NewsCut

The weekend tear-duct check came from Shirley Wang, who told the story on WBUR's Only a Game broadcast about her dad, a cat litter scientist in Muscatine, Iowa who somehow became Charles Barkley's friend.
‘Thumbs Up’ for wrestling in Winona
Who knew there was a pent-up demand for thumb-wrestling in Winona? River City Wrestling and Island City Brewing Company teamed up for the first annual thumb wrestling championship in the city on Saturday, known as the Thumbs Up Throw Down.
We have another theft of Jesus, people. Last week, someone stole a baby Jesus from the nativity scene in St. Cloud. Today, we learn the owners of the Cedar Rose Inn in Alexandria report someone stole theirs too.
Not much has worked to stem the tide of distracted and dangerous driving. By now everyone has heard the warnings, but a glance over in either lane on your way home or to work on your next commute will likely tell you all you need to know about whether anyone's listening. So people probably won't pay much attention to Bruce Benson, who was 16 when he killed his best friend 30 years ago.
1,000 Words: The Sandy Hook anniversary
Sandy Hook elementary, where these people were murdered six years ago today, was evacuated and school dismissed today. Someone phoned in a bomb threat.
Someone has lifted Baby Jesus from a nativity scene that's been on display in St. Cloud since the end of World War II.
From a neighborly dispute, a mighty finger rises
There's nothing we like better than a good, old neighborly feud that results in an art installation. And by "art installation," we mean a large sculpture of a hand with its middle finger extended.
Media suspend ethics guidelines in pursuit of killers
Too many journalists never learn an important lesson and from the sound of press releases flying around about a TV show investigating the disappearance of Iowa anchorwoman Jodi Huisentruit, who hasn't been seen since disappearing 23 years ago, a common mistake is about to be repeated.