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About 75 of the 127 physician-owned hospitals under construction won't meet an Aug. 1, 2010 deadline on expansion requirements in the revised Senate health reform bill, according to an informal count by Physician Hospitals of America. The current Senate bill prohibits physician-owned hospitals from adding beds, ORs or procedure rooms, and the same language exists in the House bill. Both bills state that physician-owned hospitals must meet four specific requirements to expand. PHA officials say no physician-owned hospital meet all four criteria. Even with a six-month extension past the original deadline of Feb. 1, 2010, PHA Executive Director Molly Sandvig...

US Military Forces are refusing to take Orders from Obama unless he can prove he is a US Citizen. They plan Court action as theie Lawyers are taking Briefs as we speak.

In the dead of night on December 17, 2009, President Barack Hussein Obama placed the United States of America under the authority of the international police organization known as INTERPOL, granting the organization full immunity to operate within the United States. Last Thursday, December 17, 2009, The White House released an Executive Order "Amending Executive Order 12425." It grants INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) a new level of full diplomatic immunity afforded to foreign embassies and select other "International Organizations" as set forth in the United States International Organizations Immunities Act of 1945. By removing language from President Reagan's 1983...

The investigation into the so-called Warmergate emails - the leaked data from the University of East Anglia’s climate change department - took a new twist last night when The Mail on Sunday tracked the stolen messages to a suspect computer which provides internet access to China. The address used to post the emails is also on an international ‘black list’ which highlights suspicious behaviour on the internet.

HEADLINE ONLY. Article will be posted when available.

According to CNSNews, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that Congress has the authority to mandate that people buy health insurance and that there is no constitutional limit on Congress’ power to enact such mandates, adding that this unlimited authority stemmed from the Commerce clause of the Constitution. If this were true, then the congress has no constitutional limits whatsoever. On anything. If they can regulate private citizens as interstate commerce, then they can "regulate" anything and anyone. This makes the entire idea of constitutional limits null and void. The federal government can require and mandate that all citizens purchase: Health...

It’s no cause for celebration, and Sarah Palin’s not the type for schadenfreude, but she was right about the death panels. So right, in fact, that the death panels are receiving some very special and probably unconstitutional protection in the Senate health care bill. The creation of the so-called Independent Payment Advisory Board – the panel that decides who goes without coverage so costs can be cut – cannot be repealed, according to language Harry Reid has inserted into the bill, without a supermajority vote of two-thirds. Death panels? There are no death panels! Stop listening to that crazy cackling...

On December 21, 2009, however, Harry Reid sold out the Republic in toto. Upon examination of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment to the health care legislation, Senators discovered section 3403. That section changes the rules of the United States Senate. To change the rules of the United States Senate, there must be sixty-seven votes. Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.” The good news is that this only...

MANAGER'S AMENDMENT INTENSIFIES RATIONINGThe Manager's Amendment to the Senate health care restructuring bill offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on December 19 contains two provisions that intensify the rationing already present in the Reid Substitute. See http://www.nrlc.org/HealthCareRationing/ReidSubstitute.html .– Taking a significant step closer to the powerful Federal-Reserve-Board-like Federal Health Board envisioned by former Senator Tom Daschle, Obama's original nominee for health czar, the Manager's Amendment renames and expands the authority of what the Reid Substitute called the "Independent Medicare Advisory Board." Its new title is the "Independent Payment Advisory Board" [Section 10320(b), p. 189] and it is directed to...

Judge stops ACORN funding ban By Eric Zimmermann - 12/11/09 06:21 PM ET A federal judge today issued an injunction preventing the implementation of a congressional ban on funding for ACORN. Judge Nina Gershon concluded that the ban amounted to a "bill of attainder" that unfairly singled out ACORN. "[The plaintiffs] have been singled out by Congress for punishment that directly and immediately affects their ability to continue to obtain federal funding, in the absence of any judicial, or even administrative, process of adjudicating guilt," Gershon wrote in her decision. Gershon said ACORN had demonstrated "irreperable harm" from the ban,...

WASHINGTON - The House passed the most ambitious restructuring of federal financial regulations since the New Deal on Friday, aiming to head off any replay of last year's Wall Street failures that plunged the nation deep into recession. The sprawling legislation would give the government new powers to break up companies that threaten the economy, create a new agency to oversee consumer banking transactions and shine a light into shadow financial markets that have escaped the oversight of regulators. The vote was a party-line 223-202. No Republicans voted for the bill; 27 Democrats voted against it. While a victory for...

Marriage Penalty Hidden in Health Care Reform by Kim Trobee, editor Higher premiums may discourage people from getting married. A closer look at premium payments in both the House and Senate health care bills shows higher premiums that might discourage couples tying the knot. For instance, in the House version, an unmarried couple each making $30,000 a year would pay $1,320 combined each year for private health insurance. If that couple chose to marry, their premium would jump to $12,000 a year, a difference of $10,680. Allen Quist, a former Minnesota State legislator and current candidate for Congress, discovered the...

I was watching a movie several minutes ago (in West Palm Beach, FL) and saw out my window (facing east)a large shining object quickly plunge from the sky. It freaked me out a bit. Did anyone out there see it? I saw one similar back around 1990-1992 and years later saw it on Discovery as it was captured on video.

Nearly $6 million in stimulus money was paid to two firms run by Mark Penn, who was Hillary Rodham Clinton's pollster in the 2008 presidential election. Federal records show that $5.97 million from the $787 billion stimulus helped preserve three jobs at Burson'Marsteller, the global public'relations and communications firm headed by Penn.

Welcome To.... 'Amy's Place' welcomes all poets and those who enjoy poetry.'Amy's Place' is more than just about poetry.Come in, relax, and share with fellow FReepersyour thoughts about any of the things on the *Menu*. Enjoy! :) Never Forget! Bad Penny Amy's personal guardian ~ the ever charming, lovable, huggable, LouieWolf Many thanks for stopping by. : )

A Muslim lawyer has launched an extraordinary rant against Christmas, branding the celebration 'evil'. Hate preacher Anjem Choudary claimed the festival was the 'pathway to hell' and urged his followers to boycott it. 'In the world today many Muslims, especially those residing in Western countries, are exposed to the evil celebration Christmas,' he raged in a sermon broadcast on the internet. 'Many take part in the festival celebrations by having Christmas turkey dinners. 'Decorating the house, purchasing Christmas trees or having Christmas turkey meals are completely prohibited by Allah. 'Many still practise this corrupt celebration as a remembrance of the...

Welcome To.... 'Amy's Place' welcomes all poets and those who enjoy poetry.'Amy's Place' is more than just about poetry.Come in, relax, and share with fellow FReepersyour thoughts about any of the things on the *Menu*. Enjoy! :) Never Forget! Bad Penny Amy's personal guardian ~ the ever charming, lovable, huggable, LouieWolf Many thanks for stopping by. : )

Hello Freepers. It's that time of year again. Let's boost the economy. LET'S GO SHOPPING!!

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2008 – All four services met or surpassed their monthly active-duty recruiting goals for December, and five of the six reserve components showing similar success, Defense Department officials announced today. The Army recruited 789 active-duty soldiers last month, 105 percent of its December goal. On the reserve-component side, the Army National Guard recruited 4,985 members, 120 percent of its goal, and the Army Reserve, 3,280 soldiers, 107 percent of its goal. The Marine Corps recruited 1,992 active-duty Marines, 115 percent of its goal, and met its goal of recruiting 410 Marine Corps reservists. The Air Force...

Executive Order: Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on Monday, December 24, 2007 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. All executive branch departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Monday, December 24, 2007, the day before Christmas Day, except as provided in section 2 below. Sec. 2. The heads of executive branch departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2007 – Last month’s recruiting figures for all military services exceeded goals, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during testimony today before the House Armed Services Committee. “I’m pleased to report that all active branches of the United States military exceeded their recruiting goals for the month of December,” Gates said, “with particularly strong showings by the Army and the Marine Corps.” In December, the Army recruited 861 soldiers, exceeding its goal by 23 percent, according to information released by the Defense Department. The Marine Corps recruited 1,761, exceeding its goal by 10 percent, and the...

Russians are pining for a white December By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow Last Updated: 1:51am GMT 19/12/2006 Russia is experiencing its warmest December since 1870, raising fears of serious economic consequences and prompting warnings about the effect the lack of snow is having on the national psyche. On Friday, the mercury hovered just below nine Celsius — 14 degrees above the average daily temperature for December. The weather has led to predictions of a dearth of grain and psychiatrists are worried about people's fragile emotional states. Companies selling fake frosted window patterns are doing a roaring trade as Russians try...

This is a reference thread with links to previous FR threads discussing the arrest of a suspect, John Mark Karr, in the decade-old cold case concerning the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, plus case resources for continued commentary on investigation of the crime.

Coldest December since late 1800s? Meteorologist's claim comes on heels of climate-warming summit in Canada Posted: December 13, 2005 9:42 p.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com A weather expert says December 2005 is on pace to become one of the 10 coldest in more than 100 years, despite claims at a global conference on climate change this week that the Earth is getting warmer. Joe Bastardi, senior meteorologist with Accuweather.com, says present weather patterns across the country show below-normal temperatures in the single digits, with still colder air forecast in the coming weeks. All told, he said, "the current look and...

SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers can expect significantly higher heating bills in December compared with the same time last year, but the increase won't be quite as severe as previously forecast. PG&E, which serves most of Northern California, said Thursday that natural gas bills will probably rise 25 percent this month compared with a year ago, which is down from the utility's previous estimate of a 38-percent increase. The average bill is now expected to be $110.55, compared with $88.10 last year at this time, according to the San Francisco-based utility. Mild weather has helped reduce...

Special Presentation - White House Christmas 2004 Episode HWHC2-S04 HGTV is stepping inside the White House with dozens of decorators, volunteers and staffers to find out just what it takes to decorate the home of the President and the First Lady for the holidays. The White House chief usher, the chief florist and the executive pastry chef take viewers through the exhilarating three-day process of decking the halls of the "People's House." What's this year's theme? Go to our White House Christmas 2004 package to find out in our exclusive online video. You'll also find video snippets from past White...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Naturally we are all pumped after the President's BIG WIN yesterday, but I wanted to drop a note to let you all know that the 2004 campaign has not ended in Louisiana. We are on a roll here however; Bush outpolled Kerry 57% - 42%, we elected our first Republican Senator since the Reconstruction Era in David Vitter, and we have secured four of five congressional seats that have been decided across the state for the Republican Party, including our newly-elected star Bobby Jindal. But there are still two congressional races that remain to be settled and the leading vote-getters...

Bush's Steps in December Boost Prospects 1 hour, 56 minutes ago By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer CRAWFORD, Texas - A little luck and some pre-emptive moves before the new year began have allowed President Bush to muffle Democratic criticism on a host of political issues, from Medicare to mad cow disease, the CIA leak to Saddam Hussein. Democrats can no longer criticize Bush about failing to find the Iraqi leader. Got him. The prescription drug benefit Bush promised? Done, although only time will tell if seniors really think it's a good deal. The sluggish economy? Upticks in financial indicators...

WorldThreats.com Monthly Analysis: December 2003 Compiled By: Ryan Mauro tdcanalyst@optonline.net Over the course of December, there were many developments that shook the world. From the capture of Saddam Hussein to the apparent change of heart by Muammar Qadhafi of Libya, it is now becoming apparent that the War on Terrorism is taking new shape. This new periodic analysis will discuss the developments of each period of time in the title, and try to tie things in together. War on Terrorism Despite the obvious success in the War on Terror, we remain on high alert. Understandably, the Bush Administration is not...

Three centuries before Christ's birth, people celebrated 25 December, archaeologists claim By David Keys Archaelology Correspondent 24 December 2003 Archeologists say they have traced the origins of the first Christmas to be celebrated on 25 December, 300 years before the birth of Christ. The original event marked the consecration of the ancient world's largest sun god statue, the 34m tall, 200 ton Colossus of Rhodes. It has long been known that 25 December was not the real date of Christ's birth and that the decision to turn it into Jesus's birthday was made by Constantine, the Roman Emperor, in the...

Your Praises We Sing by Bill DoddsOn the eve of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, a look at Mary's singular honor. In this article: St. Anne, St. Joachim and the Unborn Mary Lessons from the Bible and the Catechism Serious Doubts by Serious Saints St. Bernadette's Contribution Scour the Old and New Testaments and you'll find no definitive word on Mary's being conceived without the stain of original sin. Pore over the writings of early Christian theologians known as Church Fathers, or later saints and scholars, and you'll discover a jumble...

KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said Tuesday he would like to see international peacekeepers stay on in the country after December, when their existing mandate expires. Speaking in an interview with Reuters in Kabul, Abdullah said there was also an urgent need to focus more on a Japanese-led drive to disarm and demobilize regional militias loyal to provincial warlords, an issue President Hamid Karzai would discuss on a state visit to Tokyo later this month. Asked whether he thought it would be possible to hold elections due in June next year without the presence of the...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 December 22 Summer at the South Pole Credit & Copyright: Galileo Project, NASA Explanation: The December solstice brings the beginning of Winter to Earth's Northern Hemisphere and Summer time to the South! This view of Earth's Southern Hemisphere near the beginning of Summer was created using images from the Galileo spacecraft taken during its December 1990 flyby of our fair planet. Dramatically centered on the South Pole,...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 December 21 Solstice Celebration Credit: SOHO - EIT Consortium, ESA, NASA Explanation: Aloha and Season's greetings! On December 22nd, at 01:14 Universal Time (December 21, 3:14pm Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time), the Sun reaches its southernmost point in planet Earth's sky marking the final season change for the year 2002. In celebration, consider this delightfully detailed, brightly colored image of the active Sun. From the EIT instrument onboard the...

Advent Calendar for Adults December 1Make or buy a clay pot. Put it at the center of your prayer space or near your Bible. On small slips of paper, write down the ways in which you see or watch for the presence of God in your life during this Advent. Fold the slips of paper and place them in the clay pot. December 2Adopt a form of grace before breakfast, lunch, or dinner to use throughout the Advent and Christmas season. Suggestions can be found in Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. December 3Today is the feast of St. Francis...