Free Republic

In recent weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris has dashed off to Florida on short notice. She sparred with the state’s conservative governor, Ron DeSantis, over how to teach slavery in schools. And she flew into Iowa to defend abortion rights while 13 Republican presidential candidates were having dinner a few miles away. Although her words were directed at Republicans, her message was also aimed at all her doubters. Once a rising star as a senator in California, Ms. Harris has for years been saddled by criticism of her performance as vice president. She has struggled with difficult assignments on issues...

Dr. Anthony Fauci over the weekend said Americans need to be “flexible enough to pivot” back to a world with restrictions in place — “more rigid” restrictions, specifically — due to the Chinese coronavirus. Fauci has used recent media appearances to warn Americans that while trends appear to be going in the right direction, they need to be prepared to bring back coronavirus-era restrictions if public health officials deem it necessary. President Biden’s medical adviser made the same remark during an appearance on BBC’s Sunday Morning program as well, warning that people must be prepared for “a more rigid type...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will pledge to use "every single aspect of American power" to destroy Islamic State during a rare Oval Office address on Sunday in an effort to reassure Americans his administration is handling the threat of terrorism forcefully. The president will speak to Americans shortly after 8:00 p.m. EST to discuss how the government has worked to keep the country safe since the Paris attacks and, going back further, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. Obama has come under consistent pressure from Republicans to step up his response to Islamic...

Abdullah Badawi, Malaysia's prime minister, "says a huge chasm has opened between the West and Islam, fuelled by Muslim frustrations over Western foreign policy," according to the BBC, in a story about the Mohammed caricatures. The Beeb claims that Abdullah is "promoting a moderate form of Islam," but his anti-democratic actions prove otherwise. Au contraire, Mr. Abdullah, it is your seething, Muslim masses that are the cause of this "chasm." Again, the BBC: As he spoke at a conference in Kuala Lumpur, thousands protested outside at Western cartoons of Prophet Muhammad. ... "Long live Islam. Destroy Denmark. Destroy Israel. Destroy...

Hospital staff say forceful U.S. rescue operation of American POW wasn't necessary By Scheherezade Faramarzi The Associated Press NASIRIYAH, Iraq -- The U.S. commandos refused a key and instead broke down doors and went in with guns drawn. They carried away the prisoner in the dead of night with helicopter and armored vehicle backup -- even though there was no Iraqi military presence and the hospital staff didn't resist. In the tale of Pfc. Jessica Lynch's rescue, this is the Iraqi side. New attention has been drawn to the April 1 rescue since a BBC report earlier this month created...

A final, forceful attempt to place maximum pressure on the French By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles 17 March 2003 Only one question remained after yesterday's Azores summit: whether the United Nations can be persuaded, in extremis, to throw its collective weight behind the Iraqi war that has now become well-nigh inevitable, or whether the rifts dividing the Security Council will have to wait until after the war to be addressed. Nothing said by Tony Blair or George Bush gave the slightest suggestion that war can be averted. The leaders said they would give diplomacy another 24 hours to run...