What comes next for Tim Pawlenty?

An Obama supporter snaps a picture
A supporter snaps a picture while President Barack Obama speaks during a fundraising reception at the Bridgeport Arts Center on August 12, 2012 in Chicago, Ill. On Monday Obama will begin a three-day, nine-city campaign trip through Iowa, at the same time Mitt Romney's new running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, campaigns in the Hawkeye State.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

We're trying to get at two of of the biggest questions in Minnesota this morning following Mitt Romney's selection of Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate. How will his choice impact the vote here, and what will former Gov. Tim Pawlenty do next, having once again been passed over in the veepstakes?

The Minnesota impact
The first question concerns the impact the Ryan choice may have on Minnesota voters on Election Day. We're asking our audience to answer that in Today's Question; our Tom Scheck asked the same question of some Minnesota politicians on the Capitol View blog.

Pawlenty for Senate?
The other question is this: What the next move for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty? He's been campaigning for Romney, and was vetted as a possible running mate. But as Bob von Sternberg notes in our Commentary section, Pawlenty being a bridesmaid again. Rupa Shenoy asked local politicos what kind of future Pawlenty may have in state or national office.

Eyes on the line
The Met Council has learned a lot from operating the Hiawatha Light Rail line, including the need for better security at train platforms, Laura Yuen reports. Some stations, including the Lake Street stop late at night, can turn into shelters for drunks and hoodlums. So when the Central Corridor line opens next year between Minneapolis and St. Paul, stepped-up security features are part of the design for its 18 stops: Stationary cameras will be able to zoom in and tilt their gaze on their subjects.

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A tale of two farmers
We're learning, as the drought goes on, that its impact is often a matter of geographical destiny; some farmers are watching their crop wither and die while others are getting ready for a fairly standard harvest. That truth is driven home by Elizabeth Baier's report this morning. First she visits LeRoy Johnson's farm about an hour north of the Iowa border, and its fields filled with stunted corn. Then she travels 60 miles northeast to Plainview, where the crop towers over farmer Michael Zabel's head. The comparison is stark.

Past the tipping point?
The climate data is clear: July was very hot, the 10th straight month that the average temperature in Minnesota was above normal. Is this a preview of the type of weather that will be normal in the future? As we feel the consequences of the changing climate, more people are wondering if the warming trend can be reversed. Peter Snyder thinks about these things. He's a climate scientist at the University of Minnesota. He talked about his research with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.

Model treatmentfor war veterans
The scars on veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the visible consequences of battle, but there are more invisible wounds ravaging many of their their minds: Post traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injuries. For veterans coping with either, life after wartime can turn violent and sometimes criminal. But as Jessica Mador reports today, the Veterans Treatment Court in Hennepin County has helped more than 100 veterans avoid jail time and get the help they need. It's so successful that advocates say something like it is needed outside the metro area to help veterans there. Mador spoke with Marine combat veteran Seth Kroll about his long journey back to civilian life.

Replacing Rukavina
The battle among three DFLers for the party's nomination to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack has received most of the media attention lately in northeast Minnesota. But Dan Kraker reports there's another hotly contested DFL primary under way in the region: The contest to be the DFL's nominee to replace state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, which has divided loyalties on the Iron Range.