Free Republic

Time to pop the champagne bottles and celebrate the state’s economic success, right? Not so fast. Illinois’ path to a low unemployment rate has been paved by labor force dropout. Too many workers have given up on the Land of Lincoln, and their act of despair is actually driving down Illinois’ jobless rate. You see, when an unemployed Illinoisan gives up on looking for work, he is no longer counted as unemployed. As more Illinoisans give up, the unemployment rate goes down. Illinois’ low unemployment rate is nothing to celebrate. If anyone is to be cheered, it is the dozens...

A Minnesota man is charged with having his way with a deer, but he claims it was just venison, the Superior Daily Telegram reports: Bryan James Hathaway, 20, of Superior faces a misdemeanor charge of sexual gratification with an animal. He is accused of having sex with a dead deer he saw beside Stinson Avenue on Oct. 11. A motion filed last week by his attorney, public defender Fredric Anderson, argued that because the deer was dead, it was not considered an animal and the charge should be dismissed. The Smoking Gun has Hathaway's mug shot and a copy of...