Congressional watchdog: Stop paying big farmers' crop insurance

Plus: Sightseeing tours show off Twin Cities area holiday light displays ͏ ͏ If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Congressional watchdog: Stop paying big farmers' crop insurance. The Government Accountability Office, an independent, nonpartisan oversight agency, published a 73-page report this week highlighting that some of the $17.3 billion the federal government uses to pay down insurance premiums for the nation's farmersincludes funds that go to roughly 1,341 of the wealthiest, including 41 in Minnesota. [Read more.]( - Hunters pack meeting in Carlton to join group's call for wolf hunt: About 400 people, mostly men and mostly wrapped in camouflaged hats and coats, crammed into the upper level of the Four Seasons Sports Complex here on Wednesday night to learn more about a growing group bent on controlling Minnesota's wolf population. [Read more.]( - St. Paul woman granted extension to remove boulevard garden: After initially being told she had a week to remove her St. Paul boulevard garden because it violated city code, Iris Logan has been granted a six-month extension. Logan, 69, has been building an elaborate garden of rocks, sculptures and mosaics at her home, including on its boulevard, on Sherburne Avenue in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood for many years. [Read more.]( - Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott surprises six more Twin Cities nonprofits with $26.1M in gifts: Scott, an author and the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, announced Wednesday that she's donating $26.1 million to six metro area organizations — part of some $2.2 billion in grants she has given to 360 organizations nationwide this year. [Read more.]( - Wilfs pull plug on video gaming at Viking Lakes in Eagan: Version1's facility was open to fans attending Vikings training camp at the TCO Performance Center, where they could play on some of the company's gaming systems. [Read more.]( WATCH THIS 76-year-old man balances 390 wine glasses on his head: John Evans of Derbyshire, U.K., broke the old world record of 350 wineglasses when he successfully balanced an 8-tiered stack of 390 wineglasses on his head. [See the video.]( *** Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. *** TRENDING Sightseeing tours show off Twin Cities area holiday light displays: Whether you travel by trolley, bus or limo, you can see holiday light displays in comfort. [Read more.]( SPORTS BLINK Teams show interest in two Twins veterans: The winter baseball meetings wrapped up with teams telling the Twins to stay in touch regarding possible trades — and the Twins thinking about options for first base and center field. [Read more.]( *** Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. *** WORTH A CLICK Ohio woman who assaulted Chipotle worker sentenced to work in a fast-food restaurant: "Emily Russell was working at an Ohio Chipotle when an angry customer, Rosemary Hayne, violently hurled a hot bowl of food in her face — an attack that was caught on video. Now, Hayne, who was found guilty last week of assault, has agreed to work in a fast-food restaurant to avoid jail time," Aimee Picchi reports for CBS News. [Read more.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES Dec. 7, 2016: Pearl Harbor survivors Victor Paradis, from right, and Richard Thill salute the flag during the National Anthem with Gov. Mark Dayton during a ceremony at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul to mark the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (Photo: Leila Navidi/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2023 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](