Free Republic

From the Indianapolis Star: Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz will speak at a fund-raiser for Gov. Joe Kernan's campaign. The coach and the former South Bend mayor have been friends for years. The $300-a-person reception and dinner June 7 will be at the Indianapolis Colts' Union Federal Football Center on West 56th Street. In the past Holtz has endorsed or campaigned for Republican candidates. He appeared in a commercial for Jesse Helms. Holtz attended an inaugural luncheon for then Attorney General Charlie Condon (a Notre Dame alumnus) in 1999. Holtz also was listed as a supporter of Dan...

<p>BANGKOK, Thailand -- Vichian Tansiri picked his way among dozens of domed wicker baskets in his dusty backyard, wondering how long he could keep shielding from health officials the prize-fighting roosters scratching and squawking inside.</p> <p>Governments across Asia have ordered the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens since the outbreak of avian influenza was detected last month. The disease has passed to humans in two countries -- Thailand and Vietnam -- killing at least 19 people. It has spread to chickens in 10 other nations.</p>

COLUMBIA, S.C. -President George W. Bush will give the spring commencement address at the University of South Carolina on May 9, the White House confirmed Friday. The president will speak at 3 p.m. at the Carolina Center. It is not the first time a sitting president has given the graduation address at South Carolina; President George H. Bush spoke at the May 1990 ceremony. Next Friday's commencement will mark the second time in a week that the university will be in the national political spotlight. The nine candidates for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination were set to hold their first...

A national animal rights group is asking USC (University of South Carolina) president Andrew Sorensen to meet it halfway --keep the Gamecock logo, but lose the spurs. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says USC needs to distance itself from "images of blood, dismemberment, death, and illegal gambling." In a letter to Sorensen, PETA coordinator Kristie Phelps said while the group would like the school to dump the famous bird altogether, eliminating the spurs attached to the bird's legs would be an acceptable compromise. Sharp spurs are used in cockfights to slash the opponent. "Please retire USC's silent...

Congress has addressed the issue of cockfighting, which gets more attention in South Carolina because of the mascot of the state university than because of any legal action to prevent the sport banned here and in most states. And there are indeed those who call it sport to watch two roosters do battle to the death. The same with dogs and other animals. As history shows, there are those, too, who'd enjoy watching and betting on humans doing battle to the death. Therein is a large part of the problem in not standing against such blood sports. Orangeburg County Sheriff...