Free Republic

WANAQUE, N.J. — Some students at a New Jersey high school are upset that they won’t be able to make a grand entrance by taking limousines and luxury cars to their prom. Lakeland Regional High School administrators sent a letter to parents this week stating that prom attendees must take school-provided and chaperoned coach buses to and from the venue in June. Schools Superintendent Hugh Beattie says it’s a matter of safety and equity...

Last October a horrific stretch limousine crash killed 20 people and rocked the state of New York. As a result, Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to introduce a raft of transportation safety reforms including an outright ban on long limos.In an event described by the New York Times as the “deadliest U.S accident in nine years,” 17 passengers in a stretched Ford Excursion limousine, the vehicle’s driver, and two pedestrians died in a crash in the small upstate town of Schoharie, NY. The subsequent investigation revealed that the limo had failed its last safety inspection and should not have been on...

U.S. Wary Of Small Boat Terrorism As boating season approaches, the Bush administration wants to enlist America's 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances that a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb somewhere along the 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways. According to an April 23 intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press, "The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain al Qaeda's weapon of choice in the maritime environment, given its ease in arming and deploying, low cost, and record of success." While the United States...

Monday, May 08, 2006 Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo is the subject of an FBI investigation related to poker parties and possible use of prostitutes to curry favor with defense and CIA contracting officials. Investigators are probing whether San Diego-based defense contractor Brent Wilkes provided prostitutes to lawmakers or Foggo in order to win federal contracts. The CIA sent out an e-mail to agency staff Monday afternoon announcing that Foggo was stepping down, but it did not say whether he was leaving the agency, U.S. officials said. Suggestions have been made that he will retire soon.

The prosecutors in Michael Jackson's child molestation and conspiracy trial apparently feel they've already won their case. On Wednesday night, the whole lot of them — DA Tom Sneddon, Ron Zonen, Gordon Auchincloss, their wives and families — all celebrated at the Hitching Post restaurant in Casmalia. The Hitching Post, cousin of the Buellton restaurant featured in the movie "Sideways," is considered the best restaurant in the greater Santa Maria area. Sneddon was so happy that he actually embraced celebrity crime reporter Aphrodite Jones. She told me he was in a jubilant mood, and the most outgoing of all the...

WASHINGTON (AP) Al-Qaida may attempt to launch attacks in U.S. cities using helicopters or rented limousines packed with explosives as weapons, the FBI said in two nationwide bulletins. Terror operatives could attempt to hijack commercial, charter or tourist helicopter flights and use them in suicide attacks against buildings, parades or sporting events, said one of the intelligence bulletins obtained Monday by The Associated Press. Helicopters and limousines could both help terrorists get closer to targeted buildings, the FBI warnings said. The warnings were sent Friday night by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department to 18,000 state and local law...