Operation Rooster

Afghan National Army takes charge at Observation Post Mace
http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3876-afghan-national-army-takes-charge-at-observation-post-mace.html

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Afghan National Army took an important step toward taking responsibility for the nation’s security when it assumed control of Observation Post Mace from the U.S. Army Dec. 21.
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Philanthropist Provides Care That The Pentagon Won’t
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/21/132203864/philanthropist-provides-care-that-the-pentagon-wont

One afternoon this fall, Bobby McKinney hunched over a coffee table with a clear glass surface. A lamp with a bare light bulb illuminated it from below. Pencil in hand, the former Marine traced the pattern for a tattoo across delicate paper, a swirling, intricate design reminiscent of a Celtic cross.
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Mark Wahlberg visits troops in Afghanistan
http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmlg/Pages/MarkWahlbergvisitstroopsinAfghanistan.aspx

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Actor Mark Wahlberg visited service members of 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Dec. 19.
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Preston, USO rocks the house at Bagram Airfield
http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3874-preston-uso-rocks-the-house-at-bagram-airfield.html

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Kenneth O. Preston rocked the house at Bagram Airfield with help of the U.S. Army Band “Downrange” and other performers during a USO holiday tour Dec. 21.
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Soldier, family sends care packages to troops in remote locations
http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3877-soldier-family-sends-care-packages-to-troops-in-remote-locations.html

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Pope John Paul II once said that “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”
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Seattle Seahawks Salute Military Members
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=57824

SEATTLE, Wash. (NNS) — The Seattle Seahawks honored service members throughout the Pacific Northwest at Qwest Field, Dec. 19, during pre-game ceremonies as part of an annual Military Appreciation Day celebration.
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Face of Defense: Mortarman Shares Close Calls
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62218

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2010 – Army Spc. Joshua R. Wood is a calm person; his voice barely rises above a whisper. Maybe that’s because waiting for the enemy to attack in a hastily built fighting position in the Hindu Kush Mountains makes everybody whisper, or maybe it’s because he just doesn’t get that excited anymore.
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After Early Administration Denials, Director of National Intelligence Admits He Hadn’t Been Briefed on Alleged Terrorist Arrests in London
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/12/after-early-administration-denials-director-of-national-intelligence-admits-he-hadnt-been-briefed-on.html

After initially suggesting that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s inability to answer a question from ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer about the arrests of 12 suspected terrorists in London was because her question was too “ambiguous,” the Obama administration acknowledged Wednesday morning that retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Clapper had not been briefed about the arrests at the time of the interview.
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FCC Votes 3-2 to Regulate Internet via Net Neutrality
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/fcc-votes-3-2-to-regulate-internet-via-net-neutrality/

The FCC has voted 3-2 along political lines to extend the government’s reach and regulate the internet via net neutrality. The vote to institute net neutrality rules marks the first time the government has stepped into the world of internet regulation.
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The Net Neutrality Coup
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703886904576031512110086694.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

The Federal Communications Commission’s new “net neutrality” rules, passed on a partisan 3-2 vote yesterday, represent a huge win for a slick lobbying campaign run by liberal activist groups and foundations. The losers are likely to be consumers who will see innovation and investment chilled by regulations that treat the Internet like a public utility.
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U.S. Government Piles on $2 Trillion in Additional Debt in 2010
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/u-s-government-piles-on-2-trillion-in-additional-debt-in-2010/

According to a U.S. Treasury report released Tuesday, the U.S. government fell $2 trillion deeper into debt during fiscal 2010 as government debt and promised federal benefits increased, bringing the nation’s 2010 deficit to more than $13.5 trillion compared to $11 trillion in 2009.
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The $41,000 toilet you paid for
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=242597

WASHINGTON – Ever wonder where your tax dollars are going? How about upkeep for a pink, octagonal monkey house in Dayton, Ohio, that hasn’t been occupied for years? The Department of Veterans Affairs is spending $175 million each year to maintain buildings it does not use, according to Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
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No Congress Since 1960s Makes Most Laws for Americans as 111th
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-22/no-congress-since-1960s-makes-most-laws-for-americans-as-111th.html

However history judges the 535 men and women in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate the past two years, one thing is certain: The 111th Congress made more law affecting more Americans since the “Great Society” legislation of the 1960s.
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One-sixth of House skips final lame-duck votes
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/12/one-sixth-of-house-skips-final.html

More than 70 House members didn’t bother showing up to vote Tuesday, even as the lower chamber wraps up its final priorities of the lame-duck session — including a bill on funding the federal government through March and a measure on health benefits for 9/11 first responders.
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NLRB Pushes to Require Employers to Notify Workers of Union Rights
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nlrb-pushes-to-require-employers-to-notify-workers-of-union-rights/

As the number of private sector union members continues to fall (currently at just 7.2 percent of the private workforce), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) — an independent organization established by Congress to mediate labor disputes — is now urging the federal government to enact regulations that would require employers to notify workers of their right to unionize.
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Census Data Shows GOP-Leaning States Will Pick Up House Seats
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/census-data-shows-gop-leaning-states-will-pick-up-house-seats/

Republican-leaning states will pick up a half dozen House seats thanks to the 2010 census, which found that the nation’s population is growing in GOP-heavy areas such as the South and West.
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Census: Fast growth in states with no income tax
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2010/12/census-fast-growth-states-no-income-tax

For those of us who are demographic buffs, Christmas came four days early when Census Bureau director Robert Groves announced on Tuesday the first results of the 2010 census and the reapportionment of House seats (and therefore electoral votes) among the states.
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Progressive Vision of Borderless US: Rep Keith Ellison — ‘God Willing…Border Will Become an Irrelevancy’
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/progressive-vision-borderless-us-rep-keith-ellison-%E2%80%9Cgod-willing%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cborder-will-become-an-irrelevancy%E2%80%9D/

NOTE: This video is 1:21 long.
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Who would want to bug Charlotte’s Town Offices?
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20101222/NEWS02/101221024/Who-would-want-to-bug-Charlotte-s-Town-Offices

CHARLOTTE — Two wireless listening devices hidden in Charlotte Town Hall allowed eavesdropping on town clerk business and private selectboard sessions, town officials said Tuesday.
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In St. Paul schools, the not-so-sweet life
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/112131574.html

Jill Gebeke made it a habit to reward herself with a small piece of chocolate after lunch every day. It’s hard work being a school principal, after all. But the chocolate rewards ended last month when some first- and second-graders caught her. “I thought you said this was a sweet-free zone,” they reminded her.
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Mass. School Requires Permission Slips to Recite Pledge of Allegiance
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/mass-school-requires-permission-slips-to-recite-pledge-of-allegiance/

A public school in Brookline, Massachusetts is bringing back the Pledge of Allegiance. Except now, in a move that suggests the recitation and its words are controversial, the school is requiring parents to sign a permission slip so their kids can participate.
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Iran looks to Turkey for support in nuclear dispute
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101222/wl_nm/us_iran_turkey

LONDON (Reuters) – Iran’s fiery President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be in Turkey on Thursday looking for at least moral support from his increasingly influential neighbor a month before nuclear talks with six major powers in Istanbul.
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Recycling bin yields Christmas surprise
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20101220/NEWS0103/312190021/Recycle-bin-yields-surprise

BURLINGTON – The bin had been sitting at Blue Grass Recycling in Burlington for months, maybe even years, before Mike Rodgers started hand sorting the contents, looking for recyclable materials.
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9-Year-Old Raises $15K To Buy Christmas Gifts For Hospitalized Children
http://www.wsoctv.com/holidays/26196565/detail.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 9-year-old Waxhaw girl whose organization has raised thousands of dollars to buy Christmas gifts for hospitalized children is making gift deliveries on Monday.
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Postal Workers answering letters to Santa
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=165541

CLEVLELAND — This is the time of year that children write out their Christmas lists and mail them off to Santa. Most are asking for toys and clothes, but others want basic necessities – like food. Some of Santa’s help is coming in the form of postal workers, who are trying to make a difference.
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Fort Sask. inmates turn trash into toys
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/12/20/edmonton-prisoners-toys.html

A program where inmates at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre turn scrap wood into toys for Edmonton-area charities is marking a milestone this Christmas.

Partnered Forces Target Taliban in Helmand
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62158

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2010 – A partnered Afghan and International Security Assistance Force patrol killed several insurgents during an operation targeting two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.
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AUP, TF Lethal capture munitions cache in Jaji
http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3845-aup-tf-lethal-capture-munitions-cache-in-jaji.html

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Afghan Uniformed Police led a joint operation with Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, in Jaji District that resulted in the discovery of a large insurgent weapons cache and several detainees Dec. 16.
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ANSF, 615th MPs uncover homemade explosives lab in Chamkani
http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3847-ansf-615th-mps-uncover-homemade-explosives-lab-in-chamkani.html

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces combined with the 615th Military Police Company to conduct a cordon-and-search mission of two known insurgent residences in the Chamkani District of Paktya Province, which resulted in the discovery of the remnants of a homemade explosive lab and a weapons cache Dec. 14.
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Veterans Support Organization Provides Holiday Cheer to Veterans
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/12/17/2722304/veterans-support-organization.html#ixzz18PsAoF25

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Veterans Support Organization is spreading holiday cheer to veterans in communities around the country this season.
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Face of Defense: Soldier Returns After Mentoring Afghans
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62147

FORT HOOD, Texas, Dec. 17, 2010 – A soldier with the 479th Field Artillery Brigade’s 3rd Armor Battalion, 395th Regiment based here recently returned from Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he had helped to train and mentor Afghan soldiers.
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US House votes to extend gov’t funding
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1712214620101217

Dec 17 (Reuters) – The House of Representatives voted on Friday to extend government funding through Dec. 21 to avoid a shutdown after lawmakers failed to agree on a long-term solution.
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Alternet: Soros-Funded Study Says Fox Viewers Are “Stupid”
http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2010/12/18/alternet-soros-funded-study-says-fox-viewers-are-stupid/

No! A Soros-funded study says that Fox viewers are stupid? I AM SHOCKED. Does Alternet actually research things for conflict of interest before they skip to their keyboards?
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Napolitano Says DHS to Begin Battling Climate Change as Homeland Security Issue
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/napolitano-says-dhs-begin-battling-clima

(CNSNews.com) — At an all-day White House conference on “environmental justice,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that her department is creating a new task force to battle the effects of climate change on domestic security operations.
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Loopholes in ‘Do Not Board’ list let infected travelers fly
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-12-17-rw_donotboard16_ST_N.htm?csp=34

A federal “Do Not Board” list failed at least three times this year to stop travelers with serious, infectious diseases from taking commercial flights, according to information obtained by congressional investigators.
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Obama Administration Purchases Google ‘ObamaCare’ Search Results
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-administration-purchases-google-obamacare-search-results/

Type in a search of “ObamaCare” into Google — the world’s most popular search engine — and the results may surprise you. According to Politico’s Ben Smith, the Obama administration has purchased top billing to divert internet surfers away from antagonist websites to a new “sponsored link” — the Department of Health and Human Service’s (HHS) healthcare.gov.
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Payrolls Drop in 28 U.S. States, Joblessness Rises in 21 in Labor Setback
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-17/payrolls-decrease-in-28-u-s-states-led-by-north-carolina.html

Payrolls decreased in 28 U.S. states and the unemployment rate climbed in 21, showing most parts of the world’s largest economy took part in the November labor- market setback.
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After National Outcry, Fed Reverses Anti-Christian Bank Decision in OK
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/after-national-outcry-fed-reverses-anti-christian-bank-decision-in-ok/

The Federal Reserve has reversed its decision that originally forced a small Oklahoma bank to remove from its premises and website Bible verses, crosses, and Christmas buttons. The reversal occurred after national outcry and a letter from two Oklahoma lawmakers who charged that the decision may be unconstitutional.
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Elmo Plugs First Lady’s School Nutrition Bill
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/elmo-plugs-first-ladys-school-nutrition-bill-2/

First he shills for the FCC, now the White House. Elmo is moving up in the world…. NOTE: This video clip is 2:28 long.
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CIA recalls Pakistan station chief after his name becomes public
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-1218-pakistan-cia-20101218,0,6538606.story

The CIA officer, who remains undercover, is returning to the U.S. because of threats to his safety, a U.S. official says. The officer’s name was used in a police complaint by a Pakistani who says relatives were killed in a U.S. Predator drone strike.
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About 140 Inmates Escape Mexican Border Prison
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/about-140-inmates-escape-mexican-border-prison/

MEXICO CITY (AP) — About 140 inmates escaped Friday from a state prison in the northern Mexico border city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas.
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Video Captures Killing of Mexico Mom at Vigil for Her Slain Teen
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/video-captures-killing-of-mexico-mom-at-vigil-for-her-slain-teen/

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Gunmen killed a mother who had been protesting for three days in front of a governor’s office in northern Mexico to demand justice for her slain daughter, authorities said Friday.
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Iraq to unveil new government Monday
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6BH07520101218?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

(Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will unveil his new cabinet on Monday, retaining the oil minister who forged ambitious plans to turn the war-ravaged country into a top global oil producer, senior officials said.
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China reveals aircraft carrier plans
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa7f5e6a-09cc-11e0-8b29-00144feabdc0.html#axzz18U77WpzZ

China has confirmed for the first time that it is preparing to build an aircraft carrier, a move set to heighten international concerns over the rapid expansion of its naval power.
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Beijing says Japan making irresponsible remarks
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101217/ap_on_re_as/as_china_japan

BEIJING – Beijing is accusing Japan of making irresponsible remarks in its new defense guidelines targeting China. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu says China is a force for peace and development in Asia and threatens no one.
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Venezuela assembly gives Chavez decree powers
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1729156220101217

CARACAS, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s parliament gave President Hugo Chavez decree powers for 18 months on Friday, outraging opposition parties that accused him of turning South America’s biggest oil producer into a dictatorship.
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Gbagbo orders UN peacekeepers to leave Ivory Coast
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101218/ap_on_re_af/af_ivory_coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – The man who refuses to step down from the presidency ordered thousands of U.N. peacekeepers to leave Ivory Coast immediately on Saturday, calling the global body that has endorsed his political rival an “agent of destabilization.”
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Good Samaritans Face Fine After Rescuing Deer From Icy Water
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2010/12/17/good-samaritans-face-fine-after-rescuing-deer-from-icy-water/

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) – They fought to save a life, and now they say they’ll fight the fine. It all revolves around the rescue of a deer trapped in icy water Thursday night.
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Maternal dog raises kitten litters
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/cutestuff/4400012/Maternal-dog-raises-kitten-litters

For the past three years chihuahua-foxy-cross Shyla has been a foster mum – to litters of kittens. Owner Angela McFall, a vet, said Shyla had her first “false pregnancy” three years ago. Shyla has never been pregnant, but once a year at about the same time she produces milk.

Face of Defense: Soldier Returns After Mentoring Afghans
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62147

FORT HOOD, Texas, Dec. 17, 2010 – A soldier with the 479th Field Artillery Brigade’s 3rd Armor Battalion, 395th Regiment based here recently returned from Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he had helped to train and mentor Afghan soldiers.
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Pakistani officials: US missiles kill 54 in NW
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101217/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Three American missile attacks killed 54 alleged militants Friday close to the Afghan border, an unusually high number of victims that included commanders of a Taliban-allied group that were holding a meeting, Pakistani officials said.
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Gaping Holes in Airline Security: Loaded Gun Slips Past TSA Screeners
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/loaded-gun-slips-past-tsa-screeners/story?id=12412458

Last fall, as he had done hundreds of times, Iranian-American businessman Farid Seif passed through security at a Houston airport and boarded an international flight.
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Rep. Cleaver’s $48 Billion Earmark: Fact or Fiction?
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/rep-cleavers-48-billion-earmark-fact-or-fiction/

Most all members of Congress report back to their constituents with news of particular earmarks they fought for and won on behalf of their districts, but some — notably Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. — post all earmark projects that have been requested by constituents. And as the congressman found out this week, this practice leaves the door open to rumors and widespread speculation.
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2 Days to Print and 50 Hours to Read: GOP Will Recite Entire Spending Bill on Senate Floor
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2-days-to-print-and-50-hours-to-read-gop-will-recite-entire-spending-bill-on-senate-floor/

It took two days to print and it will take even longer to read. According to The Hill, Senate Republicans are going through with a plan to have the entire omnibus spending bill read on the Senate floor, a feat that won’t be completed for 50 hours. Republicans have vowed to vote against the 1,924-page, $1.1 trillion bill that is loaded with billions in earmarks.
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GOP looks to gather momentum from defeat of omnibus
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/134181-gop-looks-to-gather-momentum-from-defeat-of-omnibus

Senate Republicans sought to build momentum on Friday after successfully forcing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to beg off a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill.
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Death Panels Begin: Reaction to FDA’s Decision to Begin Rationing
http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/12/17/death-panels-begin-reaction-to-fdas-decision-to-begin-rationing/

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announced yesterday that it would ration the late-stage cancer drug Avastin for breast cancer patients. (Ironically, the same day, the EU announced it would not ration access to Avastin.) The reaction to the FDA’s decision has been fierce.
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Mexican drone crashes in backyard of El Paso home
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_16875462

A Mexican drone crashed in El Paso’s Lower Valley, sparking a federal investigation and raising questions about why the aircraft was in U.S. airspace. “We are collecting data about the crash. We don’t have the aircraft because it was returned to its owner,” said Keith Holloway, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates aircraft crashes in the United States and in other countries that request its help.
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Cops Bust La Familia Members Washington Metro Area
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/2010/12/17/cops-bust-la-familia-members-washington-metro-area/

D.C. police and federal officials have arrested eight men with ties to Mexico’s La Familia drug cartel who sought to set up operations in the Washington metro area, law enforcement officials said.Authorities also have seized millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine as part of the investigation.
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Islamist Radicals Hold Convention Tomorrow; Obama ‘Special Envoy’ to Attend
http://bigpeace.com/ipt/2010/12/17/islamist-radicals-hold-convention-tomorrow-obama-envoy-to-attend/

One of the nation’s leading Islamist political organizations hosts its annual convention this weekend, opting to showcase a slew of radicals and terror apologists on its program.
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Moody’s Downgrades Ireland’s Debt
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704034804576024832141778872.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

LONDON—Moody’s Investors Service Inc. downgraded Ireland’s debt to Baa1 from Aa2 Friday, warning the government’s financial strength could deteriorate further if economic growth were to miss its projections.
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IMF chief worried about Europe domino effect
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BF45I20101217

(Reuters) – The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday he was worried that EU leaders’ piecemeal approach to Europe’s debt crisis was encouraging markets to pick off weak countries one by one.
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Russia calls on South Korea to halt military drill
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-calls-on-south-korea-to-halt-military-drill-2163178.html

Russia has urged South Korea to halt plans for an artillery drill that North Korea had said hours earlier would prompt a new strike at the South. “The Russian Federation insistently calls on the Republic of Korea to refrain from holding the planned firing of artillery in order to prevent the further escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula,” the Foreign Ministry said.
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UN mulls internet regulation options
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/242051,un-mulls-internet-regulation-options.aspx

The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet. Establishment of such a group has the backing of several countries, spearheaded by Brazil.
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Venezuela bank law makes nationalizations easier
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1729156220101217

CARACAS, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s parliament passed a bill on Friday making it easier for President Hugo Chavez to nationalize banks and trim their profits, part of a legislative onslaught to entrench socialism in the oil exporting nation.
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Cop Stops Robbery While Investigating Different Heist
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/cop-stops-robbery-while-investigating-different-heist/

Consider it being at the right place at the right time. Ohio officer Joshua Campbell swung by a local Walgreen’s story to pick up footage of a robbery that occurred just hours earlier.
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Secret Santa Drops Thousands in Salvation Army Kettle
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/santa-996807-secret-tennessee.html

Somewhere out there, a secret Santa just saved Christmas for a lot of Tennessee Valley families. And they did it with the biggest gift ever to a Salvation Army red kettle in our area.
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‘Santa Claus’ donates $100,000 to Joplin Salvation Army
http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1666503774/-Santa-Claus-donates-100-000-to-Joplin-Salvation-Army

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin Salvation Army has once again gotten an early Christmas gift from “Santa Claus.” Five checks totaling $100,000 were dropped into the Salvation Army’s red kettle at Walgreens, 20th and Main streets, sometime between 5 and 9 p.m. Monday, Capt. Jason Poff said.
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Anonymous Donor Gives $40K To Local Food Bank
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2010/12/16/anonymous-donor-gives-40k-to-local-food-bank/

NEW HOPE, Minn. (WCCO) — Christmas came early for a Twin Cities food bank struggling to keep up with the growing number of hungry families this holiday season. The Emergency Foodshelf Network in New Hope stocks and serves more than 230 food pantries in Minnesota.
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Wright Flyer
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1825.html

On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first powered flight and, in March 1999, a full-scale replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer was mounted in NASA Ames Research Center’s 40-foot by 80-foot wind tunnel for tests to build a historically accurate aerodynamic database of the Flyer.
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Get Ready for the Solstice Lunar Eclipse!
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/index.html

The first total lunar eclipse in two years will grace the sky the night of Monday, Dec. 20, and we want you to be there. Sure, it’s a school night, but with winter solstice and a new year upon us, what better time to gather your family and friends to see the moon in a new light?