Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will help develop up to seven offshore wind farms on the East and West coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico as it moves to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 — generating enough electricity to power more than 10 million homes.If approved and built, the projects could avoid about 78 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions, officials said.President Joe Biden has set a goal to deploy 30 gigawatts, or 30,000 megawatts, of offshore wind power in the United States by 2030. Meeting the target...

Burt Reynolds died of a heart attack Thursday morning at a hospital in Florida, according to multiple reports. Reynold was 82. Burt was transported a Florida hospital after going into cardiac arrest. His family was by his side when he passed. Burt was a star in the moves and on TV -- appearing in classics like "Smokey and the Bandit," "Boogie Knights" and "Cannonball Run."

Tension is running high between Greece and Turkey. The cause? Turkish Chief of the General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar paid a visit to Imia, a pair of two small, uninhabited Greek islets in the Aegean Sea, on January 29. He was accompanied by the commanders of the Turkish land, naval and air forces.Imia – which Turkey calls “Kardak” – was a subject of yet another crisis in 1996 that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war. Although armed conflict was ultimately averted, Turkey still claims that the islands are Turkish, even though the islands in the Aegean are...

A new book sets out to answer some big questions about the brain and bodies of water. "Blue Mind" explores why so many of us are drawn to the ocean, and how this scientifically connects to our health and happiness, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports. Most of us know that feeling of calm we get when we are on, in or just near the water. "This is what you want if you're in the midst of a stressful week," said Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist and conservationist who lives near the central coast of California. "You just want...

With California facing a massive teacher pension shortfall, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, D-Los Angeles, unveiled an effort Wednesday he hopes would fully fund the system. An influx of revenue has allowed California to emerge from years of yawning deficits and protracted budget fights, and the pressure is mounting for the state to do something about an avalanche of liabilities that runs into the hundreds of billions.

WASHINGTON (TheStreet) -- Eight banks were shuttered by regulators Friday, bringing the 2010 tally of U.S. bank failures to 118. Six of the eight failed banks were included in TheStreet'sBank Watch List of undercapitalized institutions, based on second-quarter regulatory data provided by SNL Financial. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found buyers for the deposits and branches for all of the failed institutions and estimated the combined cost to its deposit insurance fund would be $473.5 million. The largest failure on Friday was ShoreBank of Chicago, which had $2.16 billion in total assets. ShoreBank received wide media coverage after Bloomberg reported...

Late last week, at the 11th hour, the Senate removed an amendment that would have required the inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to investigate the corrupt ShoreBank bailout, as well as every other bailout since January 2009. It is the clearest sign yet that the White House and Democrats in Congress are covering up the truth. If there is nothing to hide, why block the ShoreBank investigation?

Just some striking and serene seashore shots. Bow Fiddle Rock, Scotland The rest of these were taken from Cave Rock on Sumner Beach, Christchurch, New Zealand. The last one shows what Cave Rock looks like; it's a Panoramio picture, so click for full-size.

Dear (Technoman): Thank you for contacting me about gas prices and offshore drilling, issues that have polarized public opinion in recent months. The high cost of gas has become a major burden for families across the country, but we're seeing two very different ideas for how to address this problem. Republicans, led by a few hearty voices in the House of Representatives, are suggesting that the only solution to this problem is to plant as many oil rigs off our coastline as possible, no matter the consequences. Democrats are countering that while we must harness our national resources, we gain...

Call Congress back to have an up-or-down vote on a comprehensive energy bill which includes expanded drilling for oil. There is a petition here: http://www.callbackcongress.com/

CARMEL, N.Y. --A 72-year-old man feared for his life after his dog overturned his small boat - but the springer spaniel made up for it by swimming 400 yards to shore to fetch help. Al Lotrecchiano was fishing on Lake Gilead on Wednesday and had just caught what he said was the largest bass in his life. As he was throwing the fish back in the water, the dog put its paw on the side of the boat, flipping it over. "My life flashed before me," Lotrecchiano recalled Thursday. Lotrecchiano started swimming to shore but, figuring he'd never make it,...

Jim Marshall vote’s for it after he votes against itTakes the lesson out of John Kerry’s Election Playbook(Warner Robins, GA)- Jim Marshall was recently ranked the 407th least effective member of Congress by Knowlegis, a government relations information management company, which surveyed all U.S. Senators and Congressman and ranked them in accordance with how effective they are in advancing a particular agenda. Yesterday, Jim Marshall demonstrated why he deserves one of the lowest rankings in the House of Representatives. The Timeline:May 18th 2006 – Jim Marshall votes against the Poe of Texas Amendments which would have allowed for environmentally friendly...

Mysterious Fish 'Party' Near N.C. Shore By The Associated Press posted: 27 February 2006 11:38 am ET JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (AP)—State and local wildlife experts are trying to figure out what led more than a thousand flounder, spot and pin fish to beach themselves at the Marine Corps' New River air base—and then swim away. They believe it may be related to a popular phenomenon known in coastal Alabama as "jubilee.''The fish surfaced in shallow water Friday morning. They were lethargic, but alive. "It's kind of strange,'' said Mike Sanderford, New River Riverkeeper. "It's a bunch of fish up here, but...

Two California entrepreneurs are developing an IT services business plan that reads like a CIO's paradise: sharply lower IT prices coupled with easy access to software and engineering outsourcing developers just a short boat ride away. It's the "Code Boat," a plan by David Cook and Roger Green, the founders of SeaCode. Their venture calls for staffing a cruise ship three miles off the Southern California coast with customer IT specialists and then making the ship available to IT headquarters staffers through a short water taxi ride. "We're getting a good reception," said Green, a veteran software developer and executive....

North Shore Businesses Singing DNC Blues 18 minutes ago WCVB TheBostonChannel.com There have been plenty of complaints from Boston companies about the hassles created by the Democratic National Convention, and the business blues seem to be spreading. NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that North Shore companies anticipating a mini-boom in late July are now looking at a bust. Paul Pasquale's banquet hall may be located in Lawrence, but he said he lost a lucrative conference because of the DNC. "She said they canceled because they didn't want to be in Boston in the month of July," he said. There's no...

IT'S almost unheard of at the Jersey Shore: a beach with free parking and no beach tags. But now, thanks to a decision by state officials, this summer's visitors to Cape May Point State Park will find those perks come with a major catch - no swimming. The ban was already being flouted this week by swimmers who promised that, like the early heat wave, their defiance was just a preview of things to come. "It's unfair," said a disgusted Joanie Kane of Lower Township, Cape May County, as she headed for the surf to keep an eye on her...