Duluth TV anchors fake being outside from warm comfort of studio

During the Northland News Center's broadcast of Duluth's frigid Christmas City of the North parade last Friday night, TV anchors wore their winter coats.

Thing is, they didn't actually need them. Look closely at the screengrab at the top of this post and you'll notice they were just pretending to be outside from the warm comfort of the NBC affiliate's studio.

Who Said It: NYC Mayor-elect Bill DeBlasio or Pope Francis?

Found this interesting quiz - a couple highlights:

"Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness."

"We cannot expect prosperity to trickle down from the top."

Fulfilling dying woman's wish, judge allows Illinois gay couple to wed early

A federal court ruling means a same-sex Chicago couple will be allowed to marry before the state's gay marriage law takes effect.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin on Monday ordered the Cook County clerk to issue an expedited marriage license to Vernita Gray and Patricia Ewert. Gray is terminally ill.

County Clerk David Orr said he'll comply with the order.

Illinois' gay marriage law takes effect June 1. But the gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois filed a lawsuit seeking immediate action for Gray and Ewert. Gray has cancer in her brain and bones.

12-year-old holds dinner for homeless

One girl's Christmas wish to help the homeless came true.

12-year-old Trinity Resch held a spaghetti dinner for the homeless at Heartside Park in downtown Grand Rapids.

Family and volunteers helped serve spaghetti,along with cookies and hot chocolate. Despite the cold about 200 people showed up and got dinner, along with coats and gloves.

"I was writing up a Christmas list because I was like what would I want," said Resch "I could help the homeless that would be a great Christmas gift for everyone."

"I never did either!"

Undelivered speech reflects Kennedy's strong Catholic ties

For those who continue to ruminate on Kennedy's truncated legacy, the words have become something of an unintentional last will and testament -- a soaring call for progress in space exploration, civil rights, national security, foreign aid and even in critical thinking.

And it quoted freely from the Bible, invoking broad religious sentiments that may seem surprising coming from Kennedy. The nation's only Roman Catholic president is better known for proclaiming a strict separation of church and state during the 1960 presidential campaign, seeking to allay fears that he would take orders from the Vatican.

"We, in this country, in this generation, are -- by destiny rather than by choice -- the watchmen on the walls of world freedom," the text said, alluding to Isaiah, chapter 62.

"We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve ... the ancient vision of 'peace on earth, good will toward men,' " the text continued, quoting from the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth in Luke 2.

Man skis for his 100th birthday

One of the pioneers of skiing in Colorado celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday the same way he always has -- by going skiing.

Charles Elliot is the oldest member of the Grey Wolf Ski Club and has reportedly skied every season since 1934, with the exception of a five-year period serving in the Air Force during WWII.

Back in the 1930s, Elliot helped found the Wolf Creek Ski Area and the National Ski Patrol.

As part of his birthday celebrations, Elliot was made an honorary member of the U.S. Ski Team and presented with an official team jacket. Two years earlier, he was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum's Hall of Fame.

Cat summoned to jury duty after owners list him as a family member on Census

Boston resident Sal Esposito has been called to jury duty, but there's one thing standing in the way of his ability to serve: He's a cat.

Massachusetts couple Anna and Guy Esposito received a jury duty summons for their feline friend this month, who they had listed as a household resident on the 2010 Census.

"Sal is a member of the family so I listed him on the last Census form under pets but there has clearly been a mix-up," Anna told local TV station WHDH. "I read the whole thing and I said, 'Oh my God, how could he go, he's a cat?'"

"I was shocked," added Anna's husband Guy, though he said Sal - a fan of crime shows - "knows right and wrong."

Orchard Lake Man Erects Giant Sculpture To Flip Off His Neighbor/Ex-Wife

An Orchard Lake man -- OK, he's not just any man; he's infamous for employing lots of strippers, being shot twice and for starring in an upcoming reality show on HBO/Cinemax -- has erected a large sculpture of the middle-finger salute. In his backyard.

The sculpture is almost 12 feet high. A spotlight illuminates it at night.

The man is Alan Markovitz, longtime impresario of metro Detroit topless clubs, whose adventures are scheduled to be aired on the national cable outlet this winter on a show titled "Topless Prophet." He was the subject of a Deadline Detroit profile last month.

Markovitz recently moved into a lakefront home in Orchard Lake, and he spent $7,000 on the digital objet d'art. It's made of a bronze-like material.

Springfield's bishop didn't quite get Francis's memo about "obsession" with culture wars

With Illinois' new marriage equality bill set to be signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn next Wednesday, one Illinois bishop is planning to mark the occasion with a ceremony of his own: an exorcism.

Springfield Bishop Thomas John Paprocki announced Thursday he will preside over prayers of "supplication and exorcism" in response to the state's pending legalization of same-sex marriage, which the bishop said "comes from the devil and should be condemned as such" in a statement reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

In a press release, Paprocki criticized Illinois lawmakers for moving to approve the marriage bill this month. He condemned, in particular, Catholic lawmakers -- including House Speaker Mike Madigan -- who cited recent statements by Pope Francis as in line with their support of same-sex marriage and said they are "morally complicit as co-operators in facilitating this grave sin."

“It is scandalous that so many Catholic politicians are responsible for enabling the passage of this legislation and even twisting the words of the pope to rationalize their actions despite the clear teaching of the church," Paprocki's statement continued.