Craig Won't Appeal to Minn. High Court in Sex Sting

Travel strangled, with accidents killing at least 12

(AP) - A powerful storm packing heavy snow, sleet, and rain lumbered across the nation's midsection today, glazing roads and disrupting air travel but promising a white Christmas for some. The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of Oklahoma, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Texas. It cautioned that travel would be extremely dangerous in those areas through the weekend; slippery roads have already been blamed for at least 12 deaths. More»

Minnesota Supreme Court overturns ruling that said drug water was paraphernalia

(NEWSER) - Minnesota’s Supreme Court has declared bong water an illegal drug. The decision overturns a lower court ruling that held bong water was paraphernalia. The decision means lazy users who leave water in their bongs could be hit with a first-degree drug possession charge—even if they have no other drugs, the AP reports. More»

(NEWSER) - If 9 hours on a grounded puddle-jumper with screaming babies and the scent of overly busy toilets wafting through cramped aisles sounds like your idea of a good time, then Continental Airlines had your ticket to paradise. When storms forced a Minneapolis-bound flight to divert to Rochester, Minn., on Friday, a comedy of errors forced the plane to sit on the tarmac overnight, passengers locked in, the Star-Tribune reports. More»

The end may finally be near in Minnesota Senate race

(NEWSER) - Minnesota’s Senate contest seems poised to end at long last, the Minnesota Independent reports. Election-law experts are sure that the Minnesota Supreme Court will shoot down Norm Coleman’s appeal, and it will probably be unanimous in doing so. “What he’s asked the Supreme Court to do is to ignore Minnesota law,” said one law professor. “There didn’t seem to be a single justice for whom this works.” More»

But decision could take months

(NEWSER) - Minnesota’s Supreme Court will hear arguments today in the Senate seat dispute between Al Franken and Norm Coleman, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. If the court goes Franken’s way, he could be seated in Washington; if the five justices find for Coleman, “recounting-type” hurdles will remain before he could head to DC, said a legal expert. The decision could come in days—or months. More»