Free Republic

TOPEKA -- About 50 college students who are in the U.S. illegally marched Tuesday on Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's office urging him to stop working on immigration laws and to do his state job. The students from Kansas and Arizona delivered a letter to a staff member, who said Kobach was in his office but unable to meet with the students. The letter calls for Kobach to stop working on immigration laws and focus on his duties as secretary of state or resign for office. "I'm still standing and fighting to have the American dream," said Ernesto de...

Running for election in Japan isn’t easy. But when your face is shown alongside titles like “pervert” and “molester,” it’s probably a lot harder than it ought to be. Japan’s political system is a mess right now and, despite having seen six prime ministers come and go in as many years, the country is headed for an election next month, with one-time PM Shinzo Abe putting himself forward to be re-elected. The politician was made a laughing-stock earlier this week, however, when the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) early morning TV show “Asazuba” accidentally displayed Abe’s photo alongside a news report...

SIERRA VISTA — At a time when many people around the country are planning to visit family for Thanksgiving, many of America’s soldiers are duty bound to stand vigilant in defense of the freedoms we all enjoy. And though many local soldiers didn’t get the chance to go home for the start of the holiday season, at least a few hundred still enjoyed a home-cooked holiday meal. Over the course of a few hours on Monday night, more than 300 soldiers packed into the local Chili’s restaurant to fill up on Thanksgiving delicacies. From turkey and ham to green beans,...

The timing is a gift to us as we celebrate Thanksgiving in our nation this week. This year, we get to celebrate the lives of 5% more Americans. The data was just released this week because it takes a few years to compile. I have said many times that I was curious to see what the abortion rate did in 2009, after the most pro-abortion president in the history of our nation was elected to office. The reason I wondered this wasn’t obvious, but ironic. You see, as I have reported before, President Obama has actually been one of the...

Governor Patrick’s decision this week to allow certain illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition rates at state universities is an important step toward resolving ambiguities in the federal immigration rules. The state now makes clear that young undocumented immigrants who have been granted reprieves from deportation by the federal government can utilize their newly acquired work permits as proof of state residency. The change is more than a technical clarification. The United States has succeeded as a nation of immigrants because it has, more often than not, made assimilation and integration a part of the American experience. Giving immigrants...

LONDON: Gold today rose as central banks joined investors in adding to holdings and the euro strengthened against the dollar before regional leaders meet today. Gold rose by 0.2 per cent to $1,732.65 an ounce, while silver was little changed at $33.34 an ounce, after gaining 0.3 per cent to $33.45. The US markets are closed today for Thanksgiving. Gold rallied 11 per cent this year as investors and central banks bought bullion to diversify assets. Holdings in ETPs backed by bullion rose to a record 2,605.318 tonnes. Kazakhstan, Turkey and Russia boosted reserves in October, according to data on...

MUMBAI: Targeting an estimated Rs two lakh crore unorganised gold market in the country, Reliance Money today launched a new daily gold accumulation plan under which customers can invest as low as Rs 1,000 per month [less than $20]. Under the plan, named Reliance My Gold Plan, the customer can invest a minimum of Rs 1,000 per month and the company would use the money for purchase of gold on a daily basis and the total accumulate funds can be redeemed for gold coins or jewellery at the end of the investment tenure. The plan was launched here today in...

The Obama administration announced with little fanfare Thanksgiving eve plans to lock up nine million acres of land for the endangered Northern Spotted Owl. The plan would double the amount of public forest lands proposed by the Bush administration for the owl’s habitat in Oregon, Washington and Northern California, and is expected to severely limit commercial activities like logging. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said he is concerned the plan will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. “Expanding the Northern Spotted Owl’s critical habitat will further endanger the timber industry, the thousands of jobs that...

Not surprisingly, in the immediate aftermath of President Obama's win over Mitt Romney last week, many Republicans bared their fangs at the social-conservative wing of the party, either subtly or not so subtly, blaming the loss on those who vote our values. Now, more than ever, our party needs to hold onto our pro-life, pro-human-rights values. In fact, the Republican Party should become more fiercely aligned to the pro-life position than ever. [ . . . ] We believe ending legal abortion in our lifetime is possible, and we hold the great abolitionists of the past, such as William Wilberforce,...

Video of a 16-year-old girl being knocked unconscious in an unprovoked street attack has been released by police. CCTV footage shows the assailant approach the victim from behind before punching her so hard she falls over, hitting the pavement face-first. Police are appealing for information after the teenager was followed from her home by her attacker, who struck without warning outside the Black Lion pub in Plaistow High Street, east London. Scotland Yard described the suspect as black and muscular, wearing a black baseball jacket and jeans, with a shaven head and aged between 25 and 30.

Leno: Obama Is Running Out of Republicans To Blame Fiscal Cliff On By Noel Sheppard Created 11/22/2012 - 10:29am Jay Leno continued his string of comedic attacks on the current White House resident Wednesday. During his opening monologue on NBC's Tonight Show, the host said that because Democrats did so well on Election Day, President Obama is running out of Republicans to blame the fiscal cliff on (video follows with transcript and commentary): "President Obama today pardoned the White House turkey," Leno teased. "And then the turkey forgave him for the bad economy. So it worked out nice. Thought that...

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:" Now, therefore, I do...

About 20 people gathered in front of the Oakland Walmart store on Edgewater Drive Wednesday to demand better pay and work schedules. Richmond Walmart store employee Anthony Bravo joined fellow demonstrators and said the company starts associates at minimum wage, but reported $15 billion in profits last year. “We didn’t see nothing. I didn’t see none of that. It really makes me upset that they can make all of this money out of profits and we’re barely surviving,” Bravo said. With the chant of “Walmart, Walmart you’re no good. Treat your workers like you should,” Bravo and the others marched...

WASHINGTON -- For nearly a decade I have had the privilege of teaching veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, though they have taught me more. Most of them were Army captains and majors who had done three or four tours of duty. And here's the most remarkable thing: Not one of these men and women complained about what we asked of them. My Thanksgiving thoughts have often turned toward my military students at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, and to the thousands like them who have done very hard duty with little notice. We can show our gratitude toward...

The Pilgrims Weren't Socialists The New American 26 November 2008 When next you sing the Hymn of Harvest Home, think kindly of our Pilgrim Fathers, for they were not "communists with a small c" nor any other kind of communists, Some conservative editors and commentators in recent years have given the impression that the Pilgrims were starry-eyed idealists intent upon founding a socialist utopia in the wilderness. One such editor, zealous to refute socialism, has written: "Socialism is not a new experiment in the United States. Neither is Communism. The Socialist community was tried by the Pilgrims in New England...

(Scroll down for video) A family dog helped alert parents that their 9-week-old baby has stopped breathing, according to reports. The Brousseau family rescued their dog six years ago, and the dog returned the favor on Sunday in Portland, Oregon. The Brousseaus say that the dog named Duke is responsible for saving the life of their baby daughter. On Sunday night, Duke jumped on the bed and trembled uncontrollably, enough to wake them. "If Duke had not been so scared, we would have gone to sleep," Jenna Brousseau said.

... In his tour of Burma, billed as an historic first visit since Burma's 2007 move to democracy, it was clear he was in way over his head, even on small things. Obama repeatedly referred to the country's Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi as Aung Yan Suu Kyi, an astonishing error given her global fame. He also bungled the norms of Burmese polite address, calling Thein Sein, the nation's leader "President Sein," an error comparable to addressing Cambodia's Pol Pot as Mr. Pot. But he also undermined his supposed democracy mission, first by telling the Burmese leaders...

Hoosier workers to get $111 come tax time 18 hours ago • Dan Carden dan.carden@nwi.com, (317) 637-9078 INDIANAPOLIS | Hoosier income tax payers each will receive $111 next year as Indiana returns a portion of its $2.15 billion budget reserve to its citizens. Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday announced the value of the taxpayer refund created by lawmakers in 2011 to ensure the state's reserve funds never get too big. Under the law, a refund is automatically triggered when the reserve tops 10 percent of the next year's budgeted spending. "Better that these dollars remain in the pockets of the...

The manager of a Faro-based supermarket chain today shot an employee, wounding him in the arm. The incident occurred about 05.00a.m. at a warehouse in Galvanas that services the ‘Algartalhos’ supermarket chain. It is thought that the employee was caught with an accomplice stealing stock. The manager saw two employees, and, in breach of disciplinary procedures, fired at one of them, winging him. The victim was transported to hospital in Faro, the entrepreneur has gone missing and is being sought by the Judicial Police.

The city of Detroit, facing a serious cash crisis, is set to go bankrupt by the end of this year and would put city workers on furlough unless it strikes a deal with the city council that would bring in $30 million before Dec. 14. Detroit has been in financial turmoil for years, losing a quarter of its population in the past decade and facing a shrinking auto industry that has reduced tax revenues. The Detroit City Council gave the mayor the option to hire a financial advisor and in return receive $30 million by the end of the year....