Obama's stimulus could wipe out half of the state budget deficit. The Strib's Patricia Lopez says up to $3.2 billion could arrive, according to one national group. "This is not speculation," says House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Pawlenty's spokesperson says the guv counts on Obama to ameliorate "deep cuts in health care, higher education and local government." AP's Martiga Lohn says TPaw's budget will also include sizable accounting shifts (pushing spending into future years), the state's version of short-term deficit spending.

Related: Finance and Commerce's Bob Geiger has Hennepin County's and Minneapolis' federal wish list. By the way, SurveyUSA says 64 percent of Minnesotans approve of Obama's performance after a few minutes in office. Even Republicans give him a plurality of support. But we're not super-bullish: Wisconsin's O-rating is 70 percent; Washington state's 69 percent; Oregon's 68 percent; and New York and Massachusetts, 78 percent.

Thursday's startribune.com headline on the state's 6.9 percent jobless rate — "Minnesota's latest jobs report hints slide may be nearing bottom" — was so insanely upbeat that it was changed in the morning paper to "The bad news on jobs gets worse." The Strib's Dee DePass sources the sunniness to the state's forecasting firm; a state official translates the data as "It gets better from here." However, the PiPress' Julie Forster writes that the job loss pace won't slow until the second quarter.

Related: Fox9 notes for the first time in 50 years, more than 200,000 Minnesotans are unemployed. Of course, there are a lot more jobs than in 1959.

The PiPress' Bill Salisbury peers into local government's future, writing that if cash-strapped counties are allowed out of state mandates, "sheriffs' deputies could replace local cops. Prisoners could be released early under intense supervision. Lawbreakers who commit minor offenses might simply pay a fine instead of appearing in court." Social service agencies could also be consolidated and other efficiencies found. Sounds good as long as it doesn't mask service cuts.

It's a hell of a temp job; Norm Coleman got a gig with the Republican Jewish Coalition, where he'll consult, not lobby. The Strib's Kevin Diaz and Kevin Duchschere say the group is mostly about making donations, but also backs Coleman legislation "requiring broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial topics." Huh? Did I miss the Norm Fairness Doctrine? Coleman will raise money for the group, and some comes back in unspecified salary. Like DonorGate, only legal. (MinnPost coverage here.)

As expected, Al Franken's bid to end the election contest was swiftly rejected. The PiPress' Rachel Stassen-Berger says the Coleman camp is alleging more duplicate ballots than ever (200-plus), but the court rejected the Republican's plan that counties ship all absentee ballots to St. Paul. Still to be decided: Coleman's proposal for three-inspector teams to review 700 ballots in 86 precincts this weekend, the Strib's Pat Doyle notes. Norm still makes noises about going to the U.S. Supreme Court. (MinnPost coverage here.)

Tom Petters hid 50 grand and two associates $100,000 more, according to a court-appointed receiver via the Strib's David Phelps. Petters moved the money from a lodge to its manager's personal account a day before a judge's order. Some of the money went to his baby mama. Fox9 video here.

Petters accomplices: Michael Catain allegedly skimmed 14 grand from his carwash, and earlier removed chandeliers and "large televisions" from his home. Stoolie Deanna Coleman was spotted using courtside Wolves tickets — way to lay low; not like there are any lawyers in the crowd — and had $88,000 in cashier's checks she "forgot" to disclose.

Like her predecessor, Minnesota A.G. Lori Swanson gets some sweet publicity banging on Allina Health Systems. Swanson alleges Allina charges 18 percent on unpaid medical debt when the law limits it to 8, the Strib's Chen May Yee reports. Allina said it did nothing wrong — 18 percent was lower than credit card companies charge — but reduced rates to 8 percent last month. When they wouldn't refund past charges, Swanson sued, the PiPress' Christopher Snowbeck writes.

A Strib editorial says Minneapolis' proposed trans fat ban is a bad idea. The editorial concedes artificially made trans fats are bad but says restaurants would merely switch to nasty saturated fats, leaving consumers blissfully ignorant as they're still being killed. The editorialists prefer joy-sucking menu labeling with trans fat and calorie counts. The PiPress' Dave Orrick and Jason Hoppin quote restaurateurs saying let the market work.

An abortion foe with 12 mental illness hospitalizations smashed his SUV into Planned Parenthood's St. Paul clinic, the PiPress' Mara Gottfried writes. No one was hurt. The paper says 5,000 protesters gathered at the Capitol to detest Roe v. Wade and push funding for abortion-free counseling. Norm Coleman reaffirmed "our commitment to young women in difficult circumstances," while Gov. Pawlenty, who chooses shredding the safety net over raising taxes, intoned, "Life will prevail." Minnesota Independent has the video.

Eight months after a break-in at Archbishop John Nienstedt's St. Paul residence, police have identified a suspect, the PiPress' Dave Orrick reports. They haven't found the alleged perp, though. Several crosses and rings are still missing.

KARE's Karla Hult talks to a local lawyer representing a Gitmo detainee about the prison's scheduled closing. Jim Dorsey's client hasn't been charged in seven years and has suffered what Hult calls "controversial treatments." Dorsey says prisoners could go to prisons in California, Kansas and South Carolina.

As part of MPR's budget-woes-through-White-Bear's-eyes series, Euan Kerr looks at arts funding. The new arts sales tax won't even start until July 1, and one leader says organizations won't see the money for two years. For small groups, current funds are a pittance and much is eaten up by a mandatory audit. Such "normal" arts board funding is facing a likely big cut, so there's not much hope here.

The Taste of Minnesota will continue, but with a mandatory $10 food purchase. New owners say the $10 ticket includes equivalent-value food coupons, the indefatigable Orrick writes. Some commenters say the food sucks and that's why they have to force you to buy it. Promoters promise an upgrade from D-list entertainment.

Nort spews: The Gopher men's basketball team is showing a little football-like deceleration after its fast start, suffering its second conference home loss and third overall, 70-62 to Purdue. The men are 4-3 and tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The Gopher women also got whacked by the Boilermakers, 56-43 in West Lafayette. The Strib's Dennis Anderson shills for Boat Show boat-buying. The PiPress' Charley Walters notes the Wolves attendance is 28th in a 30-team league and the worst in the club's 20-year history.