The Cooler

A whole bunch of silliness in the news today. Here's some of it.

A- Herald: It's National Pancake Day. Free pancakes at IHOP! Well, sorta.

IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer guests three buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. In exchange for the pancakes, IHOP will ask patrons to donate what they would have paid for the pancakes, or more, to benefit Children's Miracle Network or other children's charities.

B- Herald: If you have to ask the question...

New York rapper N.O.R.E. was arrested in Miami Beach on Sunday afternoon after punching a man in the face and throwing a cup of yellow liquid on him, according to police.

Victor Santiago, who also goes by the stage names N.O.R.E. or Noreaga, was arrested by Miami Beach police after he got into a fight with a man at Fatburger, a South Beach restaurant at 947 Washington Ave., police said.

According to the police report, Santiago and three other men walked into Fatburger yelling. On their way in, the rapper ripped one of the restaurant's flower bouquets out of its place. Santiago then offered a man a cup of yellow liquid -- when the man refused, Santiago threw it at him.

''Do you know who I am?'' Santiago yelled, according to the report. The rapper then punched the man in the face three times, police said.

C- Herald- Morin.

D- Herald: They write letters.

Crist hears us

Gov. Crist did what any person who cares about his fellow Americans would do. He supported a stimulus plan that, while it will not solve all of our ills, is a good first step.

Republicans treat ordinary Americans who are not wealthy as if we were gum under their shoes. Crist chose to treat us like we matter.

FAYE DAVIS, Miami

E- Sun-Sentinel: Someone steals a train in Miami.

The CSX diesel locomotive disappeared from the Kendall area late Sunday night, where it was parked in storage while awaiting assignment, the station reported.

Following the track southward, railroad personnel and Miami-Dade police located the missing train early Monday about 7 miles away, near Homestead, according to CBS 4.

F- Sun-Sentinel: Chan Lowe.

G- NBC6: Always look at the bright side.

If your morning commute is growing shorter it may be because there are fewer cars on the road, according to a report from the federal government.

The Federal Highway Administration released data last week showing Americans drove 3.8 billion fewer miles, or 1.6 percent less, in December 2008 compared to the same month a year earlier.

H- WPLG: Hell, no, we won't go!

MIAMI -- A family of 12 was forced out of a northwest Miami-Dade County home, but they moved back in on Monday and refused to leave.

Carolyn Conley and her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were evicted from their foreclosed home in the 800 block of Northwest 137th Street on Friday.

After spending the weekend living on the streets, Conley and her family members, urged on by a throng of supporters, illegally broke into their home, which is now the property of a bank.

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