Free Republic

With no warning for residents, military helicopters flew low Monday evening over St. Paul and Minneapolis in a federal training exercise, about which officials released almost no information. The exercise -- reportedly involving U.S. Navy Seals with Army pilots, engaging in rappelling exercises in an urban setting -- began just before 8 p.m. and was scheduled to last until midnight. The St. Paul police watch commander initially had no information on the exercise. He was later informed that it was a training exercise involving Homeland Security and local law enforcement. . . . Many downtown residents said they were shocked...

So there was a thread discussing an Ann Coulter article. It just disappeared. I would humbly suggest that FR should have some way of communicating to people why they decided to do this. Maybe an on going tread explaining these actions. Just a suggestion.

Don't ask me how I got it but this is the last minute of Redford's new Rather movie. "LOOK! It's old man Rather!" "ZOIKS! "That's right. I made it all up. I wanted to scare folks away from George Bush. And I would have gotten away with it to if it wasn't for you nosy Freepers! [General Laughter] [cut to scene of front door of CBS headquarters. Rather comes flying out and lands in the gutter. Seen rubbing his behind. ] [Closing theme rises]

But even in the trust, they continued to hold separate accounts for the President, the First Lady and their daughter, Chelsea. Mr. Clinton's share of the blind trust was valued between $15,001 and $50,000, and Chelsea's was worth between $1,001 and $15,000. The First Lady's was put at $500,001 to $1 million.

In one of his blander pronouncements during the papal visit, Netanyahu mentioned on Monday that Jesus spoke Hebrew. There was nothing incorrect about Netanyahu’s statement. Jesus was after all, an Israeli Jew. But Francis couldn’t take the truth. So he indelicately interrupted his host, interjecting, “Aramaic.” Netanyahu was probably flustered. True, at the time, educated Jews spoke and wrote in Aramaic. And Jesus was educated. But the language of the people was Hebrew. And Jesus preached to the people, in Hebrew. Netanyahu responded, “He spoke Aramaic, but he knew Hebrew.” Reuters’ write-up of the incident tried to explain away the...

You probably could FF from 1:00 to 4:00. This kid really gets into the King.

Neat new web site that just went up today.

You Are Invited! Power Line, Ricochet, Fraters Meet-Up on Saturday [Bumped] All Power Line readers are invited, along with their friends and relatives. If you live in or near the Twin Cities, you should come–we are having a Power Line, Ricochet and Fraters Libertas meet-up at Keegan’s Irish Pub at 5:00 on Saturday. Brian Ward and I will record our next episode of the Hinderaker-Ward Experience live at the pub, beginning at around 6:00, depending on the rowdiness of the crowd and other factors. It will be fun; if you can make it, please say hello and introduce yourself. Keegan’s...

The Kremlin’s own pollster released a survey on Monday that showed 73% of Russians reject it. In phrasing its question posed in early February to 1,600 respondents across the country, the state-funded sociologists at WCIOM were clearly trying to get as much support for the intervention as possible: “Should Russia react to the overthrow of the legally elected authorities in Ukraine?” they asked. Only 15% said yes — hardly a national consensus.

AUK RAPIDS, Minn.—Federal authorities have dropped an attempt to stop a Minnesota man from marketing merchandise poking fun at the National Security Agency for its surveillance of citizens, including T-shirts bearing the NSA's official seal and the slogan, "The only part of the government that actually listens." "It's a victory for First Amendment rights," said Dan McCall, of Sauk Rapids, who operates LibertyManiacs.com. He sued the NSA and Department of Homeland Security last fall after they issued cease-and-desist orders.

This was the fourth year in a row that Global Village had marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a sale and a sign in its Superior Street window proclaiming: “25 percent off everything black!” Rachel Mock, proprietor of the Duluth store, said she had received no complaints in the past, but this year proved a different story, thanks in large part to a social networking firestorm touched off by a Facebook post.

How many of you knew there was a four hour rule? It is a duplicate thread. You must wait 4 hours to re-post the same article for it not to be automatically pulled as a duplicate. Find a similar article or wait 4 hours.

Duluth’s December finished with an average daily temperature of just 4.6 degrees, in seventh place for coldest Decembers since records have been kept. That’s 10.2 degrees below normal, but still well short of the all-time record cold December of 1.8 degrees set in 1983. International Falls saw a mind-numbingly cold monthly average temperature of 4.1 degrees below zero for the month, which was the second-coldest December on record, just missing 4.3 degrees below zero in 1983. The Falls set a new record with eight days hitting 30 below or lower, breaking the old record of seven days. < The National...

Vikings fire Frazier, start to clean house

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A North Dakota teen’s father calls it a miracle that his son survived — and is doing so well — after being shot in the eye in a hunting accident. On Monday, Russell MacDonald and his 14-year-old son, Kaelin, spoke about the frightening accident and the surgery that saved the young hunter’s life. On Nov. 17, Kaelin was accidentally shot by a family friend while pheasant hunting. Russ rushed over to Kaelin and saw a shotgun pellet had hit him in the face. “The other gentleman to the right of me yelled, ‘Kaelin is down,’” Russ said....

Man these people are sick sick sick.

Winter storm warnings remain in effect for the entire region through late tonight or early Thursday morning. By the time the storm wraps up, storm total accumulation will be 12 to 18 inches in many areas, with some totals of 20 inches to perhaps as much as three feet along the North Shore. “We don’t get three-day snowfalls very often … every few years. Even for the North Shore and Duluth, for a storm to hit 30 inches, that’s pretty unusual,” said Carol Christenson, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Duluth. “For us to even forecast snow...

Southbound Interstate 35 in Duluth was closed Monday, and will remain closed for at least a week or more after bridge inspectors found a deteriorated piling on the roadway. The damaged piling is on one of 38 supports, or piers, for the low bridge that runs from Mesaba Avenue west to near 21st Avenue West. The piling that supports the pier “was so corroded we could see through it,” Duane Hill, chief district engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, told the News Tribune.

Gov. Mark Dayton had $343,234 in income last year..... He gave $1,000 in to charity, according to the return.

Heads up. Rank Choice Voting - More progressive insanity coming your way.