Free Republic

Remember “I feel your pain” - Bill Clinton’s plaintive response to the woes of Middle America turned into a signature line for his administration, which became a cliché in American politics? Every politician wanted to connect to the pain of Americans, even in good economic times, and especially during and after the Great Recession. The biggest political attack against Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election related to the exposure of his remarks about the “47 percent” and how out of touch it made the wealthy Republican nominee to the plight of the struggling working classes. That was then …...

Frustrated Florida flier Shelby Henderson Griffiths, 22, allegedly asked a ticket agent for help Tuesday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — only to throw Teresa Rodriguez to the floor and start kicking her. A frustrated Florida flier violently smacked down a United Airlines ticket agent who tried to help her, authorities said. Shelby Henderson Griffiths, 22, allegedly punched Teresa Rodriguez in the face, grabbed her hair and threw her to the floor at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday.

Watch the epic, century-spanning saga of Alex Haley’s family with Roots, Roots: The Gift and Alex Haley's Queen this holiday on BET. Roots tells the story of the journey of Alex Haley’s family from Africa to America, from slavery to freedom. An incredible cast, which includes Cicely Tyson, John Amos, Maya Angelou and LeVar Burton, helps make Roots a must-see event for any generation.

A U.S. district court has awarded millions in Iranian government funds to five American families who were victims of an Iranian-backed suicide bombing, despite objections from Tehran and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Nov. 27 ruling, which allows the American victims of a 1997 terrorist attack in Jerusalem to recover more than $9 million from a U.S.-based defense contractor that worked with Iran, was hailed as a precedent-setting case by the victims’ legal counsel. “After more than ten years of litigation in the federal court in San Diego, these victims and their families were awarded a Hanukah victory against...

Recently, a district court sentenced parents of nine to pay a fine of 700 Euro each for their violation of the compulsory school attendance for all children in Germany. The public prosecution department demanded six months in prison for the married couple due to their repeated offense. An appeal was rejected in October. The father, Thomas Schaum, 51, explains the reason for his third conviction: he did not want to give his children in the hands of strangers. He also criticised the sexual education that children received in schools. Three of the nine children of the Schaums are in school...

Adobe announced Thursday that it was the victim of a hack and that personal data for 2.9 million users were stolen. The software company, known for Photoshop and other programs, said cyber attackers were able to access user information, including account IDs, encrypted passwords as well as credit and debit card numbers. The hackers were able to erase data of some Adobe users. The hackers also illegally accessed source codes for numerous Adobe products. That's like stealing the secret formula for Coca-Cola. The company did not specify which users of its various software programs were hit. "We deeply regret that...

Maine law allows police to arrest victims to make sure they testify http://www.policestateusa.com/2013/m...-they-testify/ CHELSEA, ME — A battered woman was arrested by police in an effort to force her to testify against her abuser. She was detained without charges, locked in a cage, and a bail was set. The startling practice of arresting the victim is actually legal in Maine, thanks to a seldom used statute. Jessica Ruiz, 35, was the alleged victim of domestic violence at the hands of 45-year-old Robert Robinson, Jr., in an April incident. On September 17, police arrested Ruiz to make sure she testified against...

A group of Israeli families whose relatives were killed by Palestinian terrorists protested in front of the Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday in an attempt to block the release of some two dozen terrorists who have “blood on their hands.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at the urging of the United States earlier this month to release 104 imprisoned terrorists in a bid to woo the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. More than two dozen of these terrorists are scheduled to be released later this week, prompting an Israeli-based group called Bereaved Families for Peace and Justice to...

This is unbelievable. Dana Loesch at RedState reported tonight that the Obama Department of Defense has reportedly slapped a gag order on Fort Hood survivors and family members. Autumn Manning @WWWife #FtHood family members of wounded being told they can't talk 2 press. I am not in military & still have my 1st amendment rights TY very much 10:14 AM - 7 Aug 2013

Autumn Manning, wife of Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning who was wounded in the Ft. Hood terror attack, is speaking out on Twitter. Manning claims that the Department of Defense has “slapped victims of violence with gag orders” and is preventing them to discuss denial of benefits and other developments in the wake of the attack.

U.S. Department of Justice officials have demanded that Los Angeles County, Lancaster and Palmdale pay a total of $12.5 million to residents who the federal government found were victims of harassment and intimidation in the Antelope Valley. The demand coincides with last week´s accusation by the Justice Department that Antelope Valley authorities conducted a systematic effort to discriminate against African Americans who received low-income subsidized housing and that sheriff´s deputies engaged in widespread unlawful searches of homes, improper detentions and unreasonable force. Assistant County Counsel Roger Granbo, (Snip)said the money would go to people whose

Now that the trial for abortion provider Kermit Gosnell has ended with a conviction, many are asking what Philadelphia plans to do with the 47 bodies from the case. After Gosnell's arrest in 2011, then-Archbishop Justin Rigali asked the district attorney's office for the bodies of the aborted fetuses. After [the trial] ended and Gosnell was sentenced to life in prison, Rigali's successor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, has renewed the request to bury the bodies. Francis Maier, assistant to Chaput, said "We're not interested in turning it into a circus. Points were made in the trial; now we just want...

JAKE TAPPER: One woman still looking for answers is Pat Smith. Her son, State Department Information Officer Sean Smith was one of the four Americans killed. Pat, thanks so much for being here. I know this is not an easy time. How are you holding up?

Nearly eight months after terrorists killed J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three others at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Vice President Biden on Friday will officially recognize them and four other diplomats killed in the line of duty. Biden will be joined by Secretary of State John Kerry and other top administration officials to unveil the addition of the eight names on the Memorial Plaque in the lobby of the State Department. "Last year was a horror," said Thomas W. Switzer, spokesman for the American Foreign Service Association. "Sadly, this will be the biggest

Cost of amputating a leg? At least $20,000. Cost of an artificial leg? More than $50,000 for the most high-tech models. Cost of an amputee's rehab? Often tens of thousands of dollars more. These are just a fraction of the medical expenses victims of the Boston Marathon bombing will face. The mammoth price tag is probably not what patients are focusing on as they begin the long healing process. But friends and strangers are already setting up fundraisers and online crowd-funding sites, and a huge Boston city fund has already collected more than $23 million in individual and corporate donations....

First of all, the president’s delivery was incredibly robotic. There was absolutely no emotion in his voice. There was no sound of anger. There was no sound of relief. There was no sound of resolve whatsoever. Instead, what I heard was a robotic, monotone president who said words that even he himself has not typically followed.

The Chinese Consulate in New York said this evening that the latest fatality of the Boston Marathon explosion was a Chinese national. The consulate's statement came a few hours after Boston University said that the victim was a BU graduate student. Colin Riley, a BU spokesman, declined to release the student's name, pending discussion with the family. According to BU Today news site, the student was one of three friends who had been watching the Marathon near the race finish line. One of the three was injured and is in stable condition at Boston Medical Center, according to the university....

The victims of the Boston Marathon bombings include a 9-year-old girl who lost a leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds to his legs, according to the director of the trauma program at Boston Children’s Hospital. The most seriously injured children had BBs and nails embedded in their bodies, said Dr. David P. Mooney -- objects that were apparently packed into the explosive devices. The 9- and 10-year-olds are in critical condition but are expected to survive. They will need multiple surgeries to recover from their devastating injuries, Mooney said in an interview with the Globe Tuesday...

The woman’s eyes stared vacantly into the sky. The runners had been bounding in, beaming with relief. On both sides of Boylston Street, hundreds of spectators still had packed the area, many cheering with hoarse voices for the late finishers surging in, scores of them every minute. An elderly volunteer greeting runners kept repeating this mantra: “You’re all winners.” When the first boom shattered the bliss and the haze of white smoke washed over the finish line, I could see in the eyes of the woman what had happened. She wasn’t breathing. She wasn’t moving. Her eyes appeared lifeless as...

Senate Mulls Background Checks on Potential Victims April 10th, 2013 Scott Ott Potential mass-shooting victim background checks mulled by SenateSome senators worry that a bill to screen for potential mass-shooting victims could lead to empty classrooms and theaters, or worse, the specter of armed security personnel or even armed, law-abiding citizens depriving people of their natural right to remain defenseless. The U.S. Senate next week will reportedly take up debate on a bill to require background checks on potential victims of mass shootings. The alternative to increased gun-purchase background checks came out of closed-door negotiations among Senate leaders when they...