http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/extended-news/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:23:14 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418139/posts MANILA, Philippines - The Mayon Volcano has abruptly calmed down with no ash explosions taking place on Wednesday and a "very weak" emission of white steam from the crater summit. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), however, has maintained Alert Level 4 over the restive volcano, which means a hazardous explosion is still imminent. In its December 31 bulletin, the Phivolcs said lava was still flowing out of the volcano's crater and the rolling down of incandescent lava fragments along the Bonga gully continued. "No ash explosion was observed during times of good visibility. Emission of very weak... ABS CBN News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418139/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:23:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418135/posts A White Haven man and his parents believe he, too, was sentenced unjustly as a youth several years ago in the alleged “kids for cash” scandal. They filed on Monday a lawsuit against a slew of familiar defendants. Raul Clark, now 21, was a 14-year-old Coughlin High School freshman in 2002 when he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of violating curfew and drug-paraphernalia possession. He was sentenced by former county Judge Mark Ciavarella to six months’ detention and was forced to face several other hardships of the legal system unjustly, the lawsuit contends. The lawsuit contends Clark’s rights under the... Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre PA) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418135/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:04:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418129/posts Will they let us in without a gun? that’s my biggest concern as we drive to the new Clark County Shooting Park at the northern end of Decatur. I ask my cohort whether we can borrow her brother’s pistol; but shortly the talk turns to how her mother got shot in the foot once in a family gun-handling accident—“blood spurted straight up!” I decide we’ll go gunless. Turns out yes, you’re welcome to go gunless. You can take a picnic. You can take a properly leashed dog. It’s a public park for the stouter-in-faith than I. There are RVs and... Las Vegas Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418129/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:36:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418122/posts I don't know exactly how long Colleen Long has been employed by the Associated Press, but if the journalist publishes many more facts that expose the lies of the gun control movement, I expect she'll be visiting the unemployment lines very soon. In an article noting an increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty by gunfire in 2009, Long departed from the anti-gun media template by providing a great deal of perspective on the increase. From the story: "The number of officers killed in the line of duty by gunfire increased 24 percent from 2008,... Buckey Firearms Association http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418122/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:22:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418120/posts As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident. TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public. Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418120/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:21:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418089/posts It’s been a tough first year for President Obama, as critics throughout the body politic bemoan that Mr. Change-We-Can-Believe-In is looking more and more like Mr. Politics-As-Usual. With the coming new year, however, POTUS has a prime opportunity to regroup, reload, and revamp his image. He could start by ditching golf. Seriously. Its venerable White House history notwithstanding, golf is a dubious pastime for any decent, sane person, much less for this particular president. Why would a leader vowing to shake up Washington--to alter the very nature of politics--sell his soul to a leisure activity that screams stodgy, hyperconventional Old... THE NEW REPUBLIC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418089/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:26:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418075/posts The Freeper Canteen Wishes Everyone Eve! **Click Here** NEW YEAR WISHES May peace fill all the empty spaces around you And in you, may contentment answer all your wishes. May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh. And may the coming year show you that every day is really a first day, a new year. Let abundance be your constant companion, so that you have much to share. May mirth be near you always, like a lamp shining brightly on the many paths you travel. ~~Diana Krall - What Are You Doing New Years Eve~~ ~~Guy Lombardo... Happy New Year Troops, Vets, Allies & Military Families! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418075/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:00:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418074/posts Sources tell CBS News that it appears the CIA information on "the Nigerian" was limited including his actual identity because it was coming from sub-sourcing. That means the information was one or two steps removed from the origin source who had contact with Abdulmutallab or who eyeballed him associating with individuals with suspected or known links to al Qaeda. The sub-source apparently told the CIA that the person of interest dubbed "the Nigerian" held extremist views, had the ability to travel outside the region, and was being embraced and groomed by those who ascribe to al Qaeda. Information provided by... CBS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418074/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:57:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418060/posts The 9/11 attacks spawned far-reaching changes in the government's handling of terrorism tips and related intelligence, but early investigations into the attempted Christmas Day bombing suggest the new system is still having trouble putting the dots together. After Sept. 11, 2001, it became clear that U.S. authorities had failed to share information that could have helped them discover the plot to hijack airliners. The Bush administration's initial attempt to address that shortcoming was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. That was quickly eclipsed by the decision to create an intelligence integration center at the Central Intelligence... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418060/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:34:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418050/posts Eight years ago, a terrorist bomber’s attempt to blow up a transatlantic airliner was thwarted by a group of passengers, an incident that revealed some gaping holes in airline security just a few months after the attacks of Sept. 11. But it was six days before President George W. Bush, then on vacation, made any public remarks about the so-called shoe bomber, Richard Reid, and there were virtually no complaints from the press or any opposition Democrats that his response was sluggish or inadequate. That stands in sharp contrast to the withering criticism President Barack Obama has received from Republicans... http://news.yahoo.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418050/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:23:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418020/posts Note: The following text is a quote: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, December 29, 2009 Major International Hacker Pleads Guilty for Massive Attack on U.S. Retail and Banking Networks WASHINGTON- Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into computer networks supporting major American retail and financial organizations, and to steal data relating to tens of millions of credit and debit cards, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen Milagros Ortiz and Director of... US DOJ.gov/opa - Press Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418020/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:22:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417772/posts Sadly we have lost more US Troops, but I have to wonder how an attack like this could even happen. Did this Muslim pose as a friend in the past, or did this maybe have something to do with Obama’s and our General’s new Rules of Engagement (ROE)? May they RIP. Logan's Warning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417772/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:18:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417988/posts The British hostage Peter Moore was dramatically set free yesterday after the United States handed over an Iraqi insurgent suspected of planning the deaths of five American servicemen. Mr Moore, an IT consultant, was freed by the League of the Righteous, or Asaib al-Haq (AAH) — an extremist Shia group allied to Iran — after 31 months and spent his first night of freedom at the British embassy in Baghdad. He is expected to fly home today. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said that officials had worked tirelessly to secure his release but strongly denied that the British Government had... Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417988/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:39:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417974/posts Now to news from overseas tonight. Tonight we have an NBC News exclusive, a report that was prepared for US military commanders about the situation in Afghanistan, how ready the Afghan army is. This report was not to be distributed, but it has been now. And as you'll see, it shows what a tough road Americans in uniform now have in front of them. Our chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel obtained the report. He's here with us in our New York studios with more. Richard, good evening. RICHARD ENGEL reporting: Good evening, Brian. This is a copy of that report.... lexis nexis news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417974/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:26:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417966/posts Four days after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly failed to blow up a Northwest Airlines jet from Amsterdam to Detroit, government officials, security experts and members of the public are still trying to figure out what went wrong and how air travel security can be improved. After the botched attack, at least one member of Congress, Peter King, R-N.Y., has suggested that profiling by religion or race could improve security. In an interview on Fox News, King said, "The fact is, while the overwhelming majority of Muslims are outstanding people, on the other hand, 100 percent of the Islamic terrorists are... ABC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417966/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:15:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417962/posts The White House fired back Wednesday at Republican critics, particularly Dick Cheney, who have accused the administration in the aftermath of an attempted jet attack of taking a light approach to fighting terrorism. The former vice president had told Politico.com that Obama is "trying to pretend we are not at war" with terrorists and is endangering the country in the process. Cheney joined several other GOP officials in criticizing the administration's "low-key" response to the failed attempt to bomb a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. But White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer accused Republicans Wednesday of trying to exploit... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417962/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:07:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417956/posts As a couple of Finnish readers have reported, there is an excellent Finnish Climategate documentary with English subtitles available on Youtube. (I have a couple of cameos from my pre-Climategate interview). Climate Audit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417956/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:57:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417947/posts Lady Thatcher responded that “in her view all those who wrote letters in this sense should be invited to accept one into their homes," the minutes disclose. "She thought it quite wrong that immigrants should be given council housing whereas white citizens were not." Lady Thatcher asked what the implications of such a move could be given that an exodus of the white population from Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe – was expected once majority rule was established. She made clear, however, that she had "less objection to refugees such as Rhodesians, Poles and Hungarians, since they could more easily be... Daily Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417947/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:43:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417916/posts The status of Mayon Volcano is maintained at Alert Level 4. PHIVOLCS-DOST reiterates that the Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) from the summit of 8-km on the southern sector of the volcano and 7-km on the northern sector should be free from human activity. Areas just outside of this EDZ should prepare for evacuation in the event hazardous eruptions intensify. Active river channels and those perennially identified as lahar prone in the southern sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall. In addition, Civil Aviation Authorities must advise pilots to avoid... wattsupwiththat.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417916/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:05:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417876/posts ...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will impose a stricter nationwide limit on ozone, or smog, next month, requiring further pollution cuts from vehicles and industries just as Houston complies for the first time with the current standard, set in 1997. Thanks to cleanup efforts, favorable weather conditions and a slumping economy that reduced emissions-producing business and transportation, Houston will achieve the standard of 84 parts per billion, or 84 molecules of ozone for every billion molecules of air, by the thinnest of margins this year. But the new limit, lowered on the basis of more recent medical evidence, will be... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417876/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:42:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417870/posts The Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day attended classes here last year, a leader of a Houston Islamic educational institution said today. Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, vice president for the AlMaghrib Institute in Houston and imam of the Clear Lake Islamic Center, said he would provide more details on 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s studies in Houston this afternoon. Basyouni had asked a team of staffers to investigate a report that Abdulmutallab had attended classes at the institute in 2008. The Nigerian-born son of a prominent banker, Abdulmutallab is accused of attempting to blow up a... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417870/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:35:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417859/posts RALEIGH -- Sen. R.C. Soles, a Tabor City Democrat, said Wednesday he will not seek re-election next year, a decision that comes three weeks after a Columbus County grand jury found probable cause to indict him for shooting a young man in the leg outside Soles' home in August. Soles, 75, is the longest serving member of the Senate and, as chairman of the Democratic caucus, a member of the leadership. He is the latest in a string of senior Democrats stepping down that likely change the look and likely the style of how the Senate operates. "I plan to... Raleigh News & Observer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417859/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:11:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417825/posts Ford City, Pa. -- Rep. John P. Murtha's record of bringing home money from Washington -- at a current rate of $100 million a year -- has become the envy of Capitol Hill colleagues and a subject of grateful awe in a stretch of Pennsylvania desperate for new jobs. In Congress, Murtha beats everybody in loading legislation with earmarks, federal funds steered to chosen contractors without the usual reviews. But after two decades of Murtha-directed federal investment here, a look at the results shows the congressman's promises of jobs often fall short. In some cases, the federal government has spent... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417825/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:30:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417810/posts BAUCHI: Dozens more bodies were recovered after violent clashes between security forces and Islamists in northern Nigeria, bringing the death toll to around 70, a count at a hospital morgue showed on Wednesday. An AFP reporter listed 42 bodies on the floor of the morgue in the city of Bauchi, all with bullet or machete wounds. Another 25 bodies, mostly young people including minors, had been placed in cold storage rooms. A morgue employee told AFP "the bodies were brought in on Monday" after clashes erupted in Bauchi between suspected members of a radical Islamist sect and security forces. Police... Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417810/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:01:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417790/posts Even as the US has stepped up cooperation with Yemen in targeting al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known terrorists wanted by the US government continue to operate in the open while the Yemeni government looks the other way. The US has increased military and intelligence support to the weak Yemeni government and President Ali Abdullah Saleh over the past several months as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has grown more bold. The terror group has been plotting to target the Yemeni state as well as US and other foreign targets inside and outside Yemen, according to US intelligence... The Long War Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417790/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:39:02 GMT