Free Republic

By Clark BakerLast June, I posted this report about US hospitals and how many rely on fraud, preventable injuries and infections to patients to compensate for losses due to our government’s insistence that private hospitals treat and care for uninsured and underinsured citizens, indigents, and illegal aliens. [Photo: Dr. Robert Gallo]I learned how hospitals destroy good physicians and how predatory hospital chains like Tenet, Kaiser Permanente, and Adventist pressure local physicians already in successful private practice to join their groups. Those who refuse are targeted for sham peer review by corporate administrators and MDs who accuse non-compliant physicians as...

The BBC has launched an investigation after complaints from staff of anti-Muslim discrimination by a ‘mafia of executives’ at the Corporation’s own Asian radio station. At least 20 past and present BBC employees, all Asian Muslims, have lodged complaints that its digital radio station, Asian Network, is operating with an anti-Muslim policy. They claim Muslim presenters and reporters are sidelined or sacked from the station, which began 12 years ago, in favour of Asians from other backgrounds – mainly Hindus and Sikhs. They also complain that attempts to persuade the station’s upper ranks to play Pakistani or Bengali music for...

The Shrinking Influence of the US Federal Reserve By Gabor Steingart in Washington Humiliation for Mr. Dollar: Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve Bank, faces a general investigation by the International Monetary Fund. Just one more example of the Fed losing its power. The United States Federal Reserve Bank, or Fed, seems as much a part of America as Coca-Cola or Pizza Hut. But at least one difference has become apparent in recent days. While the pizza chain and soft-drink maker are likely to expand their scope of influence in the age of globalization, the US...

"Finally, a member of Congress has announced a laudable plan to do something about the abusive behavior of demonstrators of the anti-war left. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation to deal with what he has described as “a growing number of our fellow citizens [who] are abusing their right of free expression through vandalism and violent protest aimed at military recruiters and those who wish to serve.”" Finally someone talking serious about Code Pink's anarchical activities. There are a lot more examples of Code Pink's crimes then noted in the article....

HOUSTON -- Federal officials are working to find out just what happened in the sky over Houston this morning. Continental Flight 1544 was 11 miles east of Bush Intercontinental Airport after takeoff this morning, when the pilot called the tower to report an object near the plane. The plane was at about 5,000 feet at the time of the report and the flight continued on to Cleveland. Sources told 11 News that the flight was met by Continental officials and FAA investigators to interview the passengers and crew.

Does the Milberg criminal case point to a broader ill in the securities class-action industry? That’s a question being raised by U.S. Rep. John Boehner, the Republican leader in the House. In this letter expected to be sent to the House Judiciary Committee today, Boehner (pictured) asks the committee to investigate whether plaintiffs lawyers routinely pay kickbacks to shareholder clients, as Milberg is alleged to have done. The firm denies wrongdoing. Four of its former-once-senior partners have pleaded or agreed to plead guilty. The letter highlights comments that former Milberg partner William Lerach made to the WSJ earlier this year:...

In 1974, 27-year-old Hillary Rodham found herself at the center of a congressional firestorm over the question of whether Richard Nixon had a right to counsel as he faced impeachment proceedings. In my column of Monday, March 31, 2008, I reported the account of Jerry Zeifman, who served at the time as general counsel and chief of staff to the House Judiciary Committee. Zeifman minced no words about Hillary’s behavior when she worked on the House Judiciary staff during the impeachment investigation. After signing her termination papers, Zeifman refused Hillary a letter of recommendation. He told me in an interview...

A skit with a black-faced white student portraying Barack Obama receiving a lap dance has sparked claims of racial insensitivity and an investigation at North Dakota State University. The NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club and sorority Alpha Gamma Delta are at the center of the controversy for a lip-sync act performed for 500 people at the Mr. NDSU Pageant. People who attended the performance described what happened: A pageant contestant from Saddle and Sirloin dressed as the woman from the popular Internet video “I Got a Crush on Obama” and performed for another student who was wearing dark makeup and...

Mark McAfee had just a few hours to celebrate yesterday’s issuance of a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of AB 1735--what he called “a big win for California raw milk and producers”—before he learned about the next phase of the government’s campaign against Organic Pastures Dairy Co.

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars to be treated and appreciated by their nation.”—George Washington. Never in the history of our Great Republic, have members of the military been subjected to such condemnation, scorn, disrespect and loathing as were Vietnam Veterans and they “earned” this “distinction,” merely by having served their country, honorably—most having given much, while asking for nothing, and for many, having given all.

House approves Independent Ethics OfficeMar 11, 2008 10:15 pm US/Eastern House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. speaks during a mock swearing-in ceremony for Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., Tuesday, March 11, 2008, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) WASHINGTON (AP) The House has voted to create an independent outside office to investigate ethical lapses among its members and restore integrity to a system flawed by partisanship and inactivity. The new Office of Congress Ethics would be charged with looking into possible misconduct and making recommendations to the House ethics committee, which would still have final say on issues...

Swastikas, 'white power' found scrawled at scene COLUMBIA, Tenn. - A mosque was destroyed Saturday by a fire that federal investigators say appears to have been caused by arson. No one was injured. Investigators found drawings of swastikas and other graffiti at the Islamic Center of Columbia, said Special Agent Eric Kehn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Daoud Abudiab, president of the center, said authorities told him the fire probably started around 5 a.m. The graffiti included the words "white power" and "we run the world," Abudiab said.

Feb 9, 2008 N. Korea investigating inter-Korea agency The rare move comes as South Korea's President-elect Lee Myung Bak (above) said he would review cooperation projects with the North. SEOUL - NORTH Korea is investigating allegations of corruption, such as trading aid goods on the black market, within its agency dealing with South Korea, Seoul's Yonhap news agency said on Saturday citing 'informed sources'. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il ordered the investigation, saying the inter-Korea agency lacked supervision and was involved in corruption scandals, the sources said. The rare move comes as South Korea's President-elect Lee Myung Bak said...

Rocky Anderson, it turns out, is not stepping aside quietly. Joining a list of liberal luminaries, including Noam Chomsky and George McGovern, Salt Lake City's outgoing mayor submitted a letter Friday that calls on the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the Bush administration for abuses of power. The letter, signed by 18 political and cultural figures, asks House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., to hold hearings on alleged violations of the law under President Bush that include kidnapping and torture, warrantless wiretapping, a war of aggression against Iraq and disseminating false propaganda to deceive the American people. It came...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department said today that it has opened a full investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing associated with the CIA's destruction of videotaped interrogations of terror suspects. The disclosure last month that the CIA had destroyed two such tapes in 2005 -- which included footage of harsh interrogation methods -- touched off a political and legal firestorm. The Justice Department and the CIA Office of the Inspector General had been conducting a preliminary inquiry in the wake of those disclosures to see whether there was evidence of potential crimes, and whether a formal investigation should be pursued. "The...

UNITED NATIONS — The General Assembly is preparing to put an early end to an in-house panel that has exposed more than $600 million in tainted United Nations contracts and is currently investigating an additional $1 billion in suspect agreements. A budget committee of the General Assembly is scheduled to vote as early as Friday on a resolution that would force the panel to close down its operations in six months. The effort to scuttle the panel is not a budget matter so much as a political one, and it represents the continuing suspicion developing countries have about international intervention...

Bernard Kerik's lawyer says federal prosecutors have violated his rights in his corruption case by improperly questioning his former lawyer. Attorney Kenneth Breen asked a judge to consider whether legal action was warranted in light of his claim. Kerik was police commissioner when Rudy Giuliani was mayor and he was recommended to be head of the national Homeland Security Department. He was pleaded not guilty to lying to the White House, filing false income taxes and other charges in a wide-ranging federal indictment. The judge is also considering whether Breen should be disqualified as Kerik's lawyer because he too could...

Democrats are trying the blame the Bush administration for pressuring experts to downplay the connection between hurricanes and global warming. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=3982079&page=1 A report released by Democrats on Monday called the "Political Interference With Climate Change Science Under the Bush Administration" marks the end of a 16-month investigation into the conspiracy theories of Democrats. The report says that "the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming." http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1653 Now former director of the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield has stepped forward to contradict the...

Among the many conservative Christians who feel misunderstood by the general public, the six televangelists under investigation by a Senate committee are an embarrassment. The ministers' on-air faith healings and fundraising, backed by self-serving misinterpretations of Scripture, reinforce offensive stereotypes of greedy preachers and put their followers at spiritual risk, critics say. But traditional Christians aren't universally celebrating the inquiry. Some are wondering whether the investigation led by Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is the right way to end any wrongdoing, especially if the result is more government oversight of all ministries. [Snip] he ministries under review include Randy...

FOR decades now, as a writer, economist and scold, I have been receiving letters from thoughtful readers. Many of them have warned me about the dangers of a secret government running the world, organized by the Trilateral Commission, or the Ford Foundation, or the Big Oil companies or, of course, world Jewry. I always scoff at these letters. The world is far too complex a place to be run by any one group. But the closest I have recently seen to such a world-running body would have to be a certain large investment bank, whose alums are routinely Treasury secretaries,...

DETROIT -- The largest steroid enforcement action in U.S. history resulted in the arrest of 124 people, two from Michigan, and the discovery of the largest steroid laboratory ever recorded in Michigan’s history, according to a Drug Enforcement agency officials. In total, 11.4 million steroid dosage units and 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder from Chinese origin were seized and $6.5 million, as well as 25 vehicles, three boats, 27 pill presses and 71 weapons were seized in Operation Raw Deal, said DEA officials.

Is Congress wasting too much time harassing the Bush administration? Yes. It has more important things to do. No. It's just politics as usual. No. The Bush administration needs to be watched closely.

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2007 – The Army’s senior civilian announced today that a retired three-star general will receive a letter of censure as the result of a review of previous military investigations into the death of Army Spc. Patrick D. Tillman. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said a “perfect storm” of events initially obfuscated the facts regarding the April 22, 2004, death of Tillman, an Army Ranger who was killed by friendly fire near the Afghan-Pakistani border. Tillman, a former National Football League star, was initially reported to have died as a result of enemy fire. After reading...

Delgadillo trips up on the fast track The L.A. city attorney's career had seemed charmed until a string of revelations and reversals. The ultimate fallout is unknown. By Scott Glover, Times Staff Writer June 24, 2007 Almost from the start, Rocky Delgadillo's trajectory through life has resembled that of something fired from a cannon. He went from being a star athlete and student body president at Franklin High School in Highland Park to Harvard. Then came law school at Columbia, followed by a stint at a prestigious L.A. law firm where the firm's chairman, Warren Christopher, became his mentor. With...

General Motors Corp. said Thursday its received a request from the Securities and Exchange Commission for documents related to its recent restatement past financial results. The documents deal with GM's accounting for certain foreign exchange contracts and commodities contracts, the automaker said in an SEC filing. Also in the filing, GM narrowed its contingent exposure related to Delphi Corp., its former parts division, to about $7 billion from its previous estimate of $6 billion to $7.5 billion. The automaker expects to reimburse Delphi for certain labor expenses with an initial payment of up to about $500 million when it emerges...

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Thursday that Debra Yang's departure as U.S. attorney in Los Angeles was unrelated to her office's investigation of Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands. "From what I know, Ms. Yang's resignation was entirely voluntary. She did a wonderful job," Gonzales told a House Judiciary Committee hearing. He said that Yang had financial reasons for going to the private sector last October. Yang is not among the eight U.S. attorneys whose firings last year have turned into a controversy for the Justice Department. But Democrats have raised suspicions about Yang's case because she left while her office was...

Low-key office launches high-profile inquiry The Office of Special Counsel will investigate U.S. attorney firings and other political activities led by Karl Rove. WASHINGTON — Most of the time, an obscure federal investigative unit known as the Office of Special Counsel confines itself to monitoring the activities of relatively low-level government employees, stepping in with reprimands and other routine administrative actions for such offenses as discriminating against military personnel or engaging in prohibited political activities. But the Office of Special Counsel is preparing to jump into one of the most sensitive and potentially explosive issues in Washington, launching a broad...

Panel Said to Alter Finding on Voter Fraud By IAN URBINA WASHINGTON, April 10 — A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of experts who concluded last year that there was little voter fraud around the nation, according to a review of the original report obtained by The New York Times. Instead, the panel, the Election Assistance Commission, issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate. The revised version echoes complaints made by Republican politicians, who have long suggested that voter fraud is widespread and justifies the voter identification laws...

Nine House Republicans Wednesday called for a probe of a United Nations agency that monitors climate change, citing reports of mismanagement. Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by the panel’s ranking Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), asked the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an inquiry into the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). An audit has shown that a WMO official misappropriated $3 million to finance a “money-for-votes scheme” before fleeing. Noting that the U.S. has given more than $115 million to the agency, the Republican lawmakers say GAO should examine whether any part of the American contribution was among...

Karl Rove fathered Anna Nicole Smith’s baby. In an unforgettable night fueled by alcohol, lust, a lion tamer outfit, a failed attempt to freebase "Sweettarts", an Al Franken blow-up doll and some crimes against nature with a very confused puffer fish, Karl fathered her child. I think we should all be ashamed of Mr. Rove (how much is she worth again?). Now, admittedly, there is no crime in having sex with Anna Nicole Smith. If that were illegal most of the Western Hemisphere’s male population would be perp walked into a future of Federal incarceration that includes forced labor, strained...

Democrats are having a blast since taking control of Congress. A day without something new to investigate is like a day without sunshine for them. Dismissed US attorneys. Valerie Plame. Iraq. The Federal Communications Commission. Conditions at Walter Reed Hospital. The FBI looking for terrorists. The Federal Emergency Management Agency?s delivery of housing grants. And the month?s not over yet. The Washington Post reported that ?In two months, Democrats have held 81 hearings on Iraq. ?This is just the beginning,? said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. ?What a difference a year makes.?? Earlier this month,...

In a March 3 memo, the Senior Minority Counsel on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee outlines for Sen. John Glenn (Ohio) what he hopes will be the ranking Democrat's contribution to the Asiagate investigation — 11 subpoenas on conservative activist groups. The list, since forwarded to committee chairman Fred Thompson (R., Tenn.), reads like a "Who's Who" of the conservative movement, including Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Christian Coalition, and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. In mid March, Senate Republicans agreed to open the door to this potential harassment of their allies after a high-stakes battle over the...

It's been a whirlwind two weeks as the U-S Attorney's Office collects documents related to state Senator Wayne Bryant, and his influence over the New Jersey budget. Subpoenas are flying. Legislators are being questioned. Republicans are crying foul. And Democrats are calling for cooler heads. Legislative leaders in both political parties and staff offices, the Treasury Department and the Office of Legislative Services have received subpoenas. The inquiry is apparently about how state money is directed and spent. It stems from an allegation by a federal monitor overseeing the finances of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey....

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For nearly an hour-and-a-half yesterday, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the non-partisan research arm of New Jersey Legislature squared off in federal court over records federal prosecutors reportedly want as part of a widening probe into political corruption. The Office of Legislative Services (OLS), also the legal arm of the legislature, claims the documents are confidential and has refused to release them. Newark attorney Edward Dauber, hired to represent the Legislature to contest the federal subpoena offered no comment upon exiting Judge Mary Cooper's court room. Dauber is a former assistant U.S. Attorney and has served as the executive assistant...

Although an official with Chris Christie's office will neither confirm nor deny it, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the non-partisan research arm of New Jersey Legislature are set to square off in federal court today over records federal prosecutors reportedly want as part of a widening probe into political corruption. The Office of Legislative Services (OLS), also the legal arm of the legislature, claims the documents are confidential and has refused to release them. The investigation is said to be focusing on more than $270 million in last-minute State Budget add-ons, commonly known as "pork," or "Christmas tree items." The...

The U-S Attorney's Office and the New Jersey Legislature are set to square off in federal court tomorrow over records federal prosecutors want as part of a far-reaching political corruption investigation. The Legislature's legal arm considers the documents confidential and has refused to release them. The Star-Ledger of Newark reports that U-S Attorney Christopher Christie has subpoenaed internal memos, e-mails and other documents that the Legislature generates while drafting the annual state budget. The documents are being sought as part of an investigation into whether any elected officials improperly directed money to certain pet organizations. The current 30-point-eight (b) billion...

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and state lawmakers are locked in a secret legal battle over his attempts to launch a wide-ranging investigation of the New Jersey Legislature. (snip) The Legislature's awarding of millions in state grants with little oversight has been drawing increasing attention. This type of spending -- known in New Jersey as "Christmas tree items" -- more than doubled in the past five years, to nearly $350 million. (snip) The subpoena grew out of a criminal probe of Sen. Wayne Bryant (D-Camden), one of the Legislature's most influential members and former chairman of the powerful Senate budget committee....

SACRAMENTO — Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata has spent nearly $1 million defending himself against a federal probe into whether he illegally funneled money to family and close associates. But more than two years after the harsh light of suspicion first fell on the 61-year-old Oakland Democrat, the FBI investigation appears to have fallen quietly into a black hole of obscurity. The flurry of subpoenas flying out of FBI offices in San Francisco has slowed to an apparent stop. There haven't been any publicly acknowledged FBI interviews of witnesses since last summer. Images of FBI investigators carting off computer...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2007 – Seven car bombs, including one suspected suicide car bomb, detonated in various parts of Kirkuk this morning, killing three people and injuring 22 others, Multinational Forces Iraq officials reported. The attacks occurred as the investigation continues into a truck bombing yesterday in central Baghdad that left 105 Iraqis dead and 251 injured. In Kirkuk today, Iraqi police and emergency response teams, along with coalition soldiers, responded to the blasts, treating the casualties and assessing the damage at each site. ”Were fortunate in the low number of casualties but also in the reaction by the...

Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff claimed yesterday that he was set up by the White House over the CIA leak scandal to protect Karl Rove, President Bush’s senior adviser.Opening his defence at his perjury trial, lawyers for Lewis “Scooter” Libby produced a memo written by Mr Cheney, the Vice-President, showing his chief of staff’s concerns that he was being sacrificed to save Mr Rove from criminal indictment. Mr Libby is accused of lying to FBI agents about conversations he had with journalists about Valerie Plame, a CIA agent. She is the wife of Joseph Wilson, a prominent critic of...

BISBEE — The State Department on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a diplomatic note from the Mexican government protesting the shooting death of an illegal border crosser near Naco, but said it was withholding response pending the outcome of an investigation. “It’s something that I understand the FBI is conducting an investigation into and obviously, we’d leave it to them and to the Border Patrol to determine what, if any, response is appropriate based on that investigation,” Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said after being asked about the note at a daily press briefing. The note, presented by the Mexican Embassy in...

NEW YORK (UPI) -- New York City and New Jersey officials had no explanation Tuesday for what caused the smell of sulfur to blanket the urban area for 90 minutes a day earlier. Calls about the natural gas smell began pouring into 911 emergency operators around 9 a.m. Monday, and the smell hung heavy over much of Manhattan for at least 90 minutes. Two major gas utilities, Consolidated Edison in New York and Public Service Electric and Gas in New Jersey reported no leaks or changes in pipeline pressure, the New York Times reported. Hospitals reported treating 12 people complaining...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2007 – Naval Criminal Investigation Command has launched an investigation into a Dec. 30 incident in which an Iraqi soldier was killed during an altercation with a Marine at a post at the Fallujah Government Center, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced. The Marine, assigned to 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, has been assigned to administrative duties. The Iraqi soldier was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division. The Marines and Iraqi soldiers from both units have manned combined security posts since arrival of the Marine unit several months...

Nigeria: Jefferson's Re-Election - What Impact On Atiku's Investigation? Weekly Trust (Kaduna) ANALYSIS December 17, 2006 Posted to the web December 18, 2006 Isa Sa'idu Kaduna The Potomac, Maryland home of Nigerian Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was raided on August 3, 2005 by the US Federal Bureau Intelligence (FBI) almost simultaneously with similar operations in the homes of Democratic Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana. That incident prompted an investigation of the Nigerian vice president by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the reported behest of FBI, which is anxious to fathom Mr. Jefferson's links with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar...

<p>The emerging plans to grill administration officials on the conduct of the war are part of a pledge for more aggressive congressional oversight on issues such as prewar intelligence, prisoner treatment at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and the government's use of warrantless wiretaps.</p>

Anti-terrorist police combed London over the weekend for traces of the radioactive substance that killed Alexander Litvinenko as conspiracy theories swirled over the dramatic poisoning that threatens to shatter Russia's standing in the West. President Vladimir Putin is facing an unprecedented barrage of Western media criticism after the 43-year-old former spy accused him of his "barbaric and ruthless murder" in a deathbed statement. Putin immediately dismissed the accusation Friday, calling Litvinenko's death a tragedy and accusing his opponents of engineering a political provocation. But a chill in relations with Britain appeared set to deepen Sunday, as a senior British minister,...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Dell Inc. has postponed the quarterly financial report scheduled for Thursday afternoon as the Securities and Exchange Commission has stepped up its probe into the accounting practices of one of the world's biggest makers of personal computers. Dell, in a statement issued Wednesday evening, said it plans instead to release its third-quarter results by the end of the month due to "complexity" it has faced in closing its books for the quarter. "This complexity arises out of the ongoing investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the company's audit committee into certain accounting and financial...

The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) says an independent panel is being set up to investigate if comments made by Sydney cleric, Sheikh Taj el-Din Al Hilali, endorse rape. Sheikh Al Hilali has been at the centre of controversy since comments he made suggested women who dressed immodestly were inviting sexual assault. He says his comments have been taken out of context and will resign if an independent panel finds him guilty of endorsing rape. LMA president Tom Zreika says a panel will be established to look at the matter. "The process has to be conducted and it will be conducted,"...

Pataki appoints special prosecutor Albany — Gov. George Pataki appointed a special prosecutor yesterday to kick off an extraordinary process that could lead to embattled state Comptroller Alan Hevesi being forced from office for using a state worker as his wife's private driver. Pataki asked David Kelley, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to help him decide within a week whether to make the unprecedented request of the Republican-controlled state Senate to vote for Hevesi's removal. "It is an extraordinary act for officials to overturn an election of a statewide elected official after a vote by...