Free Republic

Everyone loses: •HOSTESS JUDGE APPROVES MOTION TO WIND DOWN COMPANY•HOSTESS WINS APPROVAL TO CLOSE AND BEGIN SELLING ASSETS Next up: the Twinkie economy. Fom Leveraged Loan: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain this afternoon approved Hostess Brands’ emergency wind-down plan, as well as an amendment to its debtor-in-possession credit agreement that will allow Hostess to access the full amount of its $75 million DIP loan during its liquidation. Drain also denied a motion filed by the U.S. Trustee to convert the case to Chapter 7, though he did not rule out the prospect of a conversion at a later date. Hostess...

An article in the Wall St. Journal paints a gloomy picture for the future U.S. companies are scaling back investment plans at the fastest pace since the recession, signaling more trouble for the economic recovery.Half of the nation's 40 biggest publicly traded corporate spenders have announced plans to curtail capital expenditures this year or next, according to a review by The Wall Street Journal of securities filings and conference calls. Nationwide, business investment in equipment and software—a measure of economic vitality in the corporate sector—stalled in the third quarter for the first time since early 2009. Corporate investment in new...

Henry Winkler of "Happy Days" fame is considered one of the nicest people in Hollywood. You don't hear any horror stories about his on-set behavior, and he's managed to leave the iconic Fonzie character behind to play supporting roles in projects like "Arrested Development" and "Here Comes the Boom." Winkler's reaction to puppeteer Kevin Clash resigning from "Sesame Street" amid allegations the puppeteer engaged in sexual acts with minors hardly seemed in character. In fact, Winkler's comment is downright ugly. No one is disputing Clash's talents. Just watch last year's documentary "Being Elmo" to marvel at his many gifts. But...

In the Republican crack up following their loss on November 6, conservative pundits have tossed out innumerable arguments about how to win next time. It was inevitable that someone would come up with the worst possible idea. And, sure enough, someone has. Writing in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, conservative pundit Charlotte Allen declares, “I’ve got a suggestion for cutting short the GOP angst: Sarah Palin for president in 2016.” Reading Allen’s piece is interesting because of what it shows about the mindset of some conservatives: that pundits who think as Allen does have no respect for policy, no...

Muslim immigrants in a town near Copenhagen have forced the cancellation of traditional Christmas displays this year even while spending lavishly on the Islamic Eid celebration marking the end of Ramadan. The controversy has escalated into an angry nationwide debate over the role of Islam in post-Christian Denmark, where a burgeoning Muslim population is becoming increasingly assertive in imposing its will on a wide range of social and civic issues.

On the Splendor of God's Truth "Through Faith We Come to True Knowledge of God and Ourselves" VATICAN CITY, Nov. 21, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued his series of catecheses on faith. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, We go forward in this Year of Faith, bearing in our hearts the hope of rediscovering how much joy there is in believing and of finding the enthusiasm to communicate to all the truths of the faith. These truths are not a simple message about...

The terms of the competition are simple: Hunters in New Mexico have two days this weekend to shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can, and the winners get their choice of a free shotgun or a pair of semi-automatic rifles. But the planned two-day coyote hunting contest has sparked an online petition that has generated tens of thousands of signatures worldwide. The FBI is investigating a death threat to the gun shop owner who is sponsoring the hunt. And one protester has even vowed to dress like a coyote to trick hunters into accidentally killing a human.

Probably what will happen next -- if, in fact, it is not already happening -- is that stores will serve their customers a complete Thanksgiving meal. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs could set up a lounge with flat-screen TVs, and that's where the men can watch football while the women shop. They could occasionally meet back at the table and graze over a dessert buffet before the women head back out into the aisles. The need to shop early after Thanksgiving is peculiarly American and apparently speaks to the need of getting a deal. Last week, in El Cajon, Calif., women were already...

November 21, 2012 FORMER TV ‘TOP MODEL’ JUDGE GOES ON RACE-BASED ALLEN WEST RANT: ‘YOU ARE AN EMBARASSMENT TO BLACKS’ Erica Ritz Former Vogue editor and “America’s Next Top Model” judge Andre Leon Talley went on a scathing, race-based rant against former Florida Congressman Allen West Tuesday morning, saying he is “an embarrassment to blacks” and that his mother “must be ashamed” of him.“Coon Minstrely Theatre!” Talley wrote, adding that West’s “barks” are “sad.”West conceded his House race Monday after weeks of recounts, in one of the most hotly-contested and expensive races in the country.Here is a screen shot of...

In the aftermath of the re-election of President Barack Obama, conservatives searched the heavens and the earth for answers. Some suggested that Mitt Romney lost because Republicans didn't reach out more to Latino voters; some suggested that Romney lost because his "get out the vote" system fell apart on Election Day. Romney himself said that he lost because President Obama separated voting groups with particularly calibrated "gifts" designed to curry their favor. In truth, Mitt Romney lost for the same reason that traditional marriage lost on Election Day: America is becoming a less religious country. And that bodes ill for...

On the Knowledge of God "God Inspires and Accompanies our Efforts to Know Him and to Find Our Happiness in Him" VATICAN CITY, Nov. 14, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued his series of catecheses on faith. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, Last Wednesday we reflected on the desire for God that the human being carries within his very depths. Today I would like to continue and delve deeper into this aspect, meditating with you briefly about some ways to arrive at the...

A medical device excise tax scheduled to hit Jan. 1 is causing uncertainty among manufacturers and providers, a healthcare expert said Monday. The 2.3% tax will be on sales of FDA-approved devices that are used by a physician or in a physician's office. It's intended to generate $20 billion over the next several years, which is expected to offset some healthcare reform costs. While types of devices affected by the tax include pacemakers and stents, it also can include surgical gloves or wheelchairs, which could mean complications for long-term care providers purchasing those items. It also could cause some companies...

Cleveland, Oh Black Dem Representative Marcia Fudge: "Questioning Susan Rice Is Racist and Sexist"  South Carolina, Black Dem Representative Jim Clyburn: "Criticism Of Susan Rice Is Racism" They are back. Fresh after the presidential election, Democrats are hardly the "good losers." Yes, they are the losers, they will find, for voting him back in. But in trying to gain some sort of moral superiority, libs are throwing out the race card and race baiting like never before. Race baiting has come back with a vengeance since many have questioned U.N. representative Susan Rice's competency. Anyone who questions the woman's...

In the upcoming remake of the movie Red Dawn, the United States is invaded by North Korea. But it wouldn't have happened without Michigan taxpayers. The remake of the classic Patrick Swayze 1984 movie debuts Nov. 21. It was filmed in Michigan in 2009 and the film company received $16.7 million in film credits from Michigan taxpayers. Now Michigan residents will get a chance to see what they paid for. After it was shot, it was widely reported that the filmmakers changed the enemy to North Korea for fear that having China as the villain again would hurt sales in...

The federal government has issued a series of sweeping new rules and regulations surrounding Obamacare—benefits that health-industry experts fear could end up costing Americans more. … Betsy McCaughey, a former New York lieutenant governor under George Pataki and author of “Decoding the Obamacare Law,” told Newsmax the new rules and regulations will cost consumers more. … Meanwhile, companies with 50 or more employees will have a choice of sponsoring a health plan for 100 percent of their workers or paying an annual penalty of $2000. One study shows a third of those employers with 50 or more workers may opt...

While the soap opera “All the General’s Girls” currently occupies the top spot in the Washington, DC ratings wars, the “Benghazi Chronicles,” with U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice in a starring role, continues to enjoy strong ratings – as it should. Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney played it safe during the campaign -- refusing to press the many questions surrounding the September 11th fatal attacks on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The campaign was the perfect forum from which to demand and obtain answers to questions about why the United States was so poorly prepared for the violent...

No decision is a decision. There’s never been a time in our nation’s history when that expression means more. The lack of a decision by President Obama and Congress has sparked the doom and gloom of the pending “fiscal cliff.” Yet for the vast majority of us, the real issue is fear of the unknown. It is the complexity of all the potential changes that makes the fiscal cliff so dangerous to our economy. This complexity makes it incredibly difficult for the average family to anticipate what 2013 has in store — and be able to plan for it. Businesses,...

Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal announced in a press conference Wednesday evening that Israel "has failed in all its goals" in Operation Defensive Pillar, following the cease fire announcement. "After eight days, God stayed their hand from the people of Gaza, and they were compelled to submit to the conditions of the resistance," Mashaal said. "Israel has failed in all its goals," he told reporters in a Cairo hotel. Mashaal also thanked ceasefire mediator Egypt, as well as Iran, which he said "had a role in arming" Hamas during the conflict. Arabs in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the...

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) resigned from Congress on Wednesday amid ongoing federal investigations into his campaign finances, ending a more than six-month absence from office that has included multiple stints at the Mayo Clinic to battle what his doctors said was bipolar depression. Jackson, 47, submitted his letter of resignation Wednesday afternoon to the office of House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), after telling high level Democratic officials in Chicago and the state capital of his plans, according to party officials.

By now you've heard the outrageous quote from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on his doubts about the origins of planet Earth. When asked to give its age, he replied: "I'm not a scientist, man. … Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries." ... I've no doubt that these critiques of Rubio are sound. But I'm hesitant to let the crown prince of the Tea Party be singled out for blame. His shameless dodge and pander on the matter of...