Thursday digest: Sunshine and snowdrifts edition

A photographer friend once told us the Minnesota's sunniest days occur in midwinter. So it seems today on this bright sunny day, when our feline friends are basking in our southern facing windows. Sunlight is good.

Mark Sommerhauser at the Winona Daily News writes in Walz would require Web reports for TARP funds:

Banks receiving a federal bailout would have to file online reports detailing their use of the funds under a proposal made by Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn.

The Walz amendment was inserted Wednesday into a House bill that would implement new rules for the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the cornerstone of a $700 billion bank bailout Congress approved in October. Both parties have since criticized the Treasury Department’s administration of TARP, arguing it’s impossible to determine how the funds are being used. . . .

Walz doesn't just ask for transparency for those bankers taking tax payer money. In an interview in November after the election, he discussed the need to put committee hearings online. Walz serves on the Transportation Committee (hearings streamed live here), Veterans Affairs (webcasts here) and the Agriculture Committee (hearings streamed live here). Check each committee's web page for schedules of meetings.

The New Ulm Journal reports in Witnesses to history at the inauguration:

. . .[First District DFL chair Lori] Sellner said she noticed many young people in the crowd, including a fellow Minnesotan, Windom school teacher Brian Joyce, the Watonwan County DFL chair who led a group of 20 students to the ceremony.

After the inauguration, the Minnesota DFLers went to Congressman Tim Walz's office to watch the inaugural parade and then to the American Legion for the Minnesota Democratic event.

"It was a busy, full day and I felt pretty tired this morning," Sellner said.

Sellner said traffic was congested on Tuesday and on Wednesday because of the event. The rush-hour traffic near Baltimore caused her to miss her flight back to Minneapolis.

"It was just an experience that was well worth it. It was great to see so many young people. There were a lot of people from other countries, too, but it was inspiring to see that many young people. There was this silence before the speech started, but once he started speaking, you're hanging on every word," Sellner said.

The editor of the Cottonwood County Citizen praises the Windom schools for giving 22 students the Chance of a Lifetime to attend the inauguration on Tuesday.

Image: "Snowdrifts," a lithograph by New Ulm native Wanda Gag.

This calls for a little hippie music: