Good Question: 'Reply All': NFL Fines, Whiskey Plates & Sea Salt
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Don from Eden Prairie and Linda from Roseville wanted to know: What happens to the money collected when NFL players are fined?
These questions came in after last week's Vikings game where Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined $100,000 for his low block of Vikings center John Sullivan.
According to the NFL, any on-field fine money goes to the charity. Those charities can include disaster relief initiatives, health-related charities or retired player programs, like the NFL Player Care Foundation and the NFLPA Players Assistance Trust.
Vanessa wanted to know: What is the purpose of "whiskey" or DWI license plates?
According to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), 19,377 vehicles have been registered with Special Registration plates. Minnesota is only one of three states (Georgia and Ohio are the others) that use these plates.
DWI plates are required under Minnesota law if:
-- A driver is arrested for DWI, or if a driver is arrested and fails or refuses alcohol test, and it's his or her second violation within 10 years.
-- a commercial driver's license is disqualified, resulting from a DWI within 10 years of a prior DWI.
-- Any DWI or test failure/refusal with having an alcohol concentration twice the legal limit or more. (0.16 and up).
-- Any DWI or test failure/refusal with child under 16 in the vehicle, or if the child is more than 36 months younger than the offender.
-- A violation of driving without a valid license by a person whose license or driving privileges have been canceled under "Cancelled Inimical to Public Safety."
Originally, an officer could stop anyone with this type of plate to verify they were allowed to the drive, but this was ultimately ruled unconstitutional. Some argue these plates shame people; others say there are valid law enforcement tool to identify risky drivers.
The letter W was not chosen to stand for "whiskey," but rather because W stands out. The DPS says, originally, the special registration plates ordered by the courts started "XW." When the administrative impound started (where Law Enforcement or DVS issues the notice), the prefix was reversed to use WX. Due to volume of these plates, they are no longer just "WX" – officials needed to use other letters following the "W".
Rosemary from Melrose wanted to know: What's the difference between salt and sea salt?
According to the nutritionists at the Mayo Clinic, sea salt, which is generally more coarse, is made through evaporating ocean water or water from a saltwater lake and does not go through much processing. Table salt is usually mined from underground salt deposits and is more heavily processed.
When it comes to healthiness, the nutritionists say the two salts are about the same. They actually contain the same amount of sodium.
