Bits and Bites > 100+ people stranded on ice flow; 11-day Cruise around W Africa on a Rudder

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This looks like fun...

More than 100 people rescued after being stranded on huge chunk of ice

that broke free on Minnesota lake while they were fishing

By LEWIS PENNOCK FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 15:23 EST, 28 November 2022 | UPDATED: 15:58 EST, 28 November 2022

More than 100 people were left stranded after a large ice chunk broke off on a lake in Minnesota on Monday.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said police and other first responders evacuated the group from Upper Red Lake on Monday morning.

Most of them had been fishing when the large ice chunk broke off.

A statement from the sheriff's office, posted during the rescue, said: 'If you are on the ice and need to evacuate, head towards JR's Corner. There is a temporary ice bridge to get across the open water.'

Northwoods Fish Houses LLC, a company which works at the lake, estimated around 200 people were on the ice chunk after it broke off. 

A staff member posted a video to Facebook Live which guessed there was about 60ft of water between the ice chunk and the main ice sheet.

He said that by about 3.20pm, everyone was 'off the lake and all safe'.

November seems a little early to be ice fishing.

More than 100 people were left stranded after a large ice chunk broke off on a lake in Minnesota on Monday.

Most of them had been fishing when the large ice chunk broke off.

There was about 60ft of water between the main ice sheet and the ice chunk which broke off

Three men rescued from tanker's rudder after 11 days at sea

By Simon Druker   

The Spanish Coast guard has rescued three stowaways found sitting on the rudder of a ship after an 11-day journey from Nigeria, Spanish authorities confirmed on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Spanish Coast Guard/Twitter

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The Spanish Coast guard has rescued three stowaways found sitting on the rudder of a ship after an 11-day journey from Nigeria, Spanish authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

A photo shared on Twitter by Spain's Maritime Safety and Rescue Society shows the three men cramped together on the rudder of the massive oil tanker, less than three feet above the water line.

The Maltese-flagged Alithini II arrived on Monday at the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands after departing from Nigeria.

After they were rescued, the three men were taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration.

Authorities haven't made it clear if the three men were on the rudder for the entire 11-day voyage, which spanned over 2,000 miles.

It's also not clear if the three men will be able to apply for political asylum in Spain.

Despite the danger, the route is a popular one for refugees fleeing war-torn parts of Africa.

Thousands of people attempt to reach the Canary Islands from West Africa each year.

In October 2020, four people stowed away on the rudder of an oil tanker from Lagos, hiding for 10 days before they were discovered as the vessel arrived in Las Palmas.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration recorded 1,126 deaths on the route last year, a sharp increase from the year before. The organization says the actual number of deaths is likely much higher.

There are multiple reports of human remains washing ashore along the Atlantic coast of Western Africa or frequently being caught up in the trawl nets of fishing vessels.

Las Palmas, Canary Islands

State Tells Christian Filmmakers: Must Service Same-Sex Marriages or None At All

The War on Christianity is Losing to Politically Correct Insanity

Steve Warren

Two Christian filmmakers appeared before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul Tuesday to challenge Minnesota state law which they say illegally forces them to produce and create films expressing messages that contradict their core beliefs. 

Telescope Media Group owners Carl and Angel Larsen have already been threatened with hefty fines and up to 90 days in jail if they choose to disregard the law.

The Larsens want to enter the wedding industry. However, the state's Human Rights Act stipulates if the couple creates films celebrating their Christian beliefs about marriage – that marriage is between one man and one woman, they must also create films about marriage that violate their beliefs, including films promoting same-sex marriages.

Now, it's not clear what 'enter the wedding industry' means. Do they want to make individualized videos of wedding and create some kind of movie from that. Or, do they just want to be photographers and videographers. It would be nice to be a little more clear on that.

"The government shouldn't threaten filmmakers with fines and jail time to force them to create films that violate their beliefs," said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremy Tedesco in a press release. "Carl and Angel are storytellers – they script, stage, conduct interviews, capture footage, select music, edit and more – all to tell compelling stories through film that promote their religious beliefs." 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Masterpiece that the government must respect the belief—held by countless Americans from all walks of life—that marriage is between one man and one woman," he continued. "The 8th Circuit should reinstate the Larsens' lawsuit and order the state to stop forcing the Larsens to speak messages about marriage that violate their beliefs."

In 2017, the Larsens tried to challenge the law as unconstitutional but a lower court dismissed their case and mandated that they service same-sex weddings or close this part of their business. They are now appealing to the 8th Circuit Court.

According to the ADF, Minnesota officials have repeatedly stated that private businesses such as the Larsens' violate the law if they decline to create films promoting same-sex weddings. Penalties for violation include payment of a civil penalty to the state; triple compensatory damages; punitive damages of up to $25,000; a criminal penalty of up to $1,000; and even up to 90 days in jail.