Cursor suspends publication: The Minneapolis-based political link aggregator Cursor.org has ceased publishing, according to a note on its site dated Oct. 10. The largely foundation-supported site lost its major funder last year but continued publishing through reader-donated funds. Site co-founder Mike Tronnes is working to find money — around $50,000 — to restart publication.

NEED returns: Nine months after its northeast Minneapolis offices were burglarized, the humanitarian magazine NEED has come out with its fifth edition. The glossy magazine was named “One of the hottest Launches of 2007.”

Media Matters on Strib: Last Thursday, Star Tribune editor Nancy Barnes asked “all columnists to refrain from partisan political commentary in their columns on the news pages, at least until after the election.” The news raised the eyebrows of Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert who notes that the decree came a day after columnist Katherine Kersten attacked Democrat Al Franken as being anti-Catholic. Boehlert goes on to point out other inconsistencies at the paper: its glowing front-page story about GOP operative and Coleman confidante/landlord Jeff Larson (”the ‘Clark Kent’ behind Palin’s wardrobe,” according to the paper’s headline) followed by its endorsement of Coleman, to name one.

Circ sinks: The Star Tribune is among papers that saw circulation drop in September. Audit Bureau of Circulations reported that its 507 papers saw a 4.6 percent dip. Strib daily editions were down 4.26 percent, while its Sunday edition dropped 8.63 percent. One bright spot: the Pioneer Press has reportedly seen “small gains” in Sunday circulation.