Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Efforts to curb global warming have quietly shifted as greenhouse gases inexorably rise. The conversation is no longer solely about how to save the planet by cutting carbon emissions. It's becoming more about how to save ourselves from the warming planet's wild weather. It was Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement last week of an ambitious plan to stave off New York City's rising seas with flood gates, levees and more that brought this transition into full focus. After years of losing the fight against rising global emissions of heat-trapping gases, governments around the world are emphasizing what a...

From snowmobiling on alfalfa to strapping on cross-country skis with wheels, Minnesotans are finding ways of coping with a frustrating lack of snow. It's been a mostly brown December in the southern half of the state, and northern Minnesota hasn't recorded snow depths of more than 8 inches this season. "We're not living up to our winter reputation," said Joan Hummel, a spokeswoman for Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state's tourism office. It snowed Friday morning in southern Minnesota, but the flakes were quickly melting, so residents will have to keep waiting for thick snow cover. In the meantime, they'll keep...

He's from Bosnia. New to the United States, never trick-or-treated before. It's just after dusk and he wears a ghoulish white mask. His 5-year-old cousin is a witch with a black hat and orange hair. They're running around with other Bosnian kids, none older than 8, with no accompanying adults. They run onto a dark road in Carlisle, right into a moving minivan. Asmir dies of his injuries. The details of the Halloween tragedy bring fresh pain with each telling. They are being relived this week by many of the estimated 2,000-plus members of central Pennsylvania's Bosnian community, as Asmir's...