It was twenty years ago when America's first charter school opened in St. Paul. One of the key state lawmakers in the movement says much of the credit belongs to a group of active citizens. Today there are more than 5,000 charter schools around the country. A national convention will meet in Minneapolis this month.

The ACLU says the documents back up its claims that TiZA illegally funneled taxpayer money to its religious landlords and promoted Islam in the curriculum. The group also says it's looking into at least a dozen other charter schools with religious affiliations in Minnesota to see whether they might be blurring the lines between church and state.

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius told MPR the federal money will help "replicate high-performing charters and share those best practices across all schools." She also says the grant will help the state monitor the strengths and weaknesses of charter schools.

Sure, the Vikings are nine-point underdogs -- but "on any given Sunday" anything can happen in the NFL. Toss in a wild crowd, a rookie quarterback and an undefeated team overdue for a loss, and ... the Pack should still win.

Some charter commissioners want to revisit a proposed amendment that would prohibit the county from using any revenue to build professional sports facilities. Commissioner Rod Halvorson says he'd like to get the amendment on the ballot next year.

Former Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the subject of an arrest by an undercover policeman in a bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, is arguing that his travel was part of official Senate business, and therefore it was OK to use campaign funds to pay for a legal defense. In court documents, Craig says he was "engaged in official, constitutionally mandated activity at the time of the incident."

State officials had moved to close the school, saying it wasn't meeting state standards. The order, however, is not final -- the state could still move to close the school. The Department of Education is reviewing the ruling.