WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Jim Oberstar remains undecided about the health care bill because of a number of separate concerns — including a newly added measure that could hurt Minnesota's paper industry.

Related: Hoyer: 'Delaying tactics' could stall vote on health reform

Nearly $7 million in leftover funds raised by the Minneapolis/St. Paul 2008 Host Committee for last year's national gathering will soon be headed to three local foundations:  the St. Paul Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation.

ALSO: Pawlenty ends a bad week by proposing a constitutional amendment; Rybak runs for governor; Ponzi scheme-mania!

It was, in effect, a showdown of "charts versus hearts" today. Gov. Tim Pawlenty called for reining in state spending with a constitutional amendment. Sen. Tom Bakk, one of many DFL candidates for governor, emphasized getting Minnesotans back to work.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Days before an expected vote on health care reform in the U.S. House, thousands of protesters descended on the Capitol Thursday to rally around Rep. Michele Bachmann and other GOP lawmakers who have denounced the legislation.

Related: Skip Humphrey, AARP volunteers endorse reform bill

More tape recordings. PLUS: GOP fundraising and soul-searching; second thoughts on a TV interview, and college "bargains."

Steve Knutson, executive director of the Fremont Community Clinics system, says, "We can have providers do wonderful things and intervene early, but if we don't have a willing patient on the other side of the table we're not going to get to an endpoint."

Sixty-three percent of the 11,852 jobs created or saved in Minnesota by federal stimulus money are in education, mostly in K-12, which tallies a total of 7,380 jobs. Still, recipients of the federal money can't shake off a scary truth: Now they have it.  All too soon they won't.

Business Agenda: U of M piling up stimulus funds with $211M so far by Brad Allen

The hotly contested measure passed 17, 083 to 15,486 — about 52.4 percent support — but the margin is closer than it might seem, because the law requires approval of 51 percent of those voting to pass a charter amendment.

PLUS: Petters mysteries, Hecker finances and a light-rail decision.

On a night when Instant Runoff Voting was the city's big new political development, it's appropriate that being mayor is only R.T. Rybak's second choice of jobs. It's expected that soon he'll go after his first-choice position, governor. Some other city races remain in doubt.

David Brauer: Strib, PiPress political endorsement scorecard

Two mayoral debates on MPR: Papa John Kolstad v. R.T. Rybak and Eva Ng v. Chris Coleman. PLUS: A rift in the Republican Party?

For many months, retail reports, financial statistics and monthly jobless updates have relentlessly driven home to all of us the bleak state of the national and regional economy. In an effort to personalize some of those numbers, we asked MinnPost interns Wilt Hodges, Emily Ness and Joey Peters to profile how several Minnesotans are coping with tough times.

· Weddings still need planners, but couples' budgets have tightened
· In tough times, one-man construction shop find ways to survive
· Marinas are always on Minnesota resort-goers' priority list
· Many new lawyers are finding job search a real trial

Couples are trying to save money these days, but they're still hiring wedding planners to organize their budgets and help them find the most efficient ways to pay for the big day.