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The NATO Summit will be held on May 20th -21st in Chicago and the Illinois DOT is requesting everybody to avert the city areas and mainly the downtown and the South Loop during the Summit week. Some limitations are also going to be placed on excessive and overweight shipments. From May 18th -22nd excessive and overweight shipment would not be allowed on the expressway and ramps. [Read More....]

Lars Vilks, the Swedish cartoonist who drew Mohammed as a dog, was recently told that a scheduled lecture on free speech, to be held at Jönköping Högskolan, would be canceled due to "security concerns." This, of course, is a common evasion, intended to protect the brittle sensibilities of Muslim students while supposedly standing four square behind the right of free speech. Alas, the administrators in Jönköping had a point. During a lecture in Uppsala today Vilks was attacked by a pack of feral fundamentalists, one of whom managed to headbutt the artist and break his glasses. Police intervened and waged...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld talked about the nature of terrorism as part of Radio Day at the Pentagon today, the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Sept. 11, 2001, was the greatest loss of American life from a single attack in U.S. history, he said. The death toll that day was nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. But the purpose of terrorism isn’t to kill, but to terrorize, Rumsfeld told Charlie Brennan of St. Louis’ KMOX. Fear causes people to alter their behavior, the secretary said. “As free...

WASHINGTON, August 3, 2006 – A U.S. medical evacuation helicopter carrying an injured Afghan child came under attack with small-arms fire Aug. 1 in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, U.S. military officials said. The incident happened just days after media reports indicated Taliban leaders were urging followers to target U.S. and coalition medical personnel and clergy, officials said. Army Col. Michael Rose, Task Force Falcon and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade commander, called the attack a senseless and cowardly act. “This crew risked their lives to save this little girl, and the Taliban response to that was to try to shoot down an...

BRISTOW, Okla. - Serving on the jury in an indecent-exposure trial unfolding in this conservative Oklahoma town has been a giggle-inducing experience. Former Judge Donald D. Thompson, a veteran of 23 years on the bench, is on trial on charges he used a penis pump on himself in the courtroom while sitting in judgment of others. The white-handled sexual device sits before the jury box for hours at a time. Occasionally an attorney picks it up and squeezes the handle, demonstrating the "sh-sh" sound of air rushing through the contraption's plastic tubing. The jurors sometimes exchange awkward looks and break...

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 16 others as the result of two separate raids conducted across Iraq today. One terrorist was killed and five were detained in a sweep in southern Baghdad. Intelligence uncovered by the death of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi led coalition forces to the insurgents' lair, officials said. The coalition troops searched several buildings during the raid. Several women and children were present but none were harmed during the operation. The other raid was conducted east of Ramadi and yielded 11 terrorist captives. Two enemy weapons caches...

Anti-terrorist police found £30,000 in a suitcase during raid By John Steele, Crime Correspondent (Filed: 16/06/2006) Police are investigating a large sum of cash - understood to be at least £30,000 - that was discovered in the house raided by anti-terrorist officers in east London two weeks ago. The family of the two brothers caught up in the raid said last night that the money was mostly rent income kept in a suitcase because of Islamic objections to banks. Abul Kahar and Abul Koyair, who were arrested in the raid, were released without charge last week and have not faced...

Police Find Pipe Bombs During Home Search Friday June 2, 2006 3:16 AM NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities said they found pipe bombs and a jar containing the potentially deadly poison ricin while searching a home in suburban Nashville. The ricin was found sealed in a baby food jar in a shed at the home of William Matthews, according to a joint statement Thursday from Nashville police, the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and health officials. Officials said the jar was sealed and they do not believe the neighborhood was threatened. Authorities first searched the shed Wednesday after...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2006 – On May 29, Americans will pause together to remember servicemembers from wars past and present who have given the ultimate sacrifice while defending the nation. The National Moment of Remembrance takes place for one minute each year on Memorial Day, starting at 3 p.m., local time. "The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday," according to a news release from the White House Commission on Remembrance. "The moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather, it is an act of...

It’s Prom season, when many parents worry about drinking and driving. But one school is taking a proactive approach to keep its students safe. Elkhart Central High School recently started giving random alcohol breath tests to prom-goers. Roughly, 10-20% of the students will be given the tests, for prom next week, as they drive up to the event. The school says in two years that they have done it, no students have tested positive. “I feel that kids need to be aware that this is going on, so that there’s no drunk driving on prom night,” senior Sarah Fischer told...

BAGHDAD, May 4, 2006 – Coalition officials here today showed the "outtakes" of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's latest anti-coalition screed, and it became quickly apparent why they ended on the cutting-room floor, so to speak. In one, Zarqawi -- the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq -- has trouble trying to operate an automatic weapon. An associate has to show him how to do it. Later in the same shot, an associate takes the weapon from Zarqawi by the barrel and burns his hand. In another, the feared terrorist is shown in a black uniform and bright blue "tenny pumps."...

WILMINGTON, N.Y. - Swedish snowboarder Jonatan Johansson died Sunday after falling during a snowboardcross run down Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The 26-year-old Turin Olympics competitor lost control on one of his jumps during training for an International Ski Federation World Cup competition, according to U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association spokesman Tom Kelly. A state police report said Johansson tried to correct himself but landed hard. An autopsy found the cause of death to be multiple internal injuries. Officials said Johansson landed within the course boundaries and was wearing a helmet. Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesman Sandy Caligiore said he...

CHICAGO - Some members of a Lutheran parish on Chicago's far South Side said they are outraged police arrested the Rev. Jimmy McCants in the middle of his sermon. McCants, 54, has been the focus of a dispute between rival factions at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. The church's board of directors told police the board fired McCants on Christmas Eve, and a woman affiliated with the church signed a complaint against him for trespassing on church property, said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond. But a Lutheran Church official said the board fired McCants without going through the proper steps to...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2006 – Faith Jarvis, of Winston-Salem, N.C., traveled to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, in Tempe, Ariz., to try to do her bit to support the United Service Organizations, a charity that has supported America's servicemembers for generations. She did help the USO, but Jarvis left with her own prize -- a diamond ring and a surprise reunion with her boyfriend-turned-fiancé, Army 1st Lt. Raymond Vera, a California National Guardsman with the 49th Military Police Brigade who has been serving in Iraq. Jarvis attempted to throw a football through a target 15 yards away. If she made it,...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Dec. 28, 2005) -- December is a month of celebration for multiple faiths, making the holiday season an extra busy time for chaplains in Iraq. Between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Islamic Hajj, Navy Capt. Vince Arnold, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) group chaplain, knows the importance of providing for all service members, regardless of religious preferences. “This time of a year the three main religious groups being Judaism, Christianity and Islam, trace back their genealogy to one person: Abraham,” The Newport, N.C. native said. “It’s interesting that we are in Iraq during this season because this...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, Dec. 22, 2005 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld hinted at an announcement on troops levels in Iraq during a flight here today. The secretary said there has not been an official U.S. government announcement, but said one will be forthcoming soon. "It's possibly the worst-kept secret in Baghdad," said a senior defense official. News reports have said that there will be a two-brigade cut in the number of troops needed in Iraq. Senior defense officials said the increasing size and capabilities of Iraqi forces are primarily responsible for the possible cut. Iraqi soldiers and police handled...

Bulgarian contingent duty in Multinational Division Central South came to an end Dec. 17. Multi-National Force - Iraq CAMP ECHO, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2005 — Bulgarian contingent duty in Multinational Division Central South (MNDCS) came to an end Dec. 17. During the farewell ceremony, MNDCS Commanding General Maj. Gen. Piotr Czerwinski thanked Bulgarian soldiers for their outstanding duty in MNDCS. "I would like to thank you personally and all Bulgarian soldiers who served so far in Iraq," said Czerwinski. "Your commitment has always been contributing to the success of the Multinational Division." During the ceremony, Bulgarian soldiers were awarded by...

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq (Nov. 28, 2005) -- Nearly three years ago, many soldiers from the former Iraqi military of Saddam Hussein’s era fought against coalition forces during the initial invasion of Iraq. Today, many of these same soldiers, now assigned with 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the reconstituted Iraqi Army, are taking on a new responsibility in re-establishing security in their native country, clearly witnessed in recent offensives near the Syrian border. “I fought against the Americans when they invaded Iraq in the south,” said Pvt. Hussein Ali, 23, of Basra, Iraq, an infantryman carrying a rocket-propelled...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2005 – President Bush remembered America's deployed servicemembers who he said are "serving the cause of peace" during the Dec. 1 Christmas Pageant of Peace and lighting of the national Christmas tree here. "We ask for God to watch over our men and women in uniform who are serving overseas," Bush said during the ceremony on the Ellipse. "Their families miss them, hold a seat open for them and pray for their safe return." America's men and women stand for freedom and serve the cause of peace, he said. "Many of them are serving in distant lands...

U.S. Soldiers Tackle Terrorists During Raid Task Force Baghdad soldiers detain four suspected terrorists during a raid in east Baghdad. By U.S. Army Maj. Russ Goemaere 2nd Brigade Combat Team BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 7, 2005 — Task Force Baghdad soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, following a tip from an Iraqi citizen, detained four suspected terrorists during a raid Nov. 5 in east Baghdad. The four suspects are thought to be part of a ring with ties to foreign terrorist groups planning attacks against Coalition Forces. No shots were fired in the operation and there were no casualties....

11/2/2005 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. (AFPN) -- They enjoyed long walks on the beach, romantic dinners and winds of 159 miles per hour? Master Sgt. Leon Palmer and his new bride, Staff Sgt. Rena Palmer, both members of 22nd Security Forces Squadron, had an unexpected visitor during their honeymoon earlier this month in Cancun, Mexico. “We were in Cancun for four beautiful days when another hotel guest approached us on the beach and told us we might be evacuating to a shelter because of a hurricane,” said Master Sgt. Palmer. “We hadn’t been keeping up with the news...

ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION MILDENHALL, England, Oct. 24, 2005 – For one participant in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the visit here Oct. 21 wasn't just an introduction to the Air Force; it was a mini family reunion. William Transier, co-chief executive officer and director of the Endeavour International Corp. in Houston, got to meet up with his nephew, Air Force 1st Lt. Scott Morrison, a co-pilot with the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here. Transier said he knew Morrison was assigned to Mildenhall, but didn't know that this base was the one JCOC would be visiting. "When I saw the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2005 – Members of Joint Task Force Guantanamo are ensuring detainees get special consideration for religious requirements of observing Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, which began Oct. 4 and runs to Nov. 3 this year. Most observant Muslims fast from sunup to sundown during Ramadan, and food-service officials at the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are providing pre-dawn and midnight meals to help the detainees observe their customs during this holy period, the joint task force's food-service officer explained. Breakfast, which might normally be served around 7 a.m., is now served at 4 a.m....

AR RAMADI, Iraq (Oct. 22, 2005) -- Two platoons from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, along with two Army units and a company from the Iraqi Security Force, took part in Operation Bowie, Oct.2 through the 4 in order to disrupt insurgent positions in southern Ar Ramadi. The operation, which was the first major operation conducted by the battalion since arriving in Iraq a few weeks ago, was the first to be held in the known insurgent stronghold of the Humara District since the Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines patrolled the area in July. “We conducted a cordon and...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005 ) -- Marines from throughout 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) put their regularly duties on hold and took an active role in safely transporting Iraqi poll workers during the Iraqi Constitution referendum. Operation Liberty Express ended Oct. 18, as the successful Iraqi poll workers and the cast ballots flew out of Al Asad, Iraq, and into history. The Marines, who spent days and nights making sure the vote was able to happen safely were finally able to get some rest. “First couple of nights we worked for 18 straight hours,” said Staff Sgt. William...

SAN FRANCISCO (NNS) -- The Friends of the Fleet Foundation of San Francisco welcomed Sailors for Fleet Week at the San Francisco City Hall Oct. 9 with a special "Most Valuable Player Luncheon." Guest speakers Tom Brady Sr. (father of New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady Jr.) and Rick Ambrose (from event sponsor Lockheed Martin) mingled with the specially-invited Sailors and Coast Guardsmen, and Ambrose related stories of valor from all the nation's sea services. "Our goal is to salute our Sailors and just say 'thank you,'" said Steve Ware, one of the event organizers. "Anything we can do to...

Potentially affecting taxpayers in Arizona and at least 12 other states, thousands of tax payments and other correspondence sent to the Internal Revenue Service were dumped into San Francisco Bay in an automobile accident. Approximately 30,000 estimated quarterly tax payments sent to an IRS post office box in San Francisco in early September were ejected into the bay from a contract courier vehicle involved in the Sept. 11 accident, the IRS said in a "problem alert" statement issued Friday.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2005 – Because "democracy means failure for the insurgency" in Iraq, terrorists are employing violence across Iraq in an effort to derail the democratic process, a senior military Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told reporters today during a Baghdad news conference. Terrorists in Iraq are known to ratchet up their activities, like the recent spate of deadly car bombings in Baghdad, when specific progress is being made in remaking Iraq into a free and democratic nation, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch explained. "These spikes of violence are predictable around the times that highlight progress towards democracy," Lynch said....

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- Hurricane Katrina’s awesome power could not keep a baby from making her debut at the medical center here during a cesarean section illuminated by a ring of flashlights. “Our team delivered a healthy, robust baby girl -- definitely not a shrinking violet,” said Maj. Betsy Majma, a nurse anesthetist. “She came into the world screaming, even before she was fully delivered. Except for the venue and circumstances, it ended up being a routine C-section -- 23 minutes, skin to skin.” The Aug. 29 birth was coordinated by a team of about 50 medics...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2005 – The National Guard troops reporting for duty in the Gulf region to help maintain security are trained professionals, many who serve as civilian law enforcement officers when not on military duty, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told reporters today. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum said the Guard forces aren’t simply troops with no police skills pulled into the mission; they’re bringing solid expertise to the mission and an understanding that they’re supporting existing law enforcement authorities, not replacing them. “They are military police, trained badge-carrying law enforcement officers that discharge their duties...

"We don't know if that's going to affect (relations) with the Russian Orthodox church. The future will show," Interfax new agency quoted Patriarch Alexy II as saying. Metropolitan Kirill, a senior official in the Russian Orthodox church, attended the meeting with Benedict on Alexy's behalf. Alexy ruled out the possibility of inviting Benedict to Russia in the near future, calling on the new pope to address the proselytizing of Orthodox followers by Catholic missionaries that he alleges went on during John Paul's reign. These accusations led Alexy to block John Paul from visiting Russia in 2004, ending the late pontiff's...

Dog Praised For Waking Women During Fire POSTED: 2:26 pm EST February 14, 2005 GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Firefighters in Greensboro are praising a dog for alerting two women to a fire in their home early Monday morning. Authorities said Rebecca Hanlin and Dorcas Ellis were asleep when the dog, named Bam, began barking constantly. The barking awakened the women and alerted them to the fire, allowing them to leave the house without harm. "If he wouldn't have woke me up, I wouldn't be here," Hanlin told WXII 12 News. "I'm pretty sure of that." The fire started at about 4:40...

A HERO SALUTES Casey Owens, a wounded Marine, salutes as his mother Janna Owens cries during the inaugural speech by President Bush. The president pledged to work to heal a country divided by the Iraq war. "We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes, and I will strive in good faith to heal them."      

Woman died during gov't-backed AIDS study Joyce Ann Hafford died without ever holding the son she had tried to save from contracting AIDS (news - web sites) by taking an experimental drug regimen administered by government-funded researchers during her pregnancy. But even before her stunned family could grieve, the 33-year-old's death was reverberating among the government's top scientists in Washington. They quickly realized the drugs the HIV (news - web sites)-positive woman from Memphis, Tenn., was taking likely caused the liver failure that killed her. Reports of her declining health were being monitored in late July 2003 at the...

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!

BOSTON (Oct. 22) -- Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he was considering banning alcohol sales near Fenway Park during the World Series, following rowdy celebrations of the Red Sox's league championship that turned deadly when a police officer shot a projectile into a crowd. Menino planned to meet with bar and nightclub owners on Friday and also said he would press universities to expel students found guilty of criminal conduct in the melee. "Since people won't accept responsibility, I, as mayor, will take it into my own hands," Menino said. Emerson College student Victoria Snelgrove, 21, died on Thursday, hours...

Until modern times, there existed no form of legitimacy in the Middle East outside of Islam. Rulers ruled in the name of God; assassins struck them down in the name of God. The assassinations of the early caliphs and the struggle between the Sunni rulers and the Assassins in the Middle Ages took precisely this form: each side claimed to act in accord with divine will, revealed in divine texts. Religion played a crucial role in the rationale of assassination, but it also played a crucial role in the rationale of government, law, and warfare—indeed, of everything. This invocation of...

Coast Guard says 600-plus personnel to provide security during convention By Associated Press Tuesday, June 29, 2004 BOSTON - The U.S. Coast Guard will deploy more than 600 men and women in air, land and sea patrols around Boston Harbor during next month's Democratic National Convention, officials said Tuesday. Boats ranging from rigid-hulled inflatables to a 270-foot cutter will patrol the harbor and offshore areas, with the cutter's crew randomly boarding commercial ships for security checks. Officials would not say how many vessels would be on patrol, except to say it would be more than usual. Coast Guard helicopters will...

<p>As a candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger called for a ban on fund-raising while the budget was being written in Sacramento. Now, as the governor tries to get lawmakers to approve his budget plan, Schwarzenegger is holding a series of fund-raisers, including one next week in Irvine.</p>

SEATTLE – President Bush is coming to Western Washington on Friday. He is expected to get a lot of support during a fundraiser, but he will also get a lot of grief from protestors. A lot of energy is being generated by critics of the president, who is paying his first visit to Washington state since he became president. Environmentalists, peace activists and Democrats are gearing up for a mighty protest. Protests are planned for midday Friday in Bellevue and Seattle. State Democrats and the machinists and metal trades unions will rally at Bellevue's Crossroads Park. Then they plan to...

<p>Vice President Dick Cheney spoke of terrorism, tax relief and education reform -- but not California’s gubernatorial recall -- during a whirlwind, 15-minute fund-raising speech Wednesday at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Sacramento.</p> <p>Cheney drew loud laughter with a joke about the cost of the lunch featuring cold cuts of beef, a bean salad and a berry dessert. The roughly 200 people who attended paid from $500 to $2,000 apiece.</p>

CALIFORNIA —A Sacramento City College student photographer who was arrested while covering an anti-war protest in San Francisco is no longer facing charges by the district attorney. Nick Varanelli, a photographer for The Express student newspaper, was arrested during March anti-war protests in downtown San Francisco. Varanelli said the San Francisco Police Department did not accept his newspaper-issued press pass and arrested him along with 2,300 other people. He was charged with rioting and blocking traffic and detained for eight hours, he said. A hearing was set for June 18, but just days before Varanelli was supposed to appear in...