Free Republic

As a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, businessman Jim Lamon has claimed that he will put America First and stand up to Communist China. But when it comes to his business practices, he clearly has no intention of putting his money where his mouth is. Fund Real News Lamon has said that he will “defeat the Communist Party,” and that as a Senator, he will see to it “that goods coming into the U.S. are not made with cheap slave labor, unfettered environmental pollution, and unsafe working conditions.” He has even claimed that his own company, Depcom...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — High above Yemen’s rebel-held city of Hodeida, a drone controlled by Emirati forces hovered as an SUV carrying a top Shiite Houthi rebel official turned onto a small street and stopped, waiting for another vehicle in its convoy to catch up. Seconds later, the SUV exploded in flames, killing Saleh al-Samad, a top political figure. The drone that fired that missile in April was not one of the many American aircraft that have been buzzing across the skies of Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. It was Chinese.. Across the Middle East,...

The California Supreme Court signaled today that it won't stand in the way of a showdown in federal court over the state's ban on same-sex marriage. At a hearing in San Francisco, all seven justices, including newly confirmed Justice Goodwin Liu, appeared to agree with sponsors of the voter-approved Proposition 8 that they had the right to appeal a federal judge's ruling declaring the 2008 ballot measure unconstitutional. When Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled in August 2010 that Prop. 8 violated the rights of gays and lesbians to marry their chosen partners, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General...

San Francisco, CA (AP) -- A divided California Supreme Court has refused to narrow the definition of illegal pandering. The court ruled 5-2 on Thursday that pimps who recruit working prostitutes are just as guilty of pandering as those who recruit victims new to the trade.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The California Supreme Court will not review a appeals court ruling that wiped out an $86 million judgment against coffee giant Starbucks over tip sharing at its stores in the state. . . . In 2008, a San Diego County Superior Court judge ordered Starbucks Corp. to pay millions in restitution to baristas who had to share their tips with supervisors. In June, the 4th District Court of Appeal reversed that ruling,

SAN FRANCISCO — Trial of a federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn Proposition 8 and let California's same-sex marriages resume will begin Jan. 11, a federal judge said Wednesday. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker also during Wednesday's 90-minute hearing denied the motions of a coalition of three gay-rights groups, as well as of the conservative Campaign for California Families, to intervene as parties to the case. Neither proved an interest not already adequately represented by the case's plaintiffs — same-sex couples wishing to marry — or the proponents of Proposition 8, he ruled. But Walker did grant a motion...

"Like it or not," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his handlers made a point of not trying to electrify any crowds after Tuesday's state Supreme Court decision upholding the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Instead, the mayor offered up a cooler, calmer message delivered over the course of three hours in individual interviews with a string of local, state and national reporters. "We just feel one-on-one offered the best opportunity to get our message out," said mayoral spokesman Nathan Ballard. The sit-downs also guaranteed that there would be no repeat of Newsom's infamous, growling declaration in the City Hall...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court will rule Tuesday on a challenge to Proposition 8, the ballot measure that reinstated California's ban on same-sex marriage. . . . Attorney General Jerry Brown, who ordinarily defends state laws in the courts, joined the opponents of Prop. 8 and argued that the voters lack the power to eliminate "inalienable rights."Supporters of the measure argued that the voters have the right to amend their Constitution and are entitled to deference from the courts. Most of the justices appeared to agree at a hearing in March, and gay-rights advocates are already making tentative...

The California Supreme Court has announced that it will rule Tuesday on three cases challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, . . .

SAN FRANCISCO -- California Supreme Court justices launched immediately into a round of questioning Thursday challenging the contention of gay marriage advocates that Proposition 8 was an improper revision of the state constitution.As lawyer Shannon Minter began a presentation challenging the measure banning gay marriage approved by voters in November, justices raised the possibility that the effect of the initiative was narrow, changing only the terminology of "marriage" and not the rights of same-sex couples."Relegating same-sex couples to domestic partnership does not provide them with everything but a word," Minter replied. "Proposition 8 changeas the basic nature of our government."...

<p>Sacramento -- California's schools chief said Thursday he would ask the state Supreme Court to intervene in the protracted budget mess and override a constitutional requirement that the annual spending plan be approved by a two- thirds vote in the Legislature.</p>