enjoy some time in the chalet at the bottom."

— filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, in The Telegraph, on why he only makes a movie once every few years

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 30, 2007 6:34 AM | Comments (0)

 

City to artist: no compensation for you!

Filed under: Minneapolis

Mari Newman, you may recall, is the southwest Minneapolis artist who ran afoul of the city by turning her lawn into a sculpture garden. In August, the city hauled off a couple shopping carts, two bicycles, a chandelier and other items after Newman ignored city demands to remove them.

Newman's hearing to appeal the $130 fine, as well as to demand $2,000 in compensation for the lost stuff, was last week. This week, Newman got a letter from the city informing her that she had lost.

The artist tells City Pages that she plans to appeal the fine in court, but has given up on getting any money out of the city.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 27, 2007 5:31 PM | Comments (1)

 

4/27 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Mary O'Regan reviews last night's JoAnna James CD release party at the Varsity at Culture To Go.

The Best of the Twin Cities 2007 are posted here: Arts and Entertainment, Bought and Sold, City Gritty, Foodstuff, Out and About, Restaurants, and Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have shown that it is possible to use solar energy, paired with the right catalyst, to convert carbon dioxide into a raw material for making a wide range of products, including plastics and gasoline.

A man arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to use a stolen credit card at a drugstore got a break from an Ohio judge after passing a Bible quiz after his lawyer declared him a "church-goer."

Two-time champion Tony Stewart likened NASCAR to professional wrestling and accused it of using bogus caution flags to shape races.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Matthew, Rik, Natascha, Phillip, and Bill blog about the Virginia Tech massacre, U.S. foreign policy, the 2008 presidential election and being sexier than Batman at Liberal Media Elite.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Progressive Farmer offers the Ten Best Places to Live in Rural America

Rolling Stone's munchie-inducing 25 Best Songs for Reefer Gladness

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's a choice for any young person as to whether they want to join the army or not. I'd be absolutely delighted if one of my children wanted to do that."

— British Prime Minister Tony Blair, yesterday on BBC Radio

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 27, 2007 6:33 AM | Comments (1)

 

New archbishop is a great organizer and planner!

When the best your coworkers can say is that you're "capable," you may not be right for the job. That "c"-word is the adjective current Archbishop Harry Flynn bestowed on comer John Nienstedt, currently the Catholic potentate of New Ulm. To be fair, in the Pi Press's revealing story, Flynn used the intensifier "such a"--as in "such a ninny," but with the words "capable bishop" used instead.

Reverend Philip M. Schotzko of St. Peter chimes in with exceptional enthusiasm that, "he considers him 'a good organizer and planner and administrator.'"

He did not add, "Bishop Nienstedt is punctual, keeps his fingernails immaculate, and has fantastic handwriting--God has graced this man with the gift of legibility."

In case you missed the coverage, here are some things that Twin Cities Catholics can look forward to after Neinstedt gets his promotion:

No more sleepovers: The Pi Press's David Hanners writes, "As bishop in New Ulm, Nienstedt prohibited cohabitating couples from being married in Catholic churches."

No fellowship during business hours: Nienstedt has written chidingly about parishioners who chat with their neighbors before the start of mass.

Everyone is born straight: In a March 2007 pastoral letter, Nienstedt asserted, "Many behavioral scientists tell us that our unique sexual identity does not begin to be formed until eighteen months and continues until three years of age."

The sexual abuse scandal in the clergy is often a problem of false accusations: "What is of immediate concern, I believe, is a social climate that presumes every unsubstantiated charge is necessarily true. I remember well the months after the late Cardinal Bernardin was publicly accused. Day after day, the press followed him wherever he went. The pressure must have been enormous. Then came the hour when his accuser confessed that he was mistaken. All's well that ends well, but what about the suffering needlessly endured in the meantime?"

Though shalt not transgress through your Netflix queue. In February of 2006, Nienstedt wrote that he does "not recommend for your viewing" the arthouse hit "Brokeback Mountain." Auditioning for a guest column in "Ain't It Cool News," the New Ulm theologian summarizes the plot as follows: "The story is about two lonely cowboys herding sheep up on a mountain range. One night after a drinking binge, one man makes a pass at the other and within seconds the latter mounts the former in an act of wanton anal sex."

The Most Reverend Nienstedt apparently screened it so that you wouldn't have to watch in sin. Now that's a capable bishop!

Posted by Michael Tortorello at April 26, 2007 2:54 PM | Comments (2)

 

4/26 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Mary O'Regan reviews last night's Ted Leo and the Pharmacists show at Culture To Go, with pics by Daniel Corrigan.

Peter Schilling Jr. reports on another heartbreaking loss to the Royals by the Twins at Balls.

The Best of the Twin Cities 2007 are posted here: Arts and Entertainment, Bought and Sold, City Gritty, Foodstuff, Out and About, Restaurants, and Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Danny y Elliot, the Hopefuls, Flock of Doug, Tim Rally Gold, Fitzgerald, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

A Michigan environmental group claims that "new car smell"—from toxic chemicals such as bromine, chlorine, and lead—is hazardous to your health.

A dramatic surge in the popularity of "urine therapy" in Cameroon has prompted the government to ban its consumption and threaten persistent offenders with jail.

MINNESOTA BLOG(S) OF THE DAY

Congratulations to the Cucking Stool and Faith Mouse for being named the best partisan blogs in the Best of the Twin Cities issue.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Here's your chance to own the Dexter Lake Club from Animal House

Forbes.com lists the World's Cleanest Cities, with Minneapolis coming in at #5

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"There were so many cartoon characters in the bar at the time, all Captain America's were asked to go outside for a possible identification."

— from a Melbourne, Florida, police report on the arrest of Dr. Raymond Adamcik, who was arrested last Saturday night during a costume party at a bar where he was accused of groping a woman after she refused to touch the burrito he had placed in the pants of his Marvel super-hero costume

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 26, 2007 6:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

The Evils of Ethanol

Filed under: Environment

It is a universal axiom of modern politics that no politician with presidential ambitions can talk honestly about the very real problems of the government's slavish promotion of corn-based ethanol. In the corn belt states, of course, it is impossible to talk honestly about corn-based ethanol if you want to get elected dog catcher.

This why we occasionally need to listen to professors.

In a paper published this month in the journal, Foreign Affairs, two University of Minnesota profs--C. Ford Runge, the Director of the Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy and Benjamin Senauer, the Co-director of the Food Industry Center--highlight some of the unwelcome consequences of growing so much corn for biofuel.

Runge and Senauer cover some familiar territory--the adverse environmental consequences of intensive corn farming, the approximately eight billion dollars of direct subsidies paid to American corn growers each year, the obnoxious enrichment of agri-giant ADM.

But they also take a close look at the effects of U.S. ethanol policy on poor people who live outside the U.S. Long story short: it drives up food costs for those who can least afford it:

In late 2006, the price of tortilla flour in Mexico, which gets 80 percent of its corn imports from the United States, doubled thanks partly to a rise in U.S. corn prices from $2.80 to $4.20 a bushel over the previous several months. (Prices rose even though tortillas are made mainly from Mexican-grown white corn because industrial users of the imported yellow corn, which is used for animal feed and processed foods, started buying the cheaper white variety.) The price surge was exacerbated by speculation and hoarding. With about half of Mexico's 107 million people living in poverty and relying on tortillas as a main source of calories, the public outcry was fierce. In January 2007, Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderón, was forced to cap the prices of corn products.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at April 25, 2007 4:10 PM | Comments (2)

 

The Complicity Chronicles

Filed under: War on Terror

Chalk up another first for University of Minnesota physician-ethicist Steve Miles: Earlier this week the U's Center for Bioethics and Human Rights Center launched an online archive of documents Miles collected while writing a book about medical operations at U.S. prisoner of war facilities overseas. The searchable database is thought to be the first ever human rights archive documenting an ongoing series of abuses.

In 2004, when Miles, a UM medical professor, first heard the reports about abuse at Abu Ghraib, he wondered about the doctors and other health care workers who had to have known--or covered up. After two painstaking years of research via the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, much of it conducted by the ACLU, Miles had amassed 35,000 pages of autopsy reports, e-mails, memos, medical records and other grim source materials, some handwritten, some containing just a footnote or offhand reference to a prisoner's death.

Miles read every single one of the documents, cross-referencing each by prisoner, detention facility, and type of abuse or death. He catalogued his findings in "Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror," released last year.

After its publication, Miles heard from a number of people who wondered whether he could share the raw data, and still others who had more documents to contribute. The whole time, reams more documentation were becoming declassified. Last week, when the archive went online, it contained 60,000 pages.

"Each document has a little slice of a story," says Miles. "This way you can see the whole story."

Never mind that the Internet made the historic archive possible, many of the scattered documents were PDFs, meaning Miles had to read each and every word, tag each document with a number identifying the detainee in question, and create a searchable index. As a result, the archive makes it possible to cross-reference documentation from different branches of the government pertaining to an individual.

There are seven records on homicide of prisoner no. 80, for example, from both the Defense Department and Medcom, a database of clinical reports and other medical documents, most of them from Iraq. Named only as Dilwar, he was found dead, restrained in his cell at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, supposedly after being forcibly subdued following an escape attempt.

Some of the documents raise new questions, Miles says. A footnote in an otherwise uninteresting report refers to a child who died of untreated tuberculosis while in custody; he's been unable to locate any other reports of a child dying in custody.

One of the most recent additions to the collection describes a pregnant detainee giving birth in Abu Graib and the efforts of military personnel to find a relative or orphanage to take the baby before her interrogation.

The archive is part of the UM's Human Rights Library, located in the Law School and used by 200,000 people from 150 countries each month.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 25, 2007 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

 

4/25 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

The Best of the Twin Cities 2007 are posted here: Arts and Entertainment, Bought and Sold, City Gritty, Foodstuff, Out and About, Restaurants, and Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll.

Amy Winehouse, Mika, and porn trailers from the '70s and '80s are just a few of the highlights from this week's Culture Jamming by Michael Gallucci.

Peter Schilling Jr. bemoans the Minnesota Twins' current batting slump at Balls.

Rose McGowan with a deadly leg prosthesis and animal people invading Lapland make up Steve Monaco's Movie Year So Far at Couch Pundit.

THESE DAYS

The maker of Astroglide accidentally exposed customer data files dating from 2003 to 2007 to Google's search engine, releasing over 250,000 names and addresses of those who bought or requested free samples of the sexual lubricant onto the web. [via Boing Boing]

A Maine woodworker is diversifying his business by building caskets and urns for family pets.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Minneapolitan Jeff Anderson blogs about the unrequited love for his ear, nose, and throat specialist, battling Crohn's disease, and dreams featuring celebrities at Jeff's Fancy Blog.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

ArmChair GM uses Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds baseball cards to track potential steroid use

Sometimes you wanna go... and take an easy TV theme song quiz

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Although the swastika symbol causes some concern and is usually associated with hate and the Nazi regime, in this instance this male posed no threat to the community."

— a press release from the Nanaimo Police Department of British Columbia, on the arrest of a Canadian man who was found walking around naked with a swastika taped to his body to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 25, 2007 6:41 AM | Comments (1)

 

NWA Flight Attendant SOL?

Filed under: Business

Pity Northwest's flight attendants--they just can't catch a break in the ongoing drama that is the airline's use of bankruptcy proceedings to undo itself of its burdensome agreements with its unions. For almost nine months the flight attendants have been working under court-imposed terms designed to give Northwest the $195 million in savings it has argued are necessary to allow it to fly out of bankruptcy proceedings a healthy company. A separate court order prohibits them from striking, and federal mediators insist they stay at the bargaining table.

With the end of the bankruptcy case in sight, now the flight attendants are under pressure to ink a new deal with the airline so that they can make the deadline for filing a claim to receive a chunk of the old Northwest along with other airline creditors awaiting the outcome of the case. The $182 million claim could be worth up to $18,000 per flight attendant, according to news reports.

Among the terms said to be on the table are severance packages for flight attendants who want to leave. Hmmm, wonder why anyone would want to give up the friendly skies....

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 24, 2007 4:43 PM | Comments (2)

 

Beat on, boats against the current

Filed under: Politics

Dennis Kucinich recently delayed his plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney, but that won't stop local pro-impeach activists from getting their message out this weekend. To the birds, anyway.

This Saturday at 10:30 a.m., a small army of volunteers, organized by the hellraisers at www.impeachforpeace.org, will use canoes to spell the word "impeach" on Lake Calhoun. Then they'll truck it across town to the west bank of the Mississippi River, near the University of Minnesota campus, to pull off a similar trick, this time with bed sheets underlit by flashlights. Organizers hope passenger planes flying overhead will see the message and, um, vote for impeachment, we guess.

The stunt might not change any minds, but you have to hand it to the would-be impeachers: Their message is clear, succinct, and to-the-point. As you can tell from the dumb Fitzgerald quote we tried to pass off as a headline just now, we're still struggling with that one.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at April 24, 2007 3:07 PM | Comments (1)

 

4/24 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter Schilling Jr. breaks down the Twins' 12th-inning loss to the Indians at Balls.

Our DVD Reviews this week include Planet Earth, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Queen, and more.

Diablo makes it into Jane, but still dreams of making it into Sassy at Pussy Ranch.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Population gains and U.S. economic growth are prompting a rise in gas prices of almost 5 percent above the five-year average, with the potential to reach $4 a gallon.

After years of holding separate parties, the students of Turner County High School in Georgia have held their first integrated prom.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Steve is a twenty-something working for a dot-com in Minneapolis and photo-blogging at Prakope.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Similar clips featured in both the Simpsons and Family Guy

Hotdoll: The Sex Doll for Dogs

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I find it ironic that the flags were flown at half-staff [at Bagram military base] for the young men and women who were killed at VT, yet it is never lowered for the death of a U.S. service member."

— Sgt. Jim Wilt, in an article issued Monday by the public affairs office at Bagram military base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, bemoaning the fact that fallen U.S. soldiers haven't received similar honors. According to the Defense Department, 315 U.S. service members have died in and around Afghanistan since late 2001.

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 24, 2007 6:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

House passes $10 billion health care bill, includes money for 70,000 uninsured kids

Filed under: Health Care

For three years, Children's Defense Fund Minnesota has fought for funding to provide health care for all the state's children. Each year, the organization watched its proposal die in the Republican-controlled house.

Until last week, that is.

In an 86-45 vote, the (now Democratic) house passed a $10 billion health care bill that included funding for Minnesota's 70,000 uninsured kids. The senate passed a less generous health care package of its own, and the differences will have to be ironed out in a conference committee.

The real test, though, will likely come when the bill arrives at desk of the governor, who is not a fan of taxpayer-funded largesse.

"It's good news," said Marc Kimball, spokesman for Children's Defense Fund Minnesota, of the house bill's passage. "Hopefully as they move along in negotiations, we can hold most of it there."

Stay tuned.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 23, 2007 3:53 PM | Comments (0)

 

4/23 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Steve Monaco has your Monday Movie Quiz at Couch Pundit.

Mary O'Regan wraps up her online modeling diary/gallery with Catwalk Confessional p. VII: Clear the Runways! about her experiences during the Voltage fashion show.

The Royals' Jorge De La Rosa was too much for the Twins yesterday. Analysis from Peter Schilling Jr. at Balls.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

As the first wave of baby boomers edges toward retirement, a growing body of evidence suggests that they may be the first generation to enter their golden years in worse health than their parents.

Snoop Dogg reportedly almost pulled out of a charity concert because organizers hadn't provided him with an Xbox in his dressing room.

Researchers at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that adding ethanol boosts the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Sharyn Morrow is a mother and web developer blogging about the dangers of becoming a hermit, dreaming of imaginary plants, and "inside out clothes day" at Weapons of Massdistraction.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Chuds perform a catchy rap dedicated to the Philippines' greatest 2'9" crime fighter: Weng Weng

A compilation of 32 Purple and Brown shorts from Aardman Studios

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I'm doing this because I love him."

— A Knoxville, Tennessee, father who made his 14-year-old son walk up and down the sidewalk in front of his middle school wearing a sandwich-board sign that read "I abused and sold drugs"

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 23, 2007 6:35 AM | Comments (0)

 

Willmar raid nets lawsuit

Filed under: Outstate

More than twenty residents of Willmar and forty John and Jane Does are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed yesterday against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the four-day raid there that netted 49 arrests. According to the AP, the lawsuit called the raid, which was carried out between April 10 and April 13, an act "of terror and intimidation."

The suit claims that ICE agents unfairly and illegally targeted Latinos and that agents entered homes without warrants. It also alleges that those arrested were not told of their rights and had no access to attorneys. ICE Spokesman Tim Counts said in a statement that "All ICE enforcement actions conducted in Willmar last week were fully within the law. These are widely accepted law enforcement procedures that have been affirmed repeatedly by the courts."

In a press release before the lawsuit was filed, ICE maintained that "Operation Cross Check," as it dubbed the mission, was a "localized, targeted enforcement initiative."

"ICE will continue to fulfill our Congressional mandate to apprehend and deport those who entered our country illegally, especially those who have committed criminal acts," Scott Baniecke, an ICE field office director was quoted as saying in that release. "Our job is to help protect the public from those who commit crimes, and to protect the integrity of the nation's legal immigration system."

Of the 49 who were arrested, ICE says that 18 had criminal records, six were in violation of an immigration judge’s order to leave the country, and the remaining 25 were just plain old here illegally.

Judging by the press release, here are the arrests ICE was most proud of:

* Williams Ruben Ramos-Castillo, 21, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested by ICE officers April 10. He was convicted March 27 of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct; the victim was 15 years old. Ramos-Castillo also has convictions for aggravated forgery, tampering with a vehicle, driving while impaired, and providing a false name to a police officer. A fingerprint check revealed that the U.S. Border Patrol had removed him to Mexico in 2005 under a different identity.

* Fabiola Cisneros-Carreno, 31, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested at a residence April 10. Cisneros-Carreno was convicted of public assistance theft in Kandiyohi County District Court in December. She was ordered to repay more than $22,000.

* Maria Morales-Torrez, 41, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested at a residence April 10. Morales Torrez was convicted of wrongfully obtaining more than $10,600 in public assistance in Kandiyohi County District Court.

* Odelin Camacho-Bernal, 39, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested in Litchfield, Minn., on April 13. Camacho-Bernal was convicted of domestic abuse in December 2006. He was also convicted of disorderly conduct in September 2006 and was sentenced to 90 days in jail; he later served an additional 60 days for a related probation violation.

* Jorge David Bazaldua-Moreno, 22, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular injury in September of 2005. He was also convicted of property damage and sentenced to a year in jail in July 2003.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 20, 2007 11:57 AM | Comments (5)

 

4/20 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember "Wizard of Id" co-creators Brant Parker and Johnny Hart at Corpus Obscurum.

Gary Hodges reviews 300: March to Glory for the Sony PlayStation Portable.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

British scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells from a woman's bone marrow tissue after showing that it's possible to produce rudimentary sperm cells from male bone marrow tissue.

Philadelphia police union officials have called for the immediate firing of a city firefighter and aspiring rapper who wrote anti-police lyrics about turning "pigs into bacon bits."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Tom is an IS Training Advisor living in St. Paul and blogging about joys of hockey hair, making out with one's doppelgänger, and accepting public farting at Nakachunkoff's Personal Universe.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Will Ferrell tangles with an alcoholic toddler in the short film The Landlord

The Rep. Mark Olson Suicide and Death Rap [via Avidor]

In this sketch, Johannes Gutenberg offers "in your home" support for new book owners

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I just looked down briefly on the floor where I had thrown a couple of doughnuts I was going to eat later, to see where they had landed."

— semi driver Merv Bontrager of Milo, North Dakota, on what led to his truck rolling on its side, dumping a load of specialty sunflower seeds on the highway southeast of Minot

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 20, 2007 6:35 AM | Comments (2)

 

Newspaper Guild won't get Ridder investigation

Filed under: Media

Star Tribune Chairman Chris Harte yesterday turned down a Newspaper Guild request for an investigation into the controversies surrounding new Strib Publisher Par Ridder. The union is concerned that allegations Ridder took proprietary information and staff non-competes when he left the St. Paul Pioneer Press is damaging the paper's credibility. The claims are at the center of a lawsuit that made headlines yesterday.

Harte's letter is posted on the Guild's website, and reprinted here after the jump.

April 18, 2007

TO: Jaime Chismar, Chris Serres, Pamela Miller and Pat Doyle,
Representing the Newspaper Guild's Star Tribune Unit

Your April 17, 2007 letter to me asks for an independent inquiry into the allegations raised in the Pioneer Press lawsuit against the Star Tribune. I fully understand your frustration but disagree with your suggested solution.

The allegations are just that--allegations--which are going to be dealt with in the course of this lawsuit. To run an independent investigation in parallel seems presumptive that the judicial process is somehow flawed. Further, an independent inquiry settles nothing if the lawsuit is still in progress.

So we are going to let the lawsuit take its course. This can be a distraction to all of us if we let it, but I hope you all will agree with me that our efforts are better spent by focusing on serving readers and advertisers and letting this lawsuit work its way through the courts.

Sincerely,
Chris Harte

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 19, 2007 1:40 PM | Comments (0)

 

4/19 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Stephen Litel offers a post mortem on another disappointing Timberwolves season at Balls.

We remember the first Navajo medical officer at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Malachi Constant, Chris Koza, the Slats, Cloud Cult, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

The Oklahoma Legislature has cleared the way for the watermelon to become the official state vegetable.

A plan to sedate more than 300 horses stabled at a Belgrade racetrack to keep them calm during a Rolling Stones concert has enraged Serb animal lovers who are lobbying to have the show moved to another venue.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

City Pages contributor Jessica Hopper blogs about bathing baby polar bears, the new Spoon record, and the joys of forced-air heat at tinyluckygenius aka the Unicorn's tear.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

From the co-writer of Sideways: An hour and a half gay joke starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Yeah, this should go over well. The stereotypical Asian minister is also a nice touch.

The top 12 greenest vehicles of 2007

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"A person's hairstyle and accessories are their personal business, but cab drivers must remember they are a window for China's capital."

— Beijing transport management bureau vice director Yao Kuo, discussing the ban on red hair and big earrings for female cab drivers in the run-up to next year's summer Olympic Games

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 19, 2007 6:43 AM | Comments (2)

 

A Civil Action

Filed under: Minneapolis

Mayor R.T. Rybak has chosen Michael Jordan to lead the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. No word yet on whether Mars Blackmon will take over public works.

Actually, though this Michael Jordan is not the most recognizable athlete on Planet Earth, he should be somewhat familiar to local news junkies of a certain vintage. Jordan previously served as the spokesflack for the St. Paul Police Department and was once commissioner for the state's Department of Public Safety. Jordan is replacing interim civil rights director Michael K. Browne, who was filling in after Jayne Khalifa, a Rybak appointee, was named deputy city coordinator last year.

"Raised in Minneapolis, Mr. Jordan has a law degree from the University of St. Thomas Law School, a Masters degree in Management from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota," according to the press release from hizzoner's office.

Jordan will need all of that experience, background and more if he is to take over what many have long contended is the city's most troubled department. Cases filed with the civil rights department have been known to take years before an outcome is determined, and even then the findings don't often go in favor of complainants. Mostly, though, the department has been tarnished by years of infighting, nepotism and general mismanagement.

Jordan no doubt is one tough customer, and likely won't let such games continue on his watch. Then again, the problems in the office are, to many, intractable. At the very least, Jordan will have his work cut out for him, and he'll have to be as much like Mike as possible to right things.

Rybak's nomination will have to undergo a public hearing before the City Council's Health, Energy and Environment Committee, then will go before the full council for approval. Getting enough votes on the council to approve Jordan is pretty much a, uh, slam dunk.

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at April 18, 2007 3:59 PM | Comments (4)

 

Revolving Door to Keep Spinning

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Minnesota's state Senate today failed to pass a bill that would have prohibited lawmakers from lobbying at the Legislature for one year after they leave office. The bill, which failed on a vote of 33-33, was sponsored by Roseville Sen. John Marty, faithful author of years of good-government legislation that's typically torpedoed by his cohorts. We can only imagine the lawmakers who voted down the bill were only thinking of their futures, given how many of them end up on Minnesota's registered lobbyist rolls within days of leaving office.

A few of this year's new entrants--all of whom left the statehouse last year--and their clients: Former Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson (DFL-Willmar) is registered to represent a host of entities, including Minnesota Public Radio, Northwest Airlines, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the city of Clearwater; former Sen. Sharon Marko (DFL-Cottage Grove) registered on behalf of 3M, and former Rep. Phil Krinke (R-Shoreview) will lobby for the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, which he now heads.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 18, 2007 3:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Strib union to new bosses: Investigate

Filed under: Media

In the wake of the fairly startling claims aired in the Pioneer Press' lawsuit against former publisher Par Ridder, the Star Tribune unit of the Newspaper Guild has formally called for an independent investigation of Ridder, who was recently annointed the Strib's publisher.

In the April 17 letter to Chris Hart of Avista Capital Partners, the Guild said the lawsuit "raies questions about the credibility of the Star Tribune." The full text of the letter, published here, follows.

Dear Chris,

We are writing to respectfully request that the Star Tribune conduct an independent inquiry into the serious allegations made against Star Tribune publisher Par Ridder in the lawsuit filed last week.

Without commenting on the merit of the allegations, we want to convey that the lawsuit raises questions about the credibility of the Star Tribune and affects our work as journalists. We know this because of the flood of questions and comments we've received from readers, sources, acquaintances and others with whom we're in contact.

In our view, an independent inquiry, and a full report of the findings, is the best way to end the ongoing distraction caused by the allegations, as well as to ensure the credibility of the Star Tribune.

Respectfully,

Jaime Chismar, Chris Serres, Pamela Miller and Pat Doyle
On behalf of the journalists of the Newspaper Guild's Star Tribune unit

Posted by Mike Mosedale at April 18, 2007 11:54 AM | Comments (1)

 

Spool's Gold comment thread

Filed under: City Pages

Film Editor Rob Nelson previews the upcoming Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival in this week's cover package, which includes Dylan Hicks' noble and hilarious efforts to review thirty of the festival films in one week (Up All Night), Rob's Q&A with M-SPIFF director Al Milgrom (Who Needs the Hassle? This Guy.), and Nathan Lee's article on the opening night film Bamako (How the West Was Won). An excerpt from the Milgrom interview on the difficulties organizing M-SPIFF: "Getting sponsorships is a problem. Getting corporate support is a problem. Getting industry support is hard, public support is hard. Getting grants is a problem because foundations want to make sure that you've got a Harvard MBA guy running your administration so you can fill out all the complicated balance sheets. Making a production of the whole thing, turning it into a show, is a hassle. These are the headaches of doing a film festival." Check out the cover story package, then come back to discuss.

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 18, 2007 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

4/18 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Forget Spidey and Shrek, Steve Monaco brings us the early 20th Century version of the movie sequel at Couch Pundit.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Big Quarters, Future Wives, Hockey Night, Apraxia, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

The federal government has taken billions of dollars from the taxes and fees paid by airline passengers every time they fly and awarded it to small airports used mainly by private pilots and globe-trotting corporate executives.

Japan's leading toilet maker is offering free repairs for 180,000 bidet toilets after wiring problems caused several to catch fire.

The U.S. Defense Department ordered a contractor to hire a World Bank employee and girlfriend of then-Pentagon No. 2 Paul Wolfowitz in 2003 for work related to Iraq, the contractor said on Tuesday.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Debbie blogs about ironing drapes while they're still hung, choking teddy bears, and screenplays about irritable bowel syndrome at Debbie Does Duluth.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A mash-up of Anchorman and 300

The Top 10 Psychos in Films

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"We have to look at what happened here, but it doesn't change my views on the Second Amendment, except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people."

— presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, commenting on the recent massacre at Virginia Tech

"I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

— presidential candidate and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, to a group of Jewish activists

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 18, 2007 6:53 AM | Comments (0)

 

4/17 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter S. Scholtes directs us to Brother Ali's latest video at Culture To Go.

Chris Ward reviews Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Nintendo Wii, and finds it's pretty hot.

Just because it's Tuesday, doesn't mean you can't take part in the Monday Movie Quiz at Couch Pundit.

We remember the first actor to play British spy James Bond at Corpus Obscurum.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

A Dutch police station trying to help Muslim detainees face Mecca for their prayers painted arrows in cells pointing in the wrong direction.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reveals that respondents who seemed to know the most were likely to be viewers of fake news programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report; those who knew the least watched network morning news programs, Fox News, or local television news.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

JimG has popped back in, after a bit of an absence, to blog about his mom, his work, and a lab/spaniel mix he's currently coveting at One Gay at a Time.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Boston Phoenix tallies the 100 Unsexiest Men of 2007

From Grindhouse to Toys R Us: Quentin Tarantino's Rapist #1 action figure

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I didn't care for my name... especially after my father told me that he named me after Bruce Wayne, playboy-millionaire."

— actor Bruce Willis, to David Letterman on the Late Show, on his 13-year-old daughter Talullah's decision to legally change her crappy first name to Lula

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 17, 2007 6:36 AM | Comments (0)

 

Blood and gas: Welcome to the Twin Cities sewer system

Filed under: Environment

After he got sprayed with a face full blood while on the job last month, Minneapolis sewer work Ron Huebner—like a lot of the people who heard about the incident— responded with a mix of shock and repulsion. How could such a thing happen?

You can count geologist Greg Brick among those not appalled by the incident. Of course, Brick has more experience with such matters than the average citizen. For much of the past decade, the inveterate explorer has crawled and waded his way through the storm drains, sanitary sewers and caves of Twin Cities' netherworld.

"You get a lot of weird fluids in the sewers. There's a lot more stuff down there than people realize," says Brick, whose has written extensively about his subterranean explorations. (His forthcoming book on the Twin Cities underground will be published by the University of Minnesota Press).

Blood is hardly the most worrisome substance an underground explorer can encounter, Brick says. "In some sewers, there are horrible, gasoline-type vapors. It makes you afraid to create a spark," he says.

He is not sure if he's encountered blood in the sewer before but says slaughterhouses routinely discharge such waste. That's one reason—although hardly the only one—that Brick now wears a respirator whenever he ventures into the sanitary sewers. "I've gotten sick in those tunnels too many times not to wear protection," he laughs.

For the record, Huebner's face full of blood—a mix of animal and human—was legally discharged into the sewers by R & D Systems, a medical research company in northeast Minneapolis.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at April 16, 2007 11:55 AM | Comments (0)

 

4/16 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

It's a pleasure to announce the return of Steve Monaco and his blog, Couch Pundit. Steve blogged with us from 2003 to September 2006, and we're proud to have him, and the Monday Movie Quiz, back.

Chris Ward reviews Cooking Mama for the Nintendo Wii at Gaming.

Peter Schilling recaps the Twins series with Tampa at Balls.

DVD Reviews this week include Larry Sanders, Smokin' Aces, The Last King of Scotland, and Overlord.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

A crackdown on sex in the bathrooms at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has led to the arrest of more than 30 people in three months.

Toronto bylaws requiring dog walkers to "stoop and scoop" are yielding an unmanageable amount of poop in park trash bins.

The world's major drug companies have been accused of turning a blind eye to the multibillion-dollar trade in fake medicine that has resulted in an explosion of child malaria deaths in developing countries.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Who the hell starts a basketball blog in the spring? Frequent Balls commenter Peter Weinhold, that's who. Check out Hoops Springs Eternal for Timberwolves analysis.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Do the Right Thing, as performed by the cast of Sesame Street

PC-stuffed beaver

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's just easy. I don't understand why other kids couldn't do the same thing."

— Lincoln Park (MI) teenager James Ellison, on attending college beginning at age 12. At age 15, Ellson received his high school diploma and an associate's degree from Henry Ford Community College.

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 16, 2007 6:40 AM | Comments (0)

 

4/13 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

THESE DAYS

The College Republicans club at the University of Vermont was decertified after a $7,000 loan from the Student Government Association to pay Newt Gingrich for an October 2005 speech was not repaid. [via Undernews]

Mark McCarthy and colleagues at the University of Oxford found that small variations of the FTO gene on chromosome 16 may increase the risk of obesity.

A woman and her mother sued Best Buy and its Geek Squad computer repair team Wednesday, claiming they were legally responsible for dispatching a technician who allegedly videotaped the daughter taking a shower. [via ObscureStore]

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Alex, Matt, Elise, and Christopher Tassava blog about beer, REO Speedwagon working the Wal*Mart circuit, and Friday Poetry Blogging at After School Snack.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Head of a Traveler, Not Quite Dead Enough, Pick Your Victim: 1940's Paperback Mystery cover gallery

Kermit the Frog performing Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" [via ASS]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Butte blast blamed on leaking gas"

— Associated Press headline, from the Billings Gazette, about a natural gas explosion in Montana [via Reddit]

"From an adult perspective, one can see that the novels are full of cheap irony, insufferable sentimentality, paper thin characters, and forgettable plots."

— Powerline blogger Scott "Big Trunk" Johnson, mourning the passing of author Kurt Vonnegut

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 13, 2007 6:47 AM | Comments (4)

 

Clip of St. Louis County Board member's slavery gaffe

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Here's the video of St. Louis County Board member Keith Nelson making a point about the dedication to his constituents in not the most eloquent way. During a Feb. 27 board meeting, Nelson announced "If the people in my district had voted for slavery, and if the vast majority had, and I was representing them, the answer is 'yes,' I would have voted for it." Could he have replaced "voted for slavery" with "voted for banana-walnut as the state muffin?" Sure. But then there'd be no reason to watch the clip.

Posted by Corey Anderson at April 12, 2007 5:57 PM | Comments (2)

 

Taxpayers Win One--Finally--With Northwest

Filed under: Business

Officials at the Minnesota Department of Finance today announced a deal with Northwest Airlines that could let taxpayers off the hook for the cost of building a Duluth maintenance facility that has been sitting idle since the airline's union mechanics went on strike a year and a half ago. The terms of the deal are wonky, but basically the state would get a chunk of the booty Northwest will spread around as it exits bankruptcy proceedings. Enough to repay the $36 million in bonds still outstanding, anyhow.

Students of local history will recall that the Duluth facility was built in 1995 to service the airline's Airbuses. The rationale for taxpayer financing for the construction was that the maintenance base would create lots of good jobs in an economically depressed part of the state. Northwest, which has outsourced much of its maintenace in recent years, shut the base down in August 2005 when its mechanics went on strike.

Current details are available via the Strib and MPR. The backstory you can find in CP's archives, here.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 12, 2007 3:31 PM | Comments (1)

 

4/12 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter Schilling Jr. profiles Minnesota Twins pitcher Ramon Ortiz at Balls.

Check out the rehearsals for last night's Voltage fashion show at Catwalk Confessional Part VI.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

The Ministry of Women and Child Development in India has revealed that more than half of Indian children have been sexually abused, prompting calls for tighter laws and mandatory sex education in schools.

When a new chocolate-colored sofa set was delivered to home in Brampton, Ontario, the homeowner was stunned to see packing labels describing the shade as "Nigger-brown."

In mid-March, Baidu launched a $15 million Japanese portal that allows users from China to access pages otherwise banned by Beijing—