Free Republic

Minneapolis — Target cut its profit and comparable-store sales outlook amid stiffer competition and its own stumbles in areas like grocery sales. The discounter’s second-quarter net income fell nearly 10%, though that was better than what most had expected. Sales at stores open at least a year fell 1.1%, reversing seven straight quarters of gains. Target shares were down more than 6% in mid-morning trading Wednesday. The quarter underscores challenges that Target and other retailers face from Amazon.com and shoppers who remain cautious about spending.

RedState’s Erick Erickson tweeted this could be the moment when Mitt Romney lost the election. In an interview of Fox News, Romney Press Secretary Andrea Saul decided to invoke Romneycare as a counterpoint to the despicable narrative being pushed by Priorities USA. I’m sure you’ve seen the infamous ‘cancer ad.’ Business Insider reported on August 8th that: …In defending Romney, she [Saul] veered way off message, explaining that if the steelworker, Joe Soptic, had lived in Massachusetts, he and his wife would have been able to get health insurance under Romney’s health-care reform legislation.Here’s what she told Fox anchor Bill...

A Kokomo man was taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after accidentally shooting himself in the genitals while in the process of robbing a Village Pantry. Police said Derrick Kosch, 25, Kokomo, shot himself as he was placing the handgun in the waistband of his pants after robbing the convenience store at 100 N. Ohio St. The in-store surveillance cameras showed the suspect shooting himself as he placed his weapon into the waistband of his pants. As investigators were working the scene, 911 received a call about a person at 1041 E. North St., who had been shot. Officers arrived...

The assistant to Al Qaida's new network chief has been killed in a foiled insurgency strike. Iraqi security sources said a lieutenant of Al Qaida network chief Abu Ayoub Al Masri was found killed in a car on its way to an insurgency strike. The sources said a bomb inside the car blew up prematurely and killed the lieutenant and three other Al Qaida operatives. Officials identified the Al Masri aide as Mansour Sulayman Mansour Khalifi Al Mashhadani. The U.S. military confirmed the killing, reported to have taken place in Yusufiyah, west of Baghdad on June 19. U.S.-led coalition spokesman...