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Kelliher Aims At Pawlenty In Latest TV Ad

07/18/2010
Tim Pawlenty isn't running for Governor, but he is the focus of DFL endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kellier's latest TV ad that will start airing this week.
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Baby Pictures! Dolphin Born At MN Zoo

07/18/2010
Press release from Minnesota Zoo: Special Delivery! Dolphin Calf Born at the Minnesota Zoo Apple Valley, MINN – July 18, 2010: The wait is over! After about two hours of labor and twelve months of pregnancy, “Allie,” one of three Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at the Minnesota Zoo, gave birth to a calf on Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 10:51 p.m. The newborn calf, weighing approximately 30 pounds and measuring 2-3 feet long, is the second born to Allie, 23. This is father “Semo’s” fourth calf. The sex of the calf has yet to be determined. “Allie has great maternal skills,” said Marine Mammal Supervisor Diane Fusco. “As mother and calf bonding is critical, Allie followed her calf right up to the water’s surface and the calf has been swimming along side her since. Allie and the calf are taking synchronized breaths and the calf is being maneuvered by Allie so it is not wandering away from her. We'll continue 24-hour observations for the next several weeks to monitor the calf's progress.” Male dolphins play no role in the rearing of their calves, and because the father could become aggressive toward the mother and/or calf or possibly interfere with the mother/calf bonding process, Semo will be introduced to the calf once the calf is strong and well-bonded with Allie. Semo, 45, is believed to be one of the oldest reproducing male dolphins in human care. Marine mammal staff noticed that Allie was close to delivering the afternoon of Friday, July 16 after she refused food. When the calf was born the following evening, it immediately swam to the surface of the pool to take his/her first breath. “The birth was normal, and Allie and the calf appear healthy at this time,” said Minnesota Zoo Senior Veterinarian Jim Rasmussen. “We are encouraged by the calf’s appearance and we are cautiously optimistic about its progress as these first few weeks are precarious for the calf.” The calf is darker in color than Allie and has small whiskers on its rostrum (nose) that will soon disappear. Trainers suspected Allie was pregnant last year when they observed breeding behaviors and noticed her elevated progesterone levels during a series of routine medical examinations. An ultrasound confirmed the pregnancy. To prepare for a healthy calf, marine mammal staff continually monitored Allie’s health by collecting blood and conducting ultrasound examinations. They monitored her appetite and behavior, while conditioning her to spend time in the maternity pool which was used for the birth. In addition to Semo and Allie, the Minnesota Zoo houses Allie’s mom “April,” 42. Dolphin Stadium will be closed today, July 18, 2010, for Allie and the calf to bond and be nurtured. If all goes well, the calf is expected to go on exhibit in the fall. The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
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Hail Hits Central MN - Storm Damage Video Round Up

07/18/2010
Above: Large hail hits the area in western Stearns county from Sauk Centre to Richmond, MN. The footage shows golfball to base ball sized hail falling while driving and while parked. The hail did a lot of crop damage to the area as well as extreme hail damage around the city of Richmond, MN where houses sustained major hail damage. Additinal footage of a wall cloud over Lake Osakis in Osakis, MN. More storm video below: Shelf cloud near Meeker and McLeod counties Hail in Mound MN Forest Lake MN storm Storm approaches Elk River
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Shrimping For BP Tar Balls

07/18/2010
Shrimp boat captains in Fort Morgan, Alabama are using their nets to bring in a new cash crop-- tar balls. They have modified their nets to help in the BP oil disaster clean up. This past week the US Coast Guard evaluated a test of the shrimpers' tar ball catching system. Video from US Coast Guard
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Obama: GOP Obstructing America's Progress

07/17/2010
President Obama is rather blunt and direct in this week's Presidential address saying after years of spending and giving tax breaks to the rich, Republicans are "making their stand on the backs of the unemployed". Transcript: This week, many of our largest corporations reported robust earnings – a positive sign of growth. But too many of our small business owners and those who aspire to start their own small businesses continue to struggle, in part because they can’t get the credit they need to start up, grow, and hire. And too many Americans whose livelihoods have fallen prey to the worst recession in our lifetimes – a recession that cost our economy eight million jobs – still wonder how they’ll make ends meet. That’s why we need to take new, commonsense steps to help small businesses, grow our economy, and create jobs – and we need to take them now. For months, that’s what we’ve been trying to do. But too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress. And that has very real consequences. Consider what that obstruction means for our small businesses – the growth engines that create two of every three new jobs in this country. A lot of small businesses still have trouble getting the loans and capital they need to keep their doors open and hire new workers. So we proposed steps to get them that help: Eliminating capital gains taxes on investments. Establishing a fund for small lenders to help small businesses. Enhancing successful SBA programs that help them access the capital they need. But again and again, a partisan minority in the Senate said “no,” and used procedural tactics to block a simple, up-or-down vote. Think about what these stalling tactics mean for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs since the recession began. Over the past several weeks, more than two million of them have seen their unemployment insurance expire. For many, it was the only way to make ends meet while searching for work – the only way to cover rent, utilities, even food. Three times, the Senate has tried to temporarily extend that emergency assistance. And three times, a minority of Senators – basically the same crowd who said “no” to small businesses – said “no” to folks looking for work, and blocked a straight up-or-down vote. Some Republican leaders actually treat this unemployment insurance as if it’s a form of welfare. They say it discourages folks from looking for work. Well, I’ve met a lot of folks looking for work these past few years, and I can tell you, I haven’t met any Americans who would rather have an unemployment check than a meaningful job that lets you provide for your family. And we all have friends, neighbors, or family members who already knows how hard it is to land a job when five workers are competing for every opening. Now in the past, Presidents and Congresses of both parties have treated unemployment insurance for what it is – an emergency expenditure. That’s because an economic disaster can devastate families and communities just as surely as a flood or tornado. Suddenly, Republican leaders want to change that. They say we shouldn’t provide unemployment insurance because it costs money. So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they’ve finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed. They’ve got no problem spending money on tax breaks for folks at the top who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them; but they object to helping folks laid off in this recession who really do need help. And every day this goes on, another 50,000 Americans lose that badly needed lifeline. Well, I think these Senators are wrong. We can’t afford to go back to the same misguided policies that led us into this mess. We need to move forward with the policies that are leading us out of this mess. The fact is, most economists agree that extending unemployment insurance is one of the single most cost-effective ways to help jumpstart the economy. It puts money into the pockets of folks who not only need it most, but who also are most likely to spend it quickly. That boosts local economies. And that means jobs. Increasing loans to small business. Renewing unemployment insurance. These steps aren’t just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession – they’re the right thing to do for all of us. And I’m calling on Congress once more to take these steps on behalf of America’s workers, and families, and small business owners – the people we were sent here to serve. Because when storms strike Main Street, we don’t play politics with emergency aid. We don’t desert our fellow Americans when they fall on hard times. We come together. We do what we can to help. We rebuild stronger, and we move forward. That’s what we’re doing today. And I’m absolutely convinced that’s how we’re going to come through this storm to better days ahead. Thanks.
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Obama:BP Gulf Gusher Isn't Over Until Permanent Solution In Place

07/16/2010
Key quote from President Obama: The key here right now is for us to make decisions based on science, based on what’s best for the people of the Gulf -- not based on PR, not based on politics. ; And that’s part of the reason why I wanted to speak this morning, because I know that there were a lot of reports coming out in the media that seemed to indicate, well, maybe this thing is done. We won’t be done until we actually know that we’ve killed the well and that we have a permanent solution in place. We’re moving in that direction, but I don’t want us to get too far ahead of ourselves.
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Obama:"I got rid of my gum"

07/16/2010
President Obama jokes that he got rid of his gum before the six 2010 school principals of the year came to visit him in his office.
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Obama:"no more taxpayer-fund ed bailouts -- period."

07/16/2010
President Obama praises Congress for passing a financial reform package that brings new accountability to Wall Street and helps provide economic security to individuals, families and businesses. Key quote: Because of this reform, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street’s mistakes. ; There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts -- period. Because of reform, the kind of complex, backroom deals that helped trigger this financial crisis will finally be brought into the light of day. And from now on, shareholders and other executives can know that shareholders will have greater say on the pay of CEOs, so that they can reward success instead of failure, and help change the perverse incentives that encouraged so much reckless risk-taking in the past. In short, Wall Street reform will bring greater security to folks on Main Street -- to families who are looking to buy their first home or send their kids to college; to taxpayers who shouldn’t have to pay for somebody else’s mistakes or irresponsibility; to small businesses, community banks and credit unions who play by the rules; to shareholders and investors who want to see their companies grow and thrive.
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Bag Of Pennies Dumped On Governor Candidate As "Tip"

07/15/2010
By Craig Stellmacher At Tom Emmer's Server Summit, an activist dumps a bag of pennies on him for tips, after a week of political circus develops over his remarks about tip credits and lowering the minimum wage for servers. Emmer is the Republican endorsed candidate for Minnesota Governor.
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Full Video-Angry Waiters Confront Governor Candidate Emmer

07/15/2010
Video by Craig Stellmacher Does Tom Emmer want to cut wages for waiters and waitresses? At a town hall he held in a restaurant, the Republican endorsed candidate for Minnesota Governor repeatedly insisted he does not. But no matter how it is implemented, the "tip credit" policy he says Minnesota needs would reduce the earning power of servers, which angered many in the crowd.
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Recounting The Recount

Justices and Judges On Their Role In Historic MN US Senate Recount -Video On Demand Here

Help Earthquake Victims In Haiti

List of places to donate here

Kelliher Aims At Pawlenty In Latest TV Ad

07/18/2010
Tim Pawlenty isn't running for Governor, but he is the focus of DFL endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kellier's latest TV ad that will start airing this week.
Full Video