Tales from the Trail

North Korea — you have been warned.

The State Department on Monday held out the possibility that the isolated Stalinist state’s belligerent rumblings could earn it a powerful new foe on the world stage:  animal rights activist group PETA.

Asked at a news briefing about North Korea’s latest move, which saw it fire a barrage of artillery shells into the ocean near South Korea, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley was blunt:

“Well, I’m sure it resulted in a lot of dead fish.  And we certainly hope that PETA will protest,” he said.

PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is no slouch when it comes to defending animal rights, having taken on everything from fur-wearing Hollywood celebrities and circus elephant acts to the meat and dairy industry.

It was unclear, however, if the group would rally behind Korean fish as the State Department suggested.

By Lea Radick and Ashley Sears

ST. PAUL – Take a walk through downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, while the Republican National Convention is in town and you can expect to see roving bands of policemen with riot gear, keeping the peace.

What you might not expect to see is a dozen or so police posing with two fuzzy pink pigs.

The police and the pork were all smiles for a camera-wielding crowd Wednesday morning – the third day of the GOP convention – after one of the passing cops suggested they pose with the pigs for a photo.