Free Republic

In the early hours of one April morning, about a dozen armed federal agents burst through the door of the Homer Inn & Spa and surged the halls of the picturesque lodge. The owners and guests startled awake to guns drawn on them as surly agents barked commands, handcuffing them before tearing the place apart. "We're looking for Nancy Pelosi's laptop," the agents told Marilyn Hueper after placing her in cuffs. Marilyn owns the inn with her husband, Paul Hueper. "That still doesn't explain why you're in my home. Or in Homer, Alaska," she replied. The scene played out in...

Jeffrey Sterling learned the hard way that the feds will throw the book at anyone who embarrasses them.By John Kiriakou Jeffrey Sterling recently stood before a judge as his sentence was read. The former CIA officer, the judge declared, would spend 42 months — that’s three and half years — behind bars. The feds had convicted Sterling on nine felony charges, including seven counts of espionage.He didn’t sell secrets to the Russians. He didn’t trade intelligence for personal gain. He made no attempt to disrupt the American way of life.What did he do, then?He reported to the Senate Intelligence Committee...

A Florida woman was allegedly caught carrying almost $41,000 through customs, with much of the cash reportedly hidden in her undergarments. Victoria Faren, 78, and her daughter were stopped April 2 while trying to board a flight to the Philippines out of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, federal court records indicate. The court records, filed Friday, recount the strange incident, during which customs agents discovered the elderly woman allegedly attempting to smuggle the cash through airport security. When Faren and her daughter were first asked by officers how much money they were carrying, Faren reportedly said she was carrying $200. Her...

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Illinois Gun Works for exposing workers to lead, other hazards at Elmwood Park, Ill., plant ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Illinois Gun Works Ltd. for 28 alleged health violations following a Jan. 21 inspection referred by the Illinois Department of Public Health that found two gun range operators were exposed to airborne lead levels up to 12 times the permissible level. Proposed fines total $111,000. "Illinois Gun Works has a responsibility to protect the health of its employees by ensuring that they operate...