Free Republic

BANGOR, Maine – A US Airways jet flying from Paris to Charlotte, North Carolina, has been diverted to Maine because of what an airline spokesman calls a "security issue." A North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman says two F-15 fighters were scrambled to escort the plane. A person briefed on the incident said a passenger announced she had a surgically implanted device. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because it involved sensitive law enforcement information. US Airways spokesman Andrew Christie says the jet with 179 passengers was diverted around noon Tuesday to Bangor International Airport. He says there was...

Turkish warships will escort any Turkish aid vessels to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks broadcast on Al Jazeera television on Thursday. Erdogan also said that Turkey had taken steps to stop Israel from unilaterally exploiting natural resources from the eastern Mediterranean, according to Al Jazeera's Arabic translation of excerpts of the interview, which was conducted in Turkish.

A former Florida Atlantic University police officer tried to kill himself in jail early Thursday, two days after he was arrested in the shooting of a female escort in Boynton Beach, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Jail deputies found Jimmy Dac Ho, 47, hanging in his cell about 5 a.m., said Sheriff's Office spokesman Eric Davis.

On Friday and Saturday nights, at an increasing number of malls across the country, teenagers are being forced to bring along the one person they'd most likely rather leave behind: a parent. Dozens of malls now have what they call a "parental escort policy," meaning teens under the age of 18 have to be with a parent or guardian who is 21 or over to enter. Most shopping centers have these restrictions only on weekend evenings, but some keep them in place seven days a week. The Mid Rivers Mall in St. Louis, Mo., started sending away teens at the...

The movie Pretty Woman is about the fairy tale life of a prostitute who finds who true love with a wealthy businessman played by Richard Gere. In Palm Beach such a saga appeared to be playing out with the marriage of Michael Dippolito to an escort that he met name Dalia. What happened was Dippolito had ordered an escort named Dailia for an evening. After spending the night together the two began to date seriously and after a brief four month of courtship the couple wed. Now a surprising turn of events has taken place with this so called fairy...

Military Funeral Escort Attacked by kentucky drivers on I 75 North near Lima, Ohio. Hearse, casket and the fallen's family nearly crashed in an accident. Only by the grace of God were all spared from this nonsense and meaningless violence brought about for unknown reasons on this day. A Tri- State Military Escort Team began it's mission at 05:00 from Marshall , IL to return a fallen Afghanistan War troop to his home for final burial services. From Marshall through Indianapolis, IN through Richmond ,Indiana even through Dayton , Ohio all went very well. Thousands of Americans lined the escort...

During several weeks of calls to possible clients of the woman dubbed the D.C. Madam, Brian Ross of ABC confirmed that some fairly important people had used her escort service. But when he put together last night's segment for "20/20," the network's chief investigative reporter decided against outing anyone beyond the two people who already had been identified. "They just weren't newsworthy enough," ABC's Brian Ross said of the names. (By Donna Svennevik -- Abc) "Their names won't mean anything to our audience," Ross said in an interview. "They just weren't newsworthy enough." Instead, he said, "what we really wanted...

A Naval Academy instructor worked as an "independent contractor" for a Washington-area escort service whose owner is accused in federal charges of running a prostitution ring, the escort service's former owner's lawyer said last night.

"I'm just so shaken by this, I don't know what to say." Chastity Frye says she spent an hour, all alone, with Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung-Hui last month. Frye said "He was so quiet, I really couldn't get much from him, he was so distant, he really didn't talk a lot. It seemed like he wasn't all there." Frye works for an escort service. She says, Cho hired her, and the two met at a Valley View motel. She says "I danced for a little while and I thought we were done because he got up and went to...

Policemen escort parade participants dressed as samurai warriors during a parade at the Yabusame festival in Tokyo April 21, 2007. Yabusame is a traditional form of archery performed on horseback. (Reuters)

PALM DESERT, Calif. - Army Maj. Gen. Guy C. Swan III will accompany Gerald R. Ford's family during the next several days of mourning, from Friday's services in California to the presidential burial on Wednesday, military officials said. As military escort, Swan will stay with Ford's immediate family throughout services in Palm Desert, at the Capitol in Washington and the final ceremonies in Grand Rapids, Mich. Swan, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1976, is commanding general of the Army Military District of Washington and Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region. During the California services Friday and Saturday,...

Lance Cpl. Justin W. Ahlers inspects a GAU-17/A minigun on a UH-1 Huey before a patrol escort flight May 11. Ahlers is a crew chief and Jefferson, Wis., native deployed with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Cpl. Curtis R. Ingersoll looks out the side of a UH-1 Huey helicopter on the return flight from a patrol escort. Ingersoll is a crew chief and West Bend, Wis., native deployed with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Viper's gunships escort patrolStory and photos by...

U.S. Army Pfc. Erik Regalado, a medic with first platoon, B Company, speaks with children standing in line with their families to receive their propane, in Amal Shabi near Kirkuk, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff Iraqi Police Escort Propane Delivery to Village The Iraqi police escorted the propane to Amal Shabi, while coalition forces provided an additional security presence during the distribution of the propane. By U.S. Army Spc. Michael Pfaff 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment KIRKUK, Iraq, March 6, 2006 — For several days, the Iraqi village of Amal Shabi had been denied their normal...

Ten Women Busted In Undercover Sting On Escort Services POSTED: 5:35 pm EST November 4, 2005 UPDATED: 7:12 am EST November 10, 2005 WEIRD PHOTOS: News Of The Strange Slideshow SIGN UP: Daily News Of The Strange Email FERN PARK, Fla. -- Nearly one dozen women were busted in an undercover sting on local escort services. Investigators say this year's hurricanes brought many of the women to the Central Florida area. Seminole County undercover agents busted ten female escorts on prostitution charges late Thursday night. They said a few of the women had come to Central Florida to work after...

CAMP SLAYER, Iraq — Wherever there is an Army camp, extra duty is a given. With hundreds of Iraqis and other nationals hired to do a myriad of jobs on this camp, there is a need for soldiers to escort them while ensuring security for American interests is maintained. Like many things involving the Army, there is a list — a duty roster — directing soldiers to show up and perform an assigned task. The 69th Signal Company GIs are no exception to being tasked. Just ask a pair of the company’s specialists — Mark Burke and Christopher Hughes. Two...

A drama teacher at a Catholic high school in Sacramento was fired Thursday after church officials learned she had previously volunteered at an abortion clinic, school officials said Friday. Marie Bain, 50, of Sacramento, who had taught at Loretto High School since August, was dismissed after a student's parent obtained pictures showing Bain escorting people into a Planned Parenthood clinic last spring. The pictures were delivered to Bishop William K. Weigand, head of the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, who outlined the decision to terminate Bain in an Oct. 5 letter to the president of the all-female school. "Obviously, the very...

F-16s Escort Plane After Shuttle Launch Security Breach POSTED: 2:19 pm EDT July 26, 2005 UPDATED: 2:29 pm EDT July 26, 2005 Several F-16 fighter jets patrolling the skies above the Kennedy Space Center were scrambled when a small plane violated restricted air space near the shuttle launch pad. F-16 Falcon. Florida Today image. The fighter jets escorted the Cessna plane to Lake County, Fla., where it landed without further incident, according to reports. The F-16 fighter jets patrolling the shuttle were from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. It is not known if the pilot will face charges...

WASHINGTON - A conservative ringer who was given a press pass to the White House and lobbed softball questions at President Bush quit yesterday after left-leaning Internet bloggers discovered possible ties to gay prostitution. "The voice goes silent," Jeff Gannon wrote on his Web site. "In consideration of the welfare of me and my family, I have decided to return to private life." Gannon began covering the White House two years ago for an obscure Republican Web site (Talon-News.com). He was known for his friendly questions, including asking Bush at last month's news conference how he could work with Democrats...

The U.S. is engaged in a bloody war in Iraq for the purpose of eliminating the remnants of a terrorist regime, foreign terrorists, and bringing democracy to Iraq and the region. It is a big gamble that has put radical Islam on the defensive around the world. But shocking evidence demonstrates that controversial former U.S. Marine and former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, who now writes for the anti-American Arab "news" organization Al Jazeera, was involved in a controversial effort to stop the war by enlisting prominent personalities in a "peace" campaign.

Fighters Escort Two Small Planes Away From Bush Rally POSTED: 3:48 pm EDT October 23, 2004 UPDATED: 5:31 pm EDT October 23, 2004 MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Federal authorities said Saturday two small private planes violated restricted air space over a campaign rally by President George W. Bush at a Melbourne baseball stadium. Fighter jets escorted the plane to Merritt Island Airport near Cocoa Beach, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Secret Service has interviewed the pilot. FAA spokesman Greg Martin said further action is possible. Reporters covering Bush's campaign event said the military jets drowned out Bush's words at...

Scramble, scramble, scramble! Freepers man your planes!President Bush (Callsign: Eagle One) is inbound to your sector and requests escort! Here is your intercept data: Kutztown, Pennsylvania Event: Ask President Bush Day: Friday, July 09, 2004 Time: 10:45 am EDT Lancaster, Pennsylvania Event: Presidential Remarks Day: Friday, July 09, 2004 Time: 3:10 pm EDT York, Pennsylvania Event: BC '04 Rally w/ President Bush Day: Friday, July 09, 2004 Time: 6:00 pm EDT Wisconsin, July 14th: According to WIBA-AM in Madison, the President will fly into Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport and make appearances in Milwaukee, Fon du Lac and Green Bay. Exact...

When Ford Motor Co.s much-anticipated rival to Ferrari goes on sale next summer, it will debut with a 139,995 US dollar price tag. Ford officials announced pricing for its 2005 Ford GT supercar Monday at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, nearly two years after the vehicle debuted as a concept in Detroit at the 2002 North American International Auto Show. The company will begin building the GT in Wixom, Michigan, early next summer in volumes limited to about 1,750 units annually over a two-year production run. "The Ford GT is a showcase of Ford Motor Companys heritage," says Marty...

A Dutch prisoner claims he is running an escort service for other inmates. The inmate of De Geniepoort jail in Alphen aan de Rijn told De Telegraaf that his business is a big success. He says he arranges for prostitutes, posing as prisoners' girlfriends or wives, to have conjugal visits. And the inmate, who's serving 14 years for murder, says the inmates can even get condoms and viagra from the prison doctor. He said: "It's all very legal. Every prisoner is allowed to have visits from their girlfriend or wife without supervision. In prison there are special rooms for it....

<p>John Eder's election to the state's Legislature gives the Green Party a boost nationally -- but he's on his own when it comes to getting results.</p> <p>AUGUSTA, Maine — Just as the legislative session was winding to a close, John Eder managed to get his first bill passed. For a moment, the freshman representative reveled in a round of back-slapping and high-fives from his Capitol colleagues.</p> <p>Then he slipped off to write a thank-you note to the committee chairman who helped him.</p>

Meet Maryam Massihi. The 21-year-old hooker recently stole political consultant Bob Beckel's heart--at least for a few hours, at $300 per. Then Massihi (who used the names Tiffany and Cindy professionally) and her cohorts allegedly tried to extort $50,000 in hush money from the Democratic heavyweight (he ran Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign). Beckel's recent run-in with Massihi & Co. is detailed in this search warrant affidavit filed August 23 in Alexandria, Virginia's Circuit Court. Beckel discovered his young consort via the Internet (Massihi's electronic come-on is below) and paid her by check, which proved helpful when cops began probing...

Whitter, California. Today about 4:30-5:00 p.m. Four ANG F/A-18 jets flew in a wide circle pattern at about 2,500 feet. They loitered for about 15 minutes, then headed due south. They were circling below the flight path to LAX. We thought they were going to an air show, but realized they were loitering.