What’s that Third Law of Physics again? The “opposite and equal reaction” thing? Target Corp. continues to feel it after word of its $150,000 donation to Tom Emmer’s campaign, via the new pro-business PAC MN Forward, came to light and blowback ignited in the gay community. Jason Hoppin’s PiPress story this morning says: “The controversy is particularly difficult for Target, which has cultivated an inclusive image. Its company policies and benefits for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered workers are among the best in the business, earning a perfect 100 percent score from the Human Rights Campaign. ‘Certainly the fact that they have donated to this committee is very troubling,’ Human Rights Campaign spokesman Michael Cole said. ... While there is no evidence the donation is affecting sales, there are risks to Target's bottom line. It has been expanding locations in urban centers, which typically vote Democratic and are more receptive to gay-friendly policies. In recent years, Target has opened stores in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and is seeking approval for a San Francisco store.”

MinnPost’s Joe Kimball posted Target CEO Greg Steinhafel’s e-mail to employees.

In a post titled “Target's tea bag-loving CEO lands company in hot water,” City Pages’ Hart van Denburg notes CEO Steinhafel (and wife’s) fondness for Michele Bachmann and all things Republican, and writes: “Target's public face on all of this has been to attribute its politics to support of business-friendly politicians. And Steinhafel's isn't apologizing in a recent letter to employees upset about their company's anti-gay politics. He reminded them of Target's support for GLBT-friendly policies, organizations and events — all of which run counter to the big money he and the company are putting behind anti-gay and pro-Tea Party candidates.There is just one sign, however, that Steinhafel recognizes Emmer's name is becoming PR toxic: He never mentioned Emmer's name once in the letter.”

NPR’s “Political Junkie” blog mentions Tuesday's Senate move to block consideration of the DISCLOSE bill, which would require those receiving corporate contributions, as MN Forward did, to tell everyone who put money in. “Larry Norton, a former counsel to the Federal Election Commission, says American business seems to be in wait-and-see mode — for now. [But when they decide to spend], he says, there's going to be one question asked over & over: ‘If we make this contribution to you, are you going to have to disclose that we gave it to you?’ Right now, with an ad like the one from Minnesota Forward, the answer is ‘probably.’ The company's name probably would be disclosed. Under the DISCLOSE bill, Norton says, the answer would have been a definite ‘yes.’ " If, of course, they get DISCLOSE past the inevitable GOP filibuster.

Finally, the issue is all over the blogs. For example, Autostraddle, a blog devoted to “News, Politics, Entertainment and Girl on Girl Culture,” writes: “Money trumps human rights, pretty much every time. Obviously, the key to world domination is to make ‘doing the right thing’ compatible with making money. If all gay people stop shopping at Target over this issue, then supporting Emmer no longer promotes their business interest. Vote with your dollars, as they say. While I’m willing to bet a boycott of Target will go over about as well as a boycott of American Apparel, it’s worth a shot.” As actions go, $150K is nothing to Target, but I think by the time this plays out they’ll have felt all that and more.

“All cash” is Bloomberg News’ description of the $1.5 billion deal UnitedHealth is working on to acquire Pennsylvania-based, Executive Health Resources Inc. Says the Bloomberg story: “Executive Health, founded in 1997 by Chief Executive Robert Corrato and backed by Abry Partners, provides hospitals with teams of outside physician advisers to improve regulatory compliance and efficiency. ‘Strategically, it makes sense for United,’ Collins Stewart analyst Brian Wright said. Facing declining profit growth in its core insurance business, ‘they've got to look outside those areas to produce meaningful growth.’ " A spokesman for UnitedHealth declined to comment. The story adds: “UnitedHealth generated $357 million in earnings from operations from its health services units in this year's second quarter, about 20 percent of its total operating profit, Hemsley said on the company's conference call. He said he wants to double that percentage in the coming years.’ ” Anyone want to bet against him?

Hey, according to the Strib’s Jim Buchta, we’re not Las Vegas, Miami or Phoenix. He writes: “From April to May the median sale price of all home sales in the Twin Cities rose from $169,800 to $175,000 — a 3.1 percent increase, according to data compiled by the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors for the Twin Cities metro area. From May to June, the latest local data that's available, sale prices rose 4 percent.” That, is the best in the nation and waaaaaay ahead of those Sun Belt paradises we had to read so much about before the crash. He adds: “Nationwide 15 of the 20 metro areas in the Case-Shiller report showed year-over-year improvement in the annual comparison. Las Vegas led the decliners at minus 6.5 percent. In the month-to-month comparison, 19 of the 20 regions showed an increase. Beleaguered Las Vegas fell 0.5 percent.”

Did you catch the PiPress editorial arguing for a trial on climate change? This, in the wake of that juicy flare-up between St. Thomas prof John Abraham and “global warming denier” Lord Alexander Monckton of Britain. The editorial says: “We proposed this back in February, on a day when there were icy flurries outside our seventh-floor aerie. We come back to it today, as heat and humidity are mounting, as a way of isolating and publicizing the main points of contention, in a calm, deliberative, courtroom-like setting. We propose allowing citizens to reach verdicts that will not stop the shouting but which will be a step forward for rational debate. Which this issue desperately needs.” As theater goes, the idea might be fun. But since the denier crowd seizes on quite literally anything said by anyone (who isn’t Al Gore) as opposite and equal “refudiation,” a rational debate isn’t going to settle anything. Maybe if papers stopped reporting on  science-free deniers as though they had an opposite and equal view?

MPR’s Tim Nelson files a short report on an independent prosecutor declining to pursue charges against Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher for his use of mailing list data. Writes Nelson: “Fletcher sent a mailing for a charity event to holders of concealed-carry gun permits late last year. A state review of the mailing found he had violated the law governing use of information on permit holders, which is tightly controlled.” But the prosecutor says he couldn’t make the case ...

Interesting “investigation” piece by Fox9’s Jeff Ballion on deer collisions on metro roadways. One takeaway stat: Of 24 deaths from vehicles hitting Bambi, 20 were motorcyclists.
                                       
As make-work projects go, arson is always a little problematic. Dan Holtz of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram writes of the volunteer fireman who hired a kid to start grass fires so he could pick up a little extra cash putting them out. “Augusta-Bridge Creek firefighters responded to three suspicious fires in April in the town of Bridge Creek: an April 13 grass fire at E19595 Dolotta Road, an April 18 grass fire in a ditch and an April 21 fire at a pine tree plantation ... . Yule [the 18-year-old] told deputies he started the fire on Dolotta Road after pouring gas on a tree. He then reported the fire to authorities. Yule said he started the [next] fire ... by using a roman candle, a type of firework. The [last] fire, he said, was started by a torch using gas and lamp oil. In each instance, Yule said, he was with [the fireman, Joseph] Thalacker and [an accomplice]. When asked why he started the fires, Yule said Thalacker wanted to make extra money by responding to the fires. {The accomplice] told deputies Thalacker was the ‘getaway driver’ after the fires were started.” Thalacker made $8 an hour as a fireman and will now being paying $10,000 in restitution and fines.

Hoooo, boy. Someone needed anger management therapy and other forms of heavy-duty counseling before things got as out of control as they did. James Walsh’s Strib story about a Blaine guy out for revenge is a disturbing read: “A day after moving into their Blaine home, a young family's 4-year-old son wandered into a neighbor's yard to play. The boy's mother said she saw the neighbor pick up her son and tell the little boy, ‘Bet you can't touch me.’ The mother, aghast, tried calling the boy, but the neighbor held him. Before finally setting him down, he allegedly kissed the boy on the lips. On Aug. 3, 2008, the boy's parents reported the incident to Blaine police, who questioned the neighbor, Barry Ardolf. Six months later, according to court documents and police reports filed by the family, Ardolf allegedly began exacting revenge.” Among his moves was “... a bogus e-mail account in the neighbor's name, and hijacking the neighbor's wireless, [Ardolf] began sending a series of e-mails containing child pornography and lewd messages to the neighbor's boss and co-workers. Eventually, Ardolf even allegedly sent threats to elected officials — including Vice President Joe Biden — again, in the name of the neighbor.”