When Minnesota's political parties were unable to agree on new political boundaries, they went to court ... and now the bills are coming due. Democrats, Republicans, and citizens who joined the lawsuit are seeking reimbursement of $628,000 in legal costs. A panel appointed by the state Supreme Court eventually handled the redistricting.

The Associated Press reports the court panel assigned with redrawing the state's political boundaries won't rule until late February -- a point where the Republican Congresswoman should know if its time to abandon her presidential campaign if her placement in the polls don't improve.

The five-judge redistricting panel appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court released an outline Thursday. All parties must have their proposed maps to the court next month. The court will then have a hearing on the plans in January.

With the new state House and Senate district lines in place, MinnPost has mapped the political leaning of each district based on average precinct results from the three most recent elections: 2006, 2008 and 2010.

The news is a blow for Medtronic and investors, who expected big things from an experimental device that uses extreme heat to regulate heartbeat. Medtronic bought the company that developed the device for $225 million in 2009. The panel's recommendation isn't the final say, but the FDA will take it under consideration.

The citizens board for the state Pollution Control Agency votes this week on whether to back tougher emissions restrictions for coal power plants and taconite processors. Environmental groups say rules adopted by the state in 2009 do next to nothing to cut down on hazy smog in Minnesota's most pristine wilderness areas.

The $750,000 grant will be used to help the city attract airlines he St. Cloud Regional Airport -- which has been without commercial air service since Delta Airlines ended its flights there in 2009.