http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tough/ en-us Sun, 6 Dec 2009 15:28:47 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401510/posts An interview of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio conducted by reporters from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in Phoenix Monday night ended prematurely due to disruptive protests. Arpaio, has faced criticism among the media and charges of racial profiling during his illegal immigration sweeps. Arpaio was chosen by ASU because he is “powerful, popular and controversial” said Cronkite dean Christopher Callahan, who pointed out that interrupting the protests eliminated the effectiveness of the three journalists’ questions. “The scenario is you don’t want public scrutiny of this man,” Callahan told the protestors. “You don’t want reporters... Sonoran Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401510/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 15:28:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2395651/posts Prized for their impressive antlers, red deer have been caught in the hunters' sights for generations. But a deer's antlers are much more than decorative. They are lethal weapons that stags crash together when duelling. John Currey, from The University of York, UK, has been intrigued by the mechanical properties of bone for over half a century and has become fascinated by the mechanical properties of antler through a long-standing collaboration with Tomas Landete-Castillejos at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. 'Antlers look as if they are dry,' says Currey, 'but no one knew if they really are dry when used... The Company of Biologists http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2395651/posts#comment Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:11:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302347/posts WASHINGTON, July 27, 2009 – Though troop morale is high in Afghanistan, the Taliban is a tough organization and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he doesn’t expect conditions to change soon. “As everyone knows, we’ve lost a large number of people here very recently,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon Channel podcast interview today. “It’s going to be a tough fight in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, and we’re doing everything we can to certainly eliminate any losses. “But the Taliban are a tough, tough organization, and it’s going to be that way for... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302347/posts#comment Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:47:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2293734/posts PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - The U.S. government will get tough with governments that don't live up to trade deals, including those with substandard labor practices, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk was set to announce on Thursday. The USTR and U.S. Labor and State departments will identify and investigate labor violations in countries with which it has free trade agreements and insist problems are fixed, instead of waiting for complaints to initiate enforcement, according to prepared remarks. "If they won't fix their labor problems, we will exercise our legal options," Kirk was set to say in a speech at a U.S. Steel... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2293734/posts#comment Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:37:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283174/posts Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged President Obama for two days to toughen his language on Iran before he did so, and then was surprised when he condemned Iran's crackdown on demonstrators last week, administration officials say. At his June 23 news conference, Mr. Obama said he was "appalled and outraged" by Iranian behavior and "strongly condemned" the violence against anti-government demonstrators. Up until then, Mr. Obama and other administration officials had taken a softer line, expressing "deep concern" about the situation and calling on Iran to "respect the dignity of its own people." Behind the scenes, the officials,... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283174/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 12:34:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241675/posts Scientists are gradually downgrading their worst-case scenarios for the swine flu outbreak, the Los Angeles Times report. The H1N1 strain initially appeared to have disturbing similarities to the 1918 flu virus, but researchers analyzing genetic data released this week say the strain is less lethal than feared—and may in fact be less harmful than seasonal flu. Health officials say the virus is still spreading and is likely to cause more deaths in the US, but nothing on the scale of the annual flu season, which kills tens of thousands of Americans yearly. Scientists, while beginning to relax about the current... Newser (via Los Angeles Times) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241675/posts#comment Fri, 1 May 2009 01:14:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2235357/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the Obama administration is prepared for tough sanctions against Iran if dialogue fails and voiced fears over Taliban advances in Pakistan. In her first testimony to Congress since her confirmation as the US chief diplomat in January, Clinton also defended President Barack Obama's overtures to communist Cuba, which has been under a broad US economic embargo for decades. Clinton sought to reassure Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who backed a new dialogue with Iran but asked if Washington could garner enough support to impose "crippling... AFP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2235357/posts#comment Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:52:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227489/posts Urging members of his own party to be just as fiscally tough as the most conservative Republicans, Obama said the $700 billion economic bailout plan proposed by the Bush administration and congressional leaders is forcing a renewed look at federal spending. `We are here because an ethic of irresponsibility has swept through our government, leaving politicians with the belief they can waste billions and billions of your money on no-bid contracts for friends and contributors, slip pork projects into bills during the dead of night and spend billions on corporate tax breaks we can't afford and old programs we don't... The Guardian News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227489/posts#comment Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:37:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2188591/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) – Even with an additional 17,000 troops in Afghanistan, the top US commander there predicted "a tough year" in 2009 and warned that the situation would not be quickly turned around. General David McKiernan, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, spoke a day after President Barack Obama approved the deployment in the coming months of two additional combat brigades and support forces, about 17,000 troops in all. "Even with these additional forces, I have to tell you, 2009 is going to be a tough year," McKiernan told reporters at the Pentagon. "There are the baseline problems... AFP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2188591/posts#comment Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:35:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2187320/posts Hillary Clinton talked tough to North Korea about nuclear weapons and missile launches while visiting Japan. This is a refreshing change form the weak position Hillay Clinton and the Obama administration have taken towards Iran. Clinton made these remarks unprompted. You have to wonder if they were planned or not. Hillary Clinton can talk tough all she wants, but President Obama has to support her. So far, he has not shown he has that kind of courage and wisdom. Video here. The Intellectual Redneck http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2187320/posts#comment Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:28:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2178230/posts President Obama sent a clear message to corporate executives and Republicans opposing his stimulus plan — he's in charge. In sternly worded remarks from the Grand Foyer of the White House Wednesday morning, Obama decried excessive executive bonuses and severance packages as "the height of irresponsibility," and he announced that he is capping compensation for executives who receive "extraordinary help" from the federal government at $500,000. "For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation pacakages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only in bad taste, it's a bad strategy, and I will not tolerate it... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2178230/posts#comment Wed, 4 Feb 2009 17:16:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2094289/posts ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's army chief named a general considered a hawk in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban to head the country's powerful spy agency, asserting his control at a time of U.S. concern that rogue operatives are aiding Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha oversaw military offensives against militants in the lawless border regions with Afghanistan in his most recent job as director general of military operations. His appointment as head of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, the country's main spy agency, was part of a broader shake-up of army top brass announced... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2094289/posts#comment Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:16:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071916/posts Think the liberal mainstream media don't like the thought of Sarah Palin becoming president? Check out the editorials blasting John McCain's choice as vice president on the GOP ticket: The New York Times: "Governor Palin’s lack of experience, especially in national security and foreign affairs, raises immediate questions about how prepared she is to potentially succeed to the presidency. That really is the only criterion for judging a candidate for vice president." The Los Angeles Times: "In Palin, who is just halfway through her first term as governor, McCain has found an ardent opponent of abortion rights who won't provoke... Kansas City Voices http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071916/posts#comment Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:45:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2042963/posts I just thought he looked and sounded great. Gone is the smiling Jack, affable-fella demeanour. He must have had some nails with his granola today.... Here's a guy that can talk tough on Iran, and knows what he's talking about in specifics... And, I'm a McCain skeptic. Stark contrast to the Obama and his Platitudes -- which sounds like an oldie's band. Anybody else see it? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2042963/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 16:41:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032428/posts Howard Weyers tried the "carrot" approach by giving his employees incentives and encouragement to quit smoking. But when that didn't work, he resorted to the stick. A big stick. Weyers, owner of a health care benefits administrator in Lansing, Mich., gave his 200 employees an ultimatum in 2004: Quit smoking in 15 months or lose your job. He refused to hire smokers. Ultimately, he extended his smoking ban to employees' spouses and monitored compliance through mandatory random blood testing. Weyers' method, while effective, wouldn't fly in California because the state has laws that prohibit employers from making hiring or firing... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032428/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:08:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993456/posts Study shows life was tough for ancient Egyptians By Alaa Shahine Fri Mar 28, 10:12 AM ETReuters Photo: The Giza pyramids in a file photo. New evidence of a sick, deprived population working... CAIRO (Reuters) - New evidence of a sick, deprived population working under harsh conditions contradicts earlier images of wealth and abundance from the art records of the ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna, a study has found. Tell el-Amarna was briefly the capital of ancient Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Akhenaten, who abandoned most of Egypt's old gods in favor of the Aten sun disk... Yahoo news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993456/posts#comment Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:20:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1972024/posts Tough Breeds Of Livestock Disappearing: Saving Them Before It Is Too LateDr. Phil Sponenberg with a Spanish-style Choctaw horse. (Credit: John McCormick, Virginia Tech) ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2008) — Phil Sponenberg, professor of pathology and genetics in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, has spent more than 30 years working to make sure certain living pieces of history — some dating to the 15th century — don’t become extinct. Sponenberg's brand of living history comes in the form of various rare strains of livestock, which were involved in events like Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Caribbean Islands and the... Science Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1972024/posts#comment Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:26:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1916018/posts DAVENPORT, Iowa - Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday that if elected president he would end illegal immigration in as few as three years by employing the same police tactics he used to reduce the crime rate as New York mayor. "It can be done. It is not impossible," Giuliani told his audience at a town hall-style meeting. "You can do this, you can stop them at the border." Giuliani said he would boost the number of border security agents to 18,000 from the current 12,000, and build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border with technological monitoring to reduce illegal immigration. He... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1916018/posts#comment Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:26:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1888603/posts David Cameron talks tough on immigration By Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent Last Updated: 2:11am BST 30/08/2007 David Cameron has set out a tough new stance on immigration, promising curbs to limit the number of people coming in as a way of easing pressure on schools, hospitals and housing. Mr Cameron: 'I think the levels of migration we've seen have put too great a burden on public services' Swinging his party back on to more traditional Conservative territory, the Tory leader said the number of people arriving in Britain over a decade of Labour government had been "too high". The... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1888603/posts#comment Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:41:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1800456/posts SACRAMENTO – Creating commissions to address thorny issues has become a hallmark of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's governing style. The problem is they never seem to amount to much. High-profile Schwarzenegger advisory panels on prisons and government efficiency went nowhere. Now the governor has launched commissions on issues lawmakers have struggled with for years: prison sentences, the state water system and public-employee pensions. An in-depth report on schools requested by another Schwarzenegger panel, along with legislative leaders and the state schools chief, is scheduled to be released tomorrow. “Commissions are where intractable issues go to die,” said Thad Kousser, a political... San Diego Union - Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1800456/posts#comment Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:40:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792022/posts AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Lone Star State has long welcomed Latino immigrants, no matter how they got across the state's 1,200-mile border with Mexico. Back when California voted to cut public services to illegal immigrants, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush was preaching that immigrants were equal players in the state's economy. But the atmosphere has changed markedly in Texas, home to about 10% of the nation's illegal immigrants. --snip-- The proposal to deny services to American citizens, which is thought to be the first in the country, is part of a push to challenge the citizenship given automatically to children... LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792022/posts#comment Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:11:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1789509/posts VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 22, 2007 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, faced some tough questions here yesterday – not from the press, but from a group of fifth-grade students at Marshall Elementary School. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, makes remarks and addresses questions with fifth-grade students at Marshall Elementary School in Vancouver, Wash., Feb. 21. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. What’s wrong with the world and how are you going to fix it? How do you protect the... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1789509/posts#comment Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:39:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1773915/posts WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani's star has hardly dimmed in the five years since terrorists attacked his city on Sept. 11, 2001, and he became a national hero _ the face of U.S. resolve at a time of tragedy. The Republican dubbed "America's Mayor" hopes to ride that celebrity and his record at City Hall to the White House by emphasizing his leadership skills and embracing the strong-on-security, limited-government tenets of the GOP. "If he can handle the scrutiny, and if events break his way, sure, he can win," said Fred Siegel, who wrote a Giuliani biography, "The Prince of the... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1773915/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jan 2007 04:32:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717166/posts WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2006 -- Iraq’s elected leaders are taking measures to address the sectarian strife that has gripped Baghdad and other parts of that country in recent weeks, a senior U.S. military officer said yesterday. “The most telling sign of progress towards reconciliation is that the leaders from diverse factions with different interests are working together and are communicating with each other,” Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. Caldwell, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, cited a meeting chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Oct. 8 in which... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717166/posts#comment Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:32:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706728/posts WASHINGTON - Six weeks before elections, the Democratic strategy for the war on terror is one part attack President Bush and one part agree with him. The goal is to court voters dissatisfied with the job the administration has done, yet avoid being tagged as soft on Osama bin Laden. "Democrats are united behind the need to work on a bipartisan basis to bring terrorists to justice, and to do it in a manner consistent with our laws, our values and our national security," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said a few hours after Bush and rebellious Republicans ended a... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706728/posts#comment Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:09:34 GMT