Free Republic

US equity futures have opened down hard in quiet Sunday night trading with Nasdaq the hardest hit, down 1.5%. This move leaves the S&P down over 6% in the last 3 days… …and once again nearing the ‘bear market’ Maginot Line…

The Health Ministry in Fiji said an investigation into the cause of death is ongoing. "Influenza has been ruled out, and at this stage, we do not believe there is a risk to the public," the Fiji Ministry of Health said in a statement released on Tuesday. "It would be premature to speculate further on the cause of death until the investigation is complete." Five people, including medical staff who came in close contact with the couple at the clinic where they were treated and both died, have been quarantined and are being monitored at a hospital in Nadi, Fiji,...

Oscar winning actress Susan Sarandon has had a bad time of it lately. The actress recently separated from her long time partner, actor Tim Robbins. Sarandon attended the third anniversary of The Box in New York's Lower East Side.A A transsexual cabaret performer named Rose Wood engaged in projectile vomiting on stage and hit Sarandon with it . Standing nearby were Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber. According to Wood it was not intended as an affront to the actress and she didn't take it that way. “Apparently [Sarandon] got a big kick out of it. She squealed with surprise and...

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It’s no wonder that the American people are frustrated with the Republican Congress. Americans deserve progress, but instead are bombarded with politics driven by fear and division. They deserve action on the challenges we face as a nation - an endless and costly war in Iraq, skyrocketing gas prices and soaring health-care costs. Rather than dealing with real priorities, the Republican leadership is focused on writing discrimination into the Constitution. Just like the circus surrounding the Senate’s effort to intrude into the Terry Schiavo case, today the Senate will begin debate on the Federal Marriage Amendment - a wholly inappropriate...

The Way of the Whigs Geoff Metcalf There may be a place for partisanship … but NOT in the middle of a war; NOT in the wake of historic elections of representative government in: - Afghanistan - Ukraine - Iraq - and even municipal elections in Saudi Arabia Now is NOT the time to focus on the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ acrimonious petty whizzing match. Sycophant democrats are still so wrapped around partisanship, they are incapable of recognizing the self-destruction they are fueling. The river ‘Denial’ runs wide and deep. The ‘leaders’ of the party (Kennedy, Reid, Pelosi, Biden, Kerry et...

NEW YORK -- Takeru Kobayashi has defended his title in the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July world hot-dog eating contest, but not without some controversy. Takeru Kobayashi, center, battles Oleg Zhornitsky, left, and Eric Booker, for the title at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. The slightly built Kobayashi, who set a world record with 50 hot dogs eaten in 12 minutes a year ago, did himself a half-dog better this year with 50½ to win easily. However, after the clock ran out, Kobayashi seemed to have difficulty keeping his lunch down, and at one...