Free Republic

Twenty-five years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan told the nation he’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life,” he wrote in a letter addressed to his “Fellow Americans,” dated November 5, 1994. Reagan wrote that he and his wife, Nancy, decided to disclose his condition in hopes it would increase attention for the disease that slowly, but surely, robs the mind of its memories. “In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition,” he wrote. “Perhaps it will encourage a clearer...

Some news just in from Senator Flake's office this afternoon regarding the Army's Force Structure decisions and how they affect Fort Huachuca. The delegation briefing notice from the Pentagon's Army Readiness Liaison reported that Fort Huachuca will have a loss of only 31 'slots' or 'spaces' by 2019 as a result of the military's reduction in size. The notice indicated the number of solders on the Fort in 2012 was 2590 and will be reduced to 2559 by the year 2019. Very little additional information was contained in the notice. I'm sure over the next day or so more details...

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred seven detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Afghanistan, five detainees to Yemen, three detainees to Kazakhstan, one detainee to Libya, and one detainee to Bangladesh. Additionally, one detainee was released to Yemen. These detainees were recommended for transfer or release by multiple review board processes conducted at Guantanamo Bay. Aproximately 85 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. Government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United...

SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury returned an indictment in the pension fund case Friday afternoon. Its details are to be announced at 2 p.m. The jury's foreman and federal prosecutor John Owens stood before U.S. District Judge Irma Gonzalez shortly before 1 p.m. to notify the judge and get her signature on the document. Nothing was revealed about its contents, and Owens declined to discuss it outside of court, but the U.S. Attorney's office has scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. at its downtown offices.

The Department of Defense announced today an adjustment to the deployment of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division toAfghanistan. The entire brigade will not deploy as previously announced in December 2004; instead one battalion-sized task force consisting of an infantry battalion and attached fire-support, communications and logistics elements will deploy to assist transition of the coalition operations to the NATO International Security Assistance Force in southern Afghanistan in mid 2006. The non-deploying elements of the brigade will remain prepared to deploy within 15 days. There are nearly 19,000 U.S. troops leading counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan. The decision announced today will...

State wants more control of levee boards Jeremy Alford Daily Comet Capitol Correspondent October 28. 2005 12:00AM New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testifies as Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (on screen) listens via video teleconference in front of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure joint hearing on rebuilding New Orleans while on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 18, 2005. REUTERS/Larry Downing BATON ROUGE — Administrative officials are expected to push a set of proposals during the special session that convenes next Sunday to grant the state greater oversight of local levee boards. Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced her intentions this week as...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Padres National Forest will allow companies to drill for an estimated 17 million barrels of crude oil or natural gas within its borders but roadless wilderness areas and critical habitat of the California condor will be preserved, forest officials announced Thursday. Forest Supervisor Gloria Brown will allow oil and gas leasing on only 52,000 out of 767,000 acres of land that were included in a decade-long study of Los Padres, a nearly 2 million-acre forest that spans 220 miles from Big Sur in Monterey County south to near western Los Angeles County. On all but...