Daily Digest (hiding from the drones edition)
It's Thursday, and here is the Digest:
Minnesota:
The winners of the caucus night straw polls say they are now the frontrunners in the GOP races for governor and Senate. Not surprisingly, those who didn't do as well disagree. (MPR News)
That caucus in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood that shut down in chaos the other night will reconvene. "Democracy is never an easy thing, and sometimes it gets ugly," said DFL Party Chair Ken Martin. "But it should never rise to the level that it did where people are being physically assaulted. It's never called for. Our party doesn't condone violence and our party doesn't condone threats or intimidation." (MPR News)
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MNsure enrollment increased by nearly 13 percent since mid-January, but most of the increase was in the publicly funded Medical Assistance program, not commercial plans. Still, more than 90,000 people have signed up for health insurance using the exchange. Officials say they will also add staff to the call center. (Pioneer Press)
A dispute over licensing the iPads used in Minnesota’s most popular electronic pulltab games has brought roll out of the devices to a halt, at least temporarily. (MPR News)
That proposal to put a deposit on bottles and cans won't come up during the legislative session after all: Opposition to container deposit mounted even before anything was formally introduced. Trash and recycling haulers, grocers and the beverage industry all lined up against it. Lobbyists representing national industry groups flew into Minnesota for meetings and hearings, and opponents even formed a new interest group, Recycle Smart Minnesota. (MPR News)
A report says the thieves who stole customer data from Target used credentials stolen from a refrigeration contractor. (MPR News)
Vice President Joe Biden is due in Minnesota later in the month for a "high dollar" fundraiser. (Star Tribune)
How did I miss this one yesterday? Former Gov. Jesse Ventura says he is "living off the grid" moving around "so the drones can't find me." (CNBC via Politico)
Washington:
An Associated Press study found half of all Americans without health insurance live in just 116 of the nation's 3,143 counties. There's a fantastic map here. (Associated Press)
Sen. Al Franken is raising concerns about apps for Google Glass that incorporate facial recognition technology. “According to promotional materials, NameTag lets strangers get a broad range of personal information—including a person’s name, photos, and dating website profiles—simply by looking at that person’s face with the Glass camera,” writes Franken. “This is apparently done without that person’s knowledge or consent, which crosses a bright line for privacy and personal safety.” (Forbes)
President Obama is using his executive authority to create "climate hubs" to help farmers and ranchers adjust to changes in the climate that are cutting into crop yields and threatening livestock. (NPR)
Finally:
An "industrial metal band" called Skinny Puppy sent the Pentagon a bill for $665,000 after finding out its music had been played to torment prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. No comment from the Defense Department or from the prisoners. (Wall Street Journal)
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