7/27 Morning Communiqué

THESE DAYS

Despite several years of official and press reports to the contrary, a new Harris poll finds that half of adult Americans still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003.

Orlando officials have banned charitable groups from feeding homeless people in parks downtown, arguing that transients who gather for weekly meals create safety and sanitary problems for businesses.

A study carried out by Oxford University and The University of Toronto looked at more than 60,000 deaths, of men aged between 35 and 46, in the U.S., Canada and Poland, and found that more than half the difference in the risk of death of wealthy or educated men, and those who have had less education, can be attributed to smoking.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

The prodigal Norwegian has returned! Certified curmudgeon (he'll hate that) Mark Gisleson has emerged from his Ford Bell folly to restart Norwegianity.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

What happens when owls get scared

Find out what kind of guy would chug a whole bottle of maple syrup

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He clearly has some issues that need to be dealt with, and I will encourage him to seek the necessary help."

-- Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), condemning his 81-year-old father after he was cited for lewd conduct and indecent exposure for allegedly having sex in a vehicle with a 38-year-old woman