Free Republic

July 06, 2009 03:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time  Fitch Downgrades State of California GOs to 'BBB'; Maintains Rating Watch Negative NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings has downgraded the state of California's (the state) long-term general obligation (GO) bond rating to 'BBB' from 'A-'. The bonds remain on Rating Watch Negative. The rating action affects the state's GOs and lease appropriation and related bonds as detailed at the end of this release. The downgrade to 'BBB' is based on the state's continued inability to achieve timely agreement on budgetary and cash flow solutions to its severe fiscal crisis. Since no agreement was reached...

Dead camel found on the roadside... in Sweden (AFP) 2 July 2007 STOCKHOLM - Motorists in Sweden are accustomed to seeing elks along the roadside, but the discovery of a dead camel on the shoulder of the E22 autoroute left more than a few eyebrows raised, media reported on Monday.‘But as the police patrol arrived at the scene it turned out to be completely true,’ police officer Lars Lindwall told Swedish news agency TT.Police got the call during the night between Sunday and Monday and found the visibly injured animal dead by the roadside outside the southern Swedish town of...

Dems push Gonzales 'no-confidence' vote By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats blistered Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Monday with debate on a "no-confidence" resolution, but President Bush and fellow Republicans shrugged it all off as a waste of time. No one predicted that the resolution would survive its test vote late in the day. But neither did Republicans or Democrats rush to defend Bush's longtime friend after he alienated even the White House's staunchest allies on a host of controversies — from the bungled firings of eight federal prosecutors to the handling of wiretapping...

My granddaughter has been accepted as a summer intern for "shadow Senator" Paul Strauss. Do any of you know this man and his demeanor? I realize he is a strong Democratic/labor/TeachersUnion man. He also is very close to Elenor Holmes Norton. It seems the only internships for the summer left are those on the left . . .

UN report says effort to cripple al-Qaeda not workingUNITED NATIONS: The threat of more al-Qaeda terror attacks demands an organised global response but UN-led sanctions and other measures are not working, according to a damning new report by experts at the United Nations.The experts call into question many of the basic assumptions in the war on terror, including efforts to cut off the flow of money to would-be terrorists even though all but the most spectacular attacks, such as September 11, can be carried out at little cost.Meanwhile al-Qaeda and its supporters are making effective use of the media to...

HOUSES OF WORSHIP Different, BannedBy AMJAD M. KHANIt is by now a truism, although a tragic one, that Christian minorities often suffer persecution in some Muslim countries. (Think only of the recent anti-Christian violence in Indonesia.) What is less well-known is the plight of non-Christian minorities.Here, too, the story is often tragic. An especially telling example concerns members of the Ahmadiyya Community, a world-wide religious group whose suffering illustrates all too well the increasing political power of a militant perversion of Islam.Last month, the home ministry in Bangladesh -- a Muslim country -- banned "the sale, publication, distribution and retention...

Saturday, January 10, 2004 'Concealed carry' bewilders enforcers State officials unclear about permits, rules, firearms training By Dan Klepal The Cincinnati Enquirer Law enforcement officials had more questions than answers Friday about Ohio's new law permitting people to carry concealed weapons. The law takes effect April 7 and requires the state's 88 sheriffs to process applications for permits to carry handguns within 45 days. CONCEALED CARRY RULES • Ohio residents would have to do the following to get licenses to carry concealed handguns: • Complete a 12-hour gun safety course. • Pass criminal and competency background checks. • Be...

Friday, November 21, 2003Archdiocese found guilty of failing to report abuseNo-contest plea ends 2-year church investigation By Dan HornThe Cincinnati Enquirer Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk (second from left) stands with his attorneys, Tom Miller (left) and Mark VanderLaan, before Judge Richard A. Niehaus as they enter a plea of no contest to five counts of failure to report a felony in cases related to sexual molestation by priests. At right is Prosecutor Mike Allen.(Glenn Hartong photo)| ZOOM | The Archdiocese of Cincinnati on Thursday became the first Catholic institution in the nation to be found guilty of criminal charges for failing...

Sunday, November 16, 2003What do kids learn from gun education? By Anna GuidoEnquirer contributor COLUMBUS - Timothy Grendell is adamant about teaching gun safety to kids. In rural areas like his native Geauga County, he says, gun safety is often taught in the home and gun accidents are rare. But that's not the case in urban areas, which is why Rep. Grendell, R-Chesterland, worked for three years to get House Bill 95 passed this summer to fund gun safety education in Ohio schools. "We teach sex education, we teach drug education - I think it's appropriate that we also teach...

Steve SimpsonWashington(The author is an attorney at the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm in Washington.)Mr. Henninger displays the symptoms of the disease he describes in his failure to mention the right's role in polarizing this country: The unremitting Clinton-bashing during the entirety of that administration, groups like the Free Republic, whose leader recently swore hatred for the Democrats who are "destroying the Constitution" and "setting up a totalitarian state," Ann Coulter accusing liberals of "treason," Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly's constant assaults. Right-wingers have been holding up their end of the polarization of America.******************************** spald: Here's the...

Aussie terror suspect arrestOctober 26, 2003A MAN who French authorities feared may have been preparing a terrorist attack was arrested in Sydney for breaching his tourist visa. Willie Virgile Brigitte, a French national, was arrested on October 9, 18 days after French police first warned Australian authorities of his presence in the country. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said today Brigitte, who has now been taken back to France for questioning over terrorist-related offences there, had entered the country posing as a tourist in May this year. He said France warned authorities on September 22 that Brigitte had trained with terrorists in...

Paris to help strengthen judiciary [in Lebanon] Lahoud welcomes cooperation agreement Nafez Kawas Daily Star correspondent French Justice Minister Dominique Perben told reporters Friday that he was in Lebanon to sign a cooperation agreement between his ministry and the Lebanese Justice Ministry to develop judicial cooperation between the two countries. President Emile Lahoud informed him of Lebanon’s position on regional developments and explained his efforts to modernize old laws, develop new ones and reform the judiciary. Lahoud said that judicial authorities here were independent and objective, and this guaranteed the rule of law and institutions, despite campaigns to cast doubt...

Saddam's tribal chief shotFrom correspondents in Tikrit, IraqJuly 2, 2003ASSAILANTS gunned down the chief of Saddam Hussein's tribe in the ousted leader's hometown of Tikrit a few weeks after he publicly disavowed the former dictator. Although the motive was unclear, Abdullah Mahmoud al-Khattab had many enemies, the regional governor said yesterday. Elsewhere in Iraq, two attacks against American forces wounded at least six soldiers, US troops shot and killed four people at checkpoints and a mosque explosion killed 10 people in Fallujah - further stirring anti-American sentiment in a town where Saddam and his Baath Party still enjoy support. In...

<p>WASHINGTON - If you've always dreamed of having Tom Daschle on your desk, your wishes have been granted.</p> <p>Bobblehead dolls featuring the likeness of the South Dakota Democrat and Senate minority leader now are for sale on the Internet, thanks to a Canton, Ohio, memorabilia company.</p>

  Print this article |    Amrozi's smile slips as prosecutor calls for his headBy Wayne MillerDenpasar, Bali July 1 2003 Alleged Bali bomber Amrozi shifted uncomfortably in his swivel chair yesterday as the prosecutor in his trial called for the death sentence to be passed for his role in the October 12 attacks."We, the prosecution, request that, because of the evidence that has been brought before the court, that he has planned and caused an act of terrorism... you should bring down the punishment of the death penalty," Urip Tri Gunawan told the five judges, after a seven-hour summation of the...

Lessons of the War by Victor Davis HansonJune 2003 THE GENERAL facts about the recent war are not in much dispute. In a span of about three weeks, the United States military overran a country the size of California. It utterly obliterated Saddam Hussein’s military hardware—tanks, heavy artillery, transport—and tore apart his armies. Of the approximately 110 American deaths in the course of the hostilities, fully a fourth occurred as a result of accidents, friendly fire, or peacekeeping mishaps rather than at the hands of enemy soldiers. The extraordinarily low ratio of total American casualties per number of U.S. soldiers...

Sorenstam's Placement May HingeMore on Marketing Than TalentIt would be nice to believe that Annika Sorenstam's historic placement in this week's Bank of America Colonial was just an inevitable sign of the growth and progress of women's professional golf. But behind the scenes, there may be something a lot less righteous going on.While the case is somewhat circumstantial, consider these facts: Annika Sorenstam earned a spot in this PGA Tour event because Colonial officials gave her one of a handful of special "exemptions" allowed under Tour rules. But before making her an offer, Colonial officials did the customary and prudent...

Sharpton takes in $114,456 for presidential bid Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003 By A.P. Wire Services WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential hopeful Al Sharpton raised $114,456 for his campaign from January through March, putting him near the bottom in the race for early money. Sharpton filed a first-quarter campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, about two weeks after eight other Democratic hopefuls filed their reports. The deadline was April 15, but Sharpton had maintained that he was merely testing the waters for a possible bid and didn't have to file a report. Sharpton decided to detail his finances...

FT.comSalon warns it may close in next two weeksMonday February 17, 5:10 am ETBy Tom Foremski in San Francisco Salon Media Group, a formerly high-flying US online media company, has warned that it is in danger of going out of business within the next two weeks. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, Salon said it has been unable to pay most of its bills since December, including its rent. If it cannot increase revenues or raise money, it would be unlikely to survive beyond February.In spite of critical acclaim for the quality of its content,...

Thursday, February 13, 2003   Gov’t asks Iraqi envoy with Abu links to leave By Jowie F. Corpuz, CorrespondentThe Philippines yesterday gave Husham Z. Hussein, the Iraqi embassy’s second secretary whom the Department of Foreign Affairs accuses of having links with the Abu Sayyaf and the communist National Democratic Front, 48 hours to leave the country. The DFA summoned the Iraqi embassy’s charge d’ affaires to inform him and his government — through a note verbale — that Hussein has ceased to enjoy the rights and privileges of a diplomat in the Philippines. “I summoned Charge d’ Affaires Samir Bolus...