Daily Glean: Despite scarifying, no confirmed flu yet in Minnesota

Flu into the cuckoo’s nest: Despite scarifying from NBC, Minnesota has yet to confirm a single Mexican swine flu case from provided samples, AP reports. The Strib’s Steve Alexander says local officials expect cases eventually, but that screening travelers from down south is probably useless. The U is implementing “early phases of a response,” the MinnesotaDaily’s Mike Rose notes, involving its Center for Infectious Disease research and emergency workers, but details are vague.

“Urban explorer” Ian Talty died after being swept into the Mississippi from a St. Paul tunnel that filled with thunderstorm runoff, the Strib’s Heron Marquez Estrada reports. A compatriot made it ashore safely. What do you photograph in a tunnel? Graffiti, says PiPresser Nancy Ngo; there’s a good shot of the tunnel’s exit. WCCO’s John Lauritsen says Talty texted his wife shortly before he died. Folks have perished from “carbon monoxide fires” in the tunnels, but this seems to be the first drowning.

The Minnesota Daily has more on Saturday’s “Dinkytown riot,” where 500 drunkards tore down street signs and trees, jumped on and tried to overturn cars, tossing rocks and bottles at 70 cops who eventually arrested seven people. The PiPress’ Nick Ferraro says someone threw a 12-pack at cops, but none were injured. The Strib’s Curt Brown says some question police use of force, which included “foam” pellets and marking rounds. However, others say the cops were too slow.

More riot: The Daily has a photo spread, audio slide show and video. The U is threatening expulsion for the perps. The igniter may have been a concert cancellation at the campus “Spring Jam.”

The Strib’s Minnesota Poll puts President Obama’s approval rating at 62 percent, with 72 percent saying he’s doing the right economic things. But it’s a big hole to climb out of: Just 39 percent of Minnesotans say the country is headed in the right direction, below national averages but above the 14 percent at the end of the Bush II era. At least online, the Strib doesn’t include details, beyond partisan breakdown, etc. — and it should as a matter of course.

The Strib’s print-only series on high Minnesota college costs includes this eye-opener: The U spends more per student than any U.S. research university ($21,400). Compensation is 63 percent of the U’s budget, doubling since 1994, Jenna Ross and Chao Xiong write. While grant funds are up $50 million from 2007 to 2008, there’s no long-term tracking or “profit-loss” versus salaries. (Though there is the possibility students are getting a better education.)

More U costs: Faculty pay is in the top third of the Big Ten and a “comparative” national group. It’s not just profs; manager and support staff numbers have increased faster; non-teaching, research and outreach costs skied from $179 million in 2004 to $322 million this year. A specific culprit: senior VP numbers have risen from eight in 2000 to 13 in 2008, but the U argues degrees have increased as fast as overall admin numbers.

Final U cost thoughts: There’s too little on building costs, which have also soared. The piece highlights Tubby Smith’s total earnings, but is that all paid by the U? If not, it should be separated out or explained in a story on tuition hikes.

The PiPress’ David Hanners keeps bird-dogging the Fong Lee case. Today, it’s a botched Minneapolis civil rights investigation into the 2006 police killing of the Hmong teen, who ran away from cops and possibly had a gun. Despite claims of high seriousness, the city’s Civil Rights department assigned a novice investigator and let police miss a 30-day response deadline — by 15 months, even though the complainant got a week to rebut.

More Lee: Minneapolis officials says they were stymied by the family and a grand jury investigation, but others note the department’s huge case backlog and checkered reputation.

The PiPress’ Rachel Stassen-Berger profiles Al Franken’s relatively quiet Senate preparatory efforts. Franken is “pretty close” to announcing his chief of staff, and says, “My goal isn’t to have the best Senate constituent service office in the country.” Huh? “My goal is that Minnesotans are best served, and that means all the members of the delegation coordinating with each other,” he adds. I want to be in the room for the Bachmann-Franken strategery.

Nort spews: The Twins bats were again quiet as they succumb at Cleveland 4-2; Minnesota has scored the third-fewest runs in the A.L., falling to 9-10 on the young season, a game and a half back of Detroit. New dope-smoking Viking Percy Harvin talks to WCCO’s Mark Rosen.