Free Republic

This is the city: Los Angeles, California." With those words, an episode of the 1960s version of "Dragnet" would start. Perhaps the most accessible version of the classic cop concept . Just how good was it? Consider this: Its cancellation in 1970 was not because the network didn’t feel it was pulling in ratings, but because show creator/star Jack Webb was focusing on other shows, like "Adam-12" and "Emergency!" (which was this author's favorite as a kid). The 1950s "Dragnet" was cancelled for the same reason – Webb wanted to pursue other projects. "Dragnet" has aged well. Around his death,...

In North Carolina residents are not allowed legally to use deadly force to protect property. Deadly force may be used to protect oneself or others from imminent serious harm. But not so for property. We posted an article last week in which we argued that in emergencies, such as in the aftermath of a hurricane, residents should be able to protect their property. You can read that article by clicking here. We hold very little hope that the Castle Doctrine will be expanded to include the use of deadly force to protect property, even when law enforcement is not available...

Character is consistent. Voters say moral character is one of the most important things they look for in choosing the president. The character of a public figure can be hard to discern amidst a fog of self-advertising, hype, and the distorting effects of TV. ~snip~ An unusual personal story gives us insight into Mitt Romney. It is 1996. Mitt Romney is the head of Bain Capital in Boston. One of his employees comes to him, utterly distraught. His 14-year-old daughter snuck out of the house to go to a rave in New York and has been missing for three days....

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE June 25, 2012 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material. In Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, the...

After a Spanish exit from the euro, there would be nothing left to exit from. I’ve never actually heard the term “total emergency” before, at least not in the context of global economics. It sounds like the title of a disaster movie. When it is uttered in sober tones by the elder statesman of an advanced democracy to describe his country’s financial condition, the effect is rather startling. The man who delivered this apocalyptic judgment, former Spanish prime minister Felipe González, being a socialist, might be expected to detest austerity programmes that require cuts to government spending. But there seemed...

Earlier this month, innovative legislators in the state of Oklahoma voted unanimously to advance a proposed amendment that guarantees Second Amendment protections to law abiding citizens during a state of emergency declared by a state official or agency. Current state riot law is unclear as to how far law enforcement can go with respect to handling disasters, riots, or disorder. In fact, the Oklahoma Riot Control and Prevention Act provide for such wide latitude, that law enforcement, if they wanted to, could effectuate a military, take our guns away operation. Oklahoma Senate Bill 1760 makes it clear that provisions in...

WHAT TO DO ON A 911 CALL or EMERGENCIESThe PreparedNow website was developed to assist the average person on what and how to prepare for emergencies. After responding to emergency calls over the last two decades, these simple points may be difference in an emergency response team saving the life of a loved one. They are quick, simple to remember and easier to implement. The Five Most Important Medical Things to Share with the Fire Department. The Five Most Important Points on Fire Safety. The Five Most Important Things To Do If There Is A Fire. Things You Can Do...

I’m not sure when the tipping point occurred, but at some point recently the “prepper” movement exploded and became mainstream. Preppers are folks who detect the possibility of calamity and decide to increase their odds of surviving it by putting aside supplies. “Putting things by” — essential throughout most of humanity’s existence — was common in the United States up until advances in transportation logistics brought about the “just in time” shipping model. Suddenly, we could get almost any supplies delivered fresh and year-round to massive community stores. What our grandparents called “lean times” became a thing of the past...

SHAWNEE, Okla. — Members of a state House committee have voted to increase the legal protection of citizens’ constitutional rights. Senate Bill 1760, by state Sen. Anthony Sykes and state Rep. T.W. Shannon, would specify that Oklahomans’ Second Amendment rights cannot be taken away during a declared state of emergency. “While government may assume greater police powers to preserve public safety during times of emergency, the government should never be allowed to strip citizens of their most basic constitutional rights,” said Shannon, R-Lawton. “This legislation simply makes clear that Oklahomans will continue to have the right to self-defense during emergency...

"The terrorist threat that led to the declaration on September 14, 2001, of a national emergency continues. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect after September 14, 2011, the national emergency with respect to the terrorist threat. Barack Obama"

WATCH THE HEARTWARMING VIDEO

House Dems to Obama: Be ready to tap emergency oil reservesBy Andrew Restuccia - 02/22/12 03:20 PM ET Three House Democrats urged President Obama Wednesday to consider releasing oil from the country's emergency stockpiles in order to lower gas prices. The lawmakers warned that tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), a 696-million-barrel stockpile of oil stored in salt caverns along the Gulf Coast, could soon be necessary to combat rising prices they say stem from market speculation. “It is essential that the United States have an aggressive strategy for releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat the speculators...

DENVER (AP) -- House lawmakers approved a bill to forbid the state from seizing Colorado residents' firearms during a declared state of emergency. Republican House Leader Amy Stephens says the bill is about emergency preparedness. The proposal passed the Republican-led House Monday with bipartisan support but it's likely to be defeated in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Emergency powers for president dropped from cybersecurity billBy Gautham Nagesh - 02/14/12 01:55 PM ET A comprehensive cybersecurity bill introduced Tuesday abandons proposals that would give the president emergency powers over the nation's networks. “The nation responded after 9/11 to improve its security. Now we must respond to this challenge so that a cyber 9/11 attack on America never happens,” said Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Public apprehension about the possibility of handing the White House a "kill switch" for the Internet has dogged the cybersecurity debate, fueled by a proposal that would have codified emergency powers...

Islamist violence has forced NIgerian President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency and order the closure of part of the country's borders. Jonathan announced the emergency measures Saturday, labeling the Islamist sect Boko Haram a "cancer" that threatened to destroy Africa's most populated body after a deadly week in which scores were killed by the radical Islamist terror group Boko Haram. Speaking in a broadcast to the nation, the president said, "It has become imperative to take some decisive measures to restore normalcy in the country, especially within the affected communities..." He listed parts of the states of...

Emergency Sirens Signal False Alarm On MauiPOSTED: 11:18 am HST December 22, 2011 WAILUKU, Hawaii -- Maui police are alerting the public that despite civil defense sirens sounding early Thursday, there is no emergency. Maui officials are looking into why sirens used to alert residents to emergencies such as tsunamis accidentally went off. Police spokesman Lt. Wayne Ibarra says the sirens jolted him out of bed at about 1 a.m.

Today was the first test of the new Emergency Alert System, which is a centrally controlled version of the Emergency Broadcast System whose tests have been annoying the hell out of people for the better part of fifty years. The idea is to give the President a way to alert the entire populace to a national emergency instantly, by seizing control of all TV and radio communications. In the event of a nuclear war, large-scale civil unrest, a massive cyber-attack, or a zombie apocalypse, you’ll hear a headache-inducing tone, followed by emergency instructions. Unless we get attacked by an electromagnetic...

Among the more egregious failings of the Budget Control Act (BCA)—the proxy fiscal plan spawned by the summer’s debt ceiling debate—are a pair of gaping loopholes allowing Congress effectively to blow through the agreement’s advertised spending limit. The Senate has already begun to exploit one of these openings. The House should not let it happen. Loophole No. 1, little noticed when the BCA was enacted, is called “disaster relief.” It allows Congress to “adjust” the BCA’s $1.043 trillion discretionary spending cap for fiscal year (FY) 2012—that is, to simply raise the limit—for weather events the President terms “disasters” (an exceptionally...

If you have ever wondered about the government’s ability to control the civilian airwaves, you will have your answer on November 9th. On that day, federal authorities are going to shut off all television and radio communications simultaneously at 2:00PM EST to complete the first ever test of the national Emergency Alert System (EAS).

Police and emergency vehicles arrived to CBS Television City in Hollywood moments ago ... after someone reported that white powder spilled out of a letter in the CBS mailroom. Law enforcement sources confirm ... cops are investigating the scene. Sources on the lot tell TMZ ... the letter was NOT addressed to anyone on "Dancing with the Stars" ... but so far, it's unclear who the intended recipient was. It's not the first time CBS has had an anthrax scare -- just last year, the studio went on lockdown when production staff found white powder in a letter addressed to...