Capitol View®

The Daily Digest: 11-26-08

The State Canvassing Board meets today and could make a ruling on rejected absentee ballots that could determine the outcome of the U.S. Senate race. MPR talks with some folks who think their ballot was wrongly tossed out. The Pi Press, Forum Communications and the Wall Street Journal set up the hearing.

Franken's campaign said it has a list of 6,400 rejected absentee ballots. MPR and AP have stories.

Meanwhile, Coleman widens his lead over Franken in the latest round of numbers.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is concerned about the growing number of challenged ballots.

Coleman's campaign is calling for a truce on challenged ballots even though their campaign has challenged more ballots than Franken's campaign. It's kind of like running months of negative ads and then calling for an end to the practice.

Missing ballots have become an issue.

State Government

A new study says charter schools continue to do worse than public schools, are more segregated than public schools and are also making public schools more segregated. MPR and the Star Tribune have stories.

Eight are named to the Outdoors Council.

Two U of M researchers say bald eagles are dying from lead poisoning that was caused by fragmented bullets.

Congress

The Star Tribune reports that federal authorities are investigating whether several Somali young men have left the Twin Cities to participate in terror activities in their homeland.

U.S. cancer rates go down.

Obama

President-elect Obama is expected to name Paul Volcker to his board of economic experts. Obama will make the announcement for the third time in as many days.

Obama will keep Robert Gates as Defense Secretary.

Gov. Pawlenty will attend an Obama meeting in Philadelphia next week. The meeting with governors comes at a time when Obama says he may help states in the next financial rescue package.

An advisor for Obama says health care reform is high on Obama's agenda. The expert spoke at DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar's health care summit

Klobuchar hopes Obama will pick a strong Ag Secretary.

The Campaign Finance Institute says Obama didn't have as many small donors as hyped.