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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump outlined economic policy initiatives on Thursday that he would pursue if elected to the White House in November, including refinancing longer-term U.S. debt, lowering taxes and scrapping a slew of federal regulations. The Manhattan real estate mogul said his aim would be to clear the way for U.S. businesses to succeed. "We're lowering taxes very substantially and we're going to be getting rid of a tremendous amount of regulations," Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with CNBC. "The business people they talk about regulation more than they talk about taxes," he said.

“Huge” news for those in the pro-life movement concerned about this year’s election. Donald Trump has brought on John Mashburn as his Policy Director. This is an excellent hire, especially for the pro-life movement and our legislative priorities.

A hero marine who hunts down Mexican drug bosses humiliates the narcos he catches by dressing them in women's underwear and forcing them to kiss one another. During a raid by Erick Morales Guevara - nicknamed 'Senor Thor' - a masked operative posed next to an alleged cartel gunman wearing lingerie. In another image in a separate raid, a man was pictured holding a hammer to his chin while a marine holds a gun to his head.

How to sell the bailout after Congress says no: Well, for starters, don't call it a bailout WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is searching for a new way to sell its financial rescue plan after acknowledging some blunders and missteps in presenting it the first time around. One big key: Insist it's not a Wall Street "bailout." Now it's not about financial institutions. The focus has switched to everyday Americans. And it's not an expenditure of taxpayer money, it's an "investment." This was clearly evident in Bush's grim warnings on Tuesday of "economic hardship for millions" if the plan...

Disaffected conservatives set a litmus test for '08 Want vow to curb presidential powerWASHINGTON -- A new political group recently asked Mitt Romney to promise not to wiretap Americans without a judge's approval or to imprison US citizens without a trial as "enemy combatants." When Romney declined to sign their pledge, the group denounced him as "unfit to serve as president." Such rhetoric might be expected from liberal activists. But these critics, who call their organization American Freedom Agenda, are hardly leftists. They represent what they insist is a growing group of disaffected conservatives who are demanding that the Republican...

ACTION ALERT: Mental-health screening of children September 7, 2004 The American tradition of parents deciding what is best for their children is, yet again, under attack. The pharmaceutical industry has convinced President Bush to support mandatory mental-health screening for every child in America, including preschool children, and the industry is now working to convince Congress as well. But mandatory screening alone is not what the pharmaceutical industry wants. The real payoff for the drug companies is the forced drugging of children that will result – as we learned tragically with Ritalin – even when parents refuse. Congressman Ron Paul, an...

Alabama trio flees Iraq amid assualt warning 04/21/04 TOM GORDON News staff writer Three Alabama businessmen have decided to leave Baghdad for a while because they've received word that militias loyal to a controversial Muslim cleric will try to take over the Iraqi capital on Thursday. "Things are getting hot in Baghdad!" Winton Blount IV wrote in a Sunday e-mail from Amman, Jordan. Blount and his partners, Andy Furr and Danny Campbell, flew to Amman on Saturday after having basically remained in their apartment for 12 consecutive days to stay out of harm's way. Tensions have been running high in...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior Republican lawmaker said that deteriorating security in Iraq (news - web sites) may force the United States to reintroduce the military draft. "There's not an American ... that doesn't understand what we are engaged in today and what the prospects are for the future," Senator Chuck Hagel told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on post-occupation Iraq. "Why shouldn't we ask all of our citizens to bear some responsibility and pay some price?" Hagel said, arguing that restoring compulsory military service would force "our citizens to understand the intensity and depth of challenges we face."...

Mutiny leaders are US-trained bomb experts MANILA - Shielding themselves with powerful explosives, some of the military officers who led a failed revolt against President Gloria Arroyo were bomb-making experts trained by the United States to fight terrorists. Unlike most previous military revolts in the Philippines which were backed by heavy artillery and ground-attack aircraft, the officers in the latest uprising used 'dangerous explosives' as their 'weapon and bargaining chip', a security official said. 'If they had used the explosives, the potential for destruction of a key part of the Makati financial centre was enormous,' the official said. 'But I...

I heard about this new song ("Iraq And Roll") on my local news tonight. You can download it for free at http://www.clintblack.com/.

Locals Come Face To Face With Homeland Security A few North Country residents got a firsthand look at Homeland Security in progress last week. Calvin Kittredge and his wife, June, were on their way home to Danville, Vt., from Colebrook, N.H., last Monday when they came upon a check point operated by the U.S. Border Patrol on Route 3 in North Stratford, N.H. "They didn't say anything or explain anything," said Calvin. "I've never been through anything like it before." The Kittredges take a trip to Colebrook on business about once a month. Last Monday, at about 11:30 a.m., they...

U.S. rejoins UNESCO 18 years after withdrawal Thu Sep 12, 6:19 PM ET By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS - U.S. President George W. Bush ( news - web sites) announced Thursday that the United States is rejoining the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning." The United States withdrew from the Paris-based organization 18 years ago to protest its alleged mismanagement and overly political policies. "This organization has been reformed, and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning," Bush said in an address...

Since When Does Patriotism Mean Love Of Big Government? Patriotism seems to have taken on a strange new definition. Love for country has been replaced with love for big government. At one time, American patriotism meant love for liberty, love for family, love for faith, and love for the principles articulated in America's founding documents. No more. Today, only people who demand increased government protection, increased government handouts, and increased government bureaucracies are considered patriotic. Today's Americans look to the federal government to solve virtually every problem, to protect them from virtually any adversary, and to even subsidize their own...

HPD suspends 12 more in mass-arrest scandal Coercion alleged; city sued for $100 million A scandal involving the Houston Police Department's handling of a massive trespassing raid in West Houston on Aug. 18 ballooned Monday with the suspension of 12 more police supervisors, allegations of criminal coercion against the captain who led the raid and a $100 million lawsuit against the city. The 12 supervisors suspended with pay Monday include a captain, two lieutenants and nine sergeants. Police officials would not comment on the suspensions because of an investigation by HPD's internal affairs division, but a city news release says...

Captain scapegoat, lawyer says Aguirre reportedly hasn't been told the reason for suspension The attorney for a suspended Houston police captain on Sunday accused Chief C.O. Bradford of making his client a scapegoat for the controversial midnight raid outside a westside Kmart in which hundreds of teenagers were arrested for trespassing. But attorney Terry W. Yates said investigators still had not told Capt. Mark Aguirre, a 23-year veteran and the highest-ranking Hispanic on the force, exactly why he was suspended with pay a day earlier. Yates said he assumed the action was related to the Aug. 18 mass arrest of...

ACLU plans to file suit over Kmart arrests Lawyer says charges should be dropped Signaling the start of what may become a legal dogpile, a lawyer with the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said he anticipates filing a lawsuit in connection with the mass arrest of teenagers at a Kmart parking lot in West Houston this past weekend. Randall Kallinen said he may allege civil rights violations and false arrest. If prosecutors do not drop the pending charges, he might add malicious prosecution to the list, he said. "They should have dropped the charges by now," Kallinen...

Berry watched raid, but didn't question police Freshman City Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael Berry said Friday that Houston police officers "were overzealous" in two controversial raids last week and should not have made as many arrests. Berry should know. He watched one of the raids. Berry accompanied officers when they arrested 25 people in the parking lot of a westside James Coney Island early Aug. 17. And he knew that a raid the next night at a nearby Kmart lot -- where police ended up arresting 278 -- would be "the real big one." Berry said he didn't suggest...

Sonic officials say raid at restaurant unwanted By ROMA KHANNA A yellow traffic light was the difference between freedom and detention for several people who were arrested as they waited to drive out of a west Houston parking lot last weekend as police began a controversial raid. Natalee Torres, her boyfriend and three friends were leaving the Sonic Drive-In at 8404 Westheimer on their motorcycles about 12:30 a.m. Sunday when a traffic light at the exit changed. Two made it through the light; the others were left behind. "Out of nowhere, 50 cop cars came out and blocked every entrance,"...

Raid at hot dog joint preceded Kmart bust By ROMA KHANNA Houston police Capt. Mark Aguirre, the man who ordered the arrests of 278 people at a westside Kmart last weekend, prodded a local restaurant to allow his officers to conduct a similar raid of its parking lot Saturday in a sting that netted 25 arrests. Officials with the James Coney Island at 5745 Westheimer said they felt used after police swept in and arrested 25 people, some of whom were customers, for criminal trespass. "We were cooperative with the idea (of the raid), but are not necessarily happy with...

Raid went to 'hell in a handbasket' Officers say Kmart bust was flubbed By S.K. BARDWELL Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford ordered an investigation Monday into the weekend arrests of hundreds of people gathered peacefully at a westside parking lot by police who were assigned to stop illegal drag racing. Officers on the scene called the arrests "utterly, utterly senseless" on Monday, and said the captain in charge, Mark Aguirre, ordered them to round up everyone who was outside the 24-hour Kmart Super Center or eating at the Sonic Drive-In next door. The operation had been...