Dashcam video catches semi spinning out of control, narrowly missing Minnesota trooper

Trump moves forward on border wall, takes aim at sanctuary cities: The president used exe

To view this email as a web page, [click here] [Star Tribune] Talkers Top stories - Dashcam video catches semi spinning out of control, narrowly missing Minnesota trooper: Earlier this month, the driver of a semi traveling a highway speeds lost control on icy Hwy. 55 near Barnes Avenue in Inver Grove Heights and careened into the ditch, spinning around and narrowly missing a state trooper’s squad parked on the right shoulder. [A trooper’s dashcam caught the dramatic action.] - 1 dead, 3 burned in suspicious St. Paul residential fire: Police have taped off the scene around the building and say [it is considered a crime scene.] - Trump vows "major investigation" into voter fraud: President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that [he plans to ask “for a major investigation” into claimed voter fraud] following his unfounded belief that he lost the popular vote in November’s election because millions of illegal votes were cast. Trump said in back-to-back tweets that the investigation would cover “those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal” and “those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time).” Voter rolls can be out of date for many reasons (did you notify your local election board the last time you moved?), but that is a separate issue from whether people are actually voting illegally in large numbers. There have been a bunch of major investigations into voter fraud in recent years, all of which [turned up very, very few documented instances.] - Trump poised to lift ban on CIA "black sites": [The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order] that would clear the way for the CIA to reopen overseas "black site" prisons, like those where it detained and tortured terrorism suspects before former President Obama shut them down. The draft order does not direct any immediate reopening of CIA prisons or revival of torture tactics, which are now barred by statute. But it sets up high-level policy reviews to make further recommendations in both areas to Trump, who vowed during the campaign to bring back waterboarding and a "hell of a lot worse" — not only because "torture works," but because even "if it doesn't work, they deserve it anyway." - Trump moves forward on border wall: The president used executive authority Wednesday [to jumpstart construction of his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall], one of his signature campaign promises. The order also targets so-called sanctuary cities and potentially restricts the flow of refugees to the United States from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, according to administration officials. - Former "maiden" sues River Road fellowship elders over sexual abuse: One of the former “maidens” of the River Road Fellowship [is suing the elders of the cultlike church] for failing to protect her from sexual abuse that began when she was 13 years old. - Pregnant woman killed in her Eagan home identified: The nearly full-term fetus being carried by Senicha M. Lessman also did not survive the violence, police said Wednesday. [A 23-year-old man from Brooklyn Park remains jailed] in connection with the deaths Tuesday at a home in the 3100 block of Alden Pond Lane, a quiet street in a neighborhood of townhouses to the northeast of Hwy. 13 and Yankee Doodle Road. - Mary Tyler Moore reportedly in grave condition: [TMZ reports that the television icon is hospitalized] in Connecticut and family members are coming to say their goodbyes. - Bill to crack down on Minnesota protesters part of a national trend: [Measures aimed at toughening laws against demonstrators] have been introduced in North Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Virginia and Washington state as protests have proliferated in recent months over issues ranging from police shootings to oil pipelines. - Arctic Cat sold for $247 million: [Minneapolis-based Arctic Cat is being purchased by Textron Inc.] for $247 million in cash, a consolidation move at a time when sales of all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles have been under pressure. - Vulgar posts about women's marches backfire on male officials: A school board member in Hillary Clinton's hometown resigned after making a derogatory reference on Twitter to the female anatomy in describing women marching against President Donald Trump. An Illinois teacher was pulled from the classroom for a tweet deemed sexist. And a freshman Indiana lawmaker was inundated with criticism over a Facebook post mocking "fat women." These are a handful of examples from across the U.S. of [mostly male public officials who have been reprimanded], called out or disciplined over social media postings about the women's marches around the globe last weekend. In Meadville, Pa., a school board member is [defending social media posts critical of Trump] with hashtags saying people could "Make America Great Again" with a "clean head shot." Watch this TrainGuy659 really, really loves his Lego train tracks: He must have spent a mind-boggling amount of time [setting up this incredible track] that runs multiple miniature trains all over his house, outside around his pool, under a fence, around the yard, back inside ... Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com]. Trending - How a preemie born in 1942 battled the odds and won: Jon Tevlin [recounts the story of Calvin Lepp], who "was locally famous almost from the moment he was born, and over the course of the next 120 days, readers of this newspaper followed the progress of 'the medicine dropper baby.'" On Wednesday, Hennepin County Medical Center, the current incarnation of General Hospital, is having a 75th birthday party for Lepp and using the opportunity to celebrate more than seven decades of caring for premature babies. - Lyndale Tap House owner to open Italian sandwich shop in NE Minneapolis: Geno’s, which was inspired by Parm – a casual sandwich shop in New York City – [will focus on parmesan-style sandwiches] highlighting ingredients like chicken, eggplant, meatballs and pork chops, owner Gene Suh said. - Badlands National Park goes rogue on Twitter: Three climate-related tweets sent out by Badlands National Park have been deleted after they went viral on Twitter, sparking debate over [whether the park was defying the Trump administration]. - Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks dies: [Trucks was one of two original drummers], along with Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, who helped formed the rhythms and the drive for The Allman Brothers. Formed in 1969 and led by Duane and Gregg Allman, the group helped define the Southern rock sound that incorporated blues, rock, country and jazz. Sports roundup - Wiggins' buzzer-beater ends Wolves' drought: Andrew Wiggins found his spot Tuesday night in the final seconds to [sink the Timberwolves’ first buzzer-beater in nearly five years]. - Wait, the Timberwolves are in a playoff race? The Wolves are 17-28, which obviously is not good. But in the weird West this year, it puts the Wolves [within shouting distance of the No. 8 seed.] - "Row the Boat" mantra coming to the U: If you've followed the University of Minnesota's hiring of football coach P.J. Fleck, you've probably heard the phrase "Row the Boat" once or twice. Fleck's coined mantra apparently soon [will be an official part of the Gophers football program.] - Brent Musburger retiring from sportscasting at age 77: [Musburger is calling it a career at ESPN] after being the play-by-play man in the booth at sporting events enjoyed by millions of Americans, most prominently when he was the lead voice for CBS Sports in the 1980s. His last game will be the Kentucky-Georgia men's basketball game on Jan. 31. That takes him back to Rupp Arena, where he called Villanova's historic NCAA championship upset over Georgetown in 1985. Quote of the day “I wonder what these gentlemen were thinking.” -- George Washington University professor [Michael Cornfield], on public officials who have been reprimanded for vulgar comments about the recent Women's Marches across the country. Worth a click NASA releases images of change (climate and otherwise): [We'll see how long this stays online], but the space agency has published a series of before/after images documenting various types of change on the Earth's surface, from damage caused by gypsy moth caterpillars in the northeastern United States to river flow after a dam was installed in China to, yes, declining Arctic sea ice. From the archives Jan. 25, 1977: World champion hydroplane racer Nip Thomas of Minneapolis climbed into his 2,250-pound craft, which was on exhibit at the boat show at the Minneapolis Auditorium. (Photo: Earl Seubert/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook] [twitter] [google+] [pinterest] [instagram] [tumblr] [Sign up for more newsletters] • [Subscribe to Star Tribune] • [Privacy Policy] • [Unsubscribe] This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2015 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.]