Free Republic

HARTFORD - A broad coalition of environmental, economic, regional and construction groups urged Connecticut's gubernatorial candidates Tuesday to conduct a debate focused on transportation issues, and to consider higher taxes and tolls to pay for the state's dire transportation needs. The activists put out a four-point program they said the state's next governor must consider, and expressed concern about the possibility that massive federal funding for highways and mass transit might dry up in the next few years. The coalition's key issues are: •Making certain that state revenue that is supposed to be devoted to transportation - such as gas...

A new governor will be seated in Texas following the Nov. 4 election. The candidates competing for outgoing Gov. Rick Perry’s position have track records and have weighed in on transportation issues. The two major party candidates vying to replace him are Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis. One issue that will confront the winner is a transportation system in need of $4 billion more per year in revenue. The Texas House is expected to propose a budget next year that uses all of the money allotted to the state highway fund for transportation. Advocates say that devoting highway...

A pair of congressional Democrats pressed the White House Friday to move forcefully on regulations requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed rule mandates labels on restaurants, “similar retail food establishments” and vending machines to combat obesity by helping consumers make healthier choices. The regulations, a requirement of the Affordable Care Act, were first proposed in 2011 and drew hundreds of public comments. The proposal remains under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Meanwhile, dozens of lawmakers have argued that the FDA’s proposed rule goes beyond congressional intent, warning...

Fox News psychiatrist Keith Ablow is defending controversial comments he made about Michelle Obama’s weight, arguing the first lady is not an appropriate role model for fitness. “I do dislike hypocrisy and I really do believe that people speaking about diet should be role models themselves, and I’m not sure if the first lady is that role model,” Mr. Ablow said in an interview, Politico reported. The psychiatrist drew fire Tuesday when he said among a panel of women on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” that Mrs. Obama needed to “drop a few.”

WASHINGTON — A persistent failure by federal lawmakers to protect the nation’s electric grid from attack isn’t stopping private sector efforts to prevent damage from a nuclear blast.An Obama administration initiative to spend $7 billion on the development of the electric grid in six African nations, as Watchdog reported, earned a stern rebuke from a security expert concerned about the administration’s priorities.But state level efforts are under way to protect the grid against solar flares and electromagnetic pulses.As security experts work to raise awareness about surviving the potential destruction — caused by a shockwave after an explosion on the surface...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Some 500 former military leaders are deploying to Capitol Hill in an attempt to save Michelle Obama’s changes to the National School Lunch Program. Politico reports:

PORTLAND, Maine — Motorists driving stretches of the Maine Turnpike will be allowed to go 5 miles per hour faster starting Monday, the Maine Turnpike Authority has announced.The speed limit will increase on the turnpike from 65 mph to 70 mph with the exception of three areas, Executive Director Peter Mills said.They are: south of mile marker 2.1 on I-95 in Kittery, where the maximum speed will remain 65 mph; through Greater Portland from mile marker 41 in Scarborough to mile marker 53 in Falmouth, where the speed limit will increase from 55 mph to 60 mph; and on the...

First lady Michelle Obama said something Wednesday that seems preposterously ironic to many American school kids: "No one really cares what you had for lunch." "I tease my kids," Michelle Obama said at a White House event on women's empowerment with Laura Bush. "I tell them I want them to use Instagram to take a picture of something really important rather than their food... I mean, no one really cares what you had for lunch." The audience laughed. The irony here is that public school children subjected to Michelle's vaunted "Let's Move" lunches have been tweeting photos of their lunches...

(CNSNews.com) - When asked if marijuana-infused food products should require federal labeling, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said consumers want accurate information “to make smart choices”. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t enforce federal food safety standards on marijuana-infused food products that are available in the few states where marijuana has been legalized.During a conference call with lawmakers on FDA food labeling on Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked: “Given that the FDA currently doesn’t enforce any federal food safety standards on marijuana-infused foods and with a lot of states obviously changing their marijuana laws  -do you think they should require nutritional...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is suggesting major changes to grocery stores to “nudge” Americans to purchase healthier foods when they shop.The agency commissioned an “expert panel” to make recommendations on how to guide the more than 47 million Americans on food stamps into spending their benefits on fruits and vegetables.The group released an 80-page report this month presenting their ideas, which include talking shopping carts and a marketing strategy for grocery chains that would feature better store lighting for healthier items.“Most Americans, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, do not purchase enough whole grains, dark green and...

The working mom of a seven-month-old son alleges that she was detained for an hour by TSA officials at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field as they meticulously scrutinized the bags of breast milk she was carrying. The heavy scrutiny on a working mom’s breast milk and, as Breitbart News has reported, the lapses of scrutiny on illegal aliens who have been able to fly on commercial airlines without identification is mindboggling. ABC10 News reported that Nicole Moberg, a sales director for a medical company, travels extensively on her job, so she comes prepared with pre-pumped breast milk. She separates the milk...

The federal Highway Trust Fund, which provides transportation funding to the states, is projected to run dry in August. But with a technology-driven revolution underway in the way Americans use surface transportation, applying yesterday’s solution and simply replenishing the fund won’t solve the problem. According to the Obama administration, if the fund is exhausted, states will be forced to put off 112,000 highway construction and 5,600 transit projects, resulting in the loss of 700,000 jobs. When dealing with the government, there are always plenty of zeroes to go around. The traditional source of revenue for the trust fund is the...

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Neighbors are tattling on neighbors for wasting water and some are taking their drought shaming to social media. If you’ve ever had the feeling you’re being watched while you water your lawn, there’s a good chance you are during this historic drought. In Sacramento, water wasters can face fines, and the enforcer may be someone who lives right next door. Terrance Davis with the city department of utilities says he’s seeing a trend of drought shaming. “Our water use complaint calls have gone up exponentially from the last 2 years,” he said. Karen Halbo lives in River...

CHEYENNE, Wyo.—The ever-changing thermal geology of Yellowstone National Park has created a hot spot that melted an asphalt road and closed access to popular geysers and other attractions at the height of tourist season, officials said Thursday. As they examined possible fixes, park officials warned visitors not to hike into the affected area, where the danger of stepping through solid-looking soil into boiling-hot water was high.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is protecting consumer rights in a bold new way–by policing companies’ Facebook pages.Zarbee’s Naturals, a producer of “safe and effective natural [cough] remedies” for children, was sent a warning letter by the FDA for liking comments on its Facebook page implying that its products “are intended for use as drugs.”Zarbee’s products were designed specifically for children too young for FDA-approved medications and have not been reviewed by the FDA. Happy customers posted their approval on the company’s Facebook page, saying things like “Love Zarbee’s this is the only medicine we use for our 2...

SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) -- The Saline County Sheriff's Office was inolved in a bizarre, 43-minute chase Saturday morning. It began when a deputy clocked a passing car on Interstate 70, travelling at over 90 mph. The deputy began pursuit of the driver as he traveled west towards Salina. The car was spraypainted with derogatory statements about law enforcement. The suspect was able to drive around spikes that were set up at the junction of I-70 and Highway 81. Eventually, the suspect drove into a soybean field. Sheriff Glen Kochanowski says the suspect then drove the car in circles for 40...

California's drought is creating a deluge of tattletales, after government officials encouraged residents to snitch on their neighbors for wasting water. The state declared a drought emergency five months ago, but residents have only cut their water usage by about 5 percent, reports The New York Times, cutting back much less than the 20 percent Gov. Jerry Brown asked for in January. And since people aren't heeding the warnings from the state, cities in the state are asking residents to report their neighbors for wasting water, and are finding that people are all too willing to tell on each other....

The federal Highway Trust Fund is running out of money, and some senators have proposed to fix the problem by raising gas taxes. This, however, is the wrong solution because it treats the symptom, and not the underlying reason for the shortfall. Here are five reasons for not increasing gas taxes. 1. The problem is not a shortage of funds but an excess of spending. For more than 50 years after Congress created the Highway Trust Fund in 1956 it was able to avoid a shortage of funds by a simple measure: it didn't spend more than was collected in...

I mentioned two days ago the decision of schools to ban birthday cupcakes. Michelle Obama is essentially fighting with students to get them to change what they eat. But what is missing from this story is the proper context. The fact is that our bad eating habits are getting encouraged by taxpayer money. In fact, the government arguably changed our dietary habits to their present behavior. The Foundation for Economic Education came out with an article yesterday about dealing with “food deserts.”

An investigation has found that an elementary school principal in Baltimore who suspended a seven-year-old boy for chewing a Pop Tart into the shape of a gun acted properly in her decision. However the boy's family has lawyered up, and are threatening to take the case further. Josh Welch, a second-grader at Park Elementary School, said he was trying to nibble his strawberry breakfast snack into a mountain in March 2013. But when it started to take shape he reportedly told his classmates: 'Look, I made a gun.' Principal Sandra Blondell then removed Josh from school for two days. Andrew...