Free Republic

The nation's public transportation system is vulnerable to a terrorist attack and measures must be immediately taken to keep trains, subways and buses safe for million of Americans, Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said Saturday. "The subway and bus bombings in London once again caught the world's attention, but were unfortunately just another reminder that public transportation is a favorite target for terrorists," Menendez said in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. In the past four years, Menendez said, the federal government has spent about $9 per flying passenger, but only a penny per transit passenger. President Bush's "refusal to acknowledge...

Hurricane Emily regained dangerous Category 4 strength, frightening storm-weary islanders in Jamaica and Cayman Islands who eyed ravages it wrought as a low-level storm on Grenada. Many rushed to buy emergency supplies as officials urged them to evacuate coastal and flood-prone areas. Mexican officials recommended Friday evacuating tourists from much of the country's Caribbean coast, including Cancun and the island resorts of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. Grenada declared a national disaster Friday, the day after Emily's 90-mph (144-kph) winds tore down at least 100 homes, blasted out windows, sheared off roofs and flooded two hospitals and scores of other buildings....

A south St. Louis family is trying to come to grips with Wednesday's sudden and accidental death of their little girl. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think there would be flowers and baskets at my door," says Morticia Scott. The memorial for her daughter, Jamarria Bolar, continues to grow. The 2-year-old died following a stabbing accident Wednesday. "I'm going to remember her happy and full of life. I can't say I'll ever forget it. I see her face like she's not even gone, so plain and so clear." Police believe Jamarria's 3-year-old brother found a steak knife...

West Palm Beach police returned a rare and valuable Japanese rifle accepted in last weekend's gun buy back program to a World War II Navy veteran Friday. Bruno Filippelli, 79, of Delray Beach, said he felt sorry for inconveniencing the police but was happy to have the firearm, which a rare gun collector said could be worth as much as $5,000. The Arisaka Type 99 pressure test rifle, one of only about 50 left from World War II, was set to be melted down and destroyed, along with about 450 other firearms collected by the police last weekend. "I feel...

If you decided Friday morning that you wanted to give your support to Rep. Shelly Moore Capito's run against Sen. Robert Byrd, and you went to her Web site, www.capito2006.com, you would have gotten a rude surprise: You would be at Robert Byrd's re-election Web site. That's because apparent GOP-hating hackers hijacked Capito's site and redirected the traffic to Byrd's Web Site. Byrd's webmasters have fixed the problem, however, putting this message up in place of Capito's site: At least someone who supports Byrd has decency.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans are nervously watching the fight over Karl Rove's involvement in a news leak that exposed a CIA officer's identity, fearing that President Bush's chief political adviser is creating a credibility problem at the White House. While the president passed up another chance Wednesday to directly voice confidence in his deputy chief of staff, his political team engineered a series of testimonials from members of Congress who praised Rove and condemned Democratic critics. And Bush's press secretary, Scott McClellan, told reporters the president has confidence in his longtime confidant. "The extreme left is once again attempting to...

July 12, 2005 — Matamoros officials have confirmed four cases of dengue fever and are investigating at least 35 suspected cases of the deadly virus in Brownsville’s sister city. The majority of the cases were reported north of Matamoros and away from the Brownsville area, according to Josue Ramirez, Brownsville health director. No cases of dengue have been reported here this year. Matamoros health officials could not be reached for comment Monday. Mexican news media reported that the city was spraying for mosquitoes in areas where the dengue cases are believed to have originated. Dengue fever is an acute viral...

In a couple of weeks our Sunday School class will have some kind of Islamic cleric as a guest. Just thought you guys could provide a few appropriate questions to ask this man from the religion of peace. Just an FYI, some in the class are liberal anti-Bushers and want to "understand" why they hate us. I know I can count on you.

Just got word that I'm going to be on The O'Reilly Factor tonight at 8 on Fox News Channel.We'll be talking about a story from the first part of this week.Overnight Monday night, a group of youngsters tossed rocks at a tanker truck, and one enterprising kid lobbed a bottle rocket into the cab of the truck. The tanker truck, carrying 7500 pounds of diesel fuel, went off the road and overturned. The driver was seriously injured.Atlanta Police evacuated the Bankhead Courts housing project as a precaution, as there were fears of an explosion from the diesel fuel.Police have arrested...

Pfc. England Judge Refuses to Step Down Associated Press July 8, 2005 FORT HOOD, Texas - An Army judge refused Thursday to step aside for Pfc. Lynndie England's trial on charges of abusing prisoners in Iraq, saying he was not to blame for her botched guilty plea in May. Col. James Pohl rejected an argument by the defense that he asked inappropriate questions of a witness, the reputed abuse ringleader Pvt. Charles Graner. Graner's testimony for the defense at England's sentencing hearing contradicted her version of what happened, forcing a mistrial that ended her plea deal and put the case...

Pittsburgh man at helm in London Gazing at scenes of carnage on his television screen yesterday morning, Brother Gerald Molyneaux said his first chill of fear was for his friend and former student, Tim O'Toole. Molyneaux knew that O'Toole, a Pittsburgh native who now heads London's Underground subway, rides his system's trains to work each day. "I was scared, really scared,'' he said. But after a relative alerted him that O'Toole had appeared unharmed in news reports from London, Molyneaux said the relief that swept through him was not just for O'Toole, but for millions of Londoners who rely on...

A terror group linked to al Qaeda says it carried out a series of terror attacks on London that have left a number of people dead and hundreds injured.A previously unknown group calling itself "Secret Organisation al Qaeda in Europe" said it carried out the attacks as revenge for British "military massacres" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two London hospitals have reported a total of 185 wounded after a series of blasts hit locations across the city on buses and Tube stations. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said there was evidence of explosives at at least two of the six...

BERLIN - A food fight between world leaders is underway as they prepare to travel to Scotland for the latest meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations. While the British have been forced to try to digest some rather critical remarks about their cooking style attributed to French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Schroeder's remarks about salmon might not win him any friends among the Scottish hosts of this week's G8 meeting. Despite the Scots being proud of their vast streams of salmon, Schroeder told a news conference in Berlin Tuesday that he was not a great fan...

Per BBC(Not posted yet... ) London wins 2012 Olympics bid!!!

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The official tour will tell you the founding of the United Nations in 1945 brought the world from post-war misery toward prosperity and happiness. An alternative "dirty" tour will tell you the United Nations is crumbling.The building, that is. While critics, particularly in Washington, may be worried about the oil-for-food scandal and investigations into mismanagement in allocating U.N. contracts, some at the United Nations have more practical concerns.

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee members crystalized the debate over Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement on Sunday, making clear that a hard-line conservative would trigger a furious battle on Capitol Hill that could touch off a Democratic filibuster. The division emerged amid a conservative lobbying campaign against one possible pick, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a longtime Texas friend of President Bush who is considered too moderate by right-wing Republicans. "I don't think the social conservatives ought to prejudge Attorney General Gonzales. Attorney General Gonzales may not even be in the picture," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on...

They used to uncork their best bottles for festivals on July 14, but French wine growers such as Bernard Farges have little to celebrate next week. Far from evoking the triumphant storming of the Bastille, the date makes him and other bordeaux vignerons queasy. “I feel sick to the heart,” said Farges, from Mauriac. The source of his melancholy is a European Union-funded process in which some of the quality red wine he produces will be distilled into undrinkable ethanol for use as factory fuel. The deadline for participating in the scheme is Bastille Day, a cruel irony. Farges has...

WASHINGTON, July 2 - Conservative groups confronted President Bush with a groundswell of opposition this weekend against nominating his attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, warning in private meetings and public statements that doing so would splinter conservative support. At least one prominent Latino evangelical group urged Mr. Bush to name another Hispanic candidate, Emilio M. Garza, a federal appeals judge from Texas. Within hours after Justice O'Connor's announced her retirement, members of conservative groups around the country convened in different combinations in five national conference calls in which many participants...

Activists rev up rhetoric ahead of historic confirmation battle Activists revving up for a fierce confirmation battle responded immediately yesterday to the announcement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement, warning Americans that her replacement will have a profound influence on America's most divisive cultural issues. "It is inevitable that this confirmation battle will revolve around values," said Gary Bauer, president of Virginia-based American Values and former Republican presidential candidate. "The administration should not be afraid of such a debate." The website of the National Organization for Women opens with an "Emergency Alert" pop-up that warns "Justice O'Connor Resigns ... Women's...