Free Republic

Hidden inside the latest Democratic spending bill is an $18 million taxpayer handout to American Samoa. How did that get in there? Read on for another lesson in the uncreative jobs destruction of the minimum wage. When Democrats in Congress increased the minimum wage in 2007, the U.S. territory of 65,000 in the South Pacific pleaded for its traditional exemption from the wage law to prevent job losses. But Democrats followed union orders and said that if multinational companies like StarKist, one of Samoa's largest employers, could pay its CEO millions it could afford to pay workers $7.25 an hour....

Monday's botched commando raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla has proven disastrous for Israel. World public opinion has united in condemning the Jewish state and the U.N. Security Council has already demanded an inquiry. Closer to home, the strategic alliance that Israel had painstakingly forged with Turkey is in tatters. The horrific outcome—so far nine killed and dozens wounded—has caused irreparable damage to Israel's image. Even if the video evidence proves beyond doubt that the activists on board the ships were armed and that they were the first to attack, the battle for public opinion (which, after all, is what the...

If the Obama administration had been skillful in managing its relationship with the difficult Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, it would have some room to maneuver in responding to Israel’s disastrous attack on the Free Gaza flotilla. Netanyahu’s decision to use military force to stop boats populated with European and American notables, and, even more, the bloody execution of the operation, are indefensible -- and are being described as such today by Israel’s own press. If there were no cracks in the relationship with Jerusalem, Obama could join in the criticism, while quietly working to restrain the UN Security Council...

TEL AVIV—At least nine pro-Palestinian activists died when Israeli commandos boarded a ship headed to the blockaded Gaza Strip early Monday, plunging Israel into a diplomatic crisis that could obstruct action on the most pressing issues in the Mideast, from U.S.-backed peace talks to sanctions against Iran. The incident drew harsh words from the Arab world and questions from foes and allies about why the operation to intercept the six-ship flotilla, for which Israel had weeks to prepare, turned deadly. The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session to consider condemning Israel's actions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attributed any lack of oversight surrounding the massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast to the previous presidential administration during a press conference Thursday. “Many of the people appointed in the Bush administration are still burrowed in the agencies that are supposed to oversee the [oil] industry,” Pelosi said when asked if Democrats could have prevented or mitigated the crisis by keeping a closer watch on the industry. Added the Speaker, “the cozy relationships between the Bush administration’s agency leadership and the industry is clear.” While Republicans have challenged President Barack Obama’s response to the...

The euro is beset with fiscal calamities that threaten its downfall, and markets in the U.S. are roiled by uncertainty over the government's financial regulatory legislation. But don't worry. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner meets with European finance officials today to discuss the economic situation. According to a Treasury Department statement, they will focus on "measures being taken to restore global confidence and financial stability." So everything is under control. Right. What government policy makers in the U.S. and Europe fail to realize is that far from being seen as capable of delivering economic salvation, they are increasingly perceived as primary...

The number of magnitude 5.0 to 6.9 worldwide earthquakes are showing a significant increase so far this year during 2010, and are up 151 percent compared with the same range and time span of earthquakes since the year 1900, as of this independent analysis, 25-May-2010.

By her own admission, Chely Wright was a liar. "It was a matter of life or death for me emotionally, spiritually, physically," she says. "It became time for me." Country sensation Chely Wright discusses her decision to come out as a gay woman More PhotosShe was a country music singer, with a Nashville pedigree and No. 1 hits, and a liar -- until today. "My truth is I'm gay," she says. "My truth is that I hid my homosexuality for my entire career." From the time she was a young Kansan trying to sing her way to stardom, Wright, 39,...

This week the plush Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates rolled out the ultimate ATM machine in its lobby: It dispenses gold instead of cash. Guests can now get booty that comes in the form of 1-, 5- and 10-gram bars, as well as gold coins, at a price that the machine updates regularly, according to the website for Gold to Go.

There's no denying the value of a college education: According to recent U.S. Census surveys, the median salary for college grads is more than $20,000 higher than that of people with only a high school diploma. And the unemployment rate for people with bachelor's degrees is almost half the rate for people without. But some degrees are worth more than others, as PayScale.com shows in its 2010 report on the earning power of bachelor's degrees.

One sign that the White House financial reform is less potent than its advertising claims is that it doesn't even attempt to reform the two companies at the heart of the housing mania and panic, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. So we're glad to see that yesterday GOP Senators John McCain, Richard Shelby and Judd Gregg introduced a Fan and Fred reform amendment that will let Democrats show if they're serious about reducing reckless lending and taxpayer risk. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission spent yesterday focusing on financial "leverage," using Bear Stearns as an example. But Fannie and Freddie were...

Here's a quiz: For which of the following reasons is the 44th president of the United States bad-mouthing Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, bankers, mine operators, insurers, Glenn Beck, the tea party, the Supreme Court and whoever he hammers as we go to press: a) He's rallying his base. b) He's rallying the Democrats' base (one overlaps but does not equal the other). c) He's changing the subject from 9% unemployment. d) To reverse his sinking approval ratings. e) It's what Saul Alinsky would do. f) It's what Barack Obama likes to do.

OMAHA, Neb. -- An armed robber was shot and killed in an Omaha business Monday night, police said. Investigators said a customer intervened and fired on the gunman. The robbery took place at the Walgreen’s store at 61st Street and Northwest Radial Highway at 8:50 p.m. Police said two masked individuals walked into the store. One of them was armed with a short shotgun. The gunman pointed the weapon at customers and at the clerk behind the counter. A man who had a permit to carry a gun saw the robber point the weapon at the clerk and pulled out...

Lobbying by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway on proposed financial reform as it impacts the treatment of derivatives has helped the famed investor avoid a financial hit, the WSJ claimed. Derivatives reform has been folded into broader legislative measures, senior Democrats told the paper.

...Which leads us to the real impact of this case, which is political. The SEC charges conveniently arrive on the brink of the Senate debate over financial reform, and its supporters are already using the case to grease the bill's passage. "I'm pleased that the Obama Administration is using all of the tools in its arsenal to bring accountability to Wall Street and standing up for homeowners and small businesses across America," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Friday about the SEC case. "This is also why we need to pass strong Wall Street reform this year." Of course,...

Four out of five veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan think the U.S. would be more secure if the nation were weaned off foreign oil, according to the results of a poll released Tuesday. The study, conducted by Lake Research Partners in February, also found that 64 percent of the surveyed veterans believe U.S. dependence on foreign energy endangers the lives of our troops by helping funnel money to hostile forces in oil-producing regions. The survey was commissioned by VoteVets.org, a group that has backed work in Congress to pass broad energy and climate change legislation. It comes...

JERUSALEM—Syria has transferred long-range Scud missiles to the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials alleged, in a move that threatens to alter the Middle East's military balance and sets back a major diplomatic outreach effort to Damascus by the Obama administration.

When Scott Brown scored his upset victory in January's special election to fill Edward Kennedy's Senate seat, panicked Democratic Party insiders assumed the sky was falling. Brown's election as the newest senator from Massachusetts meant that the Democrats had lost their razor-thin 60-vote majority to counter GOP filibuster threats on major legislation. What's more, the symbolism couldn't have looked worse for Democrats: Here was the seat held by the Senate's late liberal lion, in one of the bluest states on the electoral map, falling into the Republican column. Activists from the small-government Tea Party movement had flooded the state with...

If you want to drive something dependable and long-lasting, steer clear of these vehicles. With a 22% improvement in sales last month, and despite the six-month, $4.3 billion loss it announced Wednesday, General Motors is likely to have its strongest spring and summer in years. Plus, the automaker had critically acclaimed new products at the recent New York Auto Show and the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt is due out this fall. More from Forbes.com: • In Depth: Worst-Made Cars On The Road • Navigating Your Way Through Traffic • Cars With the Best Gas Mileage Year-over-year sales of GM's Cadillac division...

A sudden drop-off in investor demand for U.S. Treasury notes is raising questions about whether interest rates will finally begin a march higher—a climb that would jack up the government's borrowing costs and spell trouble for the fragile housing market. For months, investors have focused their attention on the debt crisis in Europe, but there are signs the spotlight is turning to the ability of the U.S. to finance its own budget deficit. This week, some investors turned up their noses at three big U.S. Treasury offerings. Demand was weak for a $44 billion 2-year note auction on Tuesday, a...