More on the Coleman camp's cherrypicking of absentee ballots, first reported in the Strib. The PiPress Rachel Stassen-Berger notes the Colemanistas' rebuttal: they asked that all rejected absentees to be re-assessed, but the court only allowed their pre-trial list. Also, they claim, the Canvassing Board was tilted toward Franken, so this is the natural pendulum swing. The Franken folks have their own tilted ballot roster, which they want to refine three days before a court hearing.

Ghoulish Strib story on "stranger-originated life insurance." I'll let Mike Kaszuba explain: "Speculators persuade the elderly — especially those with limited life expectancies — to take out life insurance policies, commonly offering large cash payouts in exchange for having the speculators named as the policy's beneficiary, usually after two years." One legislator wants to ban such policies, but I'm confused. If the insurance industry opposes such policies, why are they even writing such new coverage for the elderly?

More STOLI: Another version of the scam-friendly plan assigns benefits to "investors" if oldsters can't pay the last few years of a policy; the elderly get a cash payout. Isn't that simply an insurance version like a reverse mortgage? No one wants to ban those, just regulate the selling and payouts.

Health care for poor adults — it ends at your mouth. At least, that's the upshot of Gov. Pawlenty's plan to end "welfare dental care" for 400,000 Minnesotans, the PiPress' Jason Hoppin reports. The state doesn't cover cosmetic work, but dentists argue eschewing basic cleaning and extraction will cost everyone more when serious conditions develop. Minnesota has one of the nation's better benefits packages, but that's relative. The dentally squeamish should avoid photographer Richard Marshall's slideshow accompanying the piece.

No one should be surprised that charities are seeing booming demand, but the PiPress' Tad Vezner notes a United Way survey showing just how fast needs are rising. Among 72 groups, 63 percent saw more clients and 51 percent say clients' needs were more intense. Overall, 47 percent report seeing more families, unemployed and/or middle class folks.

Sobering piece from the Strib's Joy Powell on "femicide." Last year, 14 of 26 women killed in domestic violence were just leaving their partners, the Minnesota Coalition of Battered Women says. In other words, the high-profile murder of Brittany Givens-Copeland isn't unique. The story features some vivid case studies and behavior patterns.

Most everyone knows Brookdale is sucking eggs, but Southdale ain't doing great either, the Strib's Susan Feyder reports. The Edina mall's vacancy rate is 23 percent, compared to 1-3 percent at non-Brookdale regional malls. Simon Properties recently killed any remodel plans for 2009. Southdale missed out on Nordstrom and lost a Crate and Barrel. Notes Feyder, "The vacant Mervyn's store ... is now occupied by the decorations committee for the Edina High School senior class party."

Related: Via Secrets of the City: Dumpy Strip Malls, chronicling Minnesota's lamest retail Meccas.

The Strib editorial page praises two local TARP users: TCF Bank and US Bank. The banks, unlike some, are lending, though there's no real evidence TARP is making a difference in that regard. Still, there's a decent return on the public's investment assuming (as seems likely) the local banks don't fail.

AP reports Minnesota Historical Society workers must take two- to eight-day unpaid leaves by June 30. The Society has a $2 million-plus shortfall in its $43 million budget due to state funding cutbacks and other economy-related miseries.

MPR says 80 percent of what we toss can still be recycled, and pushes for food composting by showcasing a big Duluth project. The program takes scraps from big local institutions, MPR's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Diverting food from oxygen-free landfill environments eliminates methane, which is 20 times worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

Pope Benedict recently decided denying the Holocaust was no reason for excommunication, but one of the bishops he reinstated headed a Winona seminary for 15 years, the Winona Daily News reports. Bishop Richard Williamson claims zero Jews died in gas chambers; he headed St. Thomas Aqunias Seminary from 1988 to 2003. The seminary and its ultraconservative society recently repudiated Williamson, but its Web site lavishly praises him.

Today's animal stories:

1. A state plan to starve local trumpeter swans into migrating went horribly wrong, the Strib's Alex Robinson reports. The birds have no clue how to migrate, so instead hungrily flew into obstructions and desperately downed lead shot. One local rescue org has seen traffic double. Wisconsin actually uses small planes to teach the fowl how to fly south.

2. Shooting the bull ... with a Taser. The Strib's Abby Simons says a 74-year-old man was driving past his son's farm, noticed some cows escape, and in trying to round them up, injured his knee. As he lay on the ground, a bull lowered his head, and a cop showed up with the necessary armament. It's a hell of a short story, really.

It was a day to do dumb things on snowmobiles. Mind-bogglingy, a Stearns County teenager survived a 50-foot drop into a gravel pit, AP reports. He landed on frozen sand. KSTP adds on a snowmobiler who was running down the Rum River on a warm day, swerved to avoid open water, and smashed into a tree.

Could Lake Harriet be without popcorn and ice cream this summer? The Southwest Journal says maybe — it's a consequence of approving a lease with the Sea Salt restaurant that currently wows 'em at Minnehaha Falls. The restaurant would kick out the current snack operation, forcing the Park Board to build a new building while that governmental unit claims poverty. Couldn't they fill the gap with an ice cream truck and a couple of popcorn machines?

Nort spews: Mikko Koivu got the shootout winner as the Wild beat Edmonton 3-2; Minnesota is now seventh in the West; Sore Loser here. As for the Wolves, "pop" goes any remaining hope; that was the sound emenating from Al Jefferson's knee in a 101-97 road loss to New Orleans. Big Al will be examined today; Britt Robson's take here.