The Daily Digest
Welcome to the Daily Digest, where the state Senate readies for hearings on the stadium, two MN lawmakers introduce a bill to limit the St. Croix bridge, and Gingrich rises in the polls.
Around Minnesota
The state's highest court says that absentee ballots from the 2008 recount cannot be opened.
The state Senate is planning stadium hearings.
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Gov. Mark Dayton issued an executive order requiring the state to simplify Minnesota's environmental review process.
ProPublica profiles Minnesota's redistricting battle.
Property taxes in townships are increasing.
The City of Foley won't hire a private security firm to police its streets.
Money and Politics
A new report shows that, as lawmakers climb the committee ladder in Washington, their contributions increase, too. Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.
Sen. Al Franken is among a group of Senators who wants states and Congress to regulate money spent in campaigns.
President Barack Obama's cabinet members are turning into fundraisers for his 2012 campaign.
In Washington
Rep. Michele Bachmann has canceled a campaign event to vote on a balanced budget amendment.
The supercommittee negotiations have hit another snag.
Reps. Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison offered legislation to limit the amount of money spent on the St. Croix bridge.
The House passed a bill that would create a national standard for ballast water cleaning.
After some Republican presidential candidates said they would eliminate foreign aid, former Sen. Norm Coleman and former Gov. Mike Huckabee advocate for keeping it, saying it is essential to the nation's security and a very Reagan-esque idea at that.
Rep. John Kline writes about regulation in the Rochester Post-Bulletin.
On the Campaign Trail
The Des Moines Register reports that Bachmann said the Social Security eligibility age should increase for those who are middle age.
Bachmann met with the Des Moines Register editorial board Wednesday.
PoliGraph looks at Romney's records on abortion and same-sex marriage.
A former Romney adviser talks about the similarities between the Massachusetts health care mandate and the new federal health care law.
The New York Times reports that Obama's reversal on smog standards signals a re-election politics.
Expect to hear more about this in the next debate: Bloomberg News reports that Newt Gingrich was hired by Freddie Mac to lobby Congress on its behalf.
While Gingrich is defending his role, Bachmann is criticizing him for it.
Gingrich is doing well in two recent polls. (Cue the Gingrich comeback story.)
National Public Radio has a fascinating story about Gingrich's media strategy.
NPR also interviewed Gov. Scott Walker about the recall effort underway in Wisconsin.
Matt Bai and Nate Silver of the New York Times talk about the presidential campaign.