Photos: Flooding heads south, Moose Lake underwater
In Moose Lake, a stunned, flooded community comes together MPR News: "Flooding spread around northeastern Minnesota Thursday, after record rains earlier this week. Outlying communities southwest of Duluth spent much of the day doing whatever they could do to fend of rapidly rising water." Duluth News Tribune: "By the end of the day, dozens of homes in Moose Lake were completely flooded as water from the lake and the Moose Horn River overflowed their banks. In several neighborhoods of the town of 2,750, the only way to get around was by boat or swimming."
'I plugged my nose, I took a breath and I prayed' Duluth News Tribune: "It all happened in less than 30 minutes." Boy who got sucked into culvert recounts his amazing story.
Duluth flooding damage could exceed $100M Finance and Commerce: MNDoT spokesperson Beth Petrowske, "said the damage is 'very widespread,' adding that the cost will probably be over $100 million. In addition, she said, the severe weather has affected MnDOT projects under construction, including the $68 million Interstate 35 'mega project.'"
Climate change and the Duluth flood Updraft: "This type of storm reminds us that climate is changing in Minnesota. Not only in terms of quantity of precipitation, but in the character of precipitation as well. A larger fraction of our annual total precipitation is coming in the form of intense thunderstorms." -Mark Seeley
Live chat: Eyes of the flood
Friday at noon
A discussion with Duluth photographers about this week's historic flooding, their craft and their city.
VP T Paw? Yes! No!
Pawlenty moves up Romney VP list Washington Examiner: "While the GOP buzz about Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick is focused on rookie Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, key sources say that former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is fast moving up the veep list and likely now is the second choice behind Ohio Sen. Rob Portman."
Op-Ed: Pawlenty for VP? I don't see it. Washington Post: "The latest media buzz, usually sourced to unknown people who talked to other unknown people, is that former governor Tim Pawlenty is moving up in th VP sweepstakes. To be blunt, I don't believe a word of it."
Politico: Pawlenty stock soars in Romney-world
The Atlantic: Pawlenty would be strong addition to Romney ticket
Obama cabinet turnover rate remains historically low (so far) Smart Politics: "With seven months left in his term, the president holds the fourth lowest departure rate of cabinet department heads out of 23 administrations since FDR."
Graph of the day: Minnesota's student poverty rising MN2020: "There's a slow wave hitting Minnesota's schools. Gradual, but inexorable, the share of our students coming from lower income backgrounds is growing. This has major repercussions for our schools and is something we need to do a better job preparing for and responding to."
The arrival of warm weather in Minneapolis marks a new beginning for "singing season," a nod to the past when thousands of people flocked to Minneapolis parks to sing together for the fun of it.
