Free Republic

Hillsborough, N.C. — Many of Mohammed Taheri-azar's victims have recovered from their injuries, but they are still dealing with emotional problems more than two years after he drove a rented SUV into a UNC-Chapel Hill gathering place. The frightening sights and sounds of the March 2006 attack have not left Julian Wooten. He was in The Pit at the time. At the time of the attack, he told police he wanted to kill people in response to the U.S. government's treatment of Muslims abroad. He also told police he expected to die as a result of his actions – either...

DURHAM, N.C., July 1 (UPI) -- A Durham, N.C., Democratic official and her husband face criminal charges in connection with alleged satanic rituals. Joy Johnson, 30, a third vice-chairwoman of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice chairwoman of the Young Democrats, was charged Friday with two counts of aiding and abetting. Her husband, Joseph Scott Craig, 25, was charged with second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for incidents in January and May, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Tuesday. Mark McCullough, an assistant district attorney ...acknowledged that "part of the allegations are...

The Hunt for American al Qaeda The United States is turning up the heat in the hunt for the California boy turned al Qaeda operative, Adam Gadahn, who has been charged with treason and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. If caught and convicted, Gadahn could face the death penalty. The State Department along with the Department of Diplomatic Security announced the beginning of a publicity campaign in Afghanistan urging locals to provide any information on Gadahn's whereabouts, with a reward if the information leads to his capture. Radio advertisements with information concerning the $1 million reward have...

Hillary Clinton's inner circle now fears a stinging defeat is likely in North Carolina. "Look, we worked hard and gave it our best shot, but the demographics, well, they are what they are," a top campaign source explained to the DRUDGE REPORT as voting began Tuesday morning. The campaign now believes a 15 point loss, or more, would not be surprising. Her team will work hard throughout the day to lower all expectations in North Carolina. The campaign hopes media attention will stay fixated on the competition in Indiana, where 72 delegates are on the line, and Clinton internals show...

HICKORY, N.C. - Police say two suspects are dead after an attempted home invasion. Catawba County sheriff’s deputies say two men dressed in black and carrying pistols forced their way into a home on 33rd Avenue in Hickory around 11:00 last night. According to a sheriff’s official, the homeowner was armed with his own gun, and shot the suspects. Both suspects were pronounced dead at the scene. Major Coy Reid with the sheriff’s office said both men were wearing masks and latex gloves. At this time, no arrests have been made.

An immigration court set to open in Charlotte this spring could help hundreds of illegal immigrant children each year win the right to remain in North Carolina. The court, much closer than the current venue in Atlanta, will provide youngsters in North Carolina better access to immigration lawyers. As a result, scores of children who arrive here without their families, often fleeing gang violence or sexual abuse, may no longer face deportation simply because they can't find a North Carolina lawyer willing to take up their cause in Atlanta.

A search is underway in Haywood County for a group of Boy Scouts from Raleigh reported missing Sunday night. Waynesville, NC -- Emergency crews are hunting for a group of NC scouts who didn't come home from a weekend trip. A dispatcher says a call came in to the Haywood County Emergency Operations Center about 9:00 pm Sunday concerning a group of eight Boy Scouts and three adults who failed to return home Sunday evening from a weekend trip to the mountains. Local firefighters and members of Haywood Emergency Management, Haywood Rescue and NC Fire Dogs were involved in a...

My apologies in advance on this story; I just happened to catch this on several different newscasts a few minutes ago, and I am going by memory as best I can. Unicoi County (Tennessee) sheriffs arrested two Israeli men after a high-speed chase down mountain roads in this east Tennessee locale. While the sheriff was in pursuit, local witnesses noticed that materials were being thrown from the truck as it sped by, well over the posted speed limits. These witnesses were able to locate some of these items; one of which included a jug whose contents became "unusually hot" after...

Millions of dollars in stolen goods are believed to be passing from a Latino street group to Middle Easterners in the U.S. for resale. The FBI is investigating criminal ties between members of the international street gang Mara Salvatrucha and fencing rings operated by Middle Easterners suspected of trafficking in millions of dollars in stolen medicine and other retail goods. The gang members are allegedly directing commercial theft crews that steal large quantities of over-the-counter medications and other goods from chain stores and turn the merchandize over to individuals from the Middle East, many of them U.S. citizens or legal...

Early on the morning of March 16th, 1984, William Buckley left for work at the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Officially, Mr. Buckley, a decorated veteran of the Special Forces, served as the political officer at the embassy. In reality, however, Mr. Buckley was the embassy’s CIA station chief. On his way to the compound, Buckley’s car was stopped by a group of masked men, who forced him from his car at gunpoint. His assailants would later be identified as terrorists from the group Islamic Jihad, which served as an alias for the real perpetrators, Hezbollah. The circumstances surrounding the...

WITH JOHN EDWARDS giving interviews again, one is almost brought to nostalgic tears over memories of the 2004 election. Sure it was bloodcurdling — but in the best ways possible. It was a story of great literary dimension, complete with villains, both of the French and trial-lawyer variety, and heroes, mainly in the form of valiant incumbents and brave war vets. A good time was had by all. Things were especially lovely after Sen. Edwards, that rich nobody from North Carolina, came on board. (Edwards update: various members of his family may have been employed as, or at least hoped...

Have You No Shame Senators? Judson Cox In January, I wrote a column entitled “The John Edwards North Carolina Knows.” I accused Sen. Edwards of being a side show huckster, a snake oil salesman, a man willing to exploit any situation and use any person to advance his career. I based my evaluation of Edwards, not only on his public statements, but on my personal experience with him. I knew his faults, because I know the man. Many people responded, angrily defending Edwards. This week, Edwards proved my point. Edwards said, at a rally in Newton, Iowa, “... when John...

Dec. 8 issue — The initiation began with a ritual beating. On a hot summer day in 1999, in the wooded area of a Charlotte, N.C., park, some 70 gang members encircled “Jorge.” Three of them stepped forward and unleashed a fury of fists and kicks at him for 13 seconds—a duration derived from the gang’s name, Mara Salvatrucha 13, or MS-13.